What do you think Miss Murder means?

AFI: Miss Murder Meaning

Album cover for Miss Murder album cover

Song Released: 2006


Miss Murder Lyrics

Hey Miss Murder can I?
Hey Miss Murder can I?
Make beauty stay if I,
Take my life?

Whoa-oh-ohh

With just a look they shook
And heavens bowed before him.
Simply a look can break your heart.
The stars that pierce the sky;
He left them...

  1. anonymous
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    Aug 7th 2006 !⃝

    Yeah I totaly agree that's its to do with hitler and his take over but I think miss murder is hitlers own down fall but he has put it in the physical form of a woman and also at that time women didn't have much power so its like blaming the lower power someone who can cause so much damage but doesn't have the chance to prove they didn't cause it!

  2. musicbaby
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    Aug 5th 2006 !⃝

    Wow um yea agreed with the Hitler thing at first then I thought more about it.

    Really from watching the video and listing as well I have come to conclude that:

    Miss Murder had a husband mr. Murder(lol), I'm serious now, and he was very powerful (like hitler). But he comitted sucide, and his folowers werer very devistated. Daves character is trying to take over and win the hearts of the people including mrs. Murder. "take my life" he want to become her husband. The golden ring symbolizes that, ie, wedding ring.

  3. anonymous
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    Aug 4th 2006 !⃝

    I think it's about him doing something for a girl. Or at least at the beginning. When he says, "hey miss murder can i? Make beauty stay if I take my life?" I think that means that could he die in the girl's place. Just my thought. Okay, I'm going, because the middle part seems to be about a guy. Bye!

  4. anonymous
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    Aug 3rd 2006 !⃝

    I think "miss murder" is suicide. The more I read the lyrics, I think its not a literal suicide, but selling your soul for stardom and "leaving it all behind" but its reaching for somehting unattainable, hence "golden ring...Filthy hands upon it" I don't see the jesus metaphor or if its in referance to anyone in particular.

    --imaku kazemaru

  5. anonymous
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    Jul 28th 2006 !⃝

    I'm with the guy talking about hitler. It makes more sense. The whole jesus thing doesent fit with the song and the video.

  6. anonymous
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    Jul 21st 2006 !⃝

    I think the whole hitler thing definatly makes the most sence compared to everything I've read, but I agree that he definately wouldn't go to a woman for advice. During world war ii, it was still a time in most countries, including the us and germany, where woman had little to no power, and I don't think hitler would ever risk ruining his image by taking advice of any kind from a woman. It's possible that the song could be hitler talking to eve, who was infact the "murderess of mankind", in the chorus about his confusion during his downfall, though I know nothing of hitler's religious background. He could've realized that the alies were taking over and destroying everything he had worked so hard for, and maybe he thought that if he died one of his more powerful followers would take his place and rule the world. Of course after he died, the nazis became scared and leader-less, which is why they surrendered, and hitler's dreams were shattered. The first verse, could be about how everyone worshiped him because he was believed to be a genious, hte whole "heavens bowed before him", but "with just a look they shook" and "simply a look could break your heart" refers to the jews who he was killing off by the millions being absolutely terified of him. In the second verse it goes on to say that "dreams of his crash won't pass. Oh how they all adored him. Beauty will last when spiraled down" symbolize the effect that his death had on the world. When you think about it people still talk about hitler and the nazis today. The 'beauty will last...' is probably about how hitler thought that after his death someone would take over for him. Now the whole "what's the rift that twists within this furthest mystery..." to "they won't ever let us lay our filthy hands upon it..." is where I think it's the jews turn to speak. They're wondering why hitler had the power that he did in the first place and so many of them had hope in hiding until the nazis found them and sent them to concentration camps or killed them on the spot. "we're the empty sand just flowing through the empty skin. Ever searching for what we were promised..." represents the dead bodies of the jews piled up in large areas of sand and then burned after they died. It could also represent the still living people in the concentration camps that felt totally empty and were searching for the freedom that the bible promised for the jews (like moses helping the jews escape slavery in egypt...God promised them freedom) then the jews started wondering if they really were the damned creatures that hitler made them out to be and they were "searching for the golden ring" or a halo, but since they were damned, god, or possibly hitler, who was practically a living god to the nazis, wouldn't "let them lay their filthy hands upon it".

    That's what I think makes the most sence. The whole lucifer thing could work too but I'm questioning it. Davey is catholic so I could see that being the real meaning, but the video fits the whole hitler thing with the flags representing the swastica and the rabits representing the breeding of death, or even a plague of some sort. There are way too many possibilities on the matter, and no body truly knows for sure except for davey himself. Maybe he'll tell me at warped tour in pittsburgh next week, but I doubt it. There's usually not enough time at meet and greets to ask too many questions, but if I hear anything I'll post it.

