Iconic Songs & Lyrical Analysis

When beginning this project, the first iconic teen angst symbol that I thought of was music. Music creates community, inspires listeners, and can be connected to fashion or appearance. When I think of "teen angst" I am immediately reminded of famous bands throughout multiple generations such as Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Ramones, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance. For this project, I chose to dive a bit deeper into some of these artists' greatest hits and discover and analyze themes within their lyrics. Below, you will find copies of each artists' lyrics with a thematic analysis following.

1973

Pink Floyd "Time"

No Music Video Available

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time

Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way

The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

Home, home again

I like to be here when I can

When I come home cold and tired

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire

Far away, across the field

The tolling of the iron bell

Calls the faithful to their knees

To hear the softly spoken magic spell

When reading through these lyrics, I noticed themes of sadness/existentialism, home, the passage of time, future guidance, and feeling behind. These themes highlight the song's message, which may be interpreted as a warning to young people to be wary of the ways in which time can quickly pass us by. The song implies a certain regret in wasting away youth by thinking that there is so much time left in life. Instead, the song urges listeners to take command of their lives now rather than wait for later. This kind of regret that may emerge in old age depicts a deep sadness which further warns viewers against making the same mistakes as the writer. Furthermore, the album speaks to the loss of Syd Barrett, a former band member, to mental illness through the discussion of seeing him again one day in another life on the dark side of the moon. This song, released on Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of The Moon, has become a staple in classic teenage music throughout many generations and continues to inspire listeners to take command of their futures.

1984

The Smith's "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour

But heaven knows I'm miserable now

I was looking for a job and then I found a job

And heaven knows I'm miserable now

In my life, why do I give valuable time

To people who don't care if I live or die?

Two lovers entwined pass me by

And heaven knows I'm miserable now

I was looking for a job and then I found a job

And heaven knows I'm miserable now

In my life, oh, why do I give valuable time

To people who don't care if I live or die?

What she asked of me at the end of the day

Caligula would have blushed

"Oh, you've been in the house too long", she said

And I naturally fled

In my life, why do I smile

At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour

But heaven knows I'm miserable now

"Oh, you've been in the house too long", she said

And I naturally fled

In my life, oh, why do I give valuable time

To people who don't care if I live or die?

This song directly juxtaposes misery against joy and success. Similar to Pink Floyd's "Time", this author repeatedly discusses wasting time. The writer reflects on times of joy and happy moments despite currently existing in a state of misery or depression. They go so far as to ask themself why they waste their time with people who they do not like. The writer also implements themes of sex, escape, alcohol, and biblical references. These themes portray how alcohol is tied to both escape and happiness within the lyrics, as well as sex. The song pushes listeners to reflect on the ways they spend their time while also bringing up other popular themes in teen music with the use of alcohol, escapism, misery, and sex. The music video performance directly contrasts the bright, colorful setting with a darker aesthetic and lyrics which may speak to the song's juxtaposition between misery and joy.

1991

Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Load up on guns, bring your friends

It's fun to lose and to pretend

She's over-bored and self-assured

Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an albino

A mosquito, my libido

Yeah, hey, yay

I'm worse at what I do best

And for this gift, I feel blessed

Our little group has always been

And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an albino

A mosquito, my libido

Yeah, hey, yay

And I forget just why I taste

Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile

I found it hard, it's hard to find

Oh well, whatever, never mind

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an albino

A mosquito, my libido

A denial, a denial

A denial, a denial

A denial, a denial

A denial, a denial

A denial

Focusing on violence, lust, mental health, drug use, and societal expectations, this song encapsulates the term angst. The writer opens the song intensely and immediately implies both a violent rage, but also a lack of care for life. In saying how much fun it is to play pretend and lose, the writer exhibits a lack of investment in reality. The chorus of the song could be interpreted as a comment on how the writer feels in terms of mood, but also how he feels about his actions. Lead singer and songwriter, Kurt Cobain, famously struggled with both depression and drug addiction. He also discusses this constant pressure for entertainment and thus the pressures society has placed upon him. Additionally, he ends the song by repeating the word "denial" which may suggest the denial he has felt in the past about his problems. The song, released in 1991, remains an anthem for teenagers today perhaps thanks to its reflection on both social pressures and the way we cope with them. The music video encapsulates the violence and teenage rebellion that this song speaks to by portraying the rage, internal conflict, and societal rebellion that Cobain sings about within the high school setting of a basketball court equipped with cheerleaders and students.

1995

The Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

The world is a vampire, sent to drain

Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames

And what do I get, for my pain?

Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game

Even though I know - I suppose I'll show

All my cool and cold - like old Job

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Now I'm naked, nothing but an animal

But can you fake it, for just one more show?

And what do you want?

I want to change

And what have you got, when you feel the same?

