Viva Indifference by Frank Iero; A lyric Analysis (Frerard/MCR theory pt 4)
Oh man... This will be a long one.
So as we all know, Frank Iero came out with his third solo album Parachutes. Pretty crazy tbh. When it was released one of my best friend’s was over and I mean like I was about to cry. Looking at each song, it almost always had something linked to heartbreak and not being good enough. I also noticed it links up to Gerard as well.
Now disclaimer: This will be as more of a relationship than a friendship type thing when talking about Gerard. As you may or may not know, I write Frerard Theories, some of my more popular posts are my theories. If you are a non frerard shipper, commenting “disrespectful!!1!” and other thing along those lines will not make me stop these theories. Also this is only my second time making a lyrical analysis so I’m sorry if it’s not very good. But if you’re just curious as to what I have to say about each song, keep reading!
I’ll only be doing Viva Indifference, They Wanted Darkness, and World Destroyer (in another post as this one would be too long otherwise) since those three songs are the most obvious “frerard” type of songs, but if you want me to review any other songs I take requests! Now on to the analysis...
Viva Indifference
Imagine you and me we float among the wreckage. We’ll toast our lungs and choke on ocean air. We drowned our love to save it from the fires. And we don’t care. But I’m inclined to waste my time on the smiles I find trashed along the way. I left some dreams I had to rot in Boston because I saw myself shine brightly in your eyes. And if all my dreams came true I’d probably wreck it… but i don’t care. Because I’m inclined to waste my time for miles and miles, find my bliss along the way. I feel for the lovers, who pretend they’re fine. Curled up on a bed of silence. They lost their minds. Wish i could be apathetic but I’ve met love along the way. I wear a cross but I believe in nothing, except for you and me, but does that count? I wished I had a voice that gave you solace… but I don’t care. Because I feel fine to waste my time trying to find my path along the way. My heart breaks for the artist, because it wears me out. Living life caught in the cross hairs of your own self doubt. I wish that I could feel indifferent but I’ve been cursed along the way. I work in the garage all day long, painting pictures, inventing songs. I’ll visit life but I can’t stay long… gotta find a better way. Imagine you and me if we made it through the bullshit, we’d probably get so bored it make us cry. Because we’ve heard of peace but I hope we never find it… it’ll make us care. But I don’t care. No I don’t care. I’m a wreck and it’s all your fault. All my dreams came true and it’s all your fault. I’m still alive and it’s all your fault. I love myself and it’s all your fault. I love my life and it’s all your fault. I accept myself and its all your fault. I blame myself but it’s all your fault.
Alright we’ll start the analysis:
Imagine you and me we float among the wreckage. We’ll toast our lungs and choke on ocean air. Okay so starting this off I think Frank’s trying to say imagine if they were above all the damage they created, the damage of their relationship. If they made it they’ll “toast their lungs” and since Gerard and Frank did/do smoke, it makes sense in that way.
We drowned our love to save it from the fires. And we don’t care. This kind of hurts me to read. They “drowned” or ended their relationship to save it from more fights and whatnot. It got me thinking, they probably broke up due to a huge fight. I’m not sure what the fight could have been though. Maybe Gerard could have been cheating with Bert? I honestly have no real answer, but by the looks of it this fight really hurt Frank. I also think it was probably during Revenge era. When he says “we don’t care”, maybe he has to act like this doesn’t bother him since him and Gerard never officially came out as a couple, or maybe Gerard at first didn’t care that he lost Frank.
But I’m inclined to waste my time on the smiles I find trashed along the way. I left some dreams I had to rot in Boston because I saw myself shine brightly in your eyes. when he says “waste his time on the smiles trashed along the way”, maybe he could mean when Gerard was going through his drug/alcohol problem, at that time they were most likely together, and he was helping Gerard a great deal with his problem. Frank even stopped him from a suicide attempt once. Gerard’s smile was broken, or “trashed”, and Frank took his time to help Gerard. I’m not sure why Frank is linked to Boston, I tried researching it briefly but noting big came up. Anyway, “I left some dreams I had to rot”, Frank was the lead singer of Pencey Prep and he was going to a pretty good college before MCR, he seemed pretty happy, and the only reason he broke off Pencey Prep was because members in MCR asked him to join. Him and Gerard knew each other before he joined MCR, and they have both said they took a liking to one another. Could this be the part “I saw myself shine brightly in your eyes”? Because he saw himself doing things with Gerard? Good things? I don’t know, but it seems like it.
And if all my dreams came true I’d probably wreck it… But i don’t care.
“If all my dreams came true i’d probably wreck it” He could mean if he and Gerard ended up together it would be wrecked anyway, almost like star-crossed lovers. They were almost always doomed to be together, and something else would come along to wreck it. “But I don’t care”, again, he has to act like none of this matters to him, as again, him and Gerard never officially came out.
Because I’m inclined to waste my time for miles and miles, find my bliss along the way. I feel for the lovers, who pretend they’re fine.
He could mean that first part almost literally. “Miles and miles”, like him and MCR traveled the road together for 12 years, and it was maybe a “waste of his time” looking back, wasting all those miles and miles trying to get someone back who wasn’t going to take him back. He was trying to find “bliss” along the way, trying to get his happiness back, Gerard, but it never happened.
