the showtune vibes of blood are SO GOOD and counterbalance the message of the song with a seemingly cheerful tune. the song makes you want to sing along without thinking about what gerard’s saying, which i personally think is part of the point. the old-timey filter put over the song and the ooh in the background also contribute to this effect, as does the piano/vaudeville instrumentals. gerard’s dramatics also carry the song without a focus on the lyrics.
as for the lyrics, i think they’re about showbusiness. gerard’s talking about how manic (for lack of a better word) being famous can make a person, and how bloodthirsty (lol) both the fans and the musician get when exposed to something they like. “it’s really quite alarming/cause i’m such an awful fuck” can speak to the ridiculous overglorification of celebrities and mcr, while “i gave you blood, blood, gallons of the stuff/gave you all that you could drink and it will never be enough” can talk about how ravenous the fans are and how gerard, in wanting to please them, drains himself dry. there’s a sort of enjoyment to this draining, though, that makes the song pleasant. gerard isn’t necessarily mad about this turn of events, just surprised that they’d want this much and/or enjoy his “human wreckage”
@changing-grrrl this post made possible by steph, whom i would die for
hey let’s talk about why famous last words is one of the best songs on black parade if not THE best song
for one… the rawness of gerard’s vocals really emphasizes this particular song and makes you pay attention to it. the rhythmic guitar crescendoing into a big instrumental backing at the beginning just slaps so hard, and the instrumentals and guitar solos continue to be fucking great throughout. lyrically, this song really hits home for a lot of listeners, especially the lyrics in the chorus and the bridge. not only that, but the song continues to be innovative and interesting while following a pattern recognizable to passive listeners. for example, in the beginning of the second verse, gerard sings the first few lines using different notes than in the first verse, which effectively emphasizes the lyrics while also making that bit sound entirely new. compared to the ever-recognizable title song from this album, famous last words is much more solid and impressive.
M A N I A is the seventh studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on January 19, 2018, by Island Records and DCD2 as the follow-up to their 2015 album, American Beauty/American Psycho.
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