Ryan Ross’ poetry is commonly never seen by his large collection of fans, yet there is a good number of pieces floating around the internet, mostly written between 2004 and 2006. These poems illustrate a melancholy and self-deprecating mindset; a probable effect of past hurt, trauma, and conflict.
His writing uncovers things we otherwise would not have known about Ryan, as he rarely transmits heavy ideas through spoken words.
The aspect of Ryan’s writing that is so personal and unfiltered is a key reason for his career take-off, and is often times why fans still connect to him today, no matter his inactivity in the music industry and on social media.
During his childhood, Ryan grew up suffering from abuse by his alcoholic father and didn’t have any closer family. In songs such as “Camisado” and “Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks”, Ryan shares lyrics referring to his childhood struggle. In Camisado, he refers to the consequences in the way his father treated him.
A stanza from Camisado:
“Can’t take the kid from the fight
Take the fight from the kid,
Sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again’.
These lines represent Ryan becoming accustomed to the hardships between his father and himself. He writes using simplistic language to suggest that he is normalized to this conflict, and it becomes an everyday occurrence in his life.
The entirety of the song “Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks” is a massive collage of emotion towards the events he often went through. The lines of the song pay homage to hospital life, and the residents within, shown best in the following stanza:
“The hospice is
A relaxing weekend getaway
Where you’re a cut above all the rest
Sick and sad patients
On first name basis with all the top physicians”
It is suggested that Ryan frequently visited the hospice in the time nearing his father’s death.
“A relaxing getaway” could be viewed in two different ways: either Ryan utilizes sarcasm to imply that these visits, in actuality, are stressful; or these visits offer a time of peace in which the chaos normally taking place in his home is replaced by his father’s illness.
“Where you’re a cut above all the rest” is sung to emphasize that Ryan isn’t there for an illness he possesses: he’s there for his father. The hospice is beset with sick patients, giving Ryan a feeling of displacement and non-belonging among the ill.
“Sick and sad patients on first name basis” describes how the regular visits Ryan makes to the hospice has led to an amiable relationship between the doctors, patients, and himself.
These analyses show the depth and layers of Ryan’s lyrics, and how his words are never written to simply be glanced at. The phrases are valuable and are worth much more than what the first listen offers. This complexity is a continuous trend throughout all of Ryan’s works.
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Most of Ryan’s writing refers to love, life/death, hurt, insecurity, and drugs. His choice of subjects excels in demonstrating the depth of his writing style, and how he composes only words that hold meaning.
Many people have been touched by Ryan’s lyrics, which were given popularity through the songs of the band. However, unknown to most is his poetry that was not used in any songs: this poetry is raw and escapes the filter used to erase harshness for the sake of the media, press, and fans.
(A HUGE THANKYOU to @livipiano for helping tremendously with this and working together to make it the best we can and also thank you to @rylee.oh and @proofofryden -all accounts on ig- for providing information and suggestions❤️)
With that, here are some examples of Ryan’s poetry…
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