    If you want to hear the rest of my opinions (there's quite a few) message me on myspace or if the link doesn't work then email me at xxfctupkidxx@aol.Com.

    -cyndi

  7. anonymous
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    Jul 20th 2006 !⃝

    It's really clear if you actually think! AFI is sing about some ones mom and dad who got divorced! I believe miss murder is the mom and "he" is the dad that is gone. I thinks this because one part of the song says "the star that mystified, he left them all behind and how his children cried." it seems the mom and dad got divorced because he sings about the golden ring that they promised they never would let go of..."ever searching for what we were promised. Reaching for that golden ring we'de never let go"....But the searching part makes me think that nether one was as dedicated to the love as they promised to be at the alter. Which tells you that in this song when he sings about beauty he means marrage and he is thinking he is the cause of the brake up so he thinks if his life were to be taken his parents would be ok again and the beauty restored. I also take from the song that the dad is the one that left. I think he but up a fuss about something...."dreams of his crash won't pass"....And also because...."oh how they all adored him"....Tells you the mom did't leave because she adored him. He must have been an important part of the family too because...."we're the empty set just floating through, wrapped in skin"....Says that there lifes are empty and there just floating through them and that they seem like just empty souls wrapped up in there skin. And my last thing is that maybe the dad cheated...."but who would ever let us put their filthy hands upon it?"....And I think the filthy hands are the dads.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 17th 2006 !⃝

    The song in my interpretation is about lucifer. The song starts with the lines, "with just a look, they shook, and heavens bowed before him." he was known to be a beautiful angel, which could be the look part. He was also one of the most popular, which shows how heavens bowed before him. At one time he had a third of all "heavens army" following him. His pride and arrogance drove him to lead a rebellion against god, and all of heaven. When it failed he and his followers were banished from heaven and resided in hell. I think that has to do with leaving "the stars that pierce the sky" behind. In some jewish interpretations influenced by babylonian mythology, he had control of the stars in heaven, which could influence the lyrics of him leaving the stars behind. There are also speculations of him being suspended between heaven and earth as a star instead of him descending to hell.


    As someone said earlier, "dreams of his crash won’t pass
    or how they all adored him.
    Beauty will last when spiraled down."

    the dreams of lucifer's crash from a much adored archangel in heaven to hell, or suspended between heaven and earth as a star won't be forgotten. The line beauty will last when spiraled down, could also refer to him being suspended between heaven and earth as a star, and how he's still beautiful as a star even though he's no longer and angel and has spiraled down from his popularity in heaven to his current position. Another theory in christian mythology is that when he fell, or "spiraled down" from heaven he was seen as a falling star, and that his beauty would only remain as he fell, but once he reached hell his beauty was lost.

    I cannot figure out the line, "and how his children cry" because to my knowledge lucifer had no children.

    "I would gladly bet my life upon it.
    That the ghost you love, your ray of light
    will fizzle out without hope."

    these three lines may be told from god's perspective. Maybe god is saying that he has foreseen or already knows of lucifer's plan to overthrow him, and how lucifer will be defeated.

    "the ghost you love, your ray of light"
    this line refers to the ghost being the angel lucifer because of his popularity, and his most common persona as the morning star, light-bearing, or brilliant and shining angel.

    "will fizzle out without hope."
    this obviously referring to his fall, and being extinguished as the light-bearer, when he is cast to hell.


    "we're the empty set just floating through, wrapped in skin,
    ever searching for what we were promised.
    Reaching for the golden ring we never let go,
    who would ever let us put our filthy hands upon it."

    this line obviously refers to humans, searching for what was promised by god. The golden ring is probably a halo, symbolizing angelship. And the last line showing the inferiority of humans and there sins, and there innability for angelship. Possibly showing the mistrust of god in choosing angels after lucifer's rebellion.

    I haven't figured out the chorus yet either, but it may symbolize, arrogance, pride or deception.

  9. anonymous
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    Jul 16th 2006 !⃝

    First off, let's clear jesus from your trinity here. He didn't take his life, and wouldn't have considered it. If he was going to ask anyone about his inevitable death, it wouldn't be "miss murder", it would be good old daddy.

    Next, Hitler was not of a time where he would beseech a "wise woman" figure, asking about his future. Indeed, the person who he inquired about his future with, was a male psychic.

