I'm pretty sure Vampire Money is at least in part a reference to an old interview MCR did where they were asked "What are the most common hate comments you get" or something like that and they responded "People think we're vampires, that and they think we're rich. So people think we're rich vampires."
Actually, it was written because Stephanie Meyer begged mcr to have a track on the upcoming twilight sequel. Mcr was a major inspiration to twilight and allegedly gerard was a major inspiration for edward. They refused to do a song for the movie and wrote vampire money kind of in protest. If you look at the lyrics there are several references to twilight
A couple things I disagree with/ think I can add context to: It’s not a love interest. It’s the child he’s recruited at the beginning. (She’s the child in the NaNaNa and Sing music videos) Party Poison believes she is the future of the revolution. He believes she is the being of legend who will revive the god of destruction, destroya. The comic book sequel to this album sees this come to fruition. I also think this makes the narrative more cohesive, as the character he keeps addressing now has an actual face, and keeps her present the entire story. Aside from this, I agree mostly with your interpretation!
As someone above stated, your albums always have multiple meanings. I really like yours and I want to learn more about it. But I like this one too. It seems to go with the explanation of Corporation Progress included in website designed to be posted on the internet when the album was released.
tbh I didn't think of that, although the main thing I disagreed with was his interpretation of destroya, since in the comics he was seen by the free world as a savior that would be awoken, I always have seen the song as I guess you could call it a plead for help smth that could be read as, "Destroya, we know we're the enemy, we let our oppressors screw us over like this, we allowed the problem to happen, but we're here, praying for you, and looking for when you awaken to help us solve this problem since our followers have lose faith in us"
@@spiritsunssystem194 i don't remember what was said in the vid at all, tbh. i have a much more solid interpretation of the album now. Destroya is a rallying-cry from the killjoys. a religious song. "the little children raise their open filthy palms to the sky like tiny daggers up to heaven" and sing destroyah.
gerard way as a storyteller is so underrated. hes able to create such interesting stories in the mcr albums but also have the songs be super powerful by themselves. thats not mention his amazing talent for writing comics with super creative stories.
Is it just me or does it seem that mcr are on the rise again? I'm so glad they're getting the recognition they deserve their albums tell such great stories
Much as it pains me to admit, I think it's because they're now old enough to be considered "classic." Not in the same was as like The Eagles or owt, but mid 00s pok punk/emo is definitely being fetishised lately. I'm hearing a lot more Taking Back Sunday than I used to, and that's a good thing.
i know that, for me, it’s because i’ve matured as a listener (though i’m still very young lol). when i first listened to mcr, i listened to it for the style of music and because it was fun to listen to. however, i rediscovered my love for their music due to their artistry and writing.
I personally like to believe that vampire money is a new group of rebels who replace the killjoys unknowingly walking into the same fate of the killjoys
That was a great breakdown and you're the first person I've heard who agreed with me about The Black Parade singles. However, I do love Vampire Money just coming in at the end like, "You thought we were done???1234". I always look forward to rocking out to it after the journey is over.
It's a good track, but it doesn't fit at all with the rest of the record. And, I know, imagine if they'd released This Is How I Disappear or Mama as a single, I'd have been into the band way earlier.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 mama was gonna be a single and there was a unreleased music video directed by gerard way it was supposed to be released on November 12 2007 but it got cancelled for unknown reasons
I remember enjoying Danger Days way more than Black Parade and quite honestly, all their discography has aged well. At least Gerard and the rest of those guys stay genuine, unlike a lot of their peers that came up with them (looking at you Fall Out Boy and Panic!).
@@crimson6047 I mean, everything from their post-hiatus career has been made for radio play. Solid pop songs sure, but definitely not genuine art imo. I’m not saying they should stay pop punk forever, but Patrick’s voice is going to waste with the trash they put out. They legit could’ve been the next Queen or something.
Dude Pretty Odd was one of the most artistic albums ive ever heard. They super pushed the envelope and challenged a different genre of music with every song
As an OG fan who's seen them live 8 times (9, if the fall North America tour happens this fall), was a webmaster at one of the premier fan sites at the height of their initial rise to fame, I think it stands to say that the reason Danger Days wasn't as well received as Parade was back in 2010 is because it was ahead of its time. As the years have gone on, WE, the public, have caught up to what the guys in MCR were trying to do with the record. It really did go in directions that would become more mainstream in the years to follow.
@@josephnormyle28 I honestly don't get any vibes of Danger Days from Scaled and Icy to be honest, and really don't think that was the vibe they were going for, nor were they trying to "imitate" My Chem
I'd like to recommend both comics from this narrative one is the true lives of the fabulous killjoys follows the videoclips for nanana and sing but also explains who specifically is he talking to, who are the villians, who is destroya (which has an interesting religious concept) and more but also is a continuation on this album story. And then the newest the true life of the fabulous killjoys national anthem that is the original story written for this characters even before the album was finished, is more mature and recently has been edited and released. I particularly think is one of the best things Gerard has written
@@sschofield115 there's no need. Like you can tell some similarities from some characters but both are completely different stories that aren't related so you can read whatever you like first. That being said if you read the first one California watch first the nanana video followed by the director's cut version of sing(that version has a few more interesting details that for me changed the meaning from the og sing video).
