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Welcome to the Black Parade CD cover

The CD cover for "Welcome to the Black Parade".

"Welcome to the Black Parade" is the first single and fifth track from My Chemical Romance's third studio album, The Black Parade. It is the band's ninth 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".

Background[]

The song, as well as the rest of the album, follows The Patient, a man who is dying. The idea is that Death comes for you in the form of your fondest memory; in the case of the Patient it is a parade that his father took him to when he was young.

My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has expressed a belief that when someone dies, they are greeted with their fondest memory. The protagonist of The Black Parade’s fondest memory was a parade his father took him to, so he sees this after his death.

Lyrics[]

[Intro]
When I was a young boy
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band
He said, "Son, when you grow up
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the damned?"
He said, "Will you defeat them?
Your demons, and all the non-believers
The plans that they have made?"
"Because one day, I'll leave you
A phantom to lead you in the summer
To join the black parade"
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the damned?"
When I was a young boy
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band
He said, "Son, when you grow up
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the damned?"

[Verse 1]
Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me
And other times I feel like I should go
And through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets
And when you're gone, we want you all to know

[Chorus]
We'll carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And in my heart I can't contain it
The anthem won't explain it

[Verse 2]
A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams
Your misery and hate will kill us all
So paint it black and take it back, let's shout it loud and clear
Defiant to the end we hear the call

[Chorus]
To carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches

[Bridge]
On and on, we carry through the fears
Oh, oh, oh
Disappointed faces of your peers
Oh, oh, oh
Take a look at me, 'cause I could not care at all
Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
I won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scars
Give a cheer for all the broken
Listen here, because it's who we are
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who had to sing this song
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
I don't care

[Chorus]
We'll carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches

[Bridge/Outro]
Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
(We'll carry on!)
Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
(We'll carry on!)

Track listing[]

Version 1 (promotional CD)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" – 5:19
  2. "Welcome to the Black Parade" (radio edit) – 4:37

Version 2 (CD and 7" vinyl)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" – 5:11
  2. "Heaven Help Us" – 2:56

Version 3 (7" vinyl)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" – 5:11
  2. "Welcome to the Black Parade" (live) – 5:31

Version 4 (CD)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" – 5:11
  2. "Heaven Help Us" – 2:56
  3. "Welcome to the Black Parade" (live) – 5:31

Version 5 (digital download)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" (radio edit) – 4:38
  2. "My Chemical Romance Welcomes You to the Black Parade" (commentary by the band) – 39:28

Version 6 (digital download)

  1. "Welcome to the Black Parade" (live) – 5:31
  2. "Heaven Help Us" – 2:56

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 an impressive 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.

Chart Peak
position
Dave's Show Top 50 1
Argentina Hot 100 1
MYX Philippines 1
UK Rock Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1
Galgalatz Israel Top 20 1
UK Singles Chart 1
UK Rock iTunes 1
French Singles Chart 1
New Zealand Airplay 2
Australian iTunes 2
UK iTunes 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Recurrents 2
New Zealand iTunes 3
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand 1
Czech IFPI Chart 6
U.S. iTunes 6
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs 7
United World Chart 8
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 8
U.S. Billboard Billboard Hot 100 9
U.S. Billboard Hot Canadian Digital Singles 9
Piczo Countdown 9
U.S. Billboard Hot Videoclip Tracks 10
Irish Singles Chart 12
Triple J Hottest 100 13
Latvian Airplay Top 14
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 14
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay 16
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay 22
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 22
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 24
Mexican Singles Chart 25
UK End of Year Chart 26
Italy Singles Chart 28
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 30
U.S. Billboard Hot Ringmasters 30
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 30
Colombian Singles Chart[1] 39
Poland Singles Chart 41
Germany Singles Chart 58
ARIA Charts ARIA End of Year Charts 71

Notes[]

Trivia[]

  • It was originally intended to be called The Five Of Us Are Dying.
  • The song featured in the ending scene of the hit Netflix show Lucifer


The Black Parade singles
Welcome to the Black Parade | Teenagers | I Don't Love You | Famous Last Words
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