New Jersey’s own My Chemical Romance have had a legendary career, starting out in dive bars to selling out stadiums worldwide on their most recent tour, they really have seen it all. But throughout their time in the limelight, they have become synonymous with one thing. Death.
There’s no denying that My Chemical Romance have always had a penchant for death and the macabre, with it becoming a big part of their image and appeal towards the ‘emo’ subculture, essentially making it what it was in the 2000s. But they seem to breach the topic in a much more nuanced and personal way than other bands both at the time and in the present day can’t seem to achieve.
Multiple death themed concepts are explored in the bands music, with their 2004 sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge following the story of a man who unexpectedly loses the love of his life and will do anything to get her back. He makes a deal with the devil to kill one thousand evil men in order to be with her again. And with the 20th anniversary of their 2006 album The Black Parade, following the story of the patient dying from a terminal illness, touring the UK this summer for a stadium run, I’m taking a look over My Chemical Romance’s first three albums and the different way death is represented in the tracks.
I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love
The band’s debut album, released in 2002, is where themes of death first appear within the lyrics of a few tracks. Exploring grief and romance, the album follows famous horror film plots, mass tragedy and loss of loved ones throughout, bringing death unavoidably to the forefront.
Drowning Lessons
The first of the bands dip into the romanticisation of a dead lover, Drowning Lessons follows the story of a groom who has tragically lost his bride before their wedding day and his feelings of guilt towards the unexpected death and the lengths he would go to bring her back (A thousand bodies piled up, I never thought would be enough to show you just what I’ve been thinking). The narrator plays the day over and over again in his head, hoping he can do something to change the events (A kiss goodbye, your twisted shell, as rice grains and roses fall at your feet, let’s say goodbye the hundredth time, and then tomorrow we’ll do it again). This is the first look into the Demolition Lovers storyline that would soon become one of the band’s most iconic concepts and the one that helped their fans see romance in death.
Skylines and Turnstiles
After witnessing the events of 9/11, Gerard Way (lead singer) went on to write this song to make sense of what he had just witnessed and where, as a society, we are supposed to go after such a tragedy. September 11th was a turning point for many in America and all over the world, wondering what is coming of the world and Way puts this perfectly into words (This broken city sky, like butane on my skin, stolen from my eyes, hello angel, tell me, where are you? Tell me where we go from here?). This comes alongside the shattering of the concept of a free and safe world (And after seeing what we saw, can we still reclaim our innocence?). Though not a look at death from the conventional My Chemical Romance perspective, it’s still a look into how the death of thousands had a profound effect on not only those directly affected, but the worldwide witnesses too.
Early Sunsets Over Monroeville
Being a self-proclaimed horror fan, it’s no surprise that Way dipped into the world of George A. Romero for this track. With a story based off of the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead, we follow the protagonist and his love interest as they lock themselves in the Monroeville mall in the light of a zombie apocalypse, however, his lover is bitten (Not knowing you’d change from just one bite, I fought them all off just to hold you close and tight) and he is faced with the impossible task of taking the life of his lover before she turns. The pain and agony in Way’s vocals as he sings ‘But does anyone notice? But does anyone care? And if I had the guts to put this to your head, but does anything matter if you’re already dead’ portrays the true trauma of being faced with a situation that is impossible to complete. Once again bringing the death of a lover to the forefront of their portrayal, this song explores the concept of mercy killing and doing what’s best for your partner, even if it means death.
Demolition Lovers
The Demolition Lovers concept is explored greatly in the band’s second album, however, their debut I brought you my bullets, you brought me your love is where we’re first introduced to the couple. Following a Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque couple on the run from the police after a crime spree, the narrator speaks of being willing to die for his lover as long as it means they will be together (I’d end my days with you in a hail of bullets). The song builds as if it was a film, with the climax seeing both the narrator and his lover being killed by the police following their spree, but their love transcends death and they are happy to be passing on together (And as we’re falling down, and in this pool of blood, and as we’re touching hands, and as we’re falling down, I’ll see your eyes,, I’ll meet your eyes, I mean this forever). The concept of doing anything for your lover, even committing murder or dying for them, is further explored in their sophomore album, however, this closing track perfectly encapsulates how the band use romantic relationships and, in some ways, the romanticisation of dying with your lover within their music.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
With the main concept of the album following the aforementioned Demolition Lovers, we see that the couple have been split by death. The man will do anything to be with her once again, so makes a deal with the devil to take the lives of one thousand evil men to be reunited with her.