I’ve seen lots of stuff like this for Black Parade, but I’ve never seen a Danger Days concept analysis like this. It was really interesting. Also I think it’s funny that both Blood for TBP and Vampire Money for this we’re not part of the story, but just thrown in at the end for fun
I thought Teenagers was the one thrown in for fun? Gerard said he liked the song but felt it didn’t fit the albums theme but the record label insisted they keep it or Gerard just thought it was too catchy to not put on. Can’t remember the whole story.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 how are you gonna heart react a comment saying there's more than one story to a song, and then justify excluding 2 songs because they don't fit a narrative?
I can’t recommend the comics this album inspired enough! Spoilers ahead of you haven’t already read them. The video mentions that the album doesn’t have a happy ending, and while that’s true here, it isn’t for the killjoy’s story overall. Eventually, both The Girl and Destroya, symbols of hope for those oppressed by BL/ind, rise up and tear apart Battery City. In both cases, it is a single, seemingly meaningless act that ignites change. The Killjoys sacrifice themselves, and Korse lets Red and Blue go. As a result, younger generations spit on the memory of the ‘failed’ Killjoys and Korse’s boyfriend is executed. Even though these outcomes seem like failures, they still change the ending. When Destroya tears down the city’s walls and the Girl frees the souls from the battery, they’re only able to do so because someone in the past chose to fight, even if that fight was futile. That’s the true message of the Fabulous Killjoys. To keep fighting for a better world, even if it seems futile. They saw what tomorrow would bring, so they gave themselves up so that the Girl could be what tomorrow needed.
The Black Parade and Danger Days are both concept albums but I think Black Parade’s tracks stand alone better than Danger Days. That’s being so though Danger Days’ tracks are much more fun and the narrative is a bit more clear. I’m not sure which narrative I like better but I know I love them both. Also I think the correct order of The Black Parade is the one Wendigoon put together.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve appreciated danger days more and more. It has become my go to album for them as much as I love their 3 previous albums to this.
I never realized how absolutely tragic and sad danger Days is as an album and a story it is so freaking sad it almost makes me sad to realize that's the story behind it but it's a beautiful story nonetheless and the way that they created it was absolutely incredible.
Great analysis, you gave me a different perspective on the album! The way I see vampire money fitting with everything is like the song that plays when the credits roll. I imagine it to be a representation of a casual day for the killjoys just playing on a garage somewhere in the desert (you know, before they died lol). Also, the fact that it's a punk song makes it even more fitting because of their whole philosophy and lifestyle.
i mostly agree with this, though its not a love interest. its a little girl (just called The Girl) who party poison and the rest of the Fab Four find and recruit. party thinks that shes going to revive the god of destruction, Destroya, which is seen through in the comic series by gerard way
I miss this kind of music, the story telling is immaculate killjoy era was one of my favorites, there’s a few bands now days that somewhat live up to what mcr did
Insightful video, I appreciated much of your interpretation. In regards to Vampire Money, I think the track offers a glimmer of hope, as even though the Fabulous Four are dead, the Girl (aka 'the bomb') is able to keep running, and her story carries on in the comic series.
@@sophia_2404 no, it's a seperate comic series. It follows the Girl and takes place a few years after the music videos. The whole series is on youtube if you want to read it for free czcams.com/play/PLufqM0OTsK9NYpqD4wptBXZ9M-GYz_aJ0.html
That was great! I'm so glad people are realizing (though I know this video is from Dec 2020) that MCR were truly some of the best when it came to concept albums in the modern era of music.
"If you were expecting a happy ending you're listening to the wrong band." Lol! You're very good at this. I wonder if you've examined the two videos for the album? Every single topic/line is represented in Sing and NA NA. I bet you could put together an awesome piece for viewers to delve into. This is my official/non-official request for that content creation. Thanx! In advance!
@@roystoncharmaine1537 With their return I'm sure of it. The one thing about MCR is that they never remain stagnant. I would be shocked if they just rested on their laurels.
holy shit this is an amazing video. i’ve always been looking for videos analyzing danger days but i’ve never been able to find a good one. danger days is probably my favorite album of all time for so many reasons and i wish it got more recognition.
this was a super cool video. i always like the aesthetics of danger days the most. i was 11 when it came out and several family members bought me it for christmas and i remember writing my own stories set in the same world. threw them away out of cringe when i was like 16 but it'd be cool to compare my version to the comics now. there's really just something infinitely cool about the rebels fighting against oppression in a post apocolyptic wasteland with their own songs playing on the radio as they shoot laser guns at bad guys out of their car window
21:35 Nah vampire money goes hard as fuck. Also I used to see it as a diss of the old rock star life style of partying hard and being a douche bag because you got rich.
What’s amazing about this album is the aggressive tone of the songs that in no way possible explains the way I FEEL when listen to it. I can’t explain it either way as a 44 year old this was in no way my generation of music but this band, and this album hits it for me, again, whatever it is.
I don't think age matters, really. You can connect to anything. One of the videos on my channel is from '77 and I'm not 30 yet. Just laps of the sun, my man.
I worked with a guy that was in his 50’s and loved The Black Parade album and I’ll never forget he said “albums like that don’t come around often”. He’s been around long enough to know when a band is genuine and the art matters.
