My Chemical Romance: Welcome to the Black Parade Meaning

Song Released: 2006

Welcome to the Black Parade Lyrics

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...

1. anonymous

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   Aug 6th 2007 !⃝

   My interpretation is that the song is ambiguous for a reason. Its an anthem for those who have lost a love one as they said, but more importantly an interpretation of war. Its a story of "patient" who's memory is of a black parade at the beginning, not for the reason of the whole song but to set the seen and fit the mood at the start, as its slow it just fits the tempo and theme. As the song progresses it becomes more of a punk anthem saying basically each thing that effects people mentally death: "...Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me. And other times I feel like I should go."
   then war: "...And through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets."
   then being tormented for your beliefs: "...A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams, Your misery and hate will kill us all."
   ... It rallies you to keep going and that war is stupid. Its a progression of the "hippie" scene which was fighting war with love. Now we're (MCR) are pissed off and sick of these things happening, and fighting the stupidity in the world with anger. Its not something we should just sit back and just watch anymore. . .
2. anonymous

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   Aug 5th 2007 !⃝

   Wait, wait! This song isn't called 'We are the Black Parade'! It's called 'Welcome to the Black Parade'! Does no one on the internet know anything?!?!
   
   Now, carry on with your interpretations.
3. anonymous

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   Jul 25th 2007 !⃝

   It's about whatever you want. That's the best thing about great songs is that they can carry many viable interpretations and it'll always touch different people unique.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 18th 2007 !⃝

   Now I realize THIS IS WRONG, but this is what the some makes me think of. I thought it was about a man who lost his mother as a boy, and his father takes him to her funeral [black parade] and when it says "sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me" the she is his mother, and
   "When you're gone we want you all to know We'll Carry on,
   We'll Carry on
   Though your dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on
   Carry on
   We'll carry on "
   is like a tribute to her, saying will miss you, but do our best to be happy and live as you would have wanted us to.
   
   thats all WRONG, but its a about interpretation and what you take from the song. So that's my take on it. Though I think in actuality it's about something quite different.
5. anonymous

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   Jul 17th 2007 !⃝

   Does anyone else see some slight and probably accidental reference to things that happened in the bible?
   
   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, WILL YOU BE THE SAVIOR OF THE BROKEN, THE BEATEN AND THE DAMNED?"
   He said
   "WILL YOU DEFEAT THEM, YOUR DEMONS, AND AL THE NON-BELIEVERS, THE PLANS THAT THEY HAVE MADE?"
   Because one day I LEAVE YOU,
   A phantom to LEAD YOU in the summer,
   To join the black parade."
   
   
   THOUGH YOU'RE DEAD AND GONE,YOUR MEMORY WILL CARRY ON.
   
   
   
   
   soryr guys, hate to be the annoying christian, but I just saw some resemblance. even if there is, its probably accidental.
6. twinkle_toes

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   Jul 14th 2007 !⃝

   Patient wakes up from coma, all he remembers is a parade, and realizes that he's going 2 die and sees death as a black parade. when it says "your weary widow marches" that must mean that the girl he's talking 2 in other songs is his wife! right?
7. anonymous

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   Jul 6th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about taking someone into the afterlife during times of war
8. anonymous

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   Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

   It's about the patient dying, going into the after life and reflecting on his life.
9. anonymous

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   Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

   Correct me if I'm wrong but I get the impression that this song is about the prostitution within the war times.
10. anonymous

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    Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

    100% fictional! This song is about the black parade taking the patient into the afterlife. It is not a metaphor for anyones life its just a creation of Gerard's imaginative mind.
11. anonymous

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    Jun 27th 2007 !⃝

    Assuming the "Black parade" is the metaphor for death, the patient is thinking back to when his father left him to go to war and this is when he first encountered death "Because one day ill leave you a phantom (from war)to lead you in the summer to join the black parade," and possibly go to war "and through it all the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets." the patient may possibly be thinking about his mother and how his fathers death and his impending death will affect her "your weary widow marches on." Eventually as the song progresses the black parade eventually takes the patient as he begins to realize he can't change the past or his destiny "I'm just a man, I'm not a hero" and possibly wrote the song before he died "Just a boy who had to sing this song."
    
    Overall this is a great song! 10/10!
12. checkeredpast

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    Jun 23rd 2007 !⃝

    Tragedy and sadness surrounded Gerard Way and I think he is expressing that he has reached understanding as to why some things have to happen in life. It seems to suggest that he has empathy for people who are suffering and he is realizing a calling to help people. I feel that the black parade itself is not a metaphor for death, but a world exposed to darkness that torments the soul. Pain is art.
13. peteinmypants

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    Jun 15th 2007 !⃝

    I guess you could look at this song the way you have been, but also, I think you could think of it as...his father died, and has joined the black parade. So now the son has to lead it for his father, even though he doesn't want to.
14. anonymous

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    Jun 11th 2007 !⃝

    All right I think this song is about when the patient being carried to his death through the black parade because Gerard believes that when you die you get carried away through your strongest memory. So in the beginning of the song when he is about to die he remembers the black parade. Then throughout the rest of the song he is carried on to his death.
15. anonymous

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    May 21st 2007 !⃝

    I agree with the last interpretation. The choice of words Black Parade only refers to death itself to convey death is happening in the song. The Parade is the fondest moment the boy remembers. The struggle of not wanting to face death and to not want to live up to expectations. But in the end death is inevitable and nobody has a choice that is a survivor but to make it through regardless untill they go themselves.

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