Understanding The Black Parade
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- There are few albums quite like The Black Parade. It's a reflection on mortality and death, a rock opera exploring the uniquely tragic experience of dying young and alone. It's all wrapped in the dark, sarcastic trappings of mid-2000s emo, but at the same time it feels timeless, as relevant today as it's ever been. The Black Parade was a huge artistic risk for MCR, reinventing the band's image and sound, but it paid off, and at its heart lies one of the most iconic songs of the '00s: Welcome To The Black Parade.
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Script: docs.google.com/document/d/1m...
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Also, thanks to Jareth Arnold for proofreading the script to make sure this all makes sense hopefully!
Some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) Technically Tommy wasn't released in the '70s, it came out in 1969, but the late '60s were the '70s, it's fine, don't worry about it.
2) I should note that, while I tend to find "bright" to be a more accurate descriptor of most major-key tonalities, it's still contextual and won't always apply either. The concept of "brightness" in scales is very closely tied to European ideas of modality that don't apply across all kinds of music.
3) Interestingly, while the marching snare is recognizable in each iteration, it's never actually the same. One could argue this makes it not a true leitmotif, but it's definitely a noticeable and consistent thematic element, so whether or not it "counts" isn't all that interesting a debate to me. It fills the role of a marching snare each time, and that marching snare conveys a certain set of cultural and narrative implications.
4) The tempo shift could be described as a metric modulation where the half-note triplet becomes the new 8th note, but because the long, held chord sets a clear boundary between the two, being overly specific on the exact relationship seems unnecessary to me.
5) One could argue the key change isn't a true direct modulation, since that last chord in G is D major, which does have a function in the new key of A major, but it _really_ doesn't sound like a pivot chord to me. The implied resolution is too strong, and the subversion of it too obvious.
6) Yes, I used the same thumbnail text as my Chop Suey! video. I figured it applied equally well here, and it didn't seem worth reinventing the wheel to try to phrase it differently when it worked so well last time anyway.
Bittersweet, I think, moreso than bright. Although, one of my favourite Leonard Cohen songs, Joan of Arc, ends with the couplet "Myself, I long for love and light
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?"
Just call it a new series: "How _____ Confronted Death"
In tents analysis indeed.
I had 2 tiny notes about the drums, but in the intro on the 6th repetition a drum set line comes in doing fills in addition to the marching snare, not instead of it. To me this important as it adds to the genre crossfade between the march and rock sections. Another TINY note about this is that the bass drum in the march sections is a concert bass drum rather than a kick drum once again reinforcing the marching band motif. (these are SUCH tiny notes! love your videos
On 4), if the tempo shift isn't consistent in the live performances this pretty much confirms that to be true. (And if not: that they use click tracks live - not uncommon - or that the drummer is very consistent which is also very likely)
Every time a single G is played on a piano, an emo sheds a tear
Can confirm
And any time an E octave is played, gamers get chills.
Can definitely confirm. Literally had chills and shed a tear.
Every single time :P
Any time a lone E6 is played, Kanye fans shed a tear
its really cool to see the black parade being recognized years later as a legitimately good album with merit unlike the past when it was seen as emo garbage
I had never thought of it as a rock opera until i saw this, and it makes total sense. It gives me Bohemian Rhapsody vibes.
So... I'm a little older than most MCR/Gerard Way listeners I guess, but whenever I heard MCR play I was fascinated. The music was so awesome, and heartfelt and amazing... and then I saw the music video for Black Parade and I was like "Huh. Well that's something." Still one of my favorite bands of all time. Although I also discovered that for other children of the 90s, if you point out how much it fills the same space as the Smashing Pumpkins, you can make some real enemies.
Even as an annoying contrarian teen, I never saw TBP as garbage. Emo, yes. But never emo garbage.
@@creekboi7 yeah i remember listening to the black parade with my father and he said they remind of queen
it’s my favorite album of all time!!
When songs like this are created, it makes me wonder if MCR actually put this much music theory thought into every note or if the guitarist was just like “Hey, this sounds good”.
i’d have to imagine most of the time it’s mainly natural feel for it
Musicians, like actors, are often well versed in their craft, even if it's not something that they've had formal training in. After all, a lot of times they had instrument lessons when they were younger or played in school bands, which will discuss music theory and history. So maybe there were some nuances lost because they don't have the fancy, schmancy degree and didn't have to write term papers on G major vs. G minor, but they still know the history and what the sounds do and how to tell a story with their music. After all, it's MCR. They know how to romance the chemicals of our brains to make a tear fall every time we hear that high G.
Most musicians aren’t formally taught music. And there is a HUGE difference in sound from musicians who are formally taught vs musicians who aren’t formally taught. Not saying one is better than the other but there is a big distinction between the two.
@@firstnamelastname956 Would you say MCR is formal or informal?
caleb beers I don’t know man lol I don’t know them personally but hey if you like the music then that’s all that matters.
1:40 "And I'll give the emo kids in the Audience some time to recover from that G Note." I'm crying that was so hilarious, sad, and well timed.
I was literally clutching my chest because of the flood of nostalgia. I felt so called out.
@@kyndramb7050 Right?! And MCR is playing in my state capital in a few months!
@@AstralNightmareOfficial dude they are also playing in Rotterdam and I'm going?! I'm so excited!
@@jasmingovers4403 Wait, not Rotterdam NY right?
