Archive of Our Own

Darry: “Class of 2013”

Must I explain? I mean, it’s the whole song:

Mom, I'm tired
Can I sleep in your house tonight?
Mom, is it alright
If I stay for a year or two?
Mom, I'll be quiet
It would be just to sleep at night
And I'll leave once I figure out
How to pay for my own life too
Mom, would you wash my back?
This once, and then we can forget
And I'll leave what I'm chasing
For the other girls to pursue
Mom, am I still young?
Can I dream for a few months more?

Like… C’mon.

Ponyboy: “Abbey” or “I Bet on Losing Dogs”

I feel like for "Abbey", Ponyboy yearns to feel loved by anyone. I feel like he could also be “Nobody,” but whatever. I don’t think this one needs evidence.

For “I Bet on Losing Dogs,” it’s the same as “Abbey” in wanting to be loved, but every time he tries, it always seems to go wrong. Parents: dead. Dally: dead. Johnny: dead. Darry: became a cold guardian. I think he feels that maybe Soda is all he has left.

Soda: “Nobody”

Hear me out here. There are a couple of lines that remind me of him:

Venus, planet of love
Was destroyed by global warming
Did its people want too much too?
Did its people want too much?
And I don't want your pity
I just want somebody near me
Guess I'm a coward
I just want to feel alright

This reminds me of his relationship with Sandy. I’m sure you can see why.

Dallas: “Drunk Walk Home,” “Liquid Smooth,” and “Brand New City”

• “Drunk Walk Home”: I think the screaming in this song reflects Dally’s anguish. For one, the lyrics express feelings of being trapped:

  For I'm starting to learn I may never be free
  But though I may never be free

  I don’t think I need to explain further.

• “Liquid Smooth”:

  I'm at my highest peak, I'm ripe
  About to fall

  This captures the sense of Dally’s life nearing its tragic end.

• “Brand New City”:

  I think my fate is losing its patience
  I think the ground is pulling me down
  I think my life is losing momentum
  I think my ways are wearing me down

  These lines reflect the moments before his death. “I think my fate is losing its patience” — I mean, come on. I’ve said that like five times, but still.

Johnny: “I Don’t Smoke”

Okay, I admit that’s kind of ironic, but hear me out:

If you need to be mean
Be mean to me
I can take it and put it inside of me
If your hands need to break
More than trinkets in your room
You can lean on my arm
As you break my heart

Just don't leave me alone
Wondering where you are
I am stronger than you give me credit for

Johnny is the strongest of the gang, and no one can change my mind. All the things this poor boy has been through — he would do anything to help the people he cared about, even if it meant something bad would happen to him.

Two-Bit: “Remember My Name”

I think he would want to be remembered. Deep down, he’s scared of the future and being forgotten or left behind.

I'm not adding Steve. WOMP WOMP. STEVE CAN SUCK IT!!! (I'm just too lazy.)