A Deep Dive Into the Lore of My Chemical Romance
Header by Jena Williams
Who remembers when Dakota Johnson called out Ellen DeGeneres for lying about not being invited to her birthday party? What if I told you that you could thank My Chemical Romance for that? And what about Twilight – who doesn’t love a good vampire and werewolves story? Thanks My Chemical Romance! I guess every action really does have a consequence.
My Chemical Romance, a rock band from New Jersey, found their beginnings in 2001 when frontman Gerard Way witnessed the fall of the Twin Towers. He described seeing 9/11 as the “end of the world … like an apocalypse”, which inspired him to write the song “Skylines and Turnstiles”, with lyrics like “This broken city sky like butane on my skin/ Stolen from my eyes” and “And after seeing what we saw/ Can we still reclaim our innocence”.
Their first of four studio albums, “I Brought You My Bullets You Brought Me Your Love”, loosely contains threads of a storyline and characters, which they explore more in depth on the second album. The first album deals with topics of substance abuse and mental illness, through a dark, gothic lens, referencing creatures like vampires in “Vampires Will Never Hurt You”, and zombies in “Early Sunsets Over Monroeville”, a reference to the cult classic film “Dawn of the Dead”. The final song on the album, “Demolition Lovers”, refers to the eponymous characters of the Demolition Man and Woman, two Bonnie and Clyde-esque characters and the journey they go through. The lyrics “With this trunk of ammunition too/ I’d end my days with you in a hail of bullets” and “I’m trying/ To let you know just how much you mean to me/ And after all the things/ We put each other through” really demonstrates the destructive nature of their relationship, as well as the lengths the Demolition Man would go to for his love.
Their second album, “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”, tells the story of the Demolition Woman’s death in a gunfight, after which the Demolition Man makes a deal with the devil to deliver the souls of 1000 evil men, after which he can reunite with the Woman. The song “The Ghost of You” tells of the heartbreak and grief that he feels after the unexpected loss of his lover, and his fear that he won’t fulfill his deal with the devil; “If I died, we’d be together, now/ I can’t always just forget her”. Nearing the end of the album, “It’s Not a Fashion Statement It’s a Deathwish” shows the Demolition Man nearing the end of his deal, and his reunion with his lover. He states, “I’m coming back from the dead/ And I’ll take you home with me” and “I’m taking back a life you stole”. The final song on the album, “I Never Told You What I Do For A Living” shows the man grappling with his actions as he realizes the last soul he must deliver is his own; “Another knife in my hands, a stain that never comes off/… /The kind of dirty wherethe water never cleans off the clothes”, “and never again and never again, they gave us two shots/ To the back of the head and we’re all dead now”.
Their third album, “The Black Parade,” is similar to the last, a character driven story, centering on The Patient, dying of cancer, as he reflects on his life and death, which comes to him in the form of a childhood memory– going to the parade with his father as a child. The album starts with hospital machines beeping in “The End” in which he flatlines and transitions into “Dead!”, when he finds out he has died, and how little people care that he’s gone. “And if your heart stops beating/ I’ll be here wondering/ Did you get what you deserve?” and “Have you heard the news that you're dead/ No one ever had much nice to say/ I think they never liked you anyways”. In arguably their most famous song, “Welcome to The Black Parade” the Patient encounters death, and rises against the world’s standards that cast him to hell; “When I was a young boy, my father/ Took me into the city to see a marching band” and “I won’t explain or say I’m sorry/ I’m unashamed, I’m gonna show my scars/ And give a cheer for all the broken”. “Cancer” is the patient reflecting on his experience with cancer, with life, and his funeral wishes; “And bury me in all my favourite colours”, “Now turn away/ Cause I’m awful just to see/ Cause all my hair’s abandoned all my body”. A personal favourite of mine, “Mama” featuring Liza Minelli, is the Patient coming to terms with his horrible actions as he speaks to his mother; “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”. In “Disenchanted” the Patient reflects on his life as a whole, through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood; “I hate the ending myself, but it started with an alright scene”, “Now, will it matter after I’m gone? / Because you never learned a goddamn thing”.
Lastly, “‘Danger Days” is the most detailed album in terms of a cohesive concept and storyline but differs depending on the medium it is viewed in; the album, comics, and music videos each tell a slightly different version. Essentially, “Danger Days” is set in a post-apocalyptic California, Battery City, as the Fabulous Killjoys rebel against the dystopian Better Living Industries (BLInd), the villains who want to create a colourless and emotionless society through brainwashing, violence, and propaganda. The Killjoys each represent a member of the band: Ray Toro is Jet Star, Frank Iero is Fun Ghoul, Mikey Way is Kobra Kid, and Gerard Way is Party Poison. The first song, “Look Alive, Sunshine” is a radio transmission from the narrator Dr. Death Defying, introducing the next song “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”, serving as exposition of the realities of living in Battery City. “And right here, right now/ All the way inBattery City/ The little children raise their open filthy palms/ Like tiny daggers up to heaven/ And all the juvie halls/ And the Ritalin rats/ Ask angels made from neon and fucking garbage/ Scream out, ‘What will save us?’/ And the sky opened up”. In “Sing”, the Killjoys call for the people of Battery City to stand up for what they believe in, persevere, and fight against BLInd. “Sing it out, girl/ Before they kill what tomorrow brings/ You’ve got to make a choice/ If the music drowns you out/ And use your voice/ Every single time you open up your mouth”. “Planetary (GO!)” further illustrates the realities of living under BLInd, and since life is short, you have to take advantage of every opportunity: “There might be something outside your window/ But you’ll just never know/ There could be something right past the turnpike gates” and “I can’t slow down, I won’t be waiting for you/ I can’t stop now, because I’m dancing/ Thus planet’s outs to defend, ain’t got no time to pretend/ Don’t fuck around, this is our last chance”. “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, in the Danger Days universe refers to the squad of Drac’s, vampire henchmen for BLInd, and the song is a reaction to an atomic bomb blowing up in Battery City: “Move your body when the sunlight dies/ Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow” and “Leave a dream where the fallout lies/ Watch it grow where the tear stain dries”. The story of the Killjoy’s closes out in “Goodnight, Dr. Death”, serving as a final farewell to the listeners, and telling them to keep running: “All right, children/ The lights are out and the party’s over/ It’s time for me, Dr. D., to start running/ And say goodbye for a little while” and “So remember, even if you’re dusted/ You may be gone/ But out here in the desert/ Your shadow lives on without you”. One of the final tracks on the album external to the Danger Days storyline is “Vampire Money”, a sort of satirical track as a call back to when they were asked to write a song for one of the Twilight movies but refused.
And that’s the lore and storylines behind My Chemical Romance’s four studio albums. Stephanie Meyers, author of the Twilight series, based Jacob’s character off of “Famous Last Words”, the final track on The Black Parade. E. L., James, inspired by Twilight, wrote fanfiction which turned into the 50 Shades of Grey, a series of novels. They were then adapted into a series of movies, starring Dakota Johnson,who found stardom following its release. Johnson then went on Ellen DeGeneres’ show on a press tour for the remake of Suspiria, and the rest is history. TL;DR thanks My Chemical Romance!
Edited by Isabella Hamilton