Hey man, this was excellently done. My brain works in a similar way in finding the narrative from concepts like this, and I appreciate the work you did to create and present this!
fun fact all 4 mcr albums are concepts albums "I gave you my love you gave me your bullets" is about two lovers who go on a murder spree who end up getting shot down "three cheers for sweet revenge" is a continuation of the story where the male lover signs a deal with the devil to kill a thousand evil souls so his lover can be resurrected and he ends up having to kill himself as the 1000th soul which leads to his resurected lover to commit a romeo and juliet and well everone knows black parade and you should know the story of danger days cause of this video
That's literally how I feel about Danger Days. There are some tracks on their other albums that I adore but no album is as beloved from start to end for me as Danger Days. It truly is something else, and I think you've hit it on the head better than anyone else I've heard
This is a very well put together video, I love how you picked all the important lines to point out to people. I always thought this record was underrated, and while I disagree with you on the Black Parade I totally get where you're coming from. Thanks for the cool vid dude :)
while i see the point you've made here, and I respect the perspective you have, you simply cannot talk about this album without talking about the comics. taking those into account changes the story drastically from a bleak, depressing ending to one more accurate to how rebellions and uprisings usually go. in the comics, the killjoys *do* die, but their deaths inspire massive change. they still have an impact and their legacy creates a chain of events that would presumably lead to a posthumous victory against their oppressors.
I'm reading The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys for a pop culture rhetorical analysis class. This was fantastic. Thank you so much for making this and putting it up online. I feel like I have such a better understanding of what's going on now.
AmAzing video bro I used to always get shit for saying Danger Days is a masterpiece. Although we do think differently bc to me the black parade is a better concept album and one of the bests ever if not the best. But Danger days is so good and smart I’m happy I found this video! It’s sad they had to break up imagine the albums they would have given us..
Black Parade is too spotty for me. Mama, Sleep, This is How I Disappear are probably their three best tracks ever, but the album is weighed down by Welcome to the Black Parade, I Don't Love You, Teenagers, Disenchanted... too many weak tracks for it to be a great album front to back. There might be more albums yet... never say never!
@cheapskatepanic is that what makes Danger Days better than Black Parade? I think the most mature thing about Danger Days is how it addresses how having children makes you see rebellion and dying young differently - yet this analysis kind of missed that point entirely.
you earned an instant sub, i really loved this. if you enjoyed the album/ the story i recommend the killjoys comics- they’re incredible and show the life of the girl after the demise of the killjoys. i think they give somewhat of a deeper insight into the world around the album.
This is my favourite album ever with some of my favourite songs. Like in general. From the concept to the music to the cover art. There rarely ever is an album I can listen to without skipping around but this one is not only a no-skip but I genuinely enjoy every single track on it. edit: autocorrect didn't like me today
I stumbled upon your video accidentally and thank goodness I did. I love how the concept of the album is all throughout cohesive yet at the same time, you can still pick them on their own and have a different interpretation. As a fan of MCR, I would say that this is a pretty solid and thorough analysis of the album. Can I request, if it's not too much, can you do the Conventional Weapons as well? I think it's an underrated album of theirs.
Coheed were one of the bands that inspired the series, but then I balked at the thought of trying to untangle that multi-album story, with the comics and stuff on top. Legit almost had an anxiety attack over it. If this becomes my day job, I could probably do it. Whilst it's an evening and weekend hobby, it's too big of a project, I'm afraid.
It was a pleasure to listen to the analysis made of the DD story. Not only because of the analysis of the album concept itself, but also of the way you approach each song on a visual and narrative level. Thank you very much for the video. 🥺
Thanks for making this - I'm new to mcr and while I enjoyed Danger Days, I felt pretty lost with the concept. I'm looking forward to listening to it again with this in mind
The key to a good concept album is to rely more on theme than a direct narrative. Simple plots hinted at by dramatic and nuanced themes and characters.
I always interpret as what a parent would say to their kid during a nuclear attack. kinda like reassuring them even though things aren't okay. not sure how it works with the concept necessarily. maybe the killjoys to the kid? idk
It definitely helped me like the album more. Just investigating interviews about the concept of this album helped really. I’m over a decade late but I was a big fan of their in 2004-2007 then I sort of forgot about them for a long while (not liking Danger Days when is came out and hearing about them disbanding). Conventional Weapons was a fun surprise to return to this year :-)
my man did not just say TBP had the four weakest singles...bro idk that has to be the wildest opinion i've heard about MCR lmao. good vid tho, DD deserves more praise. Feel like people shit on unfairly for a lot of reasons, I do think it's by far their weakest record but it's also the most ambitious and the spots that shine really stand out. "Nananana" deserves to be played everywhere, just a bad ass pop rock song
The singles are the weakest songs on the record, it's true. Sleep, Mama, Disappear, Sharpest Lives, Dead, The End, all far better than any of the singles. I did a video on it if you want my breakdown 🙂
@@roystoncharmaine1537 I watched the other vid, and I will admit that I love the album a lot so it's hard for me to point at any song and say it's weak, but I just don't agree. I think these four songs were the strongest to show off in single form.
@@roystoncharmaine1537These singles they chose just work better though. Think how universal teenagers and welcome to the black parade are. They’re easier to digest for the public, more viral and hitting the charts higher
Vampire Money hasn’t aged well? WDYM? It aged extremely well and was a really good commentary on how everyone acted about the Twilight saga. I also feel like it translates well to the YA dystopian fantasy trend that came about after the Hunger Games. Really any massive cash grab trend in media.
finally, ive been waiting for this album to get the appreciation it deserved! i think the only way that my own analysis differed was that i never actually assigned this love interest a gender.
