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My Chemical Romance - 'Teenagers'

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Fraser McAlpine | 09:40 UK time, Wednesday, 27 June 2007

My Chemical RomanceHere it is then. The moment where all the snooty rockbore knuckle-dragging 'emo'-baiting wrong-headed pultroons are going to have to shut the hecking heck up. Whatever argument you lot have against My Chemical Romance and their fans can be countered and beaten by just one listen to this song. It's sexier than you are, it's tougher than you are, it's cleverer than you are, it's slinkier than you are and it does not give a cack what you think about it. So ner.

If the loosely-held-together, badly-named, hotly-contested genre that the people on the outside call 'emo' and the people on the inside call 'OMG IT'S, LIKE, SO NOT EMO, 'K???' ever needed an anthem, surely this song would be the prime candidate.

After all, what better justification for the darkened clothes, the banding together and general surly demeanor, than to try and keep evil forces at bay? And it's not just grown-ups who've got it in for you youngsters. Those pesky Other Kids, with their popularity and their teasing and their guffaws, well they're just as bad. All you can do is sit under your fringe, put this song on and seethe.

So far, so Eminem, right? Well, kinda. Teen angst is certainly not a fresh topic for pop music, but when was the last time you heard a song which details how hard it can be to feel like an outsider in such a joyous fashion? For all his verbal dexterity, Eminem's account of his teen years tends to be very serious and very angry.

This, then, is the thing MCR were put on the planet to do. To re-introduce the long-lost idea that the second-best thing pop music does (after sexiness) is to turn those churning feelings of resentment into a defiant swagger-party.

Not the kind of party where you dance to forget your troubles, either. No, this is the kind of party where, at the peak moment of the best song of the night, while you're entirely lost in music, the person who's been making your life hell falls out of a first-floor window, head-first into a nice soft pile of horse manure...in front of the whole school.

The kind of party where you realise you can live through your troubles and that worrying about them just adds to them, so why not join the celebration dance with like-minded friends?

And bearing in mind that this feeling is common to...well...everyone between the ages of 15 and 20 (to a greater or lesser extent), that's an awful lot of disenfranchised people out there who've just been given a new flag to rally under.

Whether it's your flag or not is kind of up to you, of course. But if it's not, you can't dismiss the people that DO want to huddle together for warmth in the hidden corners of the black parade-ground. Or rather, you CAN, it's kind of what they're expecting after all...just go careful, cos if you're too loud with the taunts, and they charge, you could find yourself crushed under a million dirty Converse / massive clumpyboots. There's a reason people are scared of teenagers, after all...

PS: If you could give a five-star song an extra star, this would score the first six-out-of-five rating for extended use of the percussion instrument know as a Vibroslap. It's the noise you can hear in the background just before each chorus, it sounds like a wooden box of marbles on a twanging ruler, and yes, DOESN'T it have a saucy name?

Five starsDownload: Out now
CD Released:
July 9th

(Fraser McAlpine)

Comments

  1. At 03:08 PM on 27 Jun 2007, Emma wrote:

    I Feel To Many Bands Class Themselves As Emo,
    Why Carnt Music Stay Under MUSIC Instead Of Having, Chavvy Music,Emo Music,Scremo + Blahh Blahh Blahh.
    Im Really Tierd Of It.
    I Listen To What People Call
    " Emo Music"
    But Im No Emo.

    Im Sick Of It.

    [I don't think MCR have classed themselves as emo, have they? It's just a useful term to separate what some bands do from what other bands do. It only matters when you're writing or reading about music. Not when you're listening. And a lot of people think MCR are more pop/rock than emo anyway. Having said that, it's just a word. And a really short one too.. - Fraser]

  2. At 03:45 PM on 27 Jun 2007, Lee wrote:

    First time I heard this on the album I was like WOAH! That is a sure fire No1! And now they have released it :D YAY! Good. Tis bloody fantastic. If it doesn't make No1 or at least No2 I will eat my keyboard!

    Maxed out all of my stars :D

  3. At 06:12 PM on 27 Jun 2007, Eve wrote:

    This is really great! I'm going to buy it when it comes out.

