Album: Famous Monsters (1999)

License This Song 

• Ooh-ooh
  Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa
  
  There's 52 ways to murder anyone
  One and two are the same
  And they both work as well
  I'm coming clean for Amy
  Julie doesn't scream as well
  And the cops won't listen all night
  And so maybe (maybe) I'll be over
  Just as soon as I fill them all in
  
  And I can remember when I saw her last
  We were running all around and having a blast, having a blast
  But the backseat of the drive-in is so lonely without you
  I know when you're home
  I was thinking about you
  There was something I forgot to say
  I was crying on Saturday night
  I was out cruising without you
  They were playing our song
  Crying on Saturday night
  
  As the moon becomes the night time
  You go viciously, quietly away
  I'm sitting in the bedroom
  Where we used to sit and smoke cigarettes
  Now I'm watching
  Watching you die, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
  
  I can remember when I saw her last
  We were running all around and having a blast
  But the backseat (backseat)
  Of the drive-in (of the drive-in) is so lonely without you
  I know when you're home
  I was thinking about you
  There was something I forgot to say
  I was crying on Saturday night
  I was out cruising without you
  They were playing our song
  Crying on Saturday night
  
  Yeah, crying on Saturday night
  Crying on Saturday night Writer/s: Michael C. Emanuel
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 24

• Jeff from MassachusettsI think the song is ambiguous and that’s what is good about it. I wish people would stop saying it’s be-bop. Charlie Parker? Thelonious Monk? It’s a punk re-animation of bubble-gum pop. The vocals are genius.
• Warlordatf from EarthThe song is about a girl overdosing and the guilt her boyfriend feels for turning her onto drugs, even though he did not give her the fatal dose.
• Jhizzle from The BurghThis song is about the death of his dog
• Randika ChristaIts about the Legendary Serial Killer "Jack The Ripper", Explanation & Fact:
  1. "Saturday Night": All of Jack's victims were killed on Weekend
  
  2. "52 Ways to murder" : 1 year has 52 weeks (365/7=52.14)
  
  3. "I'm coming clean for Amy
  Julie doesn't scream as well and the cops won't listen all night":
  Before to the murders, Jack sent a letter to the police force, in the letter jack said that there would be another victim, in the letter he mentioned the location, but the police response was slow,
  When Stride's body (3rd victim) was found(the location is exactly what it says on the letter),, Forensics stated that the murder was committed 30 minutes ago, then the police blocked the road a 100m radius, quarters of an hour after that, the police received information that there had been a murder not far from where Stride's body was found, and that is jack's 4th victim, Eddowes.
  Jack really embarrassed the police, because at a time like that he could still get away.
  
  4. "Doesn't Screem": All of Jack's victims were killed with cuts on the neck
• Vdmenzella from RosarioA song about a serial killer masked as 50s be-bop tune
• Deaded from 91774 La Punte AcCool Song
• Collin from UsaI never thought about it being a car accident before but it makes sense "the backseat of my car feels so lonely without you" maybe she was sitting in the back and was flung out the windshield.
• Lee from District Of ColumbiaPersonally, I don't think this song is about a car accident. But, I wanted to point out that a car accident is a legitimate interpretation. If you read thr entire song as taking place in a single "moment" while the narrator is reliving the accident and coming to terms with the guilt he feels over it, then that interpretation becomes stronger.
  
  *There's 52 ways to murder anyone. One or two are the same...*
  
  He's thinking of the fact he accidently killed someone. It wasn't intentional, but it feels "the same" to him. Someone is dead either way.
  
  *I'm coming clean for Amy, Julie doesn't scream as well..."*
  
  He's "coming clean" to himself. Accepting that he feels guilty of murder whether the law blames him or not. Julie may be either someone in the accident who didn't die. Or perhaps doesn't carry the guilt he does.
  
  *The cops won't listen all night...*
  
  He's recalling explaining the accident to police. Or possibly thinking of trying to get them to arrest him now so he can be punished and help get rid of his guilt. But he can't give a sob story of his anguish; the cops won't care. He has to give a quick confession they will accept.
  
  "I'm sitting in the bedroom...watching you die."
  
  Because of the guilt, he keeps reliving the accident. All he knows anymore is that he feels her absence and he knows he caused it.
  
  Anyway, this is not my take. But I can see why people would intepret this song that way.
• Scott from Texas“Shoe Pond Murder”. Song writing is an art that requires flexibility in creative license to tell the story and remain musically poetic and relatable. Maybe another story? But it’s a female at the police station that the cops aren’t believing because the boy she is pointing the finger at is known and beloved in the town. Like a star hs athlete. Or it’s about baking pies? Wtf do I know?
• Scott from TexasIt’s a love triangle/murder. Pay attention to live performances. He makes it clear many times the song is”Dark” and other words in the direction. He also sings “she said maybe I’ll be over, just as soon as I can fill them all in.” It’s not the dude talking to the cops.
• B from New York Hey yo! Serial killers are like addicts. “Chasing the dragon” first high. He is reminiscing about his first murder. He knows when she’s home because her body is decaying around his property. And if he kept her alive he may have given her cigarettes to calm her while in his head ur may have been seen as intimate. Serial killers have fun w the chase and it’s a blast for them.
  