I first loved this song in the context of it being about his wife, which it is, so that likely influenced my interpretation in the context of the concept album.
I’m exactly like you in the way that “save yourself” was my favourite but now I’m older “summertime” is. Great video dude, you really did the album justice! 🤘
Thank you very much. As a russian (not native english speaker) it was a really helpful video to suss this record and story. I'd love to see similar video on concept of three cheers of 21cb by green day if you would make any. Thanks again
On reflection, I think I am wrong. For these videos, I try to ignore what's been written by other people, even by the band, and write my first draft as I listen song by song. I actually loop each song until I'm done writing. Between that and then editing the video, I get pretty sick of albums I cover by the time the video is live 😄
1:47 first two? Excuse me, but what about I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love? That's their first album, not Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.
Really great video- i cant find enough stuff on this excellt album & cocept. I think you shuld listen to DARE IS A DARKSIDE by redman. I think you enjoy it.
1:41 I really think only 2 of them are weak. WTTBP and Famous Last Words are great songs, teenagers is meh and I don’t love you is pretty decent but I can understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea.
Gerard Way saying Vampire Money was the 2nd song on the record (it's actually live) and it was added to be the end credits of "a movie" the album. czcams.com/users/shortshKQpEYXGtQ0
i always felt like this was a story album about a punk rock kid and his girlfriend just wanting to be free in the nuclear post-apocalypse, trapped in one of the last cities under a totalitarian regime. i also always thought that the doctor was lying about jet star and cobra kid dying, bc thats what "the company" told them instead of telling them they escaped. the phrase "your shadow lives on without you" is a reference to the shadows left behind in japan after the nukes were dropped
Out now, Exploring the Concept - The Black Parade: czcams.com/video/1DppaIi6a_A/video.html
What I love about MCR is that there are always two meanings to a song. One stating where they are in life, and one in the context of the album.
I KNOW RIGHT!!! Sleep and Famous Last Words are two really interesting ones to look at that way
@@itsthemaggieshow EVEN HELENA
@@Joshistired also vampire money
@@Joshistired especially Helena
I'm pretty sure Vampire Money is at least in part a reference to an old interview MCR did where they were asked "What are the most common hate comments you get" or something like that and they responded "People think we're vampires, that and they think we're rich. So people think we're rich vampires."
No, it's about their peers selling their songs to be used in the Twilight movies. They were offered and created the song as an FU
@@sschofield115 I know I just r like the interpretation I came up with too
Actually, it was written because Stephanie Meyer begged mcr to have a track on the upcoming twilight sequel. Mcr was a major inspiration to twilight and allegedly gerard was a major inspiration for edward. They refused to do a song for the movie and wrote vampire money kind of in protest. If you look at the lyrics there are several references to twilight
A couple things I disagree with/ think I can add context to:
It’s not a love interest. It’s the child he’s recruited at the beginning. (She’s the child in the NaNaNa and Sing music videos)
Party Poison believes she is the future of the revolution. He believes she is the being of legend who will revive the god of destruction, destroya. The comic book sequel to this album sees this come to fruition.
I also think this makes the narrative more cohesive, as the character he keeps addressing now has an actual face, and keeps her present the entire story.
Aside from this, I agree mostly with your interpretation!
As someone above stated, your albums always have multiple meanings. I really like yours and I want to learn more about it. But I like this one too. It seems to go with the explanation of Corporation Progress included in website designed to be posted on the internet when the album was released.
tbh I didn't think of that, although the main thing I disagreed with was his interpretation of destroya, since in the comics he was seen by the free world as a savior that would be awoken, I always have seen the song as I guess you could call it a plead for help smth that could be read as, "Destroya, we know we're the enemy, we let our oppressors screw us over like this, we allowed the problem to happen, but we're here, praying for you, and looking for when you awaken to help us solve this problem since our followers have lose faith in us"
@@spiritsunssystem194 i don't remember what was said in the vid at all, tbh. i have a much more solid interpretation of the album now. Destroya is a rallying-cry from the killjoys. a religious song. "the little children raise their open filthy palms to the sky like tiny daggers up to heaven" and sing destroyah.
gerard way as a storyteller is so underrated. hes able to create such interesting stories in the mcr albums but also have the songs be super powerful by themselves. thats not mention his amazing talent for writing comics with super creative stories.
I agree! Especially with Three Cheers, I loved the songs so much, but after I learnt the story to it, it got 100x better.
@@KyleCanSuckMyBalls yeah same, i love the story of three cheers, so interesting and unique.
Is it just me or does it seem that mcr are on the rise again? I'm so glad they're getting the recognition they deserve their albums tell such great stories
Much as it pains me to admit, I think it's because they're now old enough to be considered "classic." Not in the same was as like The Eagles or owt, but mid 00s pok punk/emo is definitely being fetishised lately. I'm hearing a lot more Taking Back Sunday than I used to, and that's a good thing.
i know that, for me, it’s because i’ve matured as a listener (though i’m still very young lol). when i first listened to mcr, i listened to it for the style of music and because it was fun to listen to. however, i rediscovered my love for their music due to their artistry and writing.
The older I get, the more I relate to Sleep.
