"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At the Disco
Reviewed by: Krystal Burns
Note: We focus on reviewing songs, and therefore cannot comment on the appropriateness of the album in its entirety. Please use your best judgment whenever purchasing or listening to music.
The Band
One of the youngest groups on the scene, Panic! At The Disco emerged from Las Vegas barley out of high school in 2005. Several band members even had to finish up classes online. Spencer Smith (drums) and Ryan Ross (guitar) spent time as a cover band before recruiting Brendon Urie (guitar/vocals) and Brent Wilson (bass) to complete the group. They soon signed with Decaydance and began working on their debut album, followed by heading out on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boys last fall. Wilson was actually fired from the band in the summer of 2006 and replaced by friend Jon Walker.
The Album
Their debut, “Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” was released in September of 2005. Not wanting to make an album that all sounds the same, they focused on “futuristic sounds” for the first half and a more nostalgic feel for the second. While the album didn’t make a big splash initially, touring with some of rock’s most popular bands proved to be an effective marketing tool. The band’s “quirky techno beats” and catchy lyrics quickly grew their fan club. On the flip side, they’ve come under some criticism for being a little too much like their esteemed predecessors, Fall Out Boy.
Most songs include some type of strong language, sexual reference, or morbid ideology. Track titles include “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage” and “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” and “Build God, Then We’ll Talk.”
The Song
“I Write Sins Not Tragedies” sounds like an intriguing song, but these guys have a tendency to try to sound deep without saying much at all. Admittedly, the song is young and edgy and fun to listen to, not to mention easy to learn with roughly five lines that are repeated over and over. Those lines are a loosely tied together tale of a wedding gone wrong, perhaps a throw back to the group’s Vegas hometown where getting a marriage certificate is as easy as hitting a drive-through on your way to a show.
The scenario is that of a groom pacing the church waiting for the wedding to start when he imagines what he would do if he heard someone say, “but what a shame, what a shame, the poor groom’s bride is a whore.” In the chorus he imagines that he would respond by yelling, “Haven’t you people ever heard of closing the ******* door?!” But then reasons that “it’s much better to face these kind of things with a sense of poise and rationality” and in verse two “…technically our marriage is saved…this calls for a toast.” The chorus is then repeated. And repeated some more.
Whether or not it’s the intended message, one idea that jumps out is that of falsehood or being fake. The bride is reciting vows to her future husband, but she is unfaithful. The groom is rightfully upset and wants to shout, but suppresses the urge for the sake of nice manners. The video reinforces this idea by having everyone at the wedding wearing thick, clown-like make-up so that their faces and real expressions are hidden.
We’ve all been guilty of being fake at one point or another because we want people to perceive us differently than we really are. Acts 5 tells of a man named Ananias who claimed he had sold his land and donated all the money to the church, but in reality he had kept some of the money for himself. The apostle Paul challenged him, “What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God” (vs. 4).
You’ve probably figured out by this point that no one is perfect, but we often still try to come across that way. God wants us to be honest about our weakness so we can pray for one another and keep each other accountable. Spend some time examining your heart and your relationships to see if there’s an area in which you need to come clean.
So What Do You Think?
• Do you agree that Panic! At The Disco sounds too much like Fall Out Boys?
• What’s your favorite song by this group?
• How would you relate the title of the song to the lyrics?
• Is it ever okay to be fake? Is there such a thing as being too honest?