The video strays from the original meaning of the song and instead focuses on the teenage couple as the boyfriend promises never to leave his girlfriend. Later in a lengthy sequence, the girlfriend confronts him about something he did (open-ended), repeatedly yelling, "How could you do this to me?" Although the audience's initial assumption may be that he was unfaithful, subsequent scenes reveal that he in fact enlisted in the United States Marine Corps without her knowledge. The video then shows the boyfriend in battle in Iraq being ambushed by insurgents. The war scene cuts out with the boyfriend taking cover after being separated from his squad in the ambush. It cuts back to the girlfriend again, where she is crying. Since the war scene suddenly cuts out, the viewer is left to think about what might have happened.
Before you all go, "You can't make a thread for this just because you're a mod," you're right. I can't. But I'm making this thread because I want you to read it.
As many of you may know, Brie (shenanigans041) and I embarked on an adventure to the gorgeous city of Seattle, Washington. To anyone else, this would just seem like a little fun meet up, but it wasn't. It was so much more than that. This was, and is, the beginning to something great. This opened so many doors and we plan to explore every little dark crevice of each one, and I don't know how long it'll take, but no one will stop us.
"Why is meeting up with some random GDCer so important?" you may ask. Well, here's some background info. Almost exactly a year ago, on April 8th, 2008, this little band that you probably all know that I care a lot about named My Chemical Romance rolled their huge buses into my close home-away-from-home, Portland, Oregon. This concert was extremely important to me, and it affected me a lot. Brie on the other hand was at home breaking down because there wasn't a show in Canada. We didn't know each other past a couple PMs and some posts around here back then, so it wasn't like we could plan some special meet up. While on the border of giving up completely, Brie came across this contest on the internet that the support band Drive By was holding. She quickly entered, hoping for the best, but expecting nothing out of it.
The next day there was another MCR show in Portland, and this one extra special because it took place on singer Gerard Way's birthday. The night before this show (or the night before that), Brie decided to check myspace, just to see if she had won, though she was expecting nothing to be there. As she arrived at her homepage, she saw she had a new message. She clicked the notification and little did she know, just that one click would change her life.
In her inbox, there it was; the message telling her she had won and that in Portland, Oregon there were tickets waiting for her. She did everything she had to, from catching trains, buses, and borrowing money to get here, but she did it. Despite getting to the show a bit late, she made it to about the second or third row of people at the show. I didn't know she'd be there, as her winnings were so sudden. I was wondering if she would be, so I looked around. Being short in a squished crowd of people, I didn't see her, despite her bright, multicolored hair, so I figured she wasn't there. Anyway, the show ended up being amazing for both of us. We both got to meet Mikey and Frank afterwords too.
The next day we both were on GDC. I told my story, she told hers, and that's how I found out she was at the show. We started talking about where we were, and little did we know, we were about 3 people away from each other. We both were like WTF MAN and continued to talk about how amazing the experience was. This is where it all started. From this day on, we started talking almost every single day on MSN, GDC, myspace, and eventually skype too.
The more we talked, the more we found out we had in common. Now that we know each other really well, the amount we share in common is actually weird. We like a lot of the same bands, we like the same kind of clothes generally, we both love Mitchell Davis, we like sea creatures, we both play instruments, we wear about the same size clothes and shoes, we're basically the same height, hell we even have some of the same shirts and pants. There's even more stuff than that, but seriously, it's kind of crazy.
As a lot of you know, I have this obsession with pop/rock music, and my favorite band after MCR is All Time Low, who I have liked from around early-mid 2007, if I remember correctly. Brie, at first, didn't like this music too much. She didn't hate it, but she didn't listen to it a lot, but after learning about the band members and listening to it more, it grew on her. All Time Low became "our band". We share a lot in common with the members, Alex and Jack especially, and we just base a lot of jokes on them and stuff. The band has lyrics we can really relate to and they inspire both of us quite a bit. The band means a lot to us.