Helena
A memorial to Gerard and Mikey Way’s grandmother of the same name who passed away before the release of the bands second album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the story is a confession of Way’s anger towards himself for not being there more for his grandmother in her final years. She had supported him throughout his life and meant so much to him and he is devastated that he hadn’t been with her in the end (Things are better if I stay so long and goodnight). The first song in the band’s discography exploring a member’s personal grief, the lyrics take us on a journey of regret (Can we pretend to leave and then we’ll meet again) and self-loathing (What’s the worst that I can say?) along with the grief of having to say goodbye to someone who meant so much to you.
The Ghost of You
Dipping into the concept of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the track explores the heartbreak of the narrator at the unexpected death of his love. From considering dying to be with her (If I died, we’d be together, now) to flashbacks of the death (And I remember now, at the top of my lungs in my arms, she dies), the song is an emotional journey into the narrator’s desperation for his lover back. His contemplation of committing murder for a chance to be with her again is also explored within the track (Could I? Should I?), which, as the track concludes we find he has decided to proceed with.
Hang ‘Em High
Musically committing to a Western theme, the song follows the narrator on his killing spree and his internal conflict with the murders he is committing. The narrator is justifying his actions as they will let him be with his lover once again (Grab your six-gun from your back, throttle the ignition, would I die for you? Well, here’s your answer in spades), however, he knows that his lover wouldn’t want him to do such a thing (She won’t stop me, put it down). The chaos within the song shows how scattered his mental state is at this point in the Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge concept, as he is bargaining with himself that what he is doing is for the best. One of the latter tracks on the album, it portrays how debilitating the grief of losing his love is on him and his desperation to complete his task.
Cemetery Drive
The second to last track on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge discovers what truly happened to the narrator’s lover. It’s found that the narrator’s lover was having an affair with him (In a solitary style and crash the cemetery gates, in the dress your husband hates) and when she is exposed she is found dead (And they found you on the bathroom floor). Being the final song on the album, the song explores the narrator accepting his love is gone, but still feeling overwhelming grief for the loss (I miss you, so far). The more sombre sound of the song shows the tenderness he feels he lost in the chaos of his mission, and he remembers the reason he is doing it. As he reaches the end of his mission to kill a thousand evil men, he remembers their memories together and anticipates their reunion, which is tragically shot down in the album’s final track.
I Never Told You What I Do For a Living
The penultimate track on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the narrator’s hopes of being reunited with his lover are destroyed as he discovers that the final evil man he must kill is himself. The first half of the track follows the man as he tries desperately to find the last evil man to complete his mission (I keep a book of the names and those only go so far, till you bury them so deep and down, we go) only for him to find that he is the final victim of his killing spree (And we all fall down, I tried). As he comes to the realisation that he will not be reunited with his lover, he begins to bargain with the devil (I tried, one more night, one more night. Well I’m laughing out, crying out, laugh out loud). His disbelief for what the Devil has done to him is clear through his strained vocals and regret for his actions since they have meant nothing (I can’t clean the blood off the sheets in my bed).
As punishment for failing his mission, the Devil both kills the narrator and his lover in purgatory (And never again, they gave us two shots to the back of the head and we’re all dead now). Both were cheated and even in death, they cannot be together.
The Black Parade
The final album I will be exploring is their 2006 release The Black Parade. Following a terminally ill man as he lives through his illness and reminisces on his life, we are taken through an exploration of the mind of a dying man and the events one will go through to be remembered.
Dead
Whilst lyrically and musically not the most traditional representation of grief, the second track on the band’s 2006 album The Black Parade follows a man who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and is conflicted with the fact that his death is inevitable. He knows he hasn’t led a good life (And if your heart stops beating, I’ll be here wondering did you get what you deserve?) and is believed to be a disliked person (No one ever had much nice to say, I think they never liked you anyway?). His disbelief that this is how he is going to die and his grief for how he has lived his short life is well reflected by the upbeat tempo of the track and some humorous lyrics, especially the final lines (If life ain’t just a joke, then why are we laughing?). Not a traditional grief song, but an interesting insight into the early thoughts of a dying man.