😅😅😅😅😅
"where everything changes" draws fire nation insignia, shit had me cracking up.
The visual jokes and references are almost as good as the musical theory analysis. Almost.
Same 😂😂
Shrek symbol every time he said layering I can't-
interrupting cow, interrupti... MOOOOO
the crab drawing for cancer-
As that emo kid who immediately started scream-singing as soon as I heard that G, I feel called out
A single g-note on a piano always hits hard
It was bold of him to assume I only needed that moment that one time to recover.
His constant talk about music theory was really interrupting my crying after that 😡
@@renatatostada3318 I managed not to cry...... until the bridge hit. "Give a cheer, for all the broken, listen here, because it's who we are!" always gets me.
Don’t worry. You’re not alone
cringe af.
Can we take a minute to appreciate when at 57s he said “everything had changed” he drew a symbol for the fire nation.
Loved that lmao
Also Shrek "S" when he mentioned layering
I laughed out loud when he drew an actual tent for "intense"
OMG YEAH
@@hirano552came here to see who caught that too bc I LOVED
As someone who grew up in punk bands with no musical schooling I always wonder if these guys know what they are actually doing, versus like, “hey that sounds cool, do it again here,” etc etc. I mean jello biafra literally made dead kennedys songs up with mouth noises and the musicians had to just figure it out lol
They all did music in school, Gerard was in choir, and depending on how involved Ray was he seems to be the most theory-driven member of the band. But I think, "hey that sounds cool do it again here!" is quite endearing, especially when it turns out like this!
You weren't the person I was expecting to see here.
Loved your video on Cowboy Bebop, and you have good taste.
This is what I think about when we analyze poetry and literature in English class
@@sp0ngeb00b7 Yeah, I only took a "fine arts appreciation" class in high school for one semester as a graduation req, teacher included basic musical theory in the class. We even were asked to write a single sheet composure using a few "rules" (stuff like alluded to in the video). I'm guessing most anyone who has an actual appreciation of composing knows way more than I do!
@Bonsai Pop At the beginning, when they were starting out and Gerard wasn't familiar enough with a guitar to explain his vision, he also resorted to the "make sounds with his mouth and have them figure it out" strategy haha. You can hear about it on the documentary they included with the release of their album "Live on the Murder Scene", which was mostly live performances, demos and b-sides
for a second i thought this was gonna be a music theory composition of the whole album and i got more than excited
DCFC profile pic. Love it!
A channel called polyphonic does a really good take on the whole album.
@@codycoyote7046 a channel which also just so happens to be mentioned in this very video!
@@paytoncarver7289 would love to see them featured on this channel. maybe, in the theme of title tracks, the song transatlanticism
@@codycoyote7046 I was thinking "hasn't 12tone already done this?" but I got confused with Polyphonic XD
I'll just give those Emo kids in the audience a moment to recover from that G note.
We good? Alright, lets go
I needed that moment
Still not good yet ;-;
I wasn't ready to get G noted he was just like "The song starts like this." *bonks me on the head with a mallet*
My mom had to come to my room to check on me
@@asmylia9880 I'm (still) not okay (I promise) sdghfsfgdsj
I sincerely hope that Gerard, Frank, Mikey, and Ray watch this video at some point. The MCR crew deserve to be recognized for their achievements and skills.
Lol no bob briar? Tragic
And Bob. Like him or not, he was integral in the success of this album (I, for one, am a fan. He did some dumb stuff and made amends.)
@@wendilew he made amends? I thought he got excommunicated
Same, I really hope they find this video one day. They deserve their flowers 🌹
@@lukeking6711 Bryar*
I think it's worth mentioning that the lyrics which transition to the modulated chorus are "I don't care". That triumphantly symbolizes the ending of the the patient's internal struggle of needing significance to deserve a legacy. Not a complex detail but I think it sums everything together nicely.
That "I don't care" is one of my favorite lyrical lines in any song ever.
I would watch an entire series of these on this album. It’s a goddamn masterpiece
I don’t think I listened to anything else for months. Still love every second of it.
im more of a sweet cheers kind of guy myself but yes ❤️❤️
True! This album is a freaking masterpiece, should be entirely addressed!
oh my god please black parade is a masterpiece
Wendigoon has a breakdown of the entire album, though it's more focused on the whole story instead of the music theory behind it.
This dude pantomimed drawing something while saying BLANK. Such dedication
Not going to lie, every time I heard this song I always interpreted it as a means to morn for those who have passed, but carry on their memories to help them to continue to carry on and that some day you'll join them again in the parade. But until that day you should fight to live every day until it's your actual time. That was always my take on the song on it's own though. When a rock opera puts all the songs together, they grant the listener and/or viewers with a totally different perspective. After all, with individual songs, just like any other art, it is subjective to the listener. I just wanted to share my interpretation of the song on it's own though, just to kind of share really.
And that's on sum Dante's Inferno shiiz
Kind of same actually??
I didn't know the meaning of the song too and for years I interpreted it more or less like you did
same, this interpretation makes more sense to me
What's it actually about them?
“I don’t love you” always breaks me. “Disenchanted” makes me regret as my life is currently on reset. “Famous last words” rocks but also makes me reflect on the journey from a bipolar ex who abandoned us. I love the story of the album. I can’t listen to “cancer” anymore since I’ve lost two family members to it this year and myself a survivor. One of the most epic albums next to Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness!
