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INTRODUCTION ALBUM 1
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A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out ALBUM 2
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Pretty Odd ALBUM 3
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Vices and Virtues ALBUM 4
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Too Weird to Live Too Rare to Die
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CONCLUSION
Growing up, music was my passion. Whether singing, humming a tune, drawing out lyrics, or just listening, I was always connected to my music. This constant connection was what kept me going, lifting my emotions with each song. Singing along, knowing every word, always made me feel triumphant, and instantly put me in a better mood. For this reason, I would binge on a playlist until I knew it inside out, so it was quite easy to outgrow these tunes. Before hearing of Panic at the Disco, I had yet to find a band that I couldn’t get bored of.
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Panic at the Disco’s music is far from mundane, especially since each album sparks a new sound. This vast range of sounds allows listeners to choose songs specific to their mood. I remember when Aly, my cousin, and I stumbled upon the first album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. We were caught up in the swiftly spoken lyrics, and the fast paced beats. It was a challenge to learn these lyrics, and even harder to be able to memorize the long winded names, never mind understand what they meant. We dedicated our 2009 week-long summer vacation to memorizing each and every word to these songs. I still remember blasting their first album in our small, shared room, and singing loudly for hours each day.
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Introduction (instrumental)
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The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage
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London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines
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Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks
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Camisado
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Time to Dance
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Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
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Intermission (instrumental)
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But It’s Better If You Do
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I Write Sins Not Tragedies
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I Constantly Thank God for Esteban
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There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet
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Build God, Then We’ll Talk
As the band grew, so did we. Straying from their previous theatrical, pop-punk style of the first album, they entered into the genre of Baroque pop and folk rock with Pretty Odd. This album really started their new outlook; they, “wanted to write songs differently in the sense that not all the songs sounded the same or were part of one set genre,” and they were successful. Right away, the overall feel of the album was much calmer, quirkier, and more subdued in comparison, yet each one sounded different than the next. They changed up their stage performance, adding flowers and psychedelic projections in place of their usual theater like sets. This change not only proved the band’s skills, but also further ensured a constant stream of entertainment from listening to their music. Whether looking for a mellow relaxing song, an upbeat one, or something to sing, you could get your fix.
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We’re So Starving
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Nine in the Afternoon
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She’s a Handsome Woman
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Do You Know What I’m Seeing?
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That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)
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I Have Friends in Holy Spaces
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Northern Downpour
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When the Day Met the Night
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Pas de Cheval
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The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know
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Behind the Sea
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Folkin’ Around
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She Had the World
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From a Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins
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Mad as Rabbits
To continue this diversity, Panic came out with their third album in 2011, Vices and Virtues. Classified as alternative rock and dance punk, these songs contained elements that could relate back to the first album, yet each song had a unique feel. The variety of upbeat to soft paced songs was the greatest part of this album, and each song had deep meaning. When Aly and I went to the first tour of Vices and Virtues, being in the crowd felt like we were a part of a large family. Everyone in the crowd becomes one with the music, and being there, singing along with hundreds of others who share your same passion, really has a strong effect.
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The Ballad of Mona Lisa
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Let’s Kill Tonight
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Hurricane
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Memories
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Trade Mistakes
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Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind)
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Always
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The Calendar
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Sarah Smiles
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Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)
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Panic’s fourth album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die, falls into the genre of synthpop and is best described as a “party record.” It was highly influenced by dance music, electronica, and hip-hop. Each song reflects personal situations the band members have gone through, or are currently going through. Most of the songs on the album are upbeat and lively, and just like the previous, have a deeper meaning to them. By singing these songs, you feel like the lyrics are personally affecting you, and your emotions sway with the mood the song brings. I find this holds true in each of the four albums, and it may be the reason my cousin and I cant get enough of them. The effect these songs hold over us is so intense that simply by listening to a certain song, we can drastically increase our mood. 15
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This Is Gospel
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Miss Jackson (feat. LOLO)
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Vegas Lights
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Girl That You Love
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Nicotine
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Girls/Girls/Boys
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Casual Affair
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Far Too Young To Die
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Collar Full
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The End of All Things
Our love and fascination of Panic still endures, and we take up every opportunity to see them in concert. Each concert allows us to admire their stylistic adventures, and connect with their audience who also follows them with the same passion. The songs verbose lyrics provided a challenge to understand, yet once understood, it felt very rewarding. The lyrics and their diversity were what pulled my cousin and I into the music, and once we really understood them, we felt almost as if we discovered a secret, or finally were accepted as a true groupie.
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When I catch myself feeling down, or stressing about something, I will start doodling and drawing out lyrics to my favorite songs. Whether they are uplifting, motivational, or express how I am feeling, Panic at the Disco’s lyrics have the ability to enhance my mood. I feel understood by the these songs; writing them out helps me express myself and gives me a sense of belonging.
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