Annotations for Sleep

Lyric: Some say, now suffer all the children
 And walk away a savior
Annotation:
This is a reference to Jesus Christ’s request to his disciples to allow the children of those who came to hear him speak to approach and talk to him ( Matthew 19:14-Let the little children come to me.)  Jesus Christ is considered the savior of the world by various religious sects because of his heroic actions.

Lyric: A drink for the horror that I’m in
 For the good guys, and the bad guys
 For the monsters that I’ve been
Annotation:
The speaker is hoping to end his life on a high note – he wants to have a toast to forget his nightmares, for the good and bad people in the world, and for the awful person he once was.

Lyric: “Sometimes I see flames. And sometimes I see people that I love dying, and it’s always...”
Annotation:
Another part of the recordings Gerard made. It seems Way is trying to parallel his experiences at Paramour mansion to the glimpses of evil the Patient has seen.

Lyric: “They’re... They’re these terrors. And it feels as if somebody was gripping my. They’re these terrors. And it’s like, it feels like as if somebody was gripping my throat. Like last night. They’re not like tremors, they’re worse than tremors. They’re... They’re these terrors. Like last night, they are not like tremors, they are worse than tremors. They are these terrors. And it’s like, it feels like as if somebody was gripping my throat and squeezing and...”
Annotation:
While recording the  Black Parade album, Gerard and the others stayed in the Paramour Mansion, which is rumored to be haunted. While he was there he experienced what he described as “Night Terrors”. In the original song, these are the recordings Gerard created about his  encounters there.  This is likely a reference to the  Smashing Pumpkins song,  “Glass and the Ghost Children”, which also features a clip of the lead vocalist, Billy Corgan, speaking. In  a 2005 interview, Gerard Way noted the similarities between Smashing Pumpkins and MCR and also spoke about his admiration for the band. In fact, when we made our first record, I had patterned our career off The Pumpkins because they were able to do such free and artistic music.

Lyric: Or a madman and polluted
 From gutter institutions
Annotation:
The “gutter institutions” the narrator may be accusing of ‘polluting’ them may, in fact, be the church itself. Many argue that the original meaning of many of the passages of the Bible have been altered by people for varying reasons over the almost 2000 years since its creation. This isn’t the first time MCR has doubted religion — they do the same in their 2004 track  “Thank You For The Venom.” Preach all you want, but who’s gonna save me? I keep a gun in the book you gave me Hallelujah, lock and load

Lyric: The hardest part is letting go of your dreams
Annotation:
The narrator of the song won’t be able to follow his dreams because he’s going to die. In real life, the song is based on sleep terrors Gerard experienced while  My Chemical Romance was recording  The Black Parade at the haunted Paramour Mansion. Because of the terrors, Gerard couldn’t have a good sleep, and was haunted by nightmares rather than pleasant dreams.

Lyric: Three cheers for tyranny
Annotation:
This could be a reference to  Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance’s second studio album. Tyranny is defined as cruel use of power or control. Since in the song the speaker is saying he has done terrible things, especially in the preceding three lines, he may think of himself as a tyrant. Although  The Black Parade is a concept album, this line can also be connected to the members of My Chemical Romance.  Three Cheers was the group’s first album with a major label — they may have let their newfound fame get to their heads, like how tyrants let their power get the best of them.

