Interpretation
The song '5150' by
Machine Gun Kelly is about inner struggles, self-destruction, and emotional instability. The numbers '5150' refer to the California law code for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization if someone poses a danger to themselves or others. MGK uses these numbers to describe his mental state.
The opening lines of the song 'Bruises don't heal overnight / I'm a few sips from pulling the trigger / Self-abusive, on the borderline / If having you'll be my grave digger' depict his self-destructiveness and battles with alcoholism and depression. He sees love as something that pulls him further into his dark thoughts and potentially destroys him.
In the chorus 'You're crazy (5150) / I won't go (5150) / You make me (5150) / I'm damaged (Please don't fix me)' MGK explains that he is not willing to seek help or change, despite knowing he is emotionally unstable.
The verse 'I romanticized / All the wrong things for the wrong reasons / Now I'm paralyzed / Traumatized so I had to get even' shows his awareness of romanticizing wrong things and harming himself. He is emotionally paralyzed and traumatized, trying to find balance by seeking revenge.
In the bridge 'It's time to confess, confess why you said this / Time to confess, confess that you're heartless / Uh, time to confess, confess why you said this / Okay, I confess, I confess, I was jealous / Time to confess, confess that you're heartless / Okay, I confess, I confess, I'm a narcissist' he admits his mistakes and narcissistic tendencies.
Finally, the song ends with the lines 'I got fifty two cards / I drew the Queen of Hearts / You want me (5150) / You got me, 5150', suggesting that despite his problems, he is still capable of feeling love and being in a relationship, even if it pulls him further into his issues. Overall, '5150' is an honest and raw insight into MGK's struggles with mental health and self-destruction.