Know exactly what you mean with the song 'Cancer'. Lost both parents to it, can't bare to listen to the song anymore.
Hell yes mcr do not get enough positive attention in the rock world
I think they are starting to have more and more influence.
Are you insane they're literally one of the most praised bands of the 2000's
@@cooperreeves8913 i rarely see in depth analysis videos like this for them. A lot about the subculture but I rarely see people talk about their musical skill.
As a prog rock fan, I was never into the emo scene, but I do find this album a brilliant rock opera. It gives me a respect for a band I wouldn’t normally listen to, and broadening one’s horizons is always welcome.
Could not agree more. Sure, they have a dedicated fan base, but outside of that, the music/rock world does not give them the credit they deserve.
7:31 I for one, would love to hear a “Welcome to the Black Parade” full banjo cover.
The full piano cover of it is epic, if you haven't heard/seen it yet.
Welcome to the cornfield
@@the_marshc How is this not he most upvoted comment on CZcams?
Every part played on kazoo, by the original artist
When you're emo but also raised in the countryside
I appreciate that he names all the band members. Nice to see others besides the front man getting some love.
It has come to my attention that since I wasn't able to get into my full emo phase in middle school, I'm still a baby emo at heart because that g note killed me 😭
It really shouldn’t, us emo kids only ever cried when we heard the g-note because it reminded us of when MCR broke up in 2012-2013. But they’re back together now :)
Im a poor college student but the prospect of more mcr analysis makes me want to join your patreon
I'm excited that they're doing a tour next year
Same here, broke high school senior but goddamn, 12tone’s videos are always amazing so you can imagine my excitement when I saw they uploaded an MCR video
Would love to see his take on Ghost Of You
@@bryanbailey2720 I would love anything but my personal candidates would be Thank you for the venom or Mama
@@izzy1349 thank you for the venom is a great one too
This was weirdly emotionally impactful for a video on music theory.
Lol that why they call it emooooooo
legit started crying throughout it’s kind of embarrassing to admit haha
The power of having sad lyric in a major key is a profound one.
(Main reason i dont associate major with "happy")
Agreed, that last line felt like a gut punch
honestly crying watching it tbh
As a widow of a husband who had terminal illness "heart failure", the way you explain this and this song means so much. I came home from work to him passed away.
bruh I'm not ok (pun not intended) I literally got chills every time he played parts of the song
man I love this album
The pun isn’t intended? _You promise?_
'Brian May style solo' Brian May performed this song with them at the Reading Festival
It's pretty epic czcams.com/video/_H5DOV4Db3k/video.html
Also it's the biggest compliment you can give to Ray Toro as Brian May is one of hist biggest idols. Because of that, there really are a lot of parallels between MCR and Queen.
We got 2 Ways, 1 Ray, and now we got May.
@@mzaite This made my whole day!
I feel like it pulls more from Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) than the band that was mentioned at the start. Even with the piano since BR (not Baskin Robbins, Bohemian Rhapsody) opens up with piano.
I always interpreted the fact this song was in G major as giving sense of hope in the face of everything and that’s why I think the emo’s resonated with it to such an extent (my friends and I used to literally “rise for the anthem” and salute when this came on) it’s not just bleak, it’s also got just a last sliver hope. The chips are down but it’s still sticking with the major key, almost rallying us together
I completely agree. It has every reason to be a minor, but it chooses not to be, keep that major attitude.
I respect you and your friends for the rising and saluting so much; any time I do something like that, my friends get embarrassed and abandon me no matter where we are, so that's all fine and dandy... anyway my point: That is what these guys are best at, rallying us all up, making us feel loved and understood, and overall, giving us hope and believing in us when no one else will. They deserve so much more than just being called "emo". They are heroes, who probably save lives every day without knowing it. Heck they've saved mine more times than I'd like to admit, and I am forever grateful to them for that. For giving me so many more second chances than I really deserve. You'd think a kid would learn after a while.
This hit me right on the chest and made my eyes water. I felt seen and heard.
I love that there's a channel out there that actually looks into the musical arrangements of popular songs, not just the lyrics or singers.
I agree, as a former guitar player (my hands aren't big enough, so I switched to the Ukalala.) I feel like most people don't understand how much the instruments play into the song's meaning as much as the vocals.
With minor scales being the staple for sad stuff, there's something special about a sad song in a major key. It's not a "woe is me", but more like a "farewell" or "this is sad but let's smile trough it"
in regards to G major: it's also worth noting that the story of the Patient is framed like that of a _tragic hero_ so I feel the major key is important to establish that 'heroic' framing- "Welcome to the Black Parade" is meant to sound like a triumphant fanfare collapsing into chaos, as indicated by the hornlike guitar section that follows... It all connects with the thematic idea of death appearing to the dying man as his happiest memory- that of seeing a marching band as a child.
Wow that's beautiful
He's just a man, he's not a hero.
he's just a boy, who had to sing that song.
*musical theorists* - this
*Gerard* - "idk man it just sounded cool." Probably
probably not, the whole band are major geeks, especially Gerard (being a comicbook artist) so they love deliberately getting small details and symbolism right. that's one of the things that makes them so special
plus sometimes when a creator says that, it’s still because they understood those creative patterns subconsciously from experiencing so much of their medium of choice. there can still be things to glean from it that the creator didn’t put in consciously but still understood on a deep level. Even if the band hadn’t clearly planned out every single detail pointed out in this analysis, they still could have followed their intuition to achieve it because of internalizing these concepts elsewhere.