“I feel for lovers who pretend their fine”, now I can almost see this for both Gerard and Jamia. We don’t know what goes on at home with Jamia, maybe him and Jamia could be in a bad marriage. Now look, I DO NOT DISLIKE JAMIA, I ACTUALLY LIKE JAMIA, but it’s a possibility that they’re pretending to be fine when Frank is still in love with someone else (Gerard). But taking this with G + F, they were lovers who were not okay. Gerard was in a rough patch and their relationship wasn’t that healthy. I’m sure they did/do love each other but it still wasn’t the greatest relationship since Gerard wasn’t doing so great. They were lying to themselves that they were okay.
Curled up on a bed of silence. They lost their minds. Wish i could be apathetic but I’ve met love along the way. I wear a cross but I believe in nothing, except for you and me, but does that count?
In this first part, the curled up on a bed of silence part and the they lost their minds part, maybe Frank’s talking about another couple, like a couple who’s broken, and that love messes you up. So, when Frank says he wishes he could be apathetic but he found love along the way, he could mean that he wished he could show no interest but he found love too, and he’s lost his mind as well, and he empathizes with the broken couple, because his relationship is broken too.
He “wears a cross” but believes in nothing, so I mean like I take it Frank’s a hardcore atheist since he’s mentioned it several times he believes in nothing. He only believes in him and Gerard, but does that even count as believing in something, since they didn’t even work out? How can you believe in two people being together if they can’t be? Frank goes so deep with this I want to cry omg.
I wished I had a voice that gave you solace… but I don’t care. Because I feel fine to waste my time trying to find my path along the way.
He wishes he could comfort Gerard, but I guess he couldn’t as the song states “I wishes I had a voice that gave you solace”. He wasted his time trying to make him and Gerard work, and find a path, but it was a waste of time as there was no path that worked.
My heart breaks for the artist, because it wears me out. Living life caught in the cross hairs of your own self doubt.
BOI. This was the whole reason I hate myself. This fucking line. “My heart breaks for the artist”. GOOD JOB FRANK. WANNA GET MORE OBVIOUS? Ik he’s suppose to be metaphorical or some shit but come on, who in the world does Frank know that’s a professional artist? Gerard fucking Way. His heart is breaking for Gerard though? Does he feel bad? Because let’s remember Frank married Jamia before Gerard married Lindsey. Does he feel bad he did that? Is something going on in Gerard’s marriage? Maybe his heart breaks because of the artist. Heart breaking for the artist can also be his heart is broken because of an artist. UM. GERARD BROKE HIS HEART, GERARD, AN ARTIST, I’M SO FUCKING DONE. Anyways, “Living life caught in cross hairs of your own self doubt”, Gerard’s always doubted himself, he’s just isn’t a confident person.
I wish that I could feel indifferent but I’ve been cursed along the way. I work in the garage all day long, painting pictures, inventing songs.
Perhaps this is in Gerard’s point of view. In Gerard’s POV, he’s saying he wishes he could feel nothing about this, but he was “cursed” to feel. Maybe cursed to feel bad or heartbroken about what he did to Frank? Also the next part, sitting painting pictures and inventing songs. Um. Guess idk if you knew but Gerard Way writes songs AND paints. Man. This song seems a lot like it’s for gERARD.
I’ll visit life but I can’t stay long… gotta find a better way. Imagine you and me if we made it through the bullshit, we’d probably get so bored it make us cry.
Holy shit okay like I can’t. So, “Imagine you and me if we made it through the bullshit”. GUYS THIS SCREAMS FRERARD. Pretty self explanatory, imagine if him and Gerard made it through all the obstacles, he’s saying that it would be boring between him and Gerard, could it be because after they came out the rush of keeping them a secret would be gone? The sneaking around? The mixed signals? I can see it tbh. I can see how things could get boring after a while. Secret messages in songs and stuff like that, honestly just. Idk. I really cannot.
Because we’ve heard of peace but I hope we never find it… it’ll make us care. But I don’t care. No I don’t care. I’m a wreck and it’s all your fault. All my dreams came true and it’s all your fault. I’m still alive and it’s all your fault. I love myself and it’s all your fault. I love my life and it’s all your fault. I accept myself and its all your fault. I blame myself but it’s all your fault.
The final lyrics. They can’t find peace, but if they find peace Frank might fall hard for Gerard again but he knows he can’t because he has a family. Frank’s a wreck and it’s all Gerard’s fault. All Frank’s dreams came true, being in a famous band, falling in love, because of Gerard. Frank’s still alive and it’s Gerard fault OK I HAVE SOMETHING FOR THIS. So if you read my first theory, you’d see I mentioned that it was rumored in 2014 Frank tried to kill himself but Gerard stopped him. Could this be what he means? He still alive because Gerard stopped him from ending it? I don’t know, just a guess. Frank loves his life and it’s Gerard’s fault, he has a beautiful family, I would be happy too. Frank accepts himself... Like... As gay? Hmmmmm. AND FINALLY. THE FUCKING FINALE. Frank blames himself. Because of Gerard. He blames himself for all the bullshit, all the heartbreak, all because of Gerard.
Fucking brilliant.
Well thank you for reading! Please tell me your thoughts on all this, I’m extremely curious. This was just my interpretation, and I’d love to hear more! If you make an analysis please tag me, I want to see them.
In conclusion Frank is still heartbroken. Fucking great. If you wanna read my first (and best) Frerard theory, here’s the link: http://frnkieroishere.tumblr.com/post/138060340433/frerard-theory , it’s actually pretty good.
Well thanks again! Share this with your friends.
Until we meet again...
