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Cancer (song)

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"Cancer"
Song by My Chemical Romance
from the album The Black Parade
ReleasedOctober 23, 2006
Recorded2006
StudioEldorado Recording, Burbank
Genre
Length2:22
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Cancer" is a piano ballad by American rock band My Chemical Romance. It is the eighth track from the group's third studio album The Black Parade. The song was released on October 23, 2006.

Background, writing, and recording

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My Chemical Romance began writing their third studio album, The Black Parade, in early 2006 at S.I.R. Studios in New York;[1] however, the band then moved to the Paramour Estate, a haunted mansion in Los Angeles, to write the majority of the album.[2] During the band's time there, Frank Iero recalled seeing Gerard Way in his room, "submerged" in a sheet of paper with "Cancer" written on it.[3][4] Later, the band moved again to Eldorado Recording Studios to record the album.[5] There, Way told Ray Toro that he had written a song, and Toro began to place chords onto his melody with his guitar. However, Toro realized that the song would benefit from a piano rather than a guitar, and advised Way to wait until producer Rob Cavallo arrived at the studio. The next day, Cavallo played the piano following Way's instructions, and the two wrote "Cancer" in eight minutes. The song was recorded and finalized half an hour later.[5]

Way later said that writing "Cancer" was "almost like an attempt to write the darkest song ever".[6] The band played "Cancer" during an October 2006 episode of Saturday Night Live in promotion of the album, alongside "Welcome to the Black Parade".[4][7]

Composition and lyrics

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"Cancer" is a piano ballad[8] with a length of two minutes and twenty-two seconds.[9] The song is in the key of E major and is set in common time, and runs at the slow tempo of 70 beats per minute.[10] In addition to a "melancholic" piano,[8] the song's instrumentation consists of violins[11] and "big and present" yet restrained drums.[12] Sia Michel of The New York Times called "Cancer" the "unlikeliest power ballad ever",[13] while Alternative Press instead classified the song as emo.[14] The song has been compared to those by the Beatles, with Christopher Weingarten of The New York Times comparing it to "Let It Be"[15] and Ed Thompson of IGN comparing it to "Fixing a Hole".[16] Weingarten also likened "Cancer" to the Ozzy Osbourne song "So Tired", calling both songs "symphonic, string-soaked piano ballads".[15]

Lyrically, "Cancer" takes the perspective of The Patient, the protagonist of The Black Parade whose life is flashing before his eyes as he dies.[17] In the context of the album, "Cancer" reveals that The Patient is dying from is cancer, and acts as a "bridging sequence" in the middle of the album.[4][17] The song takes on a first-person perspective, depicting the narrator's struggle with the disease and their "deteriorating physical state".[6][8][17] However, Way has also said that cancer was "being used as a metaphor",[6] and My Chemical Romance biographer Tom Bryant suggested that the song was about Way's depression as it "crawled over him like an illness", and his relationship troubles.[18]

Release

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"Cancer" was first announced as the ninth song on The Black Parade's on September 13, 2006,[19] and was released alongside the album on October 23, 2006.[9] The song was included on the 2008 live album and DVD The Black Parade is Dead!, which featured the final show performed on The Black Parade Tour; Sophie Bruce of the BBC praised that Gerard Way's vocals "shined brightest" on the track.[20] On March 25, 2014, "Cancer" was released as part of May Death Never Stop You, the band's greatest hits album.[21] The song was also released on September 23, 2016 as part of The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts, the 10th-anniversary reissue of The Black Parade.[22]

Critical reception

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"Cancer" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with NME writing that it "packs an emotional punch so devastating and graphic that you could never call it rock'n'roll".[17] The song has ranked well amongst those on The Black Parade, with Mackenzie Templeton of Alternative Press ranking it fourth for the "pure honesty and vulnerability" of Gerard Way's vocals.[23] Ariana Bacle of Entertainment Weekly ranked "Cancer" at sixth on The Black Parade, arguing that the "overtly bleak" nature of the track suited the album well.[24] However, Tom Shepherd of Kerrang! wrote that the song's bleakness made it "not one you want to have on repeat too often", placing it at ninth on his ranking of the album.[25] Similarly, Lauren Boisvert of American Songwriter placed the song at twelfth, calling it "hard to listen to" due to its subject despite being a "masterpiece of narrative".[26]

The song has also been deemed as one of the best in My Chemical Romance's discography as a whole, with particular praise towards its sentimentality. Guitarist Ben Bruce from Asking Alexandria declared "Cancer" his favorite song by the band, praising its sadness and calling it "very brave" to include the song within the otherwise-flamboyant album.[27] The staff of Billboard included the song in their list of The 15 Best My Chemical Romance Songs, similarly lauding it as "proof that [the band] can nail a heartbreaking slower song".[8] Andy Belt of PopMatters ranked "Cancer" as the eighth-best song by the band, calling it their "most affecting ballad",[28] while Marianne Eloise of Louder Sound included it in her list of the 20 best songs by the band due to being "mournful and visceral".[11]

Credits and personnel

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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Black Parade[29] and iTunes.[30]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[31] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Twenty One Pilots version

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"Cancer"
Promotional single by Twenty One Pilots
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2016 (2016-09-14)
Recorded2016
GenreElectronica
Length3:56
LabelFueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tyler Joseph
Twenty One Pilots promotional singles chronology
"We Don't Believe What's on TV"
(2016)
"Cancer"
(2016)
"Heavydirtysoul"
(2016)

American musical duo Twenty One Pilots recorded a cover of "Cancer" for British music magazine Rock Sound's 2016 compilation album, Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade.[32][33] It was teased by lead singer Tyler Joseph in January 2016, having uploaded a short clip of himself singing the song.[34] The full version was released on September 14, 2016.[35][36]

