anonymous July 15th, 2007 01:18PM  
It's not about emo kids! they even said that they're not emo and all that crap! it's about a cult like Scientology that was made as a joke but people actually believed it.

anonymous August 16th, 2007 04:46PM  
Based on the name "Thank God..." and "Esteban", I assumed that it had something to do with the church or religion in general. The name Esteban -Stephen- is probably alluding to Saint Stephen. Saint Stephen was an early deacon of the early church that followed Jesus' teachings. He is better known for being the first martyr in christianity. The word "martyrdom" is used in another song's titled along "press coverage".
My guess is that this song talks about hypocrisy in church as well as hypocrisy in mass media, which ultimately mirrors church in many ways.

anonymous September 20th, 2007 10:39PM  
Its not about a church or crazy ass Scientology. It's about how people follow bands "religiously" and the just about that whole scene in general (Being at a concert). It seems pretty obvious to me, But I could very well be wrong.

anonymous November 11th, 2007 01:08AM  
This is obviously about sexual abuse in the clergy. These catholic priests make little boys their sex slaves. It's happening all over our country and probably europe as well. It's a terrible, horrific, continuous cycle of abuse where little boys are done terrible things too, smacked in the face, told they are going to heaven for having "special masses" with the priests. This obviously happened with one of these members of this band. I am a social work, and have dealt with this issue on many occasion. Spread awareness. Keep our children out of the catholic church.

Please.

anonymous November 26th, 2007 05:12PM  
Seriously?

noone has gotten this yet? oh well

the song is a direct referance to the movie the life aquatic wwith steve zissou.

yes I don't understand that well, but the song is that movie, completely directed towards religion as opposed to what actuually is going on in the movie.

anonymous December 10th, 2007 08:59PM  
He's talking about religion in general, but mostly about evangelism and a little bit about the catholic church. the catholic church is all show, pomp and circumstance, priests all dressed up, stuff in latin, nothing to do with conviction, but fake repentance and repeated prayers. and evangelism is famous for doing crazy things that aren't in the bible, such as falling to the floor when "touched by the spirit" and convulsing. and using things like this to make money, since they are all paid ministers, partaking of the tithes and offerings of the blinded followers and believers in their "show". many times they cut the lights in their cults and have live bands. they say things like halleluja, glory to God about 5,000 times an hour just to take up space and it never sounds like they mean it. they also make up many of their own comandments and tell everyone they are sinning (sins forged at the pulpit). it's also interesting to note that catholic or mormon "sermons" are not called sermons, but masses and talks. evangelists also many times present repented sinners, walking contradictions such as "yolanda the damned" who is now a pastor after being a cross dresser for years. in the catholic church, the things the evangelists do such as speaking in tongues and convulsing on the floor are considered disorderly and thus condemned in the catholic church. I can't really think of any more connections right now, but if I do, I'll post them.

anonymous March 6th, 2008 03:11AM  
This is so sad.
i LOVE panic! at the disco && I'm a full on catholic.
:(
i had no idea it had to do with doubting the church.

OH WELL. badass band.

anonymous April 10th, 2008 10:09AM  
I just want to make sure everyone realizes something before I go on: this song was written by Ryan Ross, who went to catholic school. It may be sung by Brendon, who was raised Mormon, but it was written from Ryan's point of view. Personally, I think it's about something along the lines of doubting the religion he was raised with, but of course I can't be sure, since I'm not the one that wrote it!

anonymous June 24th, 2008 02:48PM  
I completely agree with the interpretation submitted anonymously on 2006-08-14 14:08:29, but I'm also thinking the girl may have gotten pregnant and they did a quicky marriage just so the baby would have married parents. Some other songs talk about "shotgun weddings" which are weddings where the couple is married only because they're pregnant. That would be a possible cause for the lack of trust, because they're not really in love they're just having a baby.

It also may be a good reason for the religious contradiction, because how can a preacher be talking about the love of people who not only don't love each other, but have had pre-marital sex?

