anonymous January 7th, 2006 01:55PM  

The song is based on a book called "Invisible Monsters". Search the book title on Amazon.com and read the first chapter. That should clear a lot of things up.

anonymous June 12th, 2006 11:40PM  

I think Panic! At The Disco probably took a lot of the ideas from the book Invisible Monsters and included their own real life experiences in it to create something impossible for us overanalyzing critics to dissect completely =)

anonymous July 4th, 2006 08:18PM  

I agree with most of your guys' interpretation of the song, only up until the "shotgun wedding" part.

in my opinion, I believe that panic! is referring to evie, in the novel, having a 'shotgun wedding' with allen or adam [or w/e his name was]near the end. She clearly just met him, and her mom [that one realtor] had also said that it was a relief that her daughter was finally getting married.

if it weren't for the wedding [the setting, the place, and the time] the whole incident at the end probably wouldn't have happened.

so, maybe that's why the "shotgun wedding" played such a big roll in both the novel and the song.

...then again, that's just my opinion.

anonymous November 16th, 2006 12:52PM  

I just finished reading "invisible monsters" and incidently just started listening to this band. And I must say that the song is a dead-on summary of the book. Like others have said below, I don't want to give away the book the basic plot is outlined as such: there are three main characters, all models, competing for the spotlight. This is where the "photo-op" and "give me envy, give me malice" sections come in (the lyrics actually imitate chuck palanuk's writing style), and the "boys will be boys, hiding in estrogen and aubergine dreams" pretty much cements this theory (once again, I don't want to give away the book but if you read it this will become clear). The begining of the book is actually the ending of the story, in which one of the characters shoots another with a shotgun during her (the shooter's) wedding.

anonymous November 17th, 2006 05:36PM  

i see most of you know it's based off a book called Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk. If I repeat something from someone's translation, sorry, but here's what I think.
Well, she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor
Just for the attention. (the on bleeding on the ballroom floor in the book is a famous model who loves attention)
Cause that's just ridiculously on.
Well, she sure is gonna get it (evie, the main characters best frien is really angry and upset and has a shotgun)
Here's the setting (the book says about scene setting)
Fashion magazines line the walls now (FASHION)
The walls line the bullet holes (Evie has a shotgun)

Have some composure
Where is your posture? (they're all models who have to be perfect)
Oh, no, no
You're pulling the trigger
Pulling the trigger
All wrong (the main character shoots her own jaw off, but her best friend thinks her ex-fiance did it and vise-versa)
[x2]

Give me envy, give me malice, give me a-a-attention
Give me envy, give me malice, baby, give me a break! (the main character has a photographer in her head, giving her emotions to feel)
When I say "Shotgun", you say "Wedding"
"Shotgun", "Wedding", "Shotgun", "Wedding" (it's evie's wedding and she has a shotgun)

She didn't choose this role
But she'll play it and make it sincere
So you cry, you cry (the main character believes you don't make a big deal out of something untill someone's around to see it)
(Give me a break) (one of the things the hypothetical photographer says)
But they believe it from the tears
And the teeth right down to the blood
At her feet (the hospital believes someone else shot off her jaw, and there was blood pooling at her feet and she says about her teeth falling to the passenger seet of her car)
Boys will be boys
Hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine dreams (brandy is the famous model shot on the ballroom floor but she is actually a guy and she wears aubergine dreams make up)
(Give me a break)

Have some composure
Where is your posture?
Oh, no, no
You're pulling the trigger
Pulling the trigger
All wrong
[x2]

Come on this is screaming "Photo op." op... (perfect dramatic scene for a photographer)
Come on
Come on
This is screaming
This is screaming
This is screaming "Photo op."

Boys will be boys, baby
Boys will be boys
Boys will be boys, baby
Boys will be boys

Give me envy, give me malice, give me a-a-attention
Give me envy, give me malice, baby, give me a break!
When I say "Shotgun", you say "Wedding"
"Shotgun", "Wedding", "Shotgun", "Wedding"

Boys will be boys
Hiding in estrogen and boys will be boys
Boys will be boys
Hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine dreams

rbylittle December 18th, 2006 09:28PM  

I got the book awhile ago just for this song. I read the 1st and 2nd chapter and yeah. This song is deff. based on Invisable Monsters. That book is pretty confusing though..

anonymous January 8th, 2007 07:09PM  

Invisible Monsters is without a doubt my favourite book.

To clear some things up, it's not set in a photo shoot. It's just the way the narrator speaks which has been transfered to the lyrics i.e. 'give me malice'. It's all just 1st person perspective.

Shotgun wedding refers to the setting. It's a wedding and the character who is the bride holds a shot gun.

Excellent book. You have to read it all the way through to fully appreciate some of the references such as 'aubergine dreams.'

anonymous January 24th, 2007 06:06PM  

Well...i love this song I mean who doesn't the lyrics out...there the best I love emm

paniqluv January 25th, 2007 08:10PM  

This is based on my no doubt favorite book of all time... a little messed up but still- best book ever

anonymous February 4th, 2007 06:44PM  

Before I read all these interpretations, or new about the book, I thought it was about a rich family, at a ball or something, and this girl is being forced to be someone she's not, by her parents, so they're basically 'pulling the trigger' all wrong, bc they're killing her in a sense. Also, I thought 'fashion magazines line the walls now' was saying that she is trying to be like the girls on them. Idk, there was a lot more, but I geuss that's not right anywayy lol.