Even though I know - I suppose I'll show

All my cool and cold - like old Job

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Tell me I'm the only one

Tell me there's no other one

Jesus was the only son, yeah

Tell me I'm the chosen one

Jesus was the only son for you

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

And someone will say what is lost can never be saved

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Tell me I'm the only one

Tell me there's no other one

Jesus was the only son for you

And I still believe that I cannot be saved

And I still believe that I cannot be saved

And I still believe that I cannot be saved

And I still believe that I cannot be saved

This piece contains a heavy focus on the themes of rage and society. These two ideas interact most heavily in the chorus where the singer repeatedly mentions that despite this rage he feels, he is still trapped in the cage of society. The song begins with the writer discussing how the world will drain you, bring pain, and reflects on how he has received nothing in return for his suffering. The writer also makes reference to the biblical figure, Jesus, in the discussion of desire to be unique but also in the belief that he cannot be saved. In this context, the writer creates a double entendre of how he cannot be saved in a biblical sense, but also in the way that he cannot be saved from the turmoil and entrapment of society. The combined hopelessness and rage displayed in this piece can both be attributed to the author's frustration with societal expectations and the current way of life. The music video displays the struggle and mistreatment of citizens in a hopeless society and alludes to the religious figures mentioned in the lyrics.

2004

Green Day "Jesus of Suburbia"

TW: drug use, self-harm, violence

[Part I: Jesus of Suburbia]

I'm the son of rage and love

The Jesus of Suburbia

The bible of "none of the above"

On a steady diet of

Soda-pop and Ritalin

No one ever died for my sins in Hell

As far as I can tell

'Least the ones I got away with

And there's nothing wrong with me

This is how I'm supposed to be

In a land of make-believe

That don't believe in me

Get my television fix

Sitting on my crucifix

The living room, or my private womb

While the moms and Brads are away

To fall in love and fall in debt

To alcohol and cigarettes and Mary Jane

To keep me insane

Doing someone else's cocaine

And there's nothing wrong with me

This is how I'm supposed to be

In a land of make-believe

That don't believe in me

[Part II: City of the Damned]

At the center of the Earth, in the parking lot

Of the 7-Eleven where I was taught

The motto was just a lie

It says "home is where your heart is," but what a shame

'Cause everyone's heart doesn't beat the same

It's beating out of time

City of the dead (Hey! Hey!)

At the end of another lost highway (Hey! Hey!)

Signs misleading to nowhere

City of the damned (Hey! Hey!)

Lost children with dirty faces today (Hey! Hey!)

No one really seems to care

I read the graffiti in the bathroom stall

Like the holy scriptures of the shopping mall

And so it seemed to confess

It didn't say much, but it only confirmed

That the center of the Earth is the end of the world

And I could really care less

City of the dead (Hey! Hey!)

At the end of another lost highway (Hey! Hey!)

Signs misleading to nowhere

City of the damned (Hey! Hey!)

Lost children with dirty faces today (Hey! Hey!)

No one really seems to care (Hey!)

[Part III: I Don't Care]

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't care

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't care

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't care

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't

I don't care if you don't care

I don't care!

Everyone's so full of shit

Born and raised by hypocrites

Hearts recycled, but never saved

From the cradles to the grave

We are the kids of war and peace

From Anaheim to the Middle East

We are the stories and disciples of

The Jesus of Suburbia!

Land of make-believe

And it don't believe in me

Land of make-believe

(Said it's, it's another lie!)

And I don't believe

And I don't care! (Whoo, whoo, whoo)

I don't care! (Whoo, whoo, whoo)

I don't care! (Whoo, whoo, whoo)

I don't care! (Whoo, whoo, whoo)

I don't care!

[Part IV: Dearly Beloved]

Dearly beloved, are you listening?

I can't remember a word that you were saying

Are we demented, or am I disturbed?

The space that's in between insane and insecure

Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh

Ooh, ooh-ooh

(Ooh, ooh) Oh, therapy, can you please fill the void?

(Ooh, ooh-ooh) Am I retarded or am I just overjoyed?

(Ooh, ooh) Nobody's perfect and I stand accused

(Ooh, ooh-ooh) For lack of a better word, and that's my best excuse

Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh

Ooh, ooh-ooh

[Part V: Tales of Another Broken Home]

To live and not to breathe

Is to die in tragedy

To run, to run away

To find what you believe

And I leave behind

This hurricane of fucking lies

I lost my faith to this

This town that don't exist

So I run, I run away

To the lights of masochists

And I leave behind

This hurricane of fucking lies

And I've walked this line

A million and one fucking times

But not this time!

I don't feel any shame, I won't apologize

When there ain't nowhere you can go

Running away from pain when you've been victimized

Tales from another broken

Home

You're leaving

You're leaving

You're leaving

Are you leaving home?

