Fall Out Boy: The Music Or The Misery Meaning

The Music Or The Misery Lyrics

I got my stitches stitched, I got my fixes fixed,
In my aching head, I got my kisses slit.
Our gossip lips stuttered every word I said, I said,
I got your love letters, corrected the grammar and sent them back.
It's true romance is dead, I...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 23rd 2006 !⃝

   I think that this song is about how the media warps everything, and makes music secondary to behavior and fashion. "I went to sleep a poet and I woke up a fraud".. I think this portrays the transition most artists have made from being original to being a total clone, which ties in with the other line "im every cliche, but I simply do it best" stating that he uses all the same popular song ideas, but changes them to something of his own, which defies the media, and buried in the songs sarcastic comments.
2. mike_freegan

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   Oct 27th 2016 !⃝

   This song is a direct call-out to another band. I can't recall exactly whom, but it was someone who Fall Out Boy had fallen out with at the time of writing.
   
   Fall Out Boy are basically accusing them being more about the 'scene drama' (aka the misery), rather than the actual music itself.
   
   This was a common criticism of the music scene in the years around 2005.
3. anonymous

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   May 3rd 2014 !⃝

   I believe the whole song is about Pete's depression and he is just asking if the band is making him depressed, or the depression is helping him write the songs
4. awsumyellowchick

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   Nov 27th 2012 !⃝

   I think this song is about the ironic "benefit" relationships between musicians and the record company.
   
   First Verse:
   I got my stitches stitched, I got my fixes fixed,
   In my aching head, I got my kisses slit.
   Our gossip lips stuttered every word I said, I said
   
   is from the musicians point of view how they tried to fix the song that could please the company but they mostly keep changing them hence, "I got your love letters, corrected the grammar and sent them back". And how because of that the atmosphere between them become tense (It's true romance is dead, I shot it in the chest then in the head.)
   
   
   Bridge:
   
   And if you wanna go down in history then I'm your prince
   
   This part is from the company's will, it's how if the want to be "go down in history" then they are the stepping stone for them, hence "prince"
   But if you get into their bad side, they could crush you easily (Because they've got me in a bad way I've never seen a heart I couldn't break.)
   And then there's the true nature of the media and company, it was never about how good their song is but how flashy and how can the musician compete with other artists and catches the media's attention (It was never about the songs, it was competition.
   Make the biggest scene, make the biggest...)
   
   Chorus:
   Which came first, the music or the misery?
   
   Then they start to question what this really all about. Are they putting their miserable feelings into the song or writing the song it self had make them miserable?
   Then the band feels like artists who are still care about their creation more than the fame (We're high-fashion) are the "last chances" that the music world has.
   
   2nd Verse:
   I'm casually obsessed and I've forgiven death,
   I am indifferent, yet (I am a total wreck)
   I'm every cliche, but I simply do it best.
   
   is more (sarcastically) directed to musicians who don't create their own things anymore and simply go with the flow of masses. How they became obsessed with it and forgive the death of the 'artist' inside them.
   They remain indifferent like nothing happened but inside, behind the scene they're actually a total mess.
   
   2nd Bridge:
   I went to sleep a poet, and I woke up a fraud,
   
   is the story how at first they only want to create their things and relay their feelings and ended up being a 'fraud' (how they only go with the media flow)
   And how they actually feel uneasy about it a search for comfort (To calm your nerves I'm feeling for my clothes in the dark.)
   
   Well.... that's what I thought anyway 8')
5. anonymous

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   Dec 21st 2010 !⃝

   Simple. Music or the Misery? If music came before misery, that means they were happy untill htey became famous. Like Justin Beiber. Misery before the music? Their songs are inspired by their past experiences and sadness.
6. anonymous

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   Oct 27th 2009 !⃝

   I think that the entire song is about how nothing is really about the music its about "the scene". The song questions whether misery or music was used first to gain attention. All of the other parts about fashion and such are also mentioned as other ways to gain the medias attention.
7. anonymous

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   Nov 2nd 2007 !⃝

   The music or the misery is about how everyone has warped music into something it was never supposed to be. Take the chorus for instance... "It was never about the songs, it was competition.Make the biggest scene, make the biggest... Which came first, the music or the misery? We're high-fashion, we're last chances." This is supposed to express how music has changed. Music has basically become crap lately. Everyone has forgotten what it's supposed to be about. Nobody really cares about the lyrics anymore. It's like the music doesn't count anymore and everyone is giving into the pressure of the media and trying to be the coolest band. And the people who still do care are miserable from it. So, bands like fall Out Boy aren't out to save music but also aren't out to keep destroying it. They still care about the lyrics and feelings they wanna put out and really care about that kind of stuff. So the few bands left like that are like last chances. And the media is a pretty cut throaght biz. That's what I got from it anyway.
8. armybrat21381

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   Mar 13th 2007 !⃝

   Same as interpretation 4.
   
   But also I think "which came first the music or the misery?" is sort of questioning "do I write songs because I was/am miserable, or was/am I miserable because I write them?" but that's just me.
9. psPatrick2707

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   Feb 19th 2007 !⃝

   The 4th interpretation on this page is really good, but when they say misery, I think they mean not only past suffering but any feeling at all. like some bands do it for the sake of playing the music, and some use it as a way to vent any feelings or "misery"
10. psPatrick2707

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    Feb 15th 2007 !⃝

    This is about the guys in the band feeling stuck. They can't tell if they're becoming sellouts and their nervous that they are. I think they don't know what to do with all their fame and they feel horrible with all this stuff just sitting their waiting to be dealt with.
11. anonymous

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    Dec 2nd 2006 !⃝

    ^^^^the one above^^^^
    
    I agree with that one.
12. anonymous

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    Jul 2nd 2006 !⃝

    I think the line 'Which came first, the music or the misery' means that some bands sing just for the sake of singing and their lyrics don't reflect any past suffering or 'misery'. I'm not sure about the rest of the song. Tell me what you think:)
13. anonymous

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    Apr 14th 2006 !⃝

    This song is based on a movie/book called "High Fidelity"
14. anonymous

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    Feb 15th 2006 !⃝

    I think this song is about the narrator in a relationship, but the relationship didn't work out.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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