Musical theorists: this
Gerard: "here comes the Harvard graduate 🙄"
😂😂😂😂
Stop. Using. Author. Intention. To. Enjoy. Your. Media. That's just fucking lazy.
@@AllTheArtsy whos using author intention
i always interpreted the symbolism on this album and in this song wildly differently. to me the album very much reads as about a teen who has experienced a great loss and is facing down extreme pressure from authority figures in their life at the same time as having wild anxiety and dread of becoming an adult, and who is struggling with thoughts and even attempts of suicide. i think the black parade, the song, epitomizes this inner struggle, and i'd argue that the symbolism of the parade itself represents the teen's perspective of death as being ever-marching and inevitable.
Holy fuck I can't see it anything else besides this when I listen to it now
That's how I always saw it too
i mean isnt that the beauty of interpretation? You can see things in many different ways, there is generally not 1 way to view a song
It is so impressive to me that they were able to tell a good story in lyrics AND in the music itself
Which is rare these days.
It’s been like 10 years since I’ve heard this song, and yet chopped up fragments of it were STILL enough to give me goosebumps. Goddamn, music is powerful.
It is! Music therapy is huge in Alzheimer’s patients! Maybe you’ve seen elderly perk up and possibly start dancing when they’re listening to music from their teenage years, the area of the brain that processes music and its connections to the memories it forged are largely untouched with Alzheimer’s. It’s fascinating and shows how attached music is to what we experience.
I listen to it all the time and it still gives me goosebumps. spectacular piece of music!
At the very end, heavy symbolism from the lack of cymbalism.
I frickin' love this song. Very nice analysis!
you spelled “fucking” wrong
Lol in Polish a cymbal is another word for idiot
I feel like the fact that that first riff ends with a high note instead of a low note isn’t it being cut off in such a sad way, it’s to show hope. It’s as if to say, just like with conversations of death, you expect it to be sad (low note) but instead it ends with this joyful high note. It’s literally ending on a high note. The Black Parade talks about the good and bad of death, treating it as mixed instead of just a tragedy. To elaborate, I know that in the long run it is malicious in the album, but I think as a standalone song it does serve as hopeful. To me in this album the problem isn’t him dying. Dying is fine…. After you’ve lived. You can respect death as not malicious but still acknowledge the patient needs to enjoy life.
5:16 when he said "layers" and drew shrek, I felt that
My best friend died recently and this was played at their funeral. Such an incredible song, thank you for the analysis.
The thought of it gave me goosebumps. I'm sorry for yous loss, hope everyone gets better.
im so sorry :( they'll be marching in the black parade now im sure of it 🖤
So sorry for your lost.... But i couldn't help to think that it was best song to help you grieve ..... My heart is with you ...
My condolences. Not trying to be flippant, but at least your friend had a cool funeral. May we all be so fortunate.
Sorry to hear about that. He’s smiling down on you right now..
I first heard this band a few years ago when my son played me this very album, and I was surprised how much I liked it. Then again, I was a teen in the 1970s so the punk aesthetic appealed to me - but MCR are an undeniably talented act. It was kind of cool to be enjoying my own kid's favourite music with a 37-year age gap between us :)
Beautiful story
I’m 58 and my 17 year old is the supremo emo of our entire city…this has been on heavy rotation for the last 4 years in my car! The perfect after school screamfest!
Thats how my mom was I played her Mama and she said its not something I'll seek out but if you wanna play it in the car I won't mind and for a 50 something who usually hate my rock music minus ACDC and Alice Cooper thats a huge deal
Actually, my mom introduced this music to me when i was a kid, putting on my music player for me when it came out.
damn your old
You should take a listen (if you haven't already) to MCR's "The Five of Us Are Dying" which is the demo version of Welcome to the Black Parade that was supposedly first written for their first album but not used, then revised for their second album but not used, until they finally revised it into the Welcome to the Black Parade we all know and love. "The Five of Us Are Dying" has much of the structure and sound of Black Parade, but it's quite interesting to see what they kept, what they changed, and how the topics you brought up in your video may have come through an iterative process and also may have, contrary to some comments below, been more conscious than "this sounds good (but we're not sure why)"
I've never really thought this deep into any song but hearing this breakdown made me reflect on the emotions I feel during this song and how this is something that I've known on a sub conscious level and it makes me want to learn more about some more of my favorite songs.
"...feeling blank..." wiggles pen while drawing nothing. Brilliant.
I really appreciate that you gave the name of each individual musician when you introduced their instruments, too often only the singers of bands get any credit for the music.
I love how you use the word "bright."
I've always used the word "forward" to describe that sound. Whether it's my voice or trombone, I almost feel myself leaning more physically into the sheet music. I've seen myself performing and watch my posture, facial expressions, and my movements. Music is my life.
I've tried listening to other MCR albums; none of them have grabbed me in the slightest.
However... The Black Parade is a magical album start to finish, both musically and emotionally. What a legacy to have created and left behind, even 15 years later.