  4. At 07:43 PM on 27 Jun 2007, wrote:

    yyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy

    :D :D :D

    thank you for getting it done in time, and thank you for the great review! of course they deserve the 5 stars and more, and please let it be number one as they so deserve it and yay its released on my birthday so its even more special to me :D *breathes* the video rocks, the song rocks, they rock.....maybe even YOU rock for writing the perfect review and keeping your word :)

    oh and they have never called themselves emo, they dont think emo in its true sense exists anymore, as in the original emo movement when it came form punk or whatever

    ps THEY ROCK! :P

    [And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a teenager who no longer scares the living *cough* out of me... - Fraser]

  5. At 08:48 PM on 27 Jun 2007, wrote:

    and that teenager i am proud to be :D xx

  6. At 09:49 PM on 27 Jun 2007, wrote:

    Ooooh, this review gave me a warm cuddly feeling.

    This song is the most important on the record. It doesn't play a massive role to the story, but it has the strongest message. Throughout all the "strike a violent pose" and "what you got under ya' shirt will make 'em pay for the things that they did" bravado, it has the underlying message that you can't escape - that violence is never the answer.

    I don't care what anyone says, My Chemical Romance are the most important band on the planet. They are one of the only major rock bands that still stays true to their original message and still have their moral values firmly in place. The people who yell profanities and insults at them, and throw God-knows-what at them only spur them on. That's right, those "emo crybabies" have serious balls. More so than any "metal as f***" band out there.

    I would got to hell and back for this band, 'cos I know no matter how lost I am, they are always there to guide me out of the darkness.

    Unleash the bats.

    XoXo

    [Group hug, anyone? - Fraser]

  7. At 10:06 PM on 27 Jun 2007, wrote:

    by the way guys........

    JULY 23RD is INTERNATIONAL MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE DAY

    so bascially, on that day show the WORLD how much you LOVE this life saving band

    a MUST DO is wear ALL and ANY mcr merch that you have

    and the rest is up to YOU! just show everyone else what they mean to you

    xx

  8. At 01:02 AM on 28 Jun 2007, Susan Flowers wrote:

    omg im so glad this song FINALLY got released. i remember it bein played at Big Day Out n everyone going off. gah awsum song. LUV IT.

    its my new anthem :D

  9. At 01:41 AM on 28 Jun 2007, Kat wrote:

    Nice review, man... awesomely done! So awesome that I can't think of any comment to make about it other than saying it's ALL FABULOUS! :P

    So I'm just going to ask... how on EARTH do you manage to know about such odd instruments!?

    Kerri, sounding happy! :P Going to say happy birthday now since you're going to be away.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope you have a fantastic time :)

  10. At 05:12 AM on 28 Jun 2007, Ryan wrote:

    Thank God for MCR!
    without them all music would be the same.
    i dont really care what people say about them and i have been a fan from the start and i absolutely love teenagers. i got the album for christmas and believe that although they have changed a little in looks, they still sound like good old MCR! thanks for this blog
    finally someone appreciates MCR
    MCR forever!

  11. At 03:08 PM on 28 Jun 2007, wrote:

    thanks kat :) ive been spending all day packing though which personally i dont enjoy..but anyway, tomorrow ill be saying my goodbye to you all so im not saying it yet! and you never know, i may have computer access out there anyway, though if i do i doubt it would be daily and to be honest it wouldnt be worth going all that way to spend all my time on a computer!

  12. At 07:15 PM on 28 Jun 2007, AmyHavokYeh!?! wrote:

    Im an MCR fan, and I think this is a pretty good song, although I personally prefer much of their older stuff such as Demolition Lovers and Im Not Okay(I Promise)
    xox

  13. At 11:16 PM on 28 Jun 2007, Kat wrote:

    Oh totally not! Computers are our downfall, it's always nice to have a break from them anyway ;)

  14. At 03:44 PM on 29 Jun 2007, wrote:

    ok, so now it is goodbye... :'(

    im honestly gonna miss CB for the 3 weeks im not here, whether its the reviews themselves (and arguing about them of course), frasers witty replies to comments, idiotic comments that crack me up, or just talking about random stuff with kat and the others. i hope that youre keeping the good blogs for when i return! i dont wanna miss out on too much....

    maybe ill get a chance to say g'day from time to time and if not ill speak to you when i get back. by then ill be a year older, teenagers will have been no1 :P and we'll all know who lives and who dies in harry potter 7, geesh!


    BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    love kerri XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    [God haven't you gone yet? ;-) BYE KERRI! We'll all miss you too! - Fraser]

  15. At 05:18 PM on 29 Jun 2007, Kat wrote:

    Omgosh, Kerri..I should hope you aren't being sarccy about the Potter! I'm looking forward to that, I am! And I'm not ashamed to admit it either ;)

    Have a fabulous, FABULOUS time! xx

  16. At 06:35 PM on 29 Jun 2007, wrote:

    im looking forward to HP too! i have many a sad theory about what may or may not happen. its great, i dont have to wait up til midnight to get it the second its released! :P and i get the film the day before you guys.

    BYE BYE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  17. At 07:20 PM on 29 Jun 2007, wrote:

    I've loved this band fer ages now.
    Teenagers isn't one of my favourite songs but it's still got a great message and everything.. Stay away from teenagers! XD
    Gerard Way is so delish *drool*

    Love yooo

  18. At 01:53 PM on 30 Jun 2007, wrote:

    I so agree with the part that you wrote:

    ''Whatever argument you lot have against My Chemical Romance and their fans can be countered and beaten by just one listen to this song.''

    You are spot on there... well done =]
    People call me 'emo' and all that rubbish... because i listen to music like MCR
    But now all the same people are listening to this song and saying its great

    I hate to say i told you so, guys
    :D

  19. At 07:03 PM on 30 Jun 2007, wrote:

    I LOVE THIS SONG! Okay sorry, I had to get this out of my system. HELL YEAH 35 IN THE CHARTS! It's gonna do a lot better though, I know. They are all so cute in their interviews with their accents and stuff they say....haha gotta love 'em. I hate the cheerleaders in the vid though. Most cheerleaders I know are stuck-up, but not all of them. Bye people!
    xxxxx

  20. At 10:06 AM on 02 Jul 2007, Leanne wrote:

    I must say, I only really heard of MCR when they released Welcome To The Black Parade and then the album after and there songs are brilliant! This is so catchy and its been stuck in my head for days. Its my ringtone aswell and my friend hates it but then again she likes dance music so I wouldn't value her musical taste that much!

  21. At 11:37 AM on 02 Jul 2007, wrote:

    OMG wat a idiot ok I love my chemical romance and when you call them about emos you are calling me cos I am a emo and darn proud!!!!
    I am mega Proud to be a Emo and mcr rock !!!!

  22. At 12:11 PM on 02 Jul 2007, sonni wrote:

    OMG MCR ROK 4 LYF IM IN SKL DOIN DIS DOBNT DIS MCR THEY ROK DA SOKS

  23. At 09:30 AM on 18 Jul 2007, wrote:

    This song is awesome and before the Black Parade album, I wasnt to big a fan of MCR... Yeah sure I had Three Cheers, but yeah... Hearing Teenagers on the album made me a massive fan... the ten tracks before it were awesome, but that one... woah... and seeing it on the telly made it even better... then seeing it performed live at Download was probably a highlight of the weekend...

    So... if listening to My Chemical Romance makes me an emo, then call me an emo... even though Im not... yeah...
    MCR RULE!!!
    Mark xxx

  24. At 11:40 PM on 29 Jul 2007, Christina xx wrote:

    love MCR, love this song, and i'm really happy that other people apart from the ones who ventured to listen to one MCR song and got hooked straight away are loving it too! xxx

  25. At 04:33 AM on 09 Sep 2007, Caitlin wrote:

    I love this song because in a way it describes well,basically my life. All the snobby preps who think there so much better than everyone else and the parents who still treat you like your six.Always trying to tell you your life, style,and friends. Because they think your not ready for the big old nasty world. I totally get the part about the boys and the girls in the cliques. It like all the snobby ignorant people think that everyone likes them and thinks their hot. I luv this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  26. At 10:23 AM on 30 Oct 2007, wrote:

    hey guys i love ur songs jarrad ur so hot i dont care if u cut ur self coz i did once my mate yell at me but o well lol are u guys camming to aussie coz iam caming to see u guys play lol me and my mate emily say ur the best emo band lol

  27. At 02:47 PM on 06 Nov 2007, LadeMama wrote:

    I couldnt have said it better - and you had me rolling - I am supposed to be working, not reading about MCR or all that, but my kids turned me on tho MCR and I have to say - they don;'t just appeal to disenfranchised teens but a few old bags like me who still feel that way even after stretch lines and divorces and all that... I'd still ike to stomp a few people while wearing dirty smelly vans and my black eyeliner and nail polish.

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