Annotations for Honey This Mirror Isnt Big Enough for the Two of Us

Lyric: Well, I’ll choose the life I’ve taken
 Never mind the friends I’m making
Annotation:
This line most likely refers to drug use, which is consistent with the song’s overall theme of a combined metaphor that swings between two kinds of toxic relationships, which are one with a partner and one with drugs. The friends that Gerard is making here could very possibly be the  substances he has begun to rely on to keep himself afloat as his life shifts and warps around the  band’s beginnings and the horrific aftermath of 9/11. Here, he downplays the concerns of an outsider, echoing the choir of concerned parents who worry that their kids would make “the wrong kinds of friends” in a new scene, especially one centered in the music scene. The word “friends” is used euphemistically, perhaps to cover up or conceal the fact that drug usage has grown more prevalent in this chapter of his life.

Lyric: And you can cry all you want to
 I don’t care how much you’ll invest yourself in me
Annotation:
Following the idea that the song is personifying a drug addiction, this line could be showing that he isn’t going to let addiction get the best of him this time- similar to someone standing up to a manipulative lover. Otherwise, the narrator is showing that he’s fallen for his lover’s manipulation before and he isn’t going to this time, as he’s ending the relationship.

Lyric: And you can’t keep my friends
Annotation:
The song has a dual meaning, one about a relationship and the other about substance abuse. This line is about substance abuse and Gerard is saying that addiction wont keep his friends.

Lyric: And well, I find it hard to stay
 With the words you say
Annotation:
These lines work as a continuation of this song’s double meaning. In one reading, a romantic relationship has turned toxic. Gerard’s hypothetical partner may be becoming manipulative or aggressive, their words causing him to reconsider the reasons for remaining together, considering the relationship’s harmful nature. Using this ‘relationship’ as a metaphor, the second reading sees Gerard personify his current struggle with drugs and alcohol, a toxic relationship that the singer has  discussed in interviews. Whilst the words being spoken to him in this instance aren’t literal, it’s likely Gerard is referring to the  negative ways addiction can make you perceive yourself. Self-criticism or intrusive thoughts may manifest as the things being “said” to him by alcohol or drugs, and in a moment of self awareness, Gerard confesses to himself that he is beginning to struggle with the negative toll this dependency is having on him mentally. In the next chorus, Gerard regards the effects of this relationship on his loved ones, broadening his understanding its harmful nature, and the extent to which its negative effects are outweighing its positives. And you can’t touch my brother And you can’t keep my friends And we’re not working out We’re not working out

Lyric: And you can’t touch my brother
Annotation:
This song with its dual meaning (substance abuse/ex-girlfriend) leaves this like with two interpretations. The first, about substance abuse can refer to acting as a protective barrier to his brother (Mikey, who also suffered from substance abuse) in a hope to keep him from going through the same struggle he did. Saying he doesn’t want drug abuse to ‘touch his brother’ The second meaning, about an ex-girlfriend could be saying something about how he doesn’t want his ex trying to get revenge by getting sexual with his brother who he is very close with, which could be an ultimate betrayal from both of them.

Lyric: Never again
 Never, well, never again
 Never, never, never, never again
 (You can cry all you want to
 I don’t care how much you invest yourself in me)
 Never, never, never, never
 (You can cry all you want to
 I don’t care how much you invest yourself in me)
Annotation:
PROPOSED SUGGESTION: He’s trying to force himself to stay away from her after all of the times they’ve broken apart and gotten back together.  The repetition is his mind telling his heart that it’s unhealthy and not good for him, but we see in the next line what his heart really wants.

Lyric: Well, I’ll choose the life I’ve taken
 Never mind the friends I’m making
 And the beauty that I’m faking
 Lets me live my life like this
Annotation:
He is boasting why is better off without this person (most likely his lover), talking about how he is doing better not living the way she wants him to live, and just better off without her in general

Lyric: Well, I hope I’m not mistaken
 By the news I heard from waking
 And it’s hard to say I’m shaken
 By the choices that I make
Annotation:
He’s heard of his partner cheating on him, and he wants to believe it’s true.  It would give him a reason to leave her like he wants to.  After he hears the news, he begins to make some choices that he normally wouldn’t.  However, he’s so desperate to get out of this relationship that he lashes out at the first sign of cheating.

Lyric: Oh, baby, let me in
 Oh, baby, let me in
Annotation:
Gerard seems to be in a conflicted state of mind. On one hand, he’s doing horrible and all that he wants his to be accepted by his lover. He wants them to allow him to be himself, flaws and all. On the other, he tells leave them to leave alone. They’re not helping him, they’re just burdening him with their emotions and their drama. This may tell us that he is simply drunk, hence the first couple of lines. Either way, he has some emotions that need to be shared and deep down is desiring some welcoming environments and needs to get away from negative people. Alternatively, he could be speaking to his own reflection, and this line is him begging to be the beautiful, perfect person that he looks like on the outside and that he sees in the mirror, rather than the wreck he is on the inside.

Lyric: This time, I mean it
 Never mind the times I’ve seen it
Annotation:
He’s been through all this at least once before.  Fortunately for him, he’s learned from those past experiences and if finally applying those lessons.  The resolution found in this line implies that he’s unwilling to continue the destructive cycle he’s been engaging in. Despite his resolution, she continues to hold onto the relationship like a lifeline.

Lyric: And you won’t fuck my friends
Annotation:
When getting over a relationship, a person’s friends are supposed to help them through it. If the ex is trying to sleep with them, it just fucks everything up. He doesn’t want her to get revenge on him this way.

Lyric: And you can’t keep my brother
Annotation:
Gerard and his brother Mikey are very close — Gee even wrote the band’s 2006 track  “Famous Last Words” after Mikey temporarily left the group.

Lyric: And I get a little shaken
 ’Cause I live my life like this
Annotation:
This time around, he admits all these choices he’s made have affected him negatively, and he’s having to deal with the consequences.

Lyric: We’re not working out (We’re not working out)
 We’re not working out (We’re not working out)
Annotation:
By saying that he wants to leave her for sure  this time, we can infer that him and this girl have called it off more than once. He’s seen her flaws before, but was never so sure that they would result in a relationship that was nearly impossible to stay in.

Lyric: And this vanity I’m breaking
 Lets me live my life like this
Annotation:
(currently under mentorship for editor, do not edit or accept this annotation. suggestions under comments are welcome, however.) As a tool for self-reflection, a mirror can be symbolic for vanity, self-awareness and ego, all prominent themes within the song. Here, Gerard breaks this “vanity”, or mirror. By doing so, he allows himself to live recklessly, in denial and without having to face the consequences of his actions through his reflection. Perhaps if he paused to consider his lifestyle, he would be critical of his own choices, but the song’s reference to drug use, as well as the violent and  superstitious imagery of breaking a mirror, affords another connection: the ridiculous or harmful things people do when intoxicated, or dependent on drugs. The connection between mirrors and drug use is also referenced in the title. Cocaine, which is often cut and consumed from the smooth surface of a mirror, would be enable the user to “live their life” in a particular, haphazard way. In the past,  Gerard has discussed his use of drugs to give him the confidence to play live shows, particularly in the early stages of the band’s career. To use the vanity mirror for this purpose “breaks” it – its intended use has been corrupted and replaced for one that is more destructive.

Lyric: The amount of pills I’m taking
 Counteracts the booze I’m drinking
Annotation:
Mixing medications with alcohol can cause a lot of damage and bad side effects; like impaired judgement, head aches, and worse. The medicine that he’s taking and the alcohol that he’s drinking interact with one another, causing some of these  less than satisfying side effects that are taking their toll on him mentally.

