Skylines And Turnstiles by My Chemical Romance

Album: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002)

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Songfacts®:

This song is about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, specifically in New York City (turnstiles are part of the subway system). It was the first song that the band ever wrote.
Gerard Way, the band's vocalist, had given up on playing music after being kicked out of his first band as a teen for his lack of guitar skills. By 2001, he had a steady job designing action figures for the Hoboken-based company Fun House, but the 9/11 tragedy forced him to reevaluate his priorities. "I almost used it as a catalyst," he told biographer Tom Bryant (Not the Life It Seems: The True Lives of My Chemical Romance). "I decided to take it, to say f--k off to the rest of my life and start a band. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do right away."
The morning of September 11th, Gerard was aboard a ferry bound for Manhattan when the two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. He recalled to Noisey: "I didn't see the planes hit. I did see the buildings go down, from I'd say fairly close. It was like being in a science fiction film or some kind of disaster film - it was exactly that kind of feeling. You didn't believe it. You felt like you were in Independence Day. It made no sense. Your brain couldn't process it. And for me it was a little different. I'm very empathetic and I'm kind of a conduit emotionally, so I pick up a lot of stuff in that way. There was about three- or four-hundred people around me - and I was right at the edge. All these people behind me, they all had friends and family in those buildings. I didn't. So when that first building went, it was like an A-bomb went off. It was like just this emotion and it made you nauseous."

Comments: 16

AnonymousGerard way is amazing
AnonymousWhy did they name the song skylines and turnstiles though?
Rae from Buxton, NcI used not to like this song. I must had been delirious.
Maxx from Fort Atkinson, WiGerard wrote this song cuz of sept.11 he was in ne york at the time working for a comic store or something to do with that..[ Maybe it was he was the graphic artist for the comic books.. I don't remember] but he was their to witness it happen an all an that's kinda what got mcr to form the band.. Was because of that day.. Just think if it wasn't for 9/11 mcr may not even be a band at this point.. We would never hear their amazing music.. Or anything like that.. Kinda depressing for people lost in 9/11 an thinking about a world without mcr
Amanda from Manitowoc, Wii forgot to mention he was going to work when he saw the attack.
Amanda from Manitowoc, WiGerard way was on a fairy when he saw the attack and dead bodies falling from the building! by the way, he was not on a train or in a building.
Yumi from Hartlepool, United KingdomI thought Gerard watched it happen from another building, not a train. x
Ashleigh from Aberdeen, --Elizabeth- Gerard Way was at work when it happened. The building he worked in was not far from the the twin towers.
Geordie- You are wrong.

:)
Patrick from Atlanta , Gayes this song is about 9/11 the lyrics point to it and the time of creation leads us to think that this is about 9/11 Gerard says so in several interviews but you do have some of your facts right Gerard and the Former drummer Matt Pelissier did form the band together the first songs were recorded and Matt's addic
Sammi from Candyland, FlI think "Steel corpes stretch out torwards and ending sun, scorched and black" Is refering to the towers afterward. I luv this song =D
Katie from Temecula, Cathis song is very emotional its about 9 11 and its very sad cuz we all remeber it so well and its very sad
Astrozombie from Chchits actually amazing if you listen to the lyrics, it actually perfectly describes what happened. "and after seeing what we saw, can we still reclaim our innocence" and how something like that would change your life forever
Ilse Serna from Empalme, Sonora, MexicoThe song is about 9/11 and Gerard Way got the idea to make the band and now they are a very famous band.
Geordie from Rutland, VtThis is not about 9/11. I read that this song was actually about the drummer, Matt Pelissier, and lead singer Gerard Way, when they first started the band together. This song is about their jobs at that time.
Kyle from Nowhere, CtThis song was about 9/11. "Steel corpses stretch out towards an 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. "

That part is telling people that the airplaines took peoples lives and executives dont have the heart to do anything.
Elizabeth from J-ville, Flyes the song is about 9/11. Gerard was on a train going to work when he saw it happen. He actually saw the bodies fall from the biuldings...but not only is the song about nine eleven, but there is an underlying meaning about losing your innocence and whatnot.

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