My Favorite Songs, Vol 2: The Used, "Blue and Yellow"

For me, events in my life are marked by music.  Songs can take me back to specific days and times in my life, and for better or worse, can remind me of events.  Sometimes, it's a good memory.  Other times, shit I wish I had forgotten.  Today's song falls somewhere in the middle of that, as it brings me back to a point not too long ago.  I was in a serious relationship with this girl, and at one point in time, thought it would last forever.  Ultimately, and for the best for both of us, it didn't.  But there's nothing wrong with looking back and reminiscing regardless of how you feel now, so, here it goes.  First a little info about the band and the song.

The Used formed in 2001 and ever since then have been the kings of heart-on-the-sleeve, dark, angry, and overall emotional rock.  To me, nobody does it quite better.  Bert McCracken, the grimy looking lead singer, is your standard tortured soul prototype, with enough psychological baggage and past (current?) drug problems to make Kurt Cobain look strong by comparison.  Lucky for us, the listener, McCracken has channeled that rage, anger, sadness and depression into some of the tightest tracks in the history of the emo/screamo genre. 

I can find a relatable theme in just about any of their songs.  Having traversed a rocky road in life myself, most of the subject matter is stuff I am familiar with:  bitter breakups? Check.  Substance abuse? Check.  Anger, loneliness, hostility? Check, check, check.  So for me, this band's music, along with My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade" album got me through some troubled times in my life and when I listen now, it's quite therapeutic. 

The song that rings most true to me out of all The Used classics is "Blue and Yellow".  The opening guitar/piano riff just sets the tone for whats to come. The vocals go from hushed to a scream, and the emotion just bleeds off the track.  The lyrics can be interpreted a number of ways.  The song is supposedly about the friendship between McCracken and bandmate/fellow songwriter Quinn Allman.  However if you dig deeper, it really personifies the feeling of love and longing.  The feeling when you finally have someone you care about, it's an indescribable feeling, that you'll never find by looking for it, it just happens.  When you're apart from that person, it can burn a hole right to the core of you, and all you'd rather do is waste some time with that person.  That's just how I interpret it, I'm sure people may say I'm wrong or have their own beliefs, but songs are all about what you feel and get out of them, and if you disagree to that, I say go fuck yourself.

This song takes me back to how I once felt about this one particular girl.  Even though the feeling has faded and gone over time, every time I hear this song, I'm taken back to that time when I really thought love could last forever.  Sometimes it makes me sad, other times I appreciate the opportunity I had to really know what love was, no matter that it's gone.  One way or another, it evokes emotion, and that's what a song is meant to do.  Without further ado, The Used, "Blue and Yellow".


"Blue and Yellow" is available on The Used self-titled debut album on Warner Bros./Reprise Records