Perhaps musically, the other albums aren't as intriguing, but when you research the stories behind them you can't help but be amazed. I don't want to disregard your opinion (maybe you are objectively right) but I suggest you hear 3 cheers for sweet revenge thinking of the following:
3 cheers for sweet revenge is a story about a guy that makes a deal with the devil to go back to the woman he loves that he thought died (Helena) but turned out to be alive. The devil tells him "ok bro just bring me 1000 souls" and the record is him doing that as well as showing how his pysche changes with the weight of what he's done for "love". In the end, when he's already gotten 999 souls, the devil tells him that he's the last one so he hands him a gun for him to kill himself (it's a rlly good plotwist). It's a rock operatic tragedy about how the fear of death only condemns you to it. It has different undertone to the Black Parade because of the ending I think. Although both are tragic, the black parade ends is a hopeful tone whereas 3 cheers doesn't. I think both are impactful either way and maybe you should give MCR another shot if you'd like to. 😊
i personally love danger days the most out of the albums. it’s not as complex or deep, but it’s just really fun, and i love every song on it. but i love almost all of their songs😆
@@Mariana16562 i dont like attempts to be "objective" about music. music is such a personal and unique experience to everyone that honestly, thats what matters; subjectivity
@@jwlsiee someone out there REALLY hates rock. whenever they listen to WTTBP, their eyes twitch.
does that make WTTBP objectively bad?
if thousands of people signed a paper saying they loved WTTBP, does that make it objectively good?
of course, thousands of peoples opinions matters more than one, so it would be objectively good.
but that one person can still keep their opinion its subjectively bad. subjectivity can only exist if objective opinions do.
thousands of people signing that waver saying its good doesnt make the song being good a fact. its still just a subjective opinion, its just the objectively truer one.
@@Mariana16562
"(That being said, the black parade is definitely the better album)"
czcams.com/video/qGVy1bzMOG8/video.html
Oh man, feels so good to hear someone acknowledge this album as the masterpiece it is. I see so many people write off My Chemical Romance as just "that emo band" from the 2000's that made generic emo music, and it feels like such a tragedy because The Black Parade is an amazing and timeless album. It's gonna be one that feeds future "born in the wrong generation" sentiments, mark my words.
Also love that you pointed out its clear influences from those 70's concept albums. "The End" is just oozing with "In The Flesh?"
Didn’t ask
There are very clear influences from very specific songs on this album. "Mama" to Pink Floyd's "Mother", "House of Wolves" to KISS's "Detroit Rock City", and "The Black Parade" to "Bohemian Rhapsody"
I remember reading an interview with Gerard in Blender magazine before Welcome To The Black Parade was released and he said they were taking inspiration from A Night At The Opera, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and The Wall, and even as a fan of Three Cheer For Sweet Revenge, my immediate reaction was along the lines of "Sure thing, emo kid. Trying to measure up to three of the best albums of all time is one hell of a high bar." But the first time I heard the title track, I knew that the band actually understood what made those albums timeless while still making sure the songs sounded like their own and not just ripping off the greats. As far as I'm concerned, Welcome To The Black Parade is the best album of that decade, and one of very, very few that will live on into the future
Yeah I love that emo band
Definitely some In the Flesh? there, but there's also a ton of David Bowie's Five Years. It's a beautiful amalgamation
loved this band starting with 'im not ok' and then helena and black parade kinda sealed their talent in my mind, and im a dream theater fanboy so you can trust i have absolutely no taste in music.
As a pianist who just quit because I never bothered to practice I recognize some of the music theory and I actually feel motivated to pick it up again. This song is a masterpiece and it was interesting to see every part of it broken down and see what makes it is as good as it is. I’ve always found the concept of rock opera interesting but I haven’t listened to that many songs in that genre, so my recent discovery of mcr’s songs has been a blessing that I’m gonna keep discovering
I put this video on my Watch Later list a couple weeks ago, and today I was doing some chores and decided to clean up the watch list so this popped up while I was doing dishes. I was all excited about it, I love musical analysis and then when the themes of the lyrics started to be discussed I absolutely broke down. My grandmother has died of cancer last week and I've been thinking a lot about death, untimely death, legacy and acceptance and this video just made me cry so much. It was a deeply cathartic experience and I am so glad it showed up on my queue at this moment of my life. Thanks for it.
🤗♥️🤗
It’s fascinating at how well My Chemical Romance has aged. I’ve noticed so many people online saying they are music snobs who used to hate the band and wrote them off only do re-discover their work years later as an adult.
The perspective on the band is shifting, and more people are appreciating their work. The Black Parade in general has found a major audience with 40-50 year olds due to its throwback to the 70s rock opera format.
When you really step back and look at what the band did - during that specific time in the world, they brought back the theatrics that had been missing in rock for years.
They put so much effort into every new album - and made each release feel like an “event”. From the album art/ packaging - to the makeup & costumes they wore to bring the project to life.
Gerard really took his love of comics and injected it into his music, and I don’t think enough people appreciated what they were doing at the time. They kind of got wrote off as just a Hot Topic whiny emo band - when what they were doing really stood above the rest.
So its cool to see them get recognition years later. Such a shame they broke up when they did. Maybe for the best, as they went out on a high note without ever getting awful.
What I find fascinating tho is they were working on another concept album similar to the dark themes of the black parade, but ended up scrapping almost a whole albums worth of songs and starting over on Danger Days.
I know a lot of those songs came out in those weapon EPs - but they sounded great. Kind of wish they’d go back and finish the album.