Again? To their fans, they never left.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 same
I personally like to believe that vampire money is a new group of rebels who replace the killjoys unknowingly walking into the same fate of the killjoys
That's kind of what happens in the comics, the Ultra Vs led by Val Velocity attempt to replace the Fabulous Killjoys, kind of
That was a great breakdown and you're the first person I've heard who agreed with me about The Black Parade singles. However, I do love Vampire Money just coming in at the end like, "You thought we were done???1234". I always look forward to rocking out to it after the journey is over.
It's a good track, but it doesn't fit at all with the rest of the record. And, I know, imagine if they'd released This Is How I Disappear or Mama as a single, I'd have been into the band way earlier.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 mama was gonna be a single and there was a unreleased music video directed by gerard way it was supposed to be released on November 12 2007 but it got cancelled for unknown reasons
I remember enjoying Danger Days way more than Black Parade and quite honestly, all their discography has aged well. At least Gerard and the rest of those guys stay genuine, unlike a lot of their peers that came up with them (looking at you Fall Out Boy and Panic!).
Genuinely curious, what's wrong with Fall Out Boy? I have heard a Lot about Panic! downgrading but I didn't know FOB went down the same route.
@@crimson6047 I mean, everything from their post-hiatus career has been made for radio play. Solid pop songs sure, but definitely not genuine art imo. I’m not saying they should stay pop punk forever, but Patrick’s voice is going to waste with the trash they put out. They legit could’ve been the next Queen or something.
Dude Pretty Odd was one of the most artistic albums ive ever heard. They super pushed the envelope and challenged a different genre of music with every song
@@TheGibbie Pretty Odd was solid but The Beatles already did what Pretty Odd did.
Oh fuck u fob and panic are always amazing
As an OG fan who's seen them live 8 times (9, if the fall North America tour happens this fall), was a webmaster at one of the premier fan sites at the height of their initial rise to fame, I think it stands to say that the reason Danger Days wasn't as well received as Parade was back in 2010 is because it was ahead of its time. As the years have gone on, WE, the public, have caught up to what the guys in MCR were trying to do with the record. It really did go in directions that would become more mainstream in the years to follow.
twenty one pilots also tried (badly) to imitate the danger days aesthetic and idea with Scaled and Icy
It also showed a very large change in style and sound
@@josephnormyle28 I honestly don't get any vibes of Danger Days from Scaled and Icy to be honest, and really don't think that was the vibe they were going for, nor were they trying to "imitate" My Chem
“If you expected a happy ending, you’re listening to the wrong band”
I'd like to recommend both comics from this narrative one is the true lives of the fabulous killjoys follows the videoclips for nanana and sing but also explains who specifically is he talking to, who are the villians, who is destroya (which has an interesting religious concept) and more but also is a continuation on this album story. And then the newest the true life of the fabulous killjoys national anthem that is the original story written for this characters even before the album was finished, is more mature and recently has been edited and released. I particularly think is one of the best things Gerard has written
National Anthem is great. I haven’t read the original killjoys comics yet though. Do you know where I can get them?
Do you recommend reading them in release or chronological order?
@@sschofield115 there's no need. Like you can tell some similarities from some characters but both are completely different stories that aren't related so you can read whatever you like first. That being said if you read the first one California watch first the nanana video followed by the director's cut version of sing(that version has a few more interesting details that for me changed the meaning from the og sing video).
I’ve seen lots of stuff like this for Black Parade, but I’ve never seen a Danger Days concept analysis like this. It was really interesting. Also I think it’s funny that both Blood for TBP and Vampire Money for this we’re not part of the story, but just thrown in at the end for fun
That's why I'm not covering either of them 😄
I always thought that Blood was part of the patient's teenage years or why he went to hell
I thought Teenagers was the one thrown in for fun? Gerard said he liked the song but felt it didn’t fit the albums theme but the record label insisted they keep it or Gerard just thought it was too catchy to not put on. Can’t remember the whole story.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 how are you gonna heart react a comment saying there's more than one story to a song, and then justify excluding 2 songs because they don't fit a narrative?
I can’t recommend the comics this album inspired enough! Spoilers ahead of you haven’t already read them.
The video mentions that the album doesn’t have a happy ending, and while that’s true here, it isn’t for the killjoy’s story overall. Eventually, both The Girl and Destroya, symbols of hope for those oppressed by BL/ind, rise up and tear apart Battery City.
In both cases, it is a single, seemingly meaningless act that ignites change. The Killjoys sacrifice themselves, and Korse lets Red and Blue go. As a result, younger generations spit on the memory of the ‘failed’ Killjoys and Korse’s boyfriend is executed. Even though these outcomes seem like failures, they still change the ending. When Destroya tears down the city’s walls and the Girl frees the souls from the battery, they’re only able to do so because someone in the past chose to fight, even if that fight was futile.
That’s the true message of the Fabulous Killjoys. To keep fighting for a better world, even if it seems futile. They saw what tomorrow would bring, so they gave themselves up so that the Girl could be what tomorrow needed.
Keep Runnin'.
This was absolutely amazing i cant believe i thought danger days was the weakest album of theirs 😳
Far from it!
I still think it's their 'weakest' album, but it's still a great album!
I think it has fewer bangers, but it has far fewer weak spots. I hit skip a LOT with Black Parade and Three Cheers.
