When I was a young girl, my father took me into the city to see a marching band.
Just kidding, he didn't. I don't think my dad could even name a single marching band from our hometown. But you know whose father did take him into the city? Gerard Way's father. And it's a good thing he did because that experience gave way to one of the most iconic songs of my middle school generation: "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance. (Note that Way's father likely did not actually take him into the city to see a band of any sorts; It's the metaphor that counts.) That song, though, has transformed into an anthem for all the self-proclaimed "emo" misfits, or anyone that went to middle or high school when it came out. I was driving somewhere the other day, knowing I was going to be late and stressed as hell about it, when my playlist came through and I heard the song's first note.
I kid you not, it calmed me down immediately. It is tethered to me in such a way that it reminds me of the time in my life when I first heard it, a little girl in her basement at her family's shared desktop computer. My Chemical Romance was what made us cool in middle school. We all wore the hoodies with the bleeding hearts and pretended to know what the words meant. This kind of music, this reckless self-expression was freeing.
I was first introduced to it by my personal favorites, Fall Out Boy. I remember being in fifth grade, not knowing any of the actual words to "Sugar, We're Going Down" but having it stuck in my head all day nonetheless. We requested "Dance Dance" at every school dance. We swooned over Pete Wentz's smile and flawless eyeliner (guyliner, as it was dubbed). Then Panic! at the Disco was introduced and we had even more guyliner to examine. I distinctly remember one morning before school when two girls were in the hallway with one of those teen magazines fighting over who was cuter, Ryan Ross or Brendon Urie. (Hint: It's totally Brendon Urie.)
My friend Brandi and I belted "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" in the car at a gas station in the middle of summer when we were 13. We had no idea what the song was about, but we knew it was fun to sing. These songs, these people are tied to memories for my friends and I. When we were getting ready for prom senior year, my friend's parents were fighting. A Panic! song came on and she looked at me and said "This is fitting. I used to hide in my room and listen to this song when they fought when I was a little girl. Why should anything change now?"
As I've gotten older, these bands speak to me even more. I understand the lyrics now; I relate to what these guys are saying. I appreciate how they write music. Their lyrics are absolute poetry. I would pay a lot of money to have the writing talent of Pete Wentz (who, by the way, is the bassist of Fall Out Boy, not the lead singer). They're something I can get behind, things I've felt in my own experience.
The genre has many other bands, like Blink 182, Good Charlotte, and most recently, 21 Pilots. However, the three bands I've mentioned will always hold a special place in my heart. My little cousin always talked about the 'holy emo trinity', which she learned about on Tumblr. (I don't have a Tumblr so it's up to my companions to keep me at an adequate level of fangirl). The trinity is as follows: The father-- Fall Out Boy, the Son-- Panic! and the Holy Ghost-- My Chemical Romance. They are what made me fall in love with this music. They're the storytellers of my childhood.
I love listening to the new stuff by Panic! and FOB. It makes me happy that two out of the three are still around, still touring. As I've grown, they've grown with me. They say the things and describe the experiences I never could. Long live eyeliner, songs with outlandishly long titles, and scuffed up converse. We are more than you bargained for, we'll carry on, so let's dance to this beat and hold a lover close.
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs.