We had both been trying to plan trips to meet for a while, but none of them worked. Something we really wanted to do was see All Time Low together though. Well, one day they announced this huge tour with Fall Out Boy and they just happened to be coming to Seattle, which is midway between us both. We both we ecstatic and we knew we needed to make this happen. It didn't seem realistic at first because I didn't think I'd be able to miss school and that we'd be able to afford it. As time went on, I found a cheap but not ghetto hotel and that I had a day off school anyway, and one extra day wouldn't hurt. After buying the tickets we realized how real it was and were stoked on life as we counted down the days.
Adding to the excitement, another band I like that has significant meaning to us in a way too, was playing a show in Seattle the day before. It was cheap so we got tickets to it too. Everything was working out so well and it just seemed so surreal. Too much just... worked out. Not only did we get tickets to these two concerts, we also received meet and greets with both All Time Low and Sing It Loud.
The day we had been waiting for finally arrived. On April 9th, 2009 (exactly a year after the MCR show we were both at coincidentally), we arrived in Seattle at the Best Western. We met, hugged, freaked out that each other were 3D, etc. We hung out and got along great. It was like we already knew each other (well, we kind of did haha). We went to the Experience Music Project and jammed for a few, before going to the concert later. We ended up being a little later than we were told for the meet and greet, so we both were freaking the **** out, but we got there and they said we had time to spare (the paper just tells you to get there early). It turns out only us two showed up for it, so we got a private meet and greet with Sing It Loud, who are awesome guys. They were so nice. They took mustache pictures with us, talked to us, and Nate Flynn, their bass player, even remembered our names after the show. We got to give them these epic high fives and such too. It was just amazing. They interacted with us from stage and played great too.
The next day we went to the All Time Low show, and were almost late again, but we still managed to make it. There we were, waiting for something that we've been looking forward to for months. We were ushered inside by their tour manager Matthew Flyzik (who pwns, by the way). We were told me had to meet Metro Station first because no one shows up to their meet and greets. We didn't want to much because Trace Cyrus is and ******* and such, but we survived. They left quickly and then out walked All Time Low. We got out of our line we had to be in for Metro and went around and talked to each of them. We gave them fake mustaches, candy, and I gave one of them a drawing I did. They loved it all and we some of the coolest guys ever. I had met them plenty before but this time was so much better. We got to talk to each one of them and joke around and stuff. Not showing off, bragging, or whatever, but honest to whoever, we managed to talk to them and get a long with them a it more than the others because they're not just a band to us. They're heroes, but we look at them just like they're normal people. Like, they're people we'd get along with as friends, I'm sure. Alex Gaskarth even called us back for a picture after we started walking to the barrier.
After the show, we met them all again and got to talk a bit more and such and got more pictures. I have decided they're some of the most down to earth, sweet, funny band dudes ever, and I know Brie would agree with that. We actually wish we could know them better. Not because they're in a band, but just because they're such cool people.
So the point of this all: After taking this trip, our parents are now cool with us hanging out as much as possible. I don't know how many people know this, but both Brie and I's biggest dream ever is to be in a band some day. That is all I can see myself doing, and it's the same with her. Everything just seems so right. Not because it's easy or a good way to get money, because it's definitely neither of those, but because it's what we're both passionate about. I just want to me up on that stage, seeing kids sing along, and making people happy. I want to change peoples' lives through music... and I will someday. I will not give up and I will do anything it takes to make it somewhere. I'll do this until I am too old and brittle and sick to.
Thanks to this trip... the doors we opened are ones to start us out on this journey, the journey of making music. Imagine, if it weren't for that contest Brie won and entered, this wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be good friends, we wouldn't have found someone we get along with so well that shares the exact same dream. This trip tested us after being rushed, being sick, losing our voices, etc. We're being trained by life, and this trip was meant to happen. It needed to happen. This is proof that every little thing will affect you in some way, and I do believe everything does happen for a reason. So here we are. This is it. This is a new beginning. This is real. This is going to be reality. As corny as it may be, don't give up on your ****ing dreams because you can do it, and you will be what you want to be. Giving up is a sign of weakness, and no one is born weak. Everyone has strength in them, and everyone CAN use it. I urge those of you who have given up a dream to go find it, grab it, tie it up, and chase it forever.
I do apologize for essay length, but if you do read it all, thank you. A lot. We felt it needed to be said. Here's a video (same one in the picture thread; watch in HQ).