Dude, the whole band and all of their songs are amazing. Can't change my mind. And the Conventional Weapons album(s) was pretty cool too
Bullets IMO is
"The Only Hope For Me is You" really shows Gerard coping with what he witnessed on 09/11 in the opening lines
The Black Parade and Danger Days are both concept albums but I think Black Parade’s tracks stand alone better than Danger Days. That’s being so though Danger Days’ tracks are much more fun and the narrative is a bit more clear. I’m not sure which narrative I like better but I know I love them both. Also I think the correct order of The Black Parade is the one Wendigoon put together.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve appreciated danger days more and more. It has become my go to album for them as much as I love their 3 previous albums to this.
I never realized how absolutely tragic and sad danger Days is as an album and a story it is so freaking sad it almost makes me sad to realize that's the story behind it but it's a beautiful story nonetheless and the way that they created it was absolutely incredible.
Great analysis, you gave me a different perspective on the album! The way I see vampire money fitting with everything is like the song that plays when the credits roll. I imagine it to be a representation of a casual day for the killjoys just playing on a garage somewhere in the desert (you know, before they died lol). Also, the fact that it's a punk song makes it even more fitting because of their whole philosophy and lifestyle.
i mostly agree with this, though its not a love interest. its a little girl (just called The Girl) who party poison and the rest of the Fab Four find and recruit. party thinks that shes going to revive the god of destruction, Destroya, which is seen through in the comic series by gerard way
I miss this kind of music, the story telling is immaculate killjoy era was one of my favorites, there’s a few bands now days that somewhat live up to what mcr did
I’m so happy that people are really starting to recognize how incredible MCRs albums are
Insightful video, I appreciated much of your interpretation. In regards to Vampire Money, I think the track offers a glimmer of hope, as even though the Fabulous Four are dead, the Girl (aka 'the bomb') is able to keep running, and her story carries on in the comic series.
Mayhe, yeah. I just think that on an otherwise timeless record, it's aged quite badly. People really hated Twilight back then.
Wait what are the comic series called? Is it umbrella academy?
@@sophia_2404 no, it's a seperate comic series. It follows the Girl and takes place a few years after the music videos. The whole series is on youtube if you want to read it for free czcams.com/play/PLufqM0OTsK9NYpqD4wptBXZ9M-GYz_aJ0.html
That was great! I'm so glad people are realizing (though I know this video is from Dec 2020) that MCR were truly some of the best when it came to concept albums in the modern era of music.
Probably the best of modern rock. They have another album that I'll probably have to cover some time soon.
"If you were expecting a happy ending you're listening to the wrong band." Lol!
You're very good at this. I wonder if you've examined the two videos for the album?
Every single topic/line is represented in Sing and NA NA. I bet you could put together an awesome piece for viewers to delve into.
This is my official/non-official request for that content creation.
Thanx! In advance!
Haha that's a good idea, I'll definitely be revisiting MCR in some form. I'm still hoping against hope that I'll be covering new material...?
@@roystoncharmaine1537 With their return I'm sure of it. The one thing about MCR is that they never remain stagnant. I would be shocked if they just rested on their laurels.
holy shit this is an amazing video. i’ve always been looking for videos analyzing danger days but i’ve never been able to find a good one. danger days is probably my favorite album of all time for so many reasons and i wish it got more recognition.
Favourite of all time! That's a huge recommendation for this record, good stuff.
this was a super cool video. i always like the aesthetics of danger days the most. i was 11 when it came out and several family members bought me it for christmas and i remember writing my own stories set in the same world. threw them away out of cringe when i was like 16 but it'd be cool to compare my version to the comics now. there's really just something infinitely cool about the rebels fighting against oppression in a post apocolyptic wasteland with their own songs playing on the radio as they shoot laser guns at bad guys out of their car window
I wish you hadn't thrown them away. I'm sure they were incredibly cringey, but also wholesome.
21:35 Nah vampire money goes hard as fuck. Also I used to see it as a diss of the old rock star life style of partying hard and being a douche bag because you got rich.
What’s amazing about this album is the aggressive tone of the songs that in no way possible explains the way I FEEL when listen to it. I can’t explain it either way as a 44 year old this was in no way my generation of music but this band, and this album hits it for me, again, whatever it is.
I don't think age matters, really. You can connect to anything. One of the videos on my channel is from '77 and I'm not 30 yet. Just laps of the sun, my man.
I worked with a guy that was in his 50’s and loved The Black Parade album and I’ll never forget he said “albums like that don’t come around often”. He’s been around long enough to know when a band is genuine and the art matters.
Hey man, this was excellently done. My brain works in a similar way in finding the narrative from concepts like this, and I appreciate the work you did to create and present this!
Thank you :)
fun fact all 4 mcr albums are concepts albums
"I gave you my love you gave me your bullets" is about two lovers who go on a murder spree who end up getting shot down
"three cheers for sweet revenge" is a continuation of the story where the male lover signs a deal with the devil to kill a thousand evil souls so his lover can be resurrected and he ends up having to kill himself as the 1000th soul which leads to his resurected lover to commit a romeo and juliet
and well everone knows black parade
and you should know the story of danger days cause of this video
Even that I knew the plot, you made it a thousand times clearer. Ty.
Awesome! An album having a good plot makes it so much more enjoyable to me.
