What does Welcome to the Black Parade mean?

My Chemical Romance: Welcome to the Black Parade Meaning

Album cover for Welcome to the Black Parade album cover

Song Released: 2006


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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. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 25th 2006 !⃝

    Actually, this song, as described by gerard when he recently appeared on fuse, says the man in the song, they called the patient, is dying in a hospital. And his most treasured memory was when his father took him to a parade when he was a young boy. And gerard says