I do think the religion thing is being waaay over-analyzed! It's witty and sarcastic and extremely unfortunate!!

anonymous June 26th, 2008 05:15PM  
This song is obviously about "scene" kids Ryan Ross likes metaphors and uses them in all his songs. After reading these comments it's apparently obvious to me Panic has two kinds of fans, smart ones and dumb ones. This has nothing to do with church.

anonymous July 24th, 2008 11:53PM  
Well, when I think of this song, I either think of a guest preacher or a preacher whose tired of the church's practices. So he kinda invades it and tries to explain to the people the way he thinks the church should go, that's what I think like kinda if he had a plan. a dude who is trying to change a church

anonymous August 4th, 2008 01:11PM  
I'm sure Ryan Ross had something very specific in mind when he wrote this song. This song is just...it is absolutely perfect for me. I'm kind of a Catholic I suppose, because I'm baptised. But I haven't been confirmed yet, and I honestly don't know if I will decide to be. This song pretty much covers half my thoughts on being a Catholic.

lol I'm actually trying to complete my confirmation questions (mandatory for an A) while I listen to this song...wow...I'm a great Catholic. lol

anonymous August 28th, 2008 03:47AM  
In this little number we're graced by two displays of character,
We've got: the gunslinger extraordinaire, the walking contradictions.

He's talking about the two kinds of religious leaders, the 'gunslinger extraordinaire' or the fundamentalist, violent leader, and the 'walking contradictions', the hypocritical leader.

panicfanforever November 7th, 2008 11:35AM  
this song is very nice and perhaps the best song on fever you cant sweat out.it simple tell abouts some people's wrong practice of asking for forgiveness about there sins. Most of us thinks that if they go to church, all the sins will be erased which is wrong.Some preachers like pastors and priest give so many advices that even too there selfs cannot practice what they preach. In this world today so many Christian churches are getting into trouble claiming that they are the true God's church and they also accused other christian church as faux ,But it is not because God's preach sakes with conviction.. In the chorus part, they now talk about themself..STRICT AT THE BAND..which is the relation between them self performing on stage and the audience watching them..they are convincing the audiences to believe there point of view..( THE CONDUCTOR IS BECKONING).. On the second part, the band attempts that the audiences will be divided into two (GRACED BY TWO DISPLAYS OF CHAraCTER)..there will be who agrees (gunslinger) and those who will dis-agree (Walking contradiction).... Just stay where i can see you douse the lights this means that the light should always be on so that there is a transparency of everything that is happening.. This is a face to face and straightforward song dedicated to those faux person..or a wolf in sheep's clothing pretending to be a child of God This song PATD rocks

anonymous January 12th, 2009 06:47PM  
I think it's about the Hunter: The Reckoning series of video games. Referring more specifically to the 'Judge' character, Father Esteban Cortez. "Give us this day our daily dose of faux affliction Forgive our sins" There are several churches around, one even has a demonic teddy bear inside. "We've got: the gunslinger extraordinaire walking contradictions" Father Esteban carries around a blessed cross-shaped sword and a crossbow. "Just stay where I can see you Douse the lights!" We sure are in for a show tonight" there are a few areas that are either low lit, or that the lights go out altogether. You'd want a zombie or a werewolf staying right where they are if you can't see them anymore, too. "Strike up the band! Whoa-oh, the conductor is beckoning Come congregation, let's sing it like you mean it No. Don't you get it, don't you get it? Now don't you move." more of the monsters not moving. "Strike up the band" is a metaphor for calling down the boss mobs.

anonymous April 10th, 2009 02:00PM  
seeing as Ryan [ the lyricist] is an atheist i think this is sortave mocking religion. and yes, i believe its all woven in with sins, beter if u do, and lying. becuase the first verse of the song is a prayer of some sort.

anonymous July 9th, 2009 06:49PM  
"In this little number we're graced by two displays of character,
We've got: the gunslinger extraordinaire walking contradictions
And I for one can see no blood from the hearts and the wrists you allegedly slit
And I for one won't stand for this if this scene were a parish you'd all be condemned."

- I think this line particularly is about his fiance.
She is for one a "gunslinger extraordinaire" (a person who can shoot very accurately and has been involved in many fights using guns, in other words she was good at hurting people around her and was used to it). She is also a walking contradiction ( constantly contradicts herself). This is her true character.

The other side of her is the one he saw in her before she done him wrong, a good side where she is the exact opposite of the formal, despite everything others supposedly have said to him about her, he never took any notice because he was blinded by love. -> "And I for one can see no blood from the hearts and the wrists you allegedly slit"

Now that he finally sees her true colours, he won't stand for anymore of it. He says if this was anyone else they would have dumped her straight away.

Thats what I think about it anyways I won't describe the whole song cause that would take forever! =] & I'm not too sure about this song actually being about religion. Come on it is Panic at the disco we're talking about here.

anonymous December 14th, 2009 11:25PM  
Well if you've ever read the crucible the lyrics seem to fall quite nicely into place regarding the Salem Witch Hunts along time back, most seemingly regarding the character of the accuser(s). I do however doubt that there is any connection to the song by intention but hey, I couldn't tell you myself