Welcome to the Black Parade

Infobox Single
Name = Welcome to the Black Parade
Artist = My Chemical Romance


from Album = The Black Parade
Released = September 12, 2006 (radio) October 9, 2006 (CD, vinyl)
Format = 7" vinyl CD Digital download
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Alternative rock
Certification = Platinum [cite web|url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=My%20Chemical%20Romance&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|title=RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database|date=2008-10-08|accessdate=2008-10-08|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America]
Length = 5:11 (album version) 4:37 (radio edit)
Label = Reprise Records
Writer = My Chemical Romance
Producer = Rob Cavallo My Chemical Romance
Misc = extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Additional covers
Type = Single


Lower caption =
Last single = "The Ghost of You" (2005)
This single = "Welcome to the Black Parade" (2006)
Next single = "Famous Last Words" (2007)

"Welcome to the Black Parade" (originally titled "The Five of Us are Dying") is the first single and fifth track from My Chemical Romance's third studio album, "The Black Parade". It was released on September 11, 2006 on iTunes and October 9, 2006 on CD. It is the band's eighth single. The studio version was available on MySpace on September 2, 2006. The song became the group's first number one in the UK on October 15, 2006, staying there for two weeks, and later rose to number one on the Modern Rock charts on October 26, 2006, where it would stay for seven weeks.

The song ranked at #17 on Rolling Stone's "The 100 Best Songs of 2006". [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006/2 The 100 Best Songs of 2006 : Rolling Stone ] ]

Track listing

*All songs written by My Chemical Romance.Version 1 (promotional CD)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
length1 = 5:19
title2 = Welcome to the Black Parade
note2 = radio edit
length2 = 4:37

Version 2 (CD and 7" vinyl)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
length1 = 5:11
title2 = Heaven Help Us
length2 = 2:56
title3 = Carry On
length3 = 4:23

Version 3 (7" vinyl)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
length1 = 5:11
title2 = Welcome to the Black Parade
note2 = live
length2 = 5:31

Version 4 (CD)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
length1 = 5:11
title2 = Heaven Help Us
length2 = 2:56
title3 = Welcome to the Black Parade
note3 = live
length3 = 5:31

Version 5 (digital download)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
note1 = radio edit
length1 = 4:38
title2 = My Chemical Romance Welcomes You to the Black Parade
note2 = commentary by the band
length2 = 39:28

Version 6 (digital download)Tracklist
title1 = Welcome to the Black Parade
note1= live
length1 = 5:31
title2 = Heaven Help Us
length2 = 2:56

Overview

My Chemical Romance debuted "Welcome to the Black Parade" live at the pre-show of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.

The song was meant to be written for their debut album, "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love", but there was never enough time to complete it well enough until the third album. [Interview published by chilean «Tú» magazine, in its February 2008 edition]

Charts

The song debuted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 at #71 for the chart week of September 30, 2006, becoming their highest debut for a single. It peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 in its 17th and 18th week on the chart, becoming the band's first top ten Hot 100 hit, and their highest peaking single thus far (their previous highest position on this chart was #33 with "Helena"). In addition it topped Modern Rock Tracks for seven weeks in a row, and is the band's only #1 on this chart to date. It peaked at #2 on the UK iTunes Store's most played songs, and has reached #6 on the U.S. iTunes Store. The single knocked Razorlight's "America" off the number 1 single spot on Sunday, October 15, 2006 in the UK after extensive airplay, becoming the band's first #1 there. It has overall been their most successful single to date, reaching the top 10 of the United World Chart. The single was #26 of the top 40 singles of 2006 in the UK, selling 169,000 units. The song has been certified platinum by the RIAA by selling over 1,000,000 copies.

Music video

The video for the single was directed by Samuel Bayer, known for his work with Nirvana and Green Day.http://www.somorescene.com/2006/07/29/what-is-the- -parade/] The [http://youtube.com/watch?v=P1jLQKjkkYQ music video] was released on September 26, 2006 in the UK and Canada, and was released on September 27, 2006 in the U.S. It got heavy play on MTV. It features a dying man (played by Lukas Haas) dressed in a hospital gown, and being taken by death in the form of a Black Parade. On the main float stands the band playing "Welcome to the Black Parade".

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was a main influence for their new album.cite web | first = Maria | last = Häggkvist | title = None more black! | url = http://www.musicbrigade.com/Templates/xform____10633.aspx | accessdate = 2007-08-16 ] While the band is playing, "The Patient" wanders throughout the parade looking at all the various characters within it.

The cover art for the single is a scene from the video, with the man in the bottom center being the Patient. He is flanked by two women named "Fear" and "Regret" in Gerard Way "Revenge"-era makeup. The setting of the music video goes from a hospital to a surreal cityscape, with ash-covered wreckage and destroyed buildings. The video features 4 of the main characters. "The Patient", "Fear", "Regret", and "Mother War". "Fear" and "Regret" are the two women that stand beside "The Patient" on the cover for the single. "Mother War" is the woman in the Victorian-era gown and gas mask. Liza Minnelli plays the character of "Mother War" in the second verse of the song "Mama".

Parody

On the January 6, 2007 episode of "MADtv", the song was parodied as "The Black Tirade", centering on Michael Richards's dying career after spouting racial slurs at the Laugh Factory, as well as how Internet video sites like YouTube are becoming more popular than television. Michael McDonald played Michael Richards and the video parody featured African-American people smashing "Seinfeld" DVDs and the (fake) band members of My Chemical Romance (Gerard Way played by MADtv cast member Frank Caeti) looking at the infamous picture of Britney Spears exiting a limo sans underwear on a laptop computer.

The beginning of the song has also become an internet meme due to how the lyrics "when i was" are the most important part of the song.

References

1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-564611/Girl-13-hangs-obsessed-Emo-suicide-cult-rock-band.html

External links

* [http://www.theblackparade.com/ "Welcome to the Black Parade" sound track at "The Black Parade" official website]