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20 Song Lyrics That Were Definitely In Your AIM Away Message

It’s time for a moment of truth: I’m about to reveal my AIM screen name. Granted, I had two other screen names, but this one stayed with me all through high school. Are you ready for this? GuitarGurl925. (Just seeing “girl” spelled with a “u” makes me cringe.) However, I can rest a little easier knowing that many of you probably had equally bad (or worse) screen names. I don’t miss GuitarGurl925, but I do miss the many opportunities AIM provided to share song lyrics. You know what I’m talking about: the away message. It was your way to tell all your buddies what you were thinking or feeling when you weren’t actually at your computer. And what better way to express yourself than through the words of your favorite bands?

Here are some of the lyrics that made their way into hundreds of AIM away messages at one time or another. (Note: I have no research to back that arbitrary figure up, but I’m just going to assume every person who bought a copy of Your Favourite Weapon had a Brand New away message ready to queue up whenever the right moment struck.)

MAD SONGS.

You were pissed, and you wanted everyone to know it—except for the one person you’re actually upset with. Confrontation is never easy, whether you’re 15 or 35. Why bother going through the awkwardness of talking about your hurt feelings when Jesse Lacey, Adam Lazzara and Chris Conley did it so much better? (Bonus points if, while fighting with your best friend, you each had opposing Taking Back Sunday and Brand New lyrics in your away messages.)

Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon1. “Cause I’ve seen more spine in jellyfish/I’ve seen more guts in 11-year-old kids/Have another drink and drive yourself home/I hope there’s ice on all the roads/And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt, and again when your head goes through the windshield.” Brand New – “Seventy Times 7”

Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave2. “Let’s play this game called ‘when you catch fire’/I wouldn’t piss to put you out/Stop burning bridges and drive off of them/So I can forget about you.” Fall Out Boy – “‘Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today’”

Midtown - Save The World Lose The Girl3. “God I wish I could hate you for the rest of my life.” Midtown – “Just Rock ’N’ Roll”

 

Saves The Day - Through Being Cool4. “Could you tell me the next time that you’re choking?/I’ll run right over to shove some dirt right down your throat.” Saves The Day – “My Sweet Fracture”

Senses Fail - Let It Enfold You5. “I’ll take you/To the top/Of this building and just push you off/Run down the stairs so I can see your face/As you hit the street.” Senses Fail – “You’re Cute When You Scream”

Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends6. “Best friends means I pull the trigger/Best friends means you get what you deserve.” Taking Back Sunday – “There’s No ‘I’ In Team”

LOVE SONGS.

Ah, the rush of having a new crush. The agony of finding out he only liked girls with high-pitched, annoying laughs, bad highlights and—wait, where was I? Oh, right: young love. Sometimes it can be heartbreakingly terrible. (See previous lyrics.) But other times, it can be pretty great—maybe even mixtape-worthy—and these songs captured those moments perfectly.

Dashboard Confessional - A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Scar7. “My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me/So won’t you kill me?/So I die happy.” Dashboard Confessional – “Hands Down”

Death Cab For Cutie - Plans8. “If heaven and hell decide/That they both are satisfied/Illuminate the ‘No’s’ on their vacancy signs/If there’s no one beside you/When your soul embarks/Then I’ll follow you into the dark.” Death Cab For Cutie – “I’ll Follow You Into The Dark”

Say Anything - ...Is A Real Boy9. “You’re what keeps me believing the world’s not gone dead/Strength in my bones put the words in my head/When they pour out paper it’s all for you/Cause that’s what you do.” Say Anything – “I Want To Know Your Plans”

The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It10. “Sing this song for me/Tell me how you’ll never leave my side/And I’ll meet you at 7/I miss you already, goodbye to you/The last goodbye, I’ll ever say to you.” The Starting Line – “Cheek To Cheek”