That's literally how I feel about Danger Days. There are some tracks on their other albums that I adore but no album is as beloved from start to end for me as Danger Days. It truly is something else, and I think you've hit it on the head better than anyone else I've heard
This is really well put together!
Thank you :)
Three cheers will always be my favorite album but this video made me appreciate danger days a lot more!!
This is a very well put together video, I love how you picked all the important lines to point out to people. I always thought this record was underrated, and while I disagree with you on the Black Parade I totally get where you're coming from. Thanks for the cool vid dude :)
CZcams’s been on a roll with showing me these amazing under appreciated channels! Hopefully this blows up. You deserve it!
while i see the point you've made here, and I respect the perspective you have, you simply cannot talk about this album without talking about the comics. taking those into account changes the story drastically from a bleak, depressing ending to one more accurate to how rebellions and uprisings usually go. in the comics, the killjoys *do* die, but their deaths inspire massive change. they still have an impact and their legacy creates a chain of events that would presumably lead to a posthumous victory against their oppressors.
I'm reading The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys for a pop culture rhetorical analysis class. This was fantastic.
Thank you so much for making this and putting it up online. I feel like I have such a better understanding of what's going on now.
AmAzing video bro I used to always get shit for saying Danger Days is a masterpiece. Although we do think differently bc to me the black parade is a better concept album and one of the bests ever if not the best. But Danger days is so good and smart I’m happy I found this video! It’s sad they had to break up imagine the albums they would have given us..
Black Parade is too spotty for me. Mama, Sleep, This is How I Disappear are probably their three best tracks ever, but the album is weighed down by Welcome to the Black Parade, I Don't Love You, Teenagers, Disenchanted... too many weak tracks for it to be a great album front to back.
There might be more albums yet... never say never!
Dude, you know they're back together?
We are still very lucky. :D
Yes! I think the "kids" just didn't get this concept. I'm an older (46) listener so I was never into the scene. Just good art.
@cheapskatepanic is that what makes Danger Days better than Black Parade? I think the most mature thing about Danger Days is how it addresses how having children makes you see rebellion and dying young differently - yet this analysis kind of missed that point entirely.
YOURE SO LUCKY YOU GOT TO SEE THEM IN READING NO WAY
I was at Leeds, no Queen feature for us.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 oh, my bad but damn thats still amazing i would sell my soul to experience that
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 it'll happen again soon and you'll get your chance
you earned an instant sub, i really loved this. if you enjoyed the album/ the story i recommend the killjoys comics- they’re incredible and show the life of the girl after the demise of the killjoys. i think they give somewhat of a deeper insight into the world around the album.
"first two albums" oh lord, he doesnt know about Bullets.
*first two major label albums
I’m too scared to listen to that album
@@Robbity Its great. It has a garage band feel to it and its incredibly raw.
@@Robbity its my favourite album by them LOL
@@carmen-mi1xp Same
This is my favourite album ever with some of my favourite songs. Like in general. From the concept to the music to the cover art. There rarely ever is an album I can listen to without skipping around but this one is not only a no-skip but I genuinely enjoy every single track on it.
edit: autocorrect didn't like me today
I stumbled upon your video accidentally and thank goodness I did. I love how the concept of the album is all throughout cohesive yet at the same time, you can still pick them on their own and have a different interpretation. As a fan of MCR, I would say that this is a pretty solid and thorough analysis of the album. Can I request, if it's not too much, can you do the Conventional Weapons as well? I think it's an underrated album of theirs.
If you like concept albums, almost every coheed album is a concept. Also Styx the mission is a concept too. Great video!
Coheed were one of the bands that inspired the series, but then I balked at the thought of trying to untangle that multi-album story, with the comics and stuff on top. Legit almost had an anxiety attack over it.
If this becomes my day job, I could probably do it. Whilst it's an evening and weekend hobby, it's too big of a project, I'm afraid.
@@roystoncharmaine1537 hey man, thats fair! :] I get it. Thanks for the reply! Keep up the great videos!
danger days is probably one of the best albums something about it just feels so lager then life and it feels epic
It was a pleasure to listen to the analysis made of the DD story. Not only because of the analysis of the album concept itself, but also of the way you approach each song on a visual and narrative level. Thank you very much for the video. 🥺
Sing is one of my fav songs by them it gives me a sense of hope like you should ever give up
Thanks for making this - I'm new to mcr and while I enjoyed Danger Days, I felt pretty lost with the concept. I'm looking forward to listening to it again with this in mind
I've always seen S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W as about a nuke, not an actual person
this is an amazing video!! it puts all my thoughts on the album into words perfectly- will always be a sucker for a concept album
Thank you! As you can probably tell, I love a concept album, too :)
I would love to see this for conventional weapons as well
The key to a good concept album is to rely more on theme than a direct narrative. Simple plots hinted at by dramatic and nuanced themes and characters.
The Killers Sam’s Town is also awesome and, even if maybe unintended, tells a story. If only emotional.
This deserves way more attention
Opening of "The Only Hope" has Gerard touching back on what he witnessed 09/11/2001
Are you sure Scarecrow isn't about a nuclear attack? He talks about skin burning, fallout, the sunlight dying, maybe the sky is darkened.
Good shout, it probably is. I get that post-apocalyptic vibe from the entire record, so it fits the theme.