This is exactly me. In my teens when this was new it was just lumped into “emo” for me and I wasn’t into it. Now it’s basically what arena rock has turned into with relevant lyrics in hindsight. Amazing stuff.
@@mikehaynes85 yeah the whole emo thing was a big turn off for me. I couldn’t understand why you’d want to be into something so negative. And then emo was also blamed for some kids committing suicide which didn’t really help. Perhaps now it’s aged a bit it can be appreciated for what it is musically while ignoring the culture and fashion that came with it.
For me, as a kid it was more so being a judgmental fool that thought because they dressed emo, that their music didn't 'fit' my taste, or wasn't cool. Shows what I knew. This is one of my favorite songs.
@@Kieva_Storm I had the opposite issue, didn’t want to dress like what the other kids considered punk back then so wasn’t really part of the group even though we all shared the same love of music. School was a strange time🙃
To be fair, it doesn't help that the emo kids are the ones being most enthusiastic about it, and then, two seconds later, saying how amazing Avenged Sevenfold is as well.
It still invokes such an emotional response when having a solid listen through. Could make you shed a tear
I fell in love with MCR the first time I heard this song. I love Queen and immediately felt the same while listening. I enjoy rock opera/highly detailed story telling. Favorite album of all time for me is The Wall by Pink Floyd. Just sitting down, listening to the album paint me a story is awesome to me. If I can sit and listen to every song on that album and visualize the story, I appreciate it 10x more. Welcome to the black parade does that for me and I love Gerard. 🖤
I hesitate to call this album emo. The Black Parade, for me, transcends their earlier post-hardcore work by *many* orders of magnitude. Way bigger in scope.
I think the genre switches from song to song, but widely "modern punk". It has the speed and angry lyricals that the punk movement of the 70s and 80s did, but it doesn't have the political undertones that, say, Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch did (not saying FFDP is punk, they're most definitely not, but mainly about the meaning of the song in general). More modern in take, and not the same activist meaning (at least, not in this song. MCR DOES have political songs but they aren't very relevant to the Black Parade).
I think it was called emo because of the image of the music videos and art.
Well, of course it can transcend from it, it just a song that had a huge impact for the emo community, adopted then as a kind of anthem. That said, it doesn't mean it's limited to only that, like it was taken away or something.
as someone who lived through the emergence of emo as a cultural movement i can tell you this song is not only emo but helped define and shape the genre itself.
@@captocie the funny part is gerard way despises getting called emo and hated the movement lmao
cw: death
i went to a funeral of a dear friend of mine last month and this was their choice of opening music as we walked into the chapel. when i was walking in, i had the thought "this is too on the nose and i will never be able to listen to this song again". as i have been thinking about the song and reflecting on the day and processing. and i think i am ready to listen to it again
thank you for helping me find new appreciation for it. i will be seeing MCR next year. they were meant to come with me and i will be decked out in all the emo clothes of my past for them.
didnt ask rip to you’re friend
@@yousefsofyan762 what
I'm so sorry for your loss :(
@@luphoria ever
@@yousefsofyan762 This is the funniest shit I’ve seen in a long time. The fact that someone would decide to bust out the ‘didn’t ask’ meme to be a dick but then stop and think ‘no that’s a bit too harsh his friend just died, better throw in a RIP’ is hilarious to me.
I really loved and appreciated this album by MCR ever since I first heard it. For some reason, I get the 'story' behind the music in each song, and the album in general even back then, or maybe it just resonated in me so much.
What's surprising is that everytime I revisit this masterpiece of an album, each song brings a lot more meaning to me than what I had before.
While Welcome to the Black Parade retains its strong meaning still, I always tend to discover more in the other songs within the album. This was clearly evident for me when I revisited Disenchanted and Cancer.
Up to now, listening to this album remind me how it saved my life, and gave it a new meaning, despite the melancholy behind its storytelling.
I love this song so much and this analysis is so cool to break down things I didn't even think of.
We played Welcome to the Black Parade my senior year of college marching band and I can confirm the fast tempo is MUCH faster than double time!
It was such a fun song to perform but marching and playing at 200 bpm is.... rough...
I've been playing instruments for 20 years and my relative pitch is pretty good but the only note I can hum off the top of my head is a G and it is because of this song
Hell it's better than getting stuck with an F# from the End of Evangelion, Komm Susser Tod
@@seventoejoe3307 LMAO relatable
I always thought of WTTBP not necessarily as a literal memory, more of a metaphor about the transition from life to death in a celebratory, yet apprehensive way. The contrast of the descending bassline with the ascending lead makes it sound anthemic and hopeful. I like to think of it as an optimistic train of thought from the patient, but with a certain feeling of uncertainty about what might happen next. He think's he's ready to complete that transition, but he's not entirely sure. Because of this, the patient is stuck in this mental limbo of wanting to leave this life behind and not wanting his current life to end. I think anyone who has ever had suicidal thoughts or doubts can relate heavily to this, which is why it's become such an anthem in the emo community. Altogether, the song is about embracing change, and the movements in the song reflect that heavily.
Not really, I don't think so. I find this song relatable because I see this as a song about mourning lost opportunities and things you never got around to do and now will never be able to do anymore. I think that this is tacking the part of confronting death where you mourn all the unrealized plans, all your regrets, and things you never got around to do. You know. And there's also an element of betraying a promise and having a drama with his father (although the father's dead so he can't hear or respond) where the father wanted the son to achieve big things and "save the world" but the son never got around to doing so and is dramaticizing about that on his deathbed.
