Phase 1 Fortification; what does it mean to me?

Alright, so I started another blog on here because I love 30 seconds to mars. I have loved them since A Beautiful Lie first came out. I know how cliché that sounds, but it's true. I first discovered them when I noticed a friend of mine was watching the video for The Kill and I asked her what she was watching and she told me about 30STM, and I've been hooked on them ever since. Their symbolism and the deep meaning and messages in some of their songs has always fascinated me; and the way their music makes people think is amazing to me.

I have always been especially fascinated with their older music(ie Phase 1 Fortification, Fallen, Buddha for Mary, Revolution) and many more besides. In fact a lot of these songs are what helped me when I decided to start writing (see my other blog for more information). There has always been a part of me that wondered what Jared was thinking when he wrote these songs. I know that one of the biggest themes of their band has always been dreams and kind of going their own way while trying to find a balance between,  for lack of a better description, being themselves while still respecting the powers that be.

As I said before, one of my favorite songs from 30STM is Phase 1 Fortification, It kind of seems to explore the way a person feels when they are trying to become something or trying to meet expectations of others. The example of that is in the following lyrics: 

"All of your life trying to be, you are the one you cannot see"

There are also many other references to those themes and I find it interesting how Jared managed to present them.

Here are the lyrics to the song what do YOU think? What other things do they 

bring to mind for you?

We will fight

Fortify

We wont crash into oblivion

We will climb

Undeny

We will draw our own conclusions

From this time

I need some kind of release

I need some kind of release

We will race

Through this fate

In the dawn of this dimension

There's a face

Sublimate

We will take up

Break up

These forgotten names

I need some kind of release

I need some kind of release

I need some kind of release

I need some kind of release

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

I need some kind of release

I need some kind of release

We will fight

Fortify

We wont crash into oblivion

We will climb

Undeny

We will draw our own conclusions

From this time

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

He swallowed his heroes

They fell out of context

He opened his windows

To decadent interest

He polished his image

Like that of a human

He battled the planets and won

He won

He won

He won

He won

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

All of your life trying to be

You are the one you can not see

All of my life trying to be

I am the one you can not see

All of my life trying to be

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jared Leto

Phase 1: Fortification lyrics © Universal Music - Z Tunes LLC, Apocraphex Music

Buddha for Mary lyrics: A commentary on religion or a convoluted story of a girl's view of the world?

Today I'm going to be talking about the song Buddha for Mary and what I think it could mean. A lot of people argue that the song is talking about religion and how more people are starting to leave their religion because of the way religion has been changed.
There is also another argument going around that says that the song is literally talking about a girl who was raped and how that caused her to go off and do drugs or lose faith in what she believed.
There is also a very interesting interpretation of the song that suggests that maybe Jared is talking about his own opinion of religion and how maybe the song could be interpreted as a criticism of religion and how maybe it's not so wonderful and holy as we would like to think it is. People can be very good at taking something like religion or an ideology of any kind and twisting it to their own purposes. We see this constantly in religions today. If you look at the lyrics "Mary was an acrobat, but still she couldn't seem to breathe; Mary was becoming everything she didn't want to be..." this is an example of just how religion could be twisted. Mary is a metaphor of religion and her being an acrobat could mean that she is trying to conform to whatever society wants her to be.
The last interpretation of this song I could think of is the battle, of sorts, that goes on between science and religion. Where does man come from? Is it Darwin's theory of evolution, or did we really begin from where the Bible says we did? This could also refer to the speculation of whether or not there is life on other planets or not and how science is changing the way most people view their religious beliefs. The lyrics "Mary was a holy girl, had a thing for astronauts...Mary was the type of girl, she always liked to fly..."  I think this song is a unique metaphor for how we view the world and how maybe our experiences, and the different things we are taught, affect our beliefs. What do you believe? What do you see when you read these lyrics?

A simple fear to wash you away
An open mind canceled it today
A silent song that's in your words
A different taste that's in your mind

This is the life on Mars
This is the life on Mars

Mary was a different girl
Had a thing for astronauts
Mary was the type of girl
She always liked to play a lot
Mary was a holy girl
Father whet her appetite
Mary was the type of girl
She always liked to fall apart

Tell me did you see her face
Tell me did you smell her taste
Tell me what's the difference
Don't they all just look the same inside?
Buddha for Mary
Here it comes

Mary was an acrobat
But still she couldn't seem to breathe
Mary was becoming everything she didn't want to be
Mary would hallucinate
And see the sky up on the wall
Mary was the type of girl
She always liked to fly

Tell me did you see her face
Tell me did you smell her taste
Tell me what's the difference
Don't they all just look the same inside?
Buddha for Mary
Here it comes

This is the life on mars

He said, "Can you help me, are you sleeping"
She said, "Will you rape me now?"
He said, "Leave the politics to mad men"
She said, "I believe your lies"
He said, "There's a paradise beneath me"
She said, "Am I supposed to bleed?"
He said, "You better pray to Jesus"
She said, "I don't believe in God"

Mary was a different girl
Had a thing for astronauts
Mary was the type of girl
She always liked to play a lot
Mary was a holy girl
Finally wet her appetite
Mary was the type of girl
She always liked to fall apart

Tell me did you see her face
Tell me did you smell her taste
Tell me what's the difference
Don't they all just look the same inside?
Buddha for Mary
Here it comes

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Jared Leto

Buddha for Mary lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group