American rock band, My Chemical Romance, is known around the world for their hits such as “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “Helena.” The band popped up and into the music scene in 2001 with the song “Skylines and Turnstiles,” which was written as a response to what lead singer Gerard Way had seen during the 9/11 attacks. Since then, the band has only risen in popularity.

One of the band’s most popular albums, titled “The Black Parade,” was released on Oct. 20, 2006. This album contains a plethora of songs that most people know, even if they are not an MCR fan.

The album ironically starts out with the song “The End.” In this song, Way explains how he doesn’t care what others think of him; thus, he acts on his own accord with no rules holding him back. The whole album has very dramatic sounds, and this song is no exception.

The second song “Dead!” is super upbeat, meaning the song will definitely get stuck in your head. The song sets up the story for the rest of the album: a sickly cancer patient who has two weeks to live. The meaning of this song easily gets lost in the upbeat sound of the music. In the song, Way plays three characters: himself, the patient, and the nurse who has to break the news to the patient.

“This Is How I Disappear” is a sad love story that is covered by upbeat music. Way’s semi-raspy voice shines through in this song since his vocals are so strong. The song describes the patient reaching out to his past lover and saying how, without her, he is nothing and will be forgotten.

“The Sharpest Lives” is a play on words. The word “lives” can be interchangeable with the word “knives,” as the song explains living an extreme life. The lines in the song explain Way’s way of telling the listener to live a free life and to not mind the consequences. For some reason, this song’s beat reminds me of the sound of Paramore.

One of the most popular songs on the album, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” is easily one of the most recognizable songs from their discography. The music video took many by storm when it was released, and the song is just as popular. The song describes the patient’s death and way into the afterlife. Way has explained how he believes that death comes to people in the form of their strongest memory. In this scenario, the patient’s strongest memory is his father taking him to a parade.

“I Don’t Love You” is one of the few slower songs on the album. Most ballads hold a significant and melancholy meaning, and this song is definitely one of them. As the patient is dying, he is thinking back to an old relationship and reminiscing on who he used to love. He says how she should just leave, since he doesn’t believe that the love they had still exists.

“House of Wolves” jumps right back into the upbeat flow of the album. The song describes the patient’s first look into Hell. Here, Hell is shown to contain wolves, demons, and sinners. The song contains amazing guitar work that really fits the theme of the song.
“Cancer” is definitely my favorite song on the album. The song goes into the mind of the patient as he goes through his cancer treatments. He knows he will not survive, so he asks for a sincere goodbye from his family. He also hides how he is ashamed of how weak he has gotten. He explains how he will not give his family a kiss as he is too embarrassed to show his fragile state. In this song, he is also seen to value his family over himself as he says, “’Cause the hardest part of this is leaving you.”

“Mama” is seen in the view of the patient at war. In the song, he is seen writing a parting letter for his mother, in which he is trying to mend his relationship with her. He explains how he wished he had been born a girl to avoid going into war. He is also seen to struggle with keeping up his morals while at war, so he asks for his mother not to blame him when he inevitably dies.

“Sleep” is one of the lesser known songs on the album, and it is definitely underrated. The song describes how the patient believes that death is the last step in life and will cause no consequences. Way’s voice in this song is insane and most definitely one of the strongest performances of his on the album.

“Teenagers” is the most streamed song on the album with over 700 million streams on Spotify. While the song may seem as though teenagers are afraid of adults, it’s actually the other way around. Way has said how as a teenager, adults would fear him for no apparent reason. On the subway one day, adult Way found himself panicking as the whole car was filled with teenagers. This irony led to this amazing song being written and produced.

“Disenchanted” is slower than most songs on the album, but it isn’t a ballad. The song shows how the patient believes that life is overrated and the efforts he put into making his life what it was, were all in vain. This song has really strong vocals from Way that can take your breath away.

In contrast to the last song, “Famous Last Words” leaves listeners with a message of hope. In this song, Way makes his listeners feel hopeful of the life ahead of them and also gives listeners a push to keep going. The guitar in this song reminds me of many songs that have angst written all over them.

“Blood – Hidden Track” is the least listened to song on the album for one easy reason: it’s hidden! The first minute and a half of the song is completely silent, then you’re blasted with a retro sounding song. Here, the patient doesn’t accept death and chooses to wake up with intense treatment. He sings about how, even though he chose to live, life just sucks.

“The Black Parade” contains many songs to love, with my favorites being “Cancer,” “Blood – Hidden Track,” “Mama,” and “Dead!” This album is a must listen to if you’re into bands such as Panic! At the Disco, Paramore, or Green Day.