5 minutes into the video i realized how extremely helpful it is for me that you make the drawings as you explain what you're saying. i know it's mushy - but i almost cried realizing that. i always doodle on my notes and i seldom understand what's going on if i dont have a visual aid. i know you're just doing your thing, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for doing your thing and thank you for doing it the way you do. i hope that this is what you love and i'm happy that - i say this next thing, because i also create content - that you didn't give up on creating when it got hard. thank you.
Honestly, out of all the songs that I ever listened to in my entire life, there are only two that made me feel _that_ way, this song that the video talks about and 'Rolling Girl' by Wowaka. I also have a difficulty describing this feeling just like you had, it's like a hysterical sadness I guess, where the sadness just takes over you and makes you go crazy and puts all your thoughts and feelings in a muddle. The hysteria factor is more present than the sadness factor, actually. (And it's also a weird coincidence that both of these songs have black & white music videos).
I don't know why but some people weren't saddened by Rolling Girl at all, until they saw the translation of the lyrics (it's in Japanese) they legit thought that the song was just about some girl roller skating innocently (while in reality it's about depression and suicide) and I even saw some people use the song for some innocent memes about random videogame chacacters rolling down a hil for no reason. And I have no idea how anyone could possibly feel this way about this song, I don't speak Japanese nor do I know the translation and yet I always break into useless crying pieces after like 3 seconds and beg myself to turn it off. I have no idea how someone could feel neutral or even happy from listening to this song because it just sounds so impossible to me. It's sung by a robot and yet I can still somehow sense the desperation, helplessness and innocence in her voice despite the fact that it's not even a real human voice.
same i never understood how nobody else couldnt hear the desperation and agony of that song, even before i thought to read the lyrics i would listen on repeat and be like damn this random robot girl gets it
As we are on the topic of middle school sadness, I would like to request "Leaves From the Vine" from Avatar the Last Airbender.
That episode still makes me cry :(
Those single notes on the piano makes me see the patient sitting in front of a piano he can't really play, just hitting some keys, thinking back to better days.
I always thought the parade was in reference to the dance macabre, particularly the 'black parade' name in and of its self. Or similar in imagery to. Also funeral processions. So much around death has historically been tied to procession and fanfare. I never even considered the legacy aspect. But it's obvious hearing it. More layers.
I really appreciate your breakdowns of songs, not just the chords and structure but the meaning and the feels and context. They're dense and thorough and tell a good story. And thanks for this one in particular.
Musical theorists: this.
Gerard: Actually, it barely scratches the surface.
The story and themes in The Black Parade seem so obvious but, having it explained with some serious attention to detail have never sounded more accurate than here. Great job. Thanks!
this has been popping up in my recommended for a few days now, glad i clicked it.
great video!
This was such an amazing, insightful and beautiful breakdown on one of my favorite albums/songs of all time. I cant even hear it without breaking down and crying over losing my mom... and this made it feel so much more appropriate. Thankyou.
The fact that the story isn’t just in the lyrics or the album but the insterments themselves and how they play together is frickin amazing!
And the fact we are still talking about this amazing band is proof how good they are
1) I love me some rock opera. Tommy was the first album I ever bought with my own money.
2) I thoroughly enjoy the word play you do with your drawings. The cow for "interrupt". The crab for "terminal illness". I am tone deaf as a door post, so the vast majority of the music theory flies a mile above my head, but I love your style of storytelling.
I didn't know I needed this. I love everything about how you did this. Will be bingeing more.
I'm so glad you made this, one of the best albums to date out there and I always talk about how beautifully poetic it's written. I'm such a nerd for this album and it deserves more love so thanks :)
this video really confirmed my belief that gerard way is fantastic at taking something (eg, a comic, show or song) and shifting to to the left. everything they put their hands on gets a little broken and i love their work for it. it’s all just slightly off, almost wrong but not quite
Don't know if anyone pointed this out but Frank and Ray actually switch off doing lead parts for songs. The lead guitar melodies on the chorus, the verses, and the bridge are actually Frank's creation while the lead parts in the intro and the breakdown are Ray's doing. It's something they do a lot and I guess as a fanboy I always feel the need to correct people when they make this mistake.
I always had trouble understanding what made Frank a rhythm guitarist and Ray a lead guitarist when both of them play about equal amounts of both rhythm and lead
Yea, some bands definitely have co-guitarists, more than lead and rhythm
@@toastedphantom3007 i guess it depends on their strengths?
@@toastedphantom3007 Ray is 1000% a way more skilled and reliable lead player, and his influences are more shred-focused than Franks
I started crying after the second half of the video. So much emotions were put into this piece, so much passion and feelings. Thank you for the analysis, it's simply amazing. Would enjoy to see something like this on the first album, which is also conceptual and has its own story.