    Finally, Cobain is far from the only person who made crowds tremble, and died early. There's no suggestion I can find in the song that says this person has to be a musician, and if musicians only ever wrote about musicians, it would be like hollywood awards shows, filled with enough smug to create a perfect storm, and enough self-backpatting energy to power la for the rest of the year.

    I think, however, in a way, it may be all three of these guys anyway. And all other guys like him. The speaker in the song (not the singer, but the imaginary figure to whom he's giving the voice), may be just another man like everyone you people seem to think it just *has* to be about. Instead, it's about every man like these people. Those who have been, are, and will be in a position to wonder if their own sacrifice will be enough to preserve that which they hold dear.

    This song, in short, is not about a man. It's about every man who ever had followers or children, and killed himself under unfathomable circumstances.

  10. anonymous
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    Jul 15th 2006 !⃝

    It's definatly about hitler. He's talking to the U.S.A. and asking if he can make the world stay choatic (sp?). To hitler that was the most beautiful thing that could happen so he thought that that would be his last act to create the world as he saw it

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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    Jul 13th 2006 !⃝

    Also in the music video, I don't know if it coresponds to the lyrics or not, but they explained that the rabbit symbolizes death, and so what you have at the end is death multiplys like rabbits...

  12. anonymous
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    Jul 13th 2006 !⃝

    Hilters reign.

    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Make beauty stay if I,
    Take my life?
    (During his reign, Hitler divides humans up based on physical attributes. He claimed that German "Aryans" with blond hair and blue eyes were at the top of the hierarchy. The song may be saying that by taking the life of "usuperior" races the world would be a better place.)


    With just a look they shook (Referring to the terror that hitler put into the life of anyone he found inferior to him. Also there were the people who didn't believe in what hitler believed and with that they had to fear being sent to concentration camps.)
    And heavens bowed before him. (This can refer to the other superpower countries around the world who realized the power Hitler had.)
    Simply a look can break your heart.
    The stars that pierce the sky; (bombs and bullets during the war)
    He left them all behind.
    We’re left to wonder why
    He left us all behind. (He committed suicide in a Berlin bunker with Germany in ruins around him, leaving his country behind. This could also be linked witht the lyrics "simply a look can break your heart", where hitler seeing everything he's been trying to take over fall apart.)

    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Make beauty stay if I,
    Take my life?
    Whoa-oh-ohh
    (ohh)

    Dreams of his crash won’t pass (The dreams hitler had, and the actions he took of taking over and believes of antisemitism will always be remembered.)
    Or how they all adored him. (Hitler was known for his public oratory and for inspiring personal loyalty. This meant the people who followed him absolutly adored him)
    Beauty will last when spiraled down.
    The stars that mystify
    He left them all behind.
    And how his children cry
    He left us all behind. (again refering to the war, and his untimely death)

    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Make beauty stay if I,
    Take my life?
    Whoa-oh-ohh

    What's the hook, the twist
    Within this verbose mystery? ( Hitler was a good public speaker. He also must have been good at twisting his words to make what he wanted sound good for the people)
    I would gladly bet my life upon it.
    That the ghost you love, your ray of light
    Will fizzle out without hope. (It is said by some that hitler fell in love with Geli, his much younger niece. In 1931 she was found dead, her death ruled a suicide.This tragedy hurt Hitler so much that he was on the verge of a mental breakdown for weeks.)
    We're the empty set just floating through, wrapped in skin,
    Ever searching for what we were promised.
    Reaching for the golden ring we never let go,
    Who would ever let us put our filthy hands upon it.

    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Make beauty stay if I,
    Take my life?
    Whoa-oh-ohh

    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Hey Miss Murder can I?
    Make beauty stay if I,
    Take my life?
    Whoa-oh-ohh

  13. anonymous
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    Jul 13th 2006 !⃝

    Verbose: explaining something using a lot of unneccesary words or too many words for something that could be shortened down.
    Hitler was a very good public speaker, a reason why he won the people over so fast.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. anonymous
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    Jul 13th 2006 !⃝

    I don't know, both the theory about Hitler and the theory about Christ make sense, but when I was watching the making of the video, Marc Webb, the director, said the video was supposed to give a sense of Fascist-era graphic power. Davey's Catholic, so it could be about Christ, but the Hitler idea seems to make more sense.

  15. anonymous
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    Jul 13th 2006 !⃝

    Hey guys. I don't really have an interpretation but one of you asked what verbose meant. It means explaining soemthing using a lot of unneccesary words or too many words for somthing that could be shortened down. Hope that helps someone.




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