  My only thing is it’s killing me searching for either the one movie or real life SK from around the ‘50s that is most aligned hahahah
• Ryan from UsaI had the exact interpretation as Mike. A serial killer reminiscing about his victims.
• Jacob from United StatesI'm sorry but that is false when looking for the meaning of this song I noticed that people always try to suggest that this song is innocent but clearly they know little to no information about the Misfits They are a Horror Punk band which combining dark lyrics usually from movies and punk music this song is clearly referencing 1950's horror mixed with a possibility of something that has happened to Emmanual Michael C like a breakup or some other tragedy or maybe it's just supposed to reference 1950's horror also has anyone else noticed how this song kinda describes that one guy "Eddie Gluskin" from the game "Outlast The Whistle Blower" which if you don't know he tried to make everyone he found into his wife and ended up killing everyone, now I'm not saying the Misfits where referencing Outlast I'm saying Outlast possible referenced the Misfits or where referencing 1950's horror.
• MikeSeems to me that the song is about a guy who kills every woman he’s been with (Julie and Amy to name a few). He’s also very open about it because in some twisted way he thinks the women enjoy it as much as he does: “I’ll be over as soon as I fill them all in” (fill in their graves). He also has his murder methods of choice (about 52 of them ????.....ya,this guy is f--ked). He then reminisces about seeing her last, “running Around having a blast” (she’s running for her life and he thinks it’s fun). He’s then cruising around alone listening to “our song” ( he tells everyone of his girls/victims that this is “our song”. All this behaviour is text book serial killer tendencies. And the fact that it’s Saturday night is because that’s date night. “you go viciously and quietly away” (Viciously murdered).
• Benjamin from Michigan I hate to suggest this but maybe he introduced her to blasting heroin or iv drug use aka "blasting" and...well u see where I'm going with this
• Stefan from Landshut, Germany...i wonder, why you do talk about a car accident, when the song show us lines like this:
  "I'm sitting in the bedroom, where we used to sit and smoke cigarettes, and I'm watching, watching you die". Is there a bedroom in the car, or what?
  Also this line: "I'm coming clean for Amy,Julie doesn't scream as well - And the cops won't listen all night. And so maybe, maybe I'll be over, Just as soon as I fill them all in" I ask again: Car crash? What the...?
  I am from Germany, but i do understand this very well! Car accident...Pah! Which idiot wrote this about this song?
• Mike from Tx, TxYou need to go to the source and ask Michale. The song is not about a horror movie or sci-fi. The song is not about any known serial killer, etc. There is a reason Michale still plays this song at just about every show he does. It's a personal thing to him. And the Song Helena is the only thing on Famous Monsters about Boxing Helena- It has nothing to do with Saturday Night.
• Johnn from Tijuana, Mexicovery cool song, michale make this when i was out of the misfits in 1996-1998,the original demo it's more like the 50'ths bit,the song it's about the movie Boxing Elena tells the story of Nick Cavanaugh a surgeon obsessed with a girl named Helena. After she is injured in a grievous hit-and-run motor vehicle accident in front of his home, he kidnaps and treats her in his house surreptitiously, amputating both of her legs. Later, he amputates her healthy arms as well.
  
  Though Helena is the victim of Nick's kidnapping and mutilation, she dominates the dialogue with her constant emasculating ridicule of him for all of his shortcomings.
  
  After some time living together she becomes lonely and returns his affection.
  
  
• Rachel from Cincinnati, Ohall i know is that saturday night is one of the best misfits song about a girl.
• Jeff from Austin, TxThe best song on an overall pretty lame album.
• Chloe from Michigan, Miduuude,
  He killed her, and he said "the backseat of the drive in is so lonely without you"
  
  and he's talking about how he forgot to tell her that He was crying because he heard their song on the radio and he was crying.
  It's sort of self explanitory, in a way.
• Bobbilyn from Jacksonville, FlAll the songs on the album are related to horror movies or cult classics. It's about a serial killer. Duh... I think that fact is totally wrong. Love the Misfits!!!
• Rob from Wilkes-barre, PaYea I'm pretty positive it's about killing a girl.
• Skeletonowl from Place, NjThat is true but it also seems to relate to killing a girl, possibly over jealousy.
  "I'm coming clean for Amy, Julie doesn't scream as well and the cops won't listen all night"

More Songfacts:

Instant KarmaJohn Lennon

"Instant Karma" is one of John Lennon's most hopeful songs, written and recorded in one day at a time when he felt people were pulling together in a positive direction.

Rock LobsterThe B-52s

Vegetarian Fred Schneider of the B-52's got the idea for "Rock Lobster" at an Atlanta disco when a projector displayed images of lobsters on a grill.

The ReasonHoobastank

"The Reason" by Hoobastank took off on TikTok in 2021 when it soundtracked confessional #NotAPerfectPerson videos about mistakes and regrets. The band made one of their own with the caption: "Realizing 20 years later that you named your band Hoobastank."

BlameCalvin Harris

Calvin Harris' "Blame" was the first song to break 10 million streams in a week on Spotify. The record was set during the seven days of September 8 to September 14, 2014.

Me And Bobby McGeeJanis Joplin

"Me And Bobby McGee" was written by Kris Kristofferson and first recorded by Roger Miller. Janis Joplin's famous version turned Bobby into a boy.

Last NiteThe Strokes

The Strokes admitted to purloining Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "American Girl" for their 2001 hit "Last Nite." "Yeah, we ripped it off," lead singer Julian Casablancas said.

Editor's Picks

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Jay, Peaches, Spinderella and other Darrining VictimsSong Writing

Just like Darrin was replaced on Bewitched, groups have swapped out original members, hoping we wouldn't notice.

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.