I'm speechless. This made me so emotional. I'll check your channel throughly because, wow
It's nice to see that MCR is still relevant. They're carrying on.
thanks for reminding me why i failed music theory twice in high school. lasted maybe 5 minutes before my brain just became tv static. 10 minutes in and my brain was reduced to nothing but a dvd screensaver bouncing around my empty skull, making a squeaky toy sound every time it bounces off the dry and cracked bones. i finished the video and stared blankly at the wall, nothing in my head but the faint sound of an air raid siren coming from nowhere in particular, yet coming from everywhere at the same time. i try to comprehend how it is even possible to have this much attention to detail when writing a song and how surely it must just be a coincidence but it is far too perfect and i can not understand how someone can sit down and write a song while also purposely adding so much music theory. the concept is too much for me to handle and i simply vaporize out of existence, the only thing left of me is the clothes i was wearing, ominously laid in the bed in the same position i was in when the video ended. all evidence of my existence is simply erased from reality
music theory really got to u huh
@@dunkie5863 gets to me too homie, this shit is real
yeah maybe i WONT take ap music theory
@@sp0ngeb00b7 music theory was the greatest horror known to my high school concert band brain
well you might've flunked music theory but it sure seems like you've got quite some literary talent eh
Imagine how it must feel to the musician to see a video like this. Dissecting every facet of their song and explaining how perfectly it goes together and why it’s a staple of a generation. They must feel true appreciation.
I have loved ‘The Black Parade’ for years now, even if I wasn’t the most die hard MCR fan. It was very cool to see a practical breakdown of what this song actually entails and the simple magic behind it.
Also, nice triforce 👍
How can you have high understanding of music, while being good at drawing, AND AN ACTUAL GOOD NARRATING SKILL + VOICE, AND ALSO A GOOD SENSE OF COMEDY. You're so talented man, keep up the good work \m/
Interesting to hear echoes of Canon in D and Bolero in this that I hadn't heard before. Good breakdown.
Oh yeah. I can see, now, why Gerard Way would go on to write a comic book series about a robot who used to be a race car driver, a cat man, and a sentient street, whose through line between these disparate characters is _existential dread._
What comic is this?
Thank you for explaining that major notes aren’t happy but bright. The snow analogy really helped me contextualize the concept and I feel more complete in my musical understanding having listened to your video. I’m a huge fan of music and singing and I’ve tried taking classes on it but it all just felt like it was above my pay grade even the beginners courses. It’s like being thrown in to Spanish three where everyone else understands the vocabulary and basic grammar but I didn’t know it and even when simply explained it felt like an incomplete thought because of how unsatisfying the explanations were. Thank you for communicating this in a way I can conceptualize and understand. I very much appreciate you thank you so much! I will be going through and watching all of your videos ❤
7:30 When we hear the intro played on the banjo, I mentally end it with falling into a full bluegrass shred, matching the 75 to 200 bpm shift mentioned later on.
I am kind of bummed that my immediate search for “black parade bluegrass” turned up no hits. I kind of want to experience that now.
I immediately heard Dueling Banjos.
I’m glad you mentioned the Brain May influence; it always stood out really strongly to me, but I’ve rarely heard anyone else talk about it
Queen was definitely one of the biggest influences for this album, let alone for the band itself and the fact that Brian May played this song with them is still so freaking awesome to me.
@@michaeltrevino8234 fr Gerard way and Brian may are literally both my favourite people
this is an amazing video. you captured everything so beautifully and thoughtfully. just absolutely amazingly perfect
This gave me a whole new level of appreciation for one of my favourite songs, thank you so much!
I just want to express my enjoyment with the drawings, and how they relate to the content. That “intense” = a tent, “layers” = a shrek S, “gap” = a London metro/underground symbol, etc… Keeps everything entertaining, as well as interesting. And these videos ALWAYS do that. Superb.
That solo that transitions into what slowly becomes the final chorus will never ever fail to make me tug at my heart strings and shed a tear.
Thank you for appreciating and spreading such a good band. The Black Parade is such an amazing album in every way, and it doesn’t get enough recognition from rock and metal fans. Give it a listen, I know the association with emo can make you skeptical, but it’s not really emo. You’ll certainly find something you like, and something that’ll make you wanna keep listening, no matter what you like.
Absolutely amazingly easily-consumable breakdown! Loved it!
it's really rare for a video to keep my attention for more than 3 minutes honestly, but this was so well written and the little doodles instead of a talking head actually helped me focus on what you were saying a lot more, like subtitles but hieroglyphics for people with ADHD lmfao.
either way, awesome breakdown. i could never put into words how much i loved the production of this song but now you've helped me gather my thoughts in a coherent way. thank you!!
Well now I gotta go listen to the full album with my woken up ears and break my lil emo heart all over again. And I couldn't be happier!
Probably my favorite song of all time being broken down by one of my favorite channels. 🖤🖤🖤
This is my first time watching your videos, and I'm still only 8 minutes in but I'm really enjoying it! Thank you for the work that goes into this!
I'm taking music theory this semester and it's insane how much better I can understand your videos
It's about time MCR gets the recognition and accolades that it deserves.
They have literally always gotten all of the recognition and accolades they deserve. The only people who don’t like them are older people and camo-shorts-and-pantera-shirt-wearing metalhead chads.
MCR is one of the most acclaimed alternative bands of the decade. They literally defined the mid to late 2000s' emo movement.
16:33 - "When else am I gonna get to talk about this in a rock song?"
Actually, with MCR, A LOT! They use it in "Demolition Lovers," a song in C minor that has the main riff end on strumming G and C to G and B natural (the major V). Same thing in "It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a F**king Deathwish," which is in C# minor with the same idea raised up a half step.
oh my god it's been a while since i've been this excited to binge someone's videos
this was so good i’m going back and relistening to the whole album with a better understanding of each of trh songs and especially this one! thank you!!!