AFI (A Fire Inside) is an American punk rock band from Ukiah, California, f… Read Full Bio ↴AFI (A Fire Inside) is an American punk rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. The band's lineup stabilized in 1998 with lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres.

AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.

AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.

18 Miss Murder
AFI Lyrics

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Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Make (hey) beauty stay if I
Take my life?

With just a look they shook
And heavens bowed before him
Simply a look can break your heart

The stars that pierced the sky
He left them all behind
We're left to wonder why
He left us all behind

Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Make (hey) beauty stay if I
Take my life?

Dreams of his crash won't pass
Or how they all adored him
Beauty will last when spiraled down

The stars that mistify
He left them all behind
And now his children cry
He left us all behind

Hey, Miss Murder can I
Hey, Miss Murder can I
Make beauty stay if I
Take my life?

What's the rift that twists within this furthest mystery?
I would gladly bet my life upon it
At the cost of love your ray of light will fizzle out
Without hope
When the empty sand just flowing through our empty skin
And we're searching for what we were promised
Reaching for the cold and rain we never let go
They won't ever let us blow our filthy hands apart

Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Make (hey) beauty stay if I
Take my life?

Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I

Make (hey) beauty stay if I
Take my life?

Overall Meaning

The song "Synethesia/Non-Album Version" by AFI begins with the singer addressing "Miss Murder" and questioning if he can make "beauty" stay if he takes his own life. The following lyrics describe the allure of a person who can capture the entire world's attention with just a single look, and who then seemingly leaves everything behind, causing confusion, grief, and the desire to understand what happened. The singer continues questioning Miss Murder, asking about the rift within the farthest mystery and how hopelessness reigns in the absence of love. The song closes with a repetition of the initial question, leaving the listener thinking about what it means to make beauty stay and the cost that may come with it.

The song's lyrics reflect a contemplation of the destructive power of beauty on the human psyche, and how it can lead to irrational decisions such as ending one's own life. The constant questioning addressed to Miss Murder creates a sense of uncertainty and confusion, coupled with the singer's obsession with the person who can shake the world's foundations with just a look.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey (hey), Miss Murder can I
Asking for permission from Miss Murder

Make (hey) beauty stay if I
Requesting to keep beauty intact

Take my life?
Offering to sacrifice own life for the sake of beauty

With just a look they shook
A single glance was enough to move things

And heavens bowed before him
Even the skies surrendered to his power

Simply a look can break your heart
A mere gaze can shatter one's emotions

The stars that pierced the sky
His presence was as bright as the stars

He left them all behind
He abandoned everything he had achieved

We're left to wonder why
It's a mystery why he left everything behind

Dreams of his crash won't pass
The memories of his downfall linger

Or how they all adored him
Despite his misfortune, people still admire him