For Faint, I believe it was just a working title that stuck. The Catalyst was actually a lyric in the chorus of the demo and it stayed, I believe.
In my opinion, the title "Robot Boy" is referring to young angsty kids who listen to metal and act tough like they have no emotion or compassion. The lyrics point to this, as well as the fact that it just happens to play right after When They Come For Me. I think the song as a whole seems to have a bit of a sarcastic undertone in it. "Awww, poor robot boy, shut up in his room all cold and headbanging to One Step Closer like he doesn't love the world anymore. You'll grow out of it eventually. Chin up. idiot." Of course the sarcastic part may just be me projecting my own feelings into the song. but you never know.
Lullaby was most likely never used because the band couldn't fit the words into the song as they have discussed in the LPTV. Otherwise, The Catalyst was most definitely never mentioned to have been featured in a previous demo of the song. Most likely, the song was named The Catalyst because of its characteristic as the lead off single (a catalyst is something that sparks of and speeds up a chemical reaction) or because within the timeframe of the ATS storyline the song The Catalyst is the catalyst for changing the world where the song then leads into The Messenger.
That's how I always understood the title: it was the first single and maybe one of the first completed songs from the album, giving them some creativity or story to work with. I'm not sure what made me think it used to be a lyric, I think I'm getting it confused with how A Thousand Suns got its name.
i think faint was an appropriate name cause the emotion that is based in the song is so emotive that they exaggerate the feeeling... to me that is just awesome
Alright, so the song "Papercut" is about dealing with inner demons. It's basically saying that anyone can cover up what their really feeling inside and something so small as a papercut can release their feelings within. So, my understanding of "The Catalyst" Is very much like Jeffs, in looking at the definition of the word "Catalyst." The thing is, I don't look at being a single as a factor. The flow of the way A Thousand Suns is, shows that the very first track, "The Requiem" has lyrics taken from "The Catalyst." It is present at the beginning of the album as well as the end of the album. The sudden change within the song; from the "God bless us" part to the "lift me up" part, is an integral part of the ATS experience. It, to me, is the climax of the album. After that transition, everything is calm, like the moment right after an explosion. This leads into "The Messenger," which as we all know is stripped back with little electronic additions. With the song "Faint," I look toward the amazingly awesome demo lyrics to how the song got it's name. "Let go, it's begun. Close your eyes, I'm not done. Breathe a word, and waste your breath and keep it up, 'til there's nothing left." (These are my interpretations.)
My theory of The Catalyst is that it links with the vague nuclear theme of a thousand suns (oppenheimer speech, fallout, the iridescence within nuclear explosions)
No, it's not saying that at all. You're trying too hard to work the title into the meaning of the lyrics, but the truth is that Papercut is just a random title.
you idiot. You're not suppose to "get" all of a bands song titles. That's just the art of it and that's just what they name it. Does it hurt you to come up with a meaning on your own for what it means to YOU? try it.