anonymous March 2nd, 2007 01:04AM  

A lot of people seem to be ignoring the obvious similarities that can be drawn between the book and the song. Something may be able to be interpreted in numerous ways, that's the beauty of song-writing but this song was clearly written with "invisible monsters" in mind. So to suggest the band considered some of the theories that dispel the ideas from the novel is ridiculous. It is interesting to hear various interpretations, but quotes cannot be ignored. It then comes down to the way you personally analyse these quotes, and furthermore, the book, but we cannot take meaning from the songwriter, only the author as these were not written by the band.

i realise I have not given my interpretation but I took the song pretty literally and from what I hear, that is the most likely meaning behind these lyrics, I will have to read the book to have any further insight into this, which is the point I'm making, these quotes are OUT OF CONTEXT.

anonymous April 21st, 2007 12:16PM  

I think the first part of the song-- "well she's....bullet holes"-- is referring to a girl whose been hurt emotionally at a dance, maybe her prom date left her??, and the 'blood' is either to symbolizes her heart's pain or her tears. People are probably laughing at her and she's probably thinking that if only she was as pretty as the girls in the magazines. The bullet holes refer to the stares she's getting.

The second part of the song-- "have some....all wrong"-- might be the girl going home and getting put down from her parents: "pull it together!" or maybe that she went about things the wrong way; basically that she couldn't do anything right.

The next part-- "give me.... Shotgun, wedding"-- is her going back to the boy and begging for something, anything. Then she mocks him and the girl he left her for with the 'shotgun wedding'.

The next part is a third-person reference to the girl. She didn't choose to be in the situation she got into, but she'd get through it as best she knew how. Then it's someone making a negative comment on boys and their sexually driven minds.

The last part-- "come one... photo op"-- is again a thrid-person reference to the entire story. It's saying that all the drama would make a great photoshoot oppurtunity, maybe a movie or something?

I could be wrong about this, and all of that would be wasted effort, or I could be right. The only person who knows would be the members of P!ATD. I read a lot about the song being all about some book. I don't buy that theory in slightest. You don't just read a book and say 'hey, I could make that a song'. Music is self-expression.

FYI: maybe Brendon sounds like Patrick Stump because Pete Wentz signed them? think about it, FOB would have helped them make the album, right?

anonymous June 27th, 2007 07:30PM  

I finished Invisible Monsters less than five minutes ago and trust me, the song references the book.

anonymous July 15th, 2007 03:10AM  

All you people who haven't read the book shouldn't be saying, "Oh it can't be about that." You can't really talk about something you know nothing about.
"Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk is my favourite book, and I've read it several times. If you actually read the book, you'd see that it is EXACTLY what this song is about.
It's not about unwanted pregnancy.
It's not about the prom.
It's not about other random teenage problems.
It is about Invisible Monsters.
This is also not the only song that references a Chuck Palahniuk book.
The title of their song "They Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage" is a quote from Palaniuk's book "Survivor".
In the song "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines", the line that begins, "Just for the record, the weather today..." is borrowed from Palahniuk's book "Diary".
Ryan Ross has said that he is a huge Palahniuk fan.
It's quite obvious that it's influenced his writing.
Go read the books if you don't believe me. It'll become blatantly obvious to you.

anonymous November 26th, 2007 12:39AM  

All of this seems so deep when really looked into, but it seems to me that the girl is not in fact dead and that its more of a practical joke on her that didn't turn out right,
"they believe it,
from the tears to the teeth,
right down,
to the blood at her feet"

well that's my interpretation.

Karebear November 29th, 2007 03:52PM  

The only thing I have to say is that a lot of thought was
put into this song and I love it. I honestly think that it's saying, in my opinon, if you you're going to do something you know is wrong...or even if you're making a mistake, then you should do it right or not bother with it at all.

anonymous December 31st, 2007 05:46PM  

I agree with the anonamous person who starts off with "ladies and gents" an artist doesn't just throw a song together from ideas from some book they put actual feeling and passion into their songs. Although they could have gotten some of the ideas for the song from the book Invisible Monsters that related to the expeirences that they were reliving.

luuuuuuuvvvvv!!! this song it's sooooooooo
ah-mazing!!! totally heart Panic!

anonymous January 17th, 2008 04:59PM  

Chuck Palahniuk also wrote 'Fight Club' if that clears anything up about how fucked up both the song and book are...

anonymous April 10th, 2008 10:26AM  

Ok, this song is most definitely based on Invisible Monsters, though I do agree with the person that said that the song writer must have had some experience that led him to write the song. But the actual lines are definite references to the book.

"Boys will be boys hiding in estrogen" refers the the transvestite in the book.

"Give me envy, give me malice, give me attention" are reoccurring lines in the book.

"Here's the setting" in the first chapter of the book, the narrator describes the setting of what is happening

Thats just a few of them. There's a lot more, but you'll have to read the book to get it.

anonymous July 2nd, 2008 11:45AM  

The following is from a interview conducted by "Absolute Punk" with the band in January of 2007:

"There are many references to the writings of Chuck Palanuhik. Was this accidental, or intentional?..."

Ryan: “Time to Dance” is about a book he wrote called “Invisible Monsters” and the title of the “The Only Difference…” is from “Survivor”. They were definitely intentional and written around the time I was reading these books."


ryan ross, the bands primary lyricist, has also admitted to being a chuck palanuhik fan. He wrote the song entirely based on the book, however the lyrics can also be interpreted however you like, as the book invisible monsters can be interpreted many ways. The song is written a lot like the book, with vague ideas that can be interpreted differently ased on who interprets them. you will have to read the book to get where the lyrics come from, and you very well should because its an awesome book, confusing, but awesome. However, even though it is about a book, meaning can be taken from your own interpretation.