My Chemical Romance was my second favorite band next to The Offspring growing up. I discovered them a little late, a couple months after their second album released. It was one of those bands I kept seeing merchandise for in Hot Topic, but never went out of my way to check them out. Then I heard "I'm Not Okay" and was interested. When I saw the music video for "Helena", I was hooked! I listened to their first and second albums on repeat for a couple years. Coming from a small town, not a lot of my friends knew about MCR, and it wasn't played on the local radio yet, so I felt like the way I discovered it was pretty special. Couple of years later, they released The Black Parade, then everybody knew who My Chemical Romance was.
Welcome to the Black Parade was released in 2006, and it blew up! Next thing I knew, even the girls on the volleyball team were talking about My Chemical Romance! It peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 charts, which is their highest charting single to date. This means it got radio play on Top 40s stations! This left 17 year old Kessler baffled at the thought of one of his favorite emo bands being played next to Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback".
The song, as is the album itself, is a story about death through the eyes of "The Patient". Welcome to the Black Parade is a metaphor for entering the afterlife. Front-man, Gerard Way, believed that death came for you through your fondest memory. The fondest memory for "the patient" was going to the parade with his father as a child. Great song, great album, and an even more amazing music video than their previous ones. (Though, I will always have a soft spot for Helena. </3)
My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade - 2006