Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance (2004)

I’m not sure what it is about someone rhythmically screaming at you through an early 2000’s audio, but it’s liberating. However, though a large chunk of the music I listen to comes from my sister, I completely disagreed with her when she said this album was better than The Black Parade. Now that I’ve branched out of strictly listening to their 2006 album, I see the dimensions she’s coming from. I’m telling you, when someone expresses the joy they feel about the music they love, you grow to love it too. 

Their sophomore album goes through the tragic circumstances surrounding the male protagonist from their first album: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The plot connection between their first two albums can be confusing, since there hasn’t been an entirely confirmed storyline, but it essentially has a Bonnie and Clyde-esque to it. 

The story centers around the male protagonist who makes a demonic deal where he is required to kill 1,000 evil people in order to get his dead partner back. There are tons of other theories that extend beyond that, but this is the base of them all. I’m not sure if this was done intentionally (most of MCR’s work is) or if the band didn’t have definitive answers either; but because there isn’t much context to the story, it allows listeners to dictate it themselves. In a world where analytical thinking is spoon-fed to us, we need that more than ever. 

One of Gerard Way’s (the lead singer) best qualities is his ability to scream. He takes it up multiple notches when he goes into the depths of his vocal cords and drags out screams full of the desperation and torment that showcase what the protagonist is experiencing in the moments he can’t be with his partner. Those feelings are evoked both in the manners Way projects them and through the lyrics. 

It isn’t difficult to decipher meanings in their lyrics. Regardless, the lyrics in this album are dark, all of their lyrics are. It’s not necessarily the words themselves; but because Way sounds so petrified and frantic, it feels like a magnet is pulling you into the protagonist’s mind. One of my favorites lyrical segments is from I Never Told You What I Do For A Living:

And we’ll love again, we’ll laugh again

We’ll cry again and we’ll dance again

And it’s better off this way

So much better off this way

I can’t clean the blood off the sheets in my bed

This is definitely one of the most heart-wrenching lyrics I’ve ever read, because it heavily displays the severity of his situation. I felt a combination of panic and relief that the protagonist was conveying at the realization that he failed his “mission,” but was finally free from the weight associated with it. You can especially hear those emotions in the last line of the segment above. 

Way repeated many other phrases in the song (I tried!) and it, too, fed the numbness experienced by the protagonist. You can hear him attempting to reassure himself that everything will be fine, but at the same time acknowledges that what he has done is going to come with consequences. As the song progresses, there are moments where Way is out of breath, which allows the misery of the character shine brightly. There’s also a really good scream at around the third minute of the song that shows his frustration beautifully. 

In terms of the cover art, I find it to be very romantic. It’s a painting titled The Demolition Lovers, created by Way, which is the title of the final track off their first album. The couple is in the midst of blood being splattered all over them and staining their faces, but they are together and that’s what makes it a romantic interaction in a non-romantic scene. This cover has squeezed its way into my top favorite album covers because of that. Having an album produced by one of your favorite bands is one thing; but when they design the cover it gives it an individualized aura, rather than something being slapped together due to limited time. 

This album only has 13 songs. With that being said, I’m still indecisive when it comes to picking my favorite songs off of albums. It’s undoubtedly a crime to pick a favorite from this one. This is a concept album, it’s mandatory to listen from cover to cover. But if you want somewhere to start, these are good songs: Hang ‘Em High, Thank You for the Venom, and Cemetery Drive.