Green Day's 2004 song "Jesus of Suburbia" crafts a story through its five distinct sections. In section one, "Jesus of Suburbia", the protagonist introduces himself and quickly includes themes of rage, religion, socioeconomic classes, substance abuse, and the idea of home. He conveys a disbelief in Christian religion and instead portrays himself as his own Jesus. While discussing his abuse of alcohol, Ritalin, cigarettes, and cocaine, he shares his opinion about the falsity of American suburbia and greater society. He repeatedly mentions how this society does not believe in him, thus suggesting a frustration with society and the future ahead of him. In section two, "City of the Damned", the protagonist discusses his view on the overarching hopelessness of modern America. In his critique, he discusses how home is different for everyone but the larger cities and society that we share are inevitably doomed. He calls out Americans for ignoring the problems in our communities and our false hope for the future. In section three, "I Don't Care", the protagonist expresses the climax of his rage. He says that he will be indifferent to life, society, and the future as long as we are. He goes on to directly call out the hypocrisy of Americans, specifically citing the war in the Middle East. Once again, he references society as a "land of make-believe" in which he does not believe in. Thus, he expresses his distaste for America once more. In section four, "Dearly Beloved", he begins to question his mental health and sanity. He also describes a void that he feels and hopes can be filled by therapy. In the closing section, "Tales of Another Broken Home", he urges listeners to forge their own paths in life and live by their own beliefs. He discusses leaving behind the lies, losing his faith, and the falsities of society before proclaiming that he is escaping. He ends the song by asking listeners if they are also leaving. The song contains many important themes in teen music that are seen in other songs like those above. Ending the song with a direct call to action prompts listeners to also critically analyze the society around them and form their own beliefs. Furthermore, the music video violently reflects the thematic changes in the lyrics.

2006

My Chemical Romance "Teenagers"

They're gonna clean up your looks with all the lies in the books

To make a citizen out of you

Because they sleep with a gun and keep an eye on you, son

So they can watch all the things you do

Because the drugs never work, they're gonna give you a smirk

'Cause they got methods of keeping you clean

They're gonna rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds

Another cog in the murder machine

They said "All teenagers scare the living shit out of me

They could care less as long as someone'll bleed"

So, darken your clothes or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

The boys and girls in the clique, the awful names that they stick

You're never gonna fit in much, kid

But if you're troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt

Will make them pay for the things that they did

They said "All teenagers scare the living shit out of me

They could care less as long as someone'll bleed"

So, darken your clothes or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me, oh, hoo yeah!

They said "All teenagers scare the living shit out of me

They could care less as long as someone'll bleed"

So, darken your clothes or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me, all together now!

"Teenagers scare the living shit out of me

They could care less as long as someone'll bleed"

So, darken your clothes or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me, yeah!

"Teenagers scare the living shit out of me

They could care less as long as someone'll bleed"

So, darken your clothes or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me!

Once again, the song discusses themes of society, violence, substance abuse, and mental health. The first verse discusses the ways in which society tries to shape people to fit a specific mold and hints at the dehumanizing, almost machine-like, ways in which society functions. The verse functions as a warning to listeners about the ways that society will try to force them into adherence. The chorus focuses on the societal perspectives of teenagers and urges listeners to stand against the oppressive opinions of society forced upon them. In the second verse, the writer references bullying and the torment faced by people considered abnormal in society and suggests that this abuse can often lead to violent backlash. The aggressive denouncement of society and distinct call to action made in the song create a raw, and emotional experience for listeners who have felt outcasted by those around them. The music video for this song depicts the teenage outrage, rebellion, and violence that responds to the society singer Gerard Way speaks of.

The six songs analyzed above were released over the span of 33 years, yet they contain many similar themes. Ideas of societal pressures, violence, substance abuse, struggles and rejection of religion, the passage of time, and mental health are found in almost every song despite their vast age differences. All of these songs have become and remained popular with counterculture teens who are often cited as rebellious or angsty. Perhaps the shared themes between these songs suggest an ongoing and shared perspective across many generations of teens in America. While adolescence is a time period of self-discovery, these discoveries may not always be pleasant. Certain realizations about one's belief in society, religion, or the self may be jarring and emotionally upsetting. All of these songs relate to these intense emotions and perhaps have remained popular because they have remained relatable. The wide time gaps between these songs suggests that these multifaceted realizations are faced intergenerationally amongst teenagers. These songs depict very intense and extreme reactions to issues faced by many teenagers and while most teens do not react on these levels, they may resonate with the core emotions of the song to a slightly lesser degree. These songs could not remain popular without remaining relevant and their continued relevancy suggests continued struggles and realizations faced by teenagers across multiple generations in America.