This Is How I Disappear
Inspired by the real life story of Harry Houdini’s wife performing a seance to contact her late husband, the track follows the patient as he tries to contact an ex-lover as he believes she is the only one that will remember him when he is gone. While only the third track on The Black Parade, the track sees the desperation that the patient is already feeling towards his inevitable death and his belief that nobody will remember him after. The patient believes his entire existence will disappear if his ex-lover does not contact him (And without you is how I disappear) and he pleads with her to respond, even though it seems she doesn’t want to (Can you hear me cry out to you? Words I thought I’d choke on, figure out. I’m really not so with you anymore I’m just a ghost, so I can’t hurt you anymore). By the end of the track he has accepted that she won’t come back to him and he must live the rest of his days believing nobody will remember him when he’s gone and proceeds to live a reckless life as seen in the proceeding track The Sharpest Lives.
Welcome To The Black Parade
Potentially the most successful song by the band follows the Patient, protagonist for The Black Parade, seeking comfort in the end through his childhood memories. One of his fondest memories was his father taking him to see a marching band when he was a child, as shown through the lyrics, and he sees this marching band returning to take him into the afterlife (Because one day, I’ll leave you a phantom to lead you in the summer to join the Black Parade). This parade and its followers bring the patient comfort and reassure him he will be remembered once he is gone (And though you’re dead and gone, believe me your memory will carry on). This idea helps the patient transition from life into death and is the song that brought My Chemical Romance’s death facade into the forefront.
Cancer
A somber track from start to finish, we discover that the patient is suffering from terminal cancer and he is starting to experience the effects of his treatment. He feels shame for his appearance (Now turn away ‘cause I’m awful just to see), mourns for the experiences he never lived (Know that I will never marry) and once again grieves for his ex-lover (‘Cause the hardest part of this is leaving you). The track highlights the effects terminal illness can not just have on yourself, but your loved ones too. He doesn’t want them to remember him this way but he also yearns to be memorialised. While we have come to learn that the Patient has not lived an honourable life, we are still forced to feel grief for the man as he remembers his life and what he has now become.
Mama
Mama, told from the perspective of a soldier at war who knows his death is soon approaching, tells the story of him desperately trying to fix his relationship with his mother before his inevitable death. The soldier shows guilt for letting his mother down throughout his life (You should have raised a baby girl, I should have been a better son) along with the disappointment displayed by his mother the last time they saw each other (She said, “You ain’t no son of mine, for what you’ve done, they’re gonna find a place for you and just you, mind your manners when you go. And when you go don’t return to me, my love”). Linking back to the patient’s belief that he hasn’t lived his life the way he should have, the soldier has to come to terms that he will die without making it up to his mother and this ends up sending him insane in the trenches (We all carry on, when our brothers in arms are gone. So raise your glass high, for tomorrow we die and return from the ashes you call). Themes of desperation litter The Black Parade, with this one showing the insanity of war and how it cuts lives and relationships short.
Disenchanted
The second to final track on The Black Parade, we are witnessing the end stages of the patient’s life as he becomes disenchanted by life and starts to believe it is overrated. He comes to see things he previously loved in a negative light (I spent my high school career spit on and shoved to agree, so I could watch all my heroes sell a car on TV) and believes his life was just a lead up to his death (You’re just a sad song with nothing to say about a lifelong wait for a hospital stay). The somber end to the song shows the patience has come to terms with his death and is now, in a way, happy for it to come and take him.
Famous Last Words
The penultimate track on The Black Parade, Famous Last Words follows the patient as he is happy for death to come and take him into the afterlife as he has accepted his grievances, however, life is fighting back to keep him. He is in a battle with his life to be free (Now, I know that I can’t make you stay, but where’s your heart? And I know there’s nothing I can say to change that part) and the fight is just making him more and more ill (A life that’s so demanding, I get so weak). In his desperation to cross over into the afterlife, he begs life to look at him and realise that death is inevitable (Can you see my eyes are shining bright? ‘Cause I’m out here on the other side). As the song comes to its climax, it’s clear that death has won over life, and the patient is relieved and thankful (‘Cause I see you lying next to me with words I thought I’d never speak. Awake and unafraid, asleep or dead). The final lyric of the album, ‘Nothing you can say can stop me going home’, shows that he now views the afterlife as home and nothing about life can stop him from moving on.
With My Chemical Romance returning in 2019 with a new tour and new single The Foundations of Decay that also covers the same darker subject matter as the bands early work, we wonder if they will explore death in their coming career adventures, and if they will give new perspectives similar to the work of their first three albums.