Information
Skylines And Turnstiles was the first My Chemical Romance song. It was written by Gerard and former drummer Matt Pelissier in October 2001 shortly after Gerard witnessed the Twin Towers fall on 9/11 while working at his animation job in New York City.
I was in Hoboken, on the way there. I was right across the river and I was on my way in right around that, very close to that area, but more around Canal, and I was like what the fuck am I doing?. Obviously life is way too short. You don’t know when your numbers are coming, and I also felt like I wasn’t making a difference at all.
Gerard Way – My Chemical Romance Book – 2006
Something just clicked in my head that morning. I literally said to myself, “Fuck art. I’ve gotta get out of the basement. I’ve gotta see the world. I’ve gotta make a difference!”
Gerard Way – Spin Magazine – 2005
This realization lead to the creation of the band and Skylines And Turnstiles was written.
Meaning
Skylines And Turnstiles was written about the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Gerard explains how the song was his way of getting over it:
I had that song about September 11th, kinda my way of getting over it.
Gerard Way – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
Featured On
I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (Track 7)
Lyrics
September 11th Attacks
Photo courtesy of GeekPhilosopher.com
Let me break this awkward silence
Let me go, go on record
Be the first to say I’m sorry
Hear me out
And if you take me down
Would you lay me out
And if the world needs something better
Let’s give them one more reason now, now, now
We walk in single file
We light our rails and punch our time
Ride escalators colder than a cell
This broken city sky, like butane on my skin
Stolen from my eyes
Hello Angel, tell me where are you
Tell me where we go from here
This broken city sky like butane on my skin
Stolen from my eyes
Hello Angel, tell me where are you
Tell me where we go from here
And in this moment we can’t close the lids on burning eyes
Our memories blanket us with friends we know, like fallout vapors
Steel corpses stretch out towards and ending sun, scorched and black
It reaches in and tears your flesh apart
As ice cold hands rip into your heart
That’s if you’ve still got one that’s left
Inside that cave you call a chest (cave you call a chest)
And after seeing what we saw, can we still reclaim our innocence
And if the world needs something better
Let’s give them one more reason now
This broken city sky like butane on my skin
Stolen from my eyes
Hello Angel, tell me where are you
Tell me where we go from here
This broken city sky like butane on my skin
Stolen from my eyes
Hello Angel, tell me where are you
Tell me where we go from here
Tell, where we go from here
drinkingsouls 