I always interpret as what a parent would say to their kid during a nuclear attack. kinda like reassuring them even though things aren't okay. not sure how it works with the concept necessarily. maybe the killjoys to the kid? idk
I hope so many 30 year olds who hung up their black skinny jeans long ago see this, then re-listen to the album, then fall in love with it.
It definitely helped me like the album more. Just investigating interviews about the concept of this album helped really. I’m over a decade late but I was a big fan of their in 2004-2007 then I sort of forgot about them for a long while (not liking Danger Days when is came out and hearing about them disbanding). Conventional Weapons was a fun surprise to return to this year :-)
This should be a musical
How does this only have 500views?? Awesome video!
Thank you! Tell your friends haha
this is a very good video - you explained the concepts and story of the album really well :)
Thank you :)
Very good video and really nice editing style
I'm glad you don't think MCR is meh
my man did not just say TBP had the four weakest singles...bro idk that has to be the wildest opinion i've heard about MCR lmao. good vid tho, DD deserves more praise. Feel like people shit on unfairly for a lot of reasons, I do think it's by far their weakest record but it's also the most ambitious and the spots that shine really stand out. "Nananana" deserves to be played everywhere, just a bad ass pop rock song
The singles are the weakest songs on the record, it's true. Sleep, Mama, Disappear, Sharpest Lives, Dead, The End, all far better than any of the singles. I did a video on it if you want my breakdown 🙂
@@roystoncharmaine1537 I watched the other vid, and I will admit that I love the album a lot so it's hard for me to point at any song and say it's weak, but I just don't agree. I think these four songs were the strongest to show off in single form.
@@roystoncharmaine1537These singles they chose just work better though. Think how universal teenagers and welcome to the black parade are. They’re easier to digest for the public, more viral and hitting the charts higher
how does this man have less than 400 subs??? this is an amazing look at an amazing album. you deserve more views, sir.
Thank you 🙂 I'm just happy that people seem to like them
Dude your voice is beautiful
great video, very thoroughly researched
Please bring this series back, I love concept albums so much you don't even know
idk why im feeling emotional over danger days lore
I’m a big fan of MCR and this is definitely my favorite album
15:20 im pretty sure gerard says this song was also about a mother protecting her child from bomb attacks
Vampire Money hasn’t aged well? WDYM? It aged extremely well and was a really good commentary on how everyone acted about the Twilight saga. I also feel like it translates well to the YA dystopian fantasy trend that came about after the Hunger Games. Really any massive cash grab trend in media.
finally, ive been waiting for this album to get the appreciation it deserved! i think the only way that my own analysis differed was that i never actually assigned this love interest a gender.
I first loved this song in the context of it being about his wife, which it is, so that likely influenced my interpretation in the context of the concept album.
I love Danger Days, great video!
Thank you :)
I’m exactly like you in the way that “save yourself” was my favourite but now I’m older “summertime” is.
Great video dude, you really did the album justice! 🤘
Thank you very much. As a russian (not native english speaker) it was a really helpful video to suss this record and story.
I'd love to see similar video on concept of three cheers of 21cb by green day if you would make any. Thanks again
never considered the 'scarecrow' to be person instead of a weapon. not sure i like that reading but something i'll think about more
On reflection, I think I am wrong. For these videos, I try to ignore what's been written by other people, even by the band, and write my first draft as I listen song by song. I actually loop each song until I'm done writing. Between that and then editing the video, I get pretty sick of albums I cover by the time the video is live 😄
isnt destroya also like a massive robot or something
s o f t a n d n e a t
as someone about to go in to the marines this is my favorite mcr album
Although many say Danger days was the weakest of mcr albums it’s honestly my favorite one
You should make a video about Wretched and Divine by Black Veil Brides. One of the best concept albums in my opinion
WHAT 👏 ABOUT 👏 THE STATIC
THIS WAS AWESOME
Make a video like this for 3 cheers please
1:47 first two? Excuse me, but what about I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love? That's their first album, not Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.
buddy he doesn’t listen to mcr as much
nice vid
Really great video- i cant find enough stuff on this excellt album & cocept.
I think you shuld listen to DARE IS A DARKSIDE by redman. I think you enjoy it.
1:41 I really think only 2 of them are weak. WTTBP and Famous Last Words are great songs, teenagers is meh and I don’t love you is pretty decent but I can understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea.
Gerard Way saying Vampire Money was the 2nd song on the record (it's actually live) and it was added to be the end credits of "a movie" the album.
czcams.com/users/shortshKQpEYXGtQ0
Good video
The killjoy mindset is also utilitarian right?
Maximising pleasure over pain? That does seem to fit with their ethos, yeah. I could believe that Gerard read some Bentham in college.
spoiler alert the love intrest is a dude
i always felt like this was a story album about a punk rock kid and his girlfriend just wanting to be free in the nuclear post-apocalypse, trapped in one of the last cities under a totalitarian regime. i also always thought that the doctor was lying about jet star and cobra kid dying, bc thats what "the company" told them instead of telling them they escaped. the phrase "your shadow lives on without you" is a reference to the shadows left behind in japan after the nukes were dropped
The snare in “children of yesterday” is horrible
can you do some albums by the used please.
1:23 Nothing has ruined more experiences for me than "fans" of something. Undertale, Harry Potter, Pokemon... The list is nearly endless.
The one downvote is from one of the annoying college people.
Ugh sad ending thanks Gerard
fr i feel more sad that any of the other albums lore
@@STARS4SIMIII real