Composition

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The cover is played in the key of D Major with a common time tempo of 72 to 76 beats per minute. The vocals span from D3 to G4 in the song.[37] It contains a piano part and also incorporates programmed beats and other electronic sounds.[38] Rolling Stone described the song as "synth-laden" and featuring "additional lyric reprises and layered vocals, which gives the song an extra pensive vibe."[39]

Reception

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Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone wrote that "the duo stays faithful to the already melancholic song while ratcheting up the somberness a tad."[39] Scott Shetler, writing for AXS, wrote that "Twenty One Pilots keep the melancholy while taking the song in a different direction."[38] The lead singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, was impressed by the cover, saying in an interview with PopBuzz "There's a bit of rejuggling of parts and I was like 'Wow, this almost sounds like a remix,' but it's a cover by way of this, kind of, rearrangement and I was really impressed with it".[40] Brii Jamieson of Rock Sound named it one of the band's best covers.[41]

Music video

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On the day of its release, an animated lyric video created by Tantrum Content was uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel. The video shows floating books and large bookshelves in a library. As of April 2024, its lyric video has received over 65 million views.[42]

Personnel

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Chart performance

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Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[43] 53
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[44] 75
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[45] 99
New Zealand Heatseekers
(Recorded Music NZ)[46]
1
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[47] 96
UK Singles (OCC)[48] 93
US Billboard Hot 100[49] 91
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[50] 6

Year-end charts

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Chart (2016) Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[51] 53

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[52] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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Books

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Bryant, Tom (2014). Not the Life It Seems: The True Lives of My Chemical Romance. Boston: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306823497.

Sources

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  1. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 147
  2. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 153
  3. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 155
  4. ^ a b c Childers, Chad (October 23, 2023). "Why Did My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way Write 'Cancer'?". Loudwire. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Bryant 2014, p. 170
  6. ^ a b c "My Chemical Romance defend 'Cancer' track". NME. October 16, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Darus, Alex (April 19, 2021). "10 alternative artists who brought the scene to the 'SNL' stage". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Weatherby, Taylor (November 14, 2019). "The 15 Best My Chemical Romance Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "The Black Parade — Album by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "My Chemical Romance "Cancer" Sheet Music in E Major (transposable)". Musicnotes. EMI Music Publishing. July 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Eloise, Marianne (May 27, 2024). "The 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs ever". Louder. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  12. ^ "Exclusive: Ex-MCR drummer shares his memories of recording 'The Black Parade'". Alternative Press. September 22, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Michel, Sia (October 22, 2006). "Fresh From the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Fan poll: 5 saddest emo songs of all time". Alternative Press. July 24, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher (December 18, 2019). "Before & After 'The Black Parade'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  16. ^ Thompson, Ed (October 25, 2006). "My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade". IGN. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d "My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade". NME. October 13, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  18. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 176
  19. ^ Harris, Chris (September 13, 2006). "My Chemical Romance Unveil Black Parade Track List, Album Art". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  20. ^ Bruce, Sophie (2008). "Review of My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade is Dead". BBC. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  21. ^ Paul, Aubin (January 21, 2014). "My Chemical Romance detail 'May Death Never Stop You,' launch pre-orders". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Getz, Dana (July 29, 2016). "My Chemical Romance: 'The Black Parade' reissue gets release date". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  23. ^ Templeton, Mackenzie (January 22, 2020). "'The Black Parade' ranked from good to peak My Chemical Romance". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Bacle, Ariana (July 22, 2016). "My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade: Ranking the songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Shepherd, Tom (October 20, 2021). "My Chemical Romance: Every song on The Black Parade, ranked from worst to best". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  26. ^ Boisvert, Lauren (November 12, 2024). "My Chemical Romance is Going On Tour in 2025, So Here's How I Rank Every Track on 'The Black Parade'". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  27. ^ "My Chemical Romance's Best Songs, Picked By Your Favourite Bands". Kerrang!. June 16, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  28. ^ Belt, Andy (October 1, 2014). "The Top 15 Songs of My Chemical Romance". PopMatters. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  29. ^ My Chemical Romance (2006). The Black Parade (liner notes). Reprise Records.
  30. ^ "Cancer — Song by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  31. ^ "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  32. ^ "Introducing... 'Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade'". Rock Sound. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  33. ^ Wicks, Amanda (September 14, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots Cover My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". Radio.com. CBS Radio. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  34. ^ "Here's Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph singing My Chemical Romance". Alternative Press. July 20, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  35. ^ "Cancer (Cover) Single". iTunes. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  36. ^ "Twenty One Pilots release cover of My Chemical Romance's "Cancer"". Alternative Press. August 13, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  37. ^ "Twenty One Pilots "Cancer" Sheet Music in D Major (transposable)". Musicnotes. 16 September 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  38. ^ a b "Listen: Twenty One Pilots cover My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". AXS. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  39. ^ a b "Hear Twenty One Pilots' Melancholic Cover of My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". Rolling Stone. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  40. ^ "Gerard Way reacts to Twenty One Pilots' cover of "Cancer"". Alternative Press. August 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  41. ^ Jamieson, Brii (September 5, 2018). "12 Of Twenty One Pilots' Best Covers". Radio.com. Rock Sound. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  42. ^ "YouTube Lyric Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  43. ^ "CHART WATCH #387". auspOp. September 24, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  44. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  45. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 39. týden 2016 in the date selector. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  46. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 3, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  47. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201641 into search. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  48. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  49. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  50. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  51. ^ "Hot Rock Songs - Year-End 2016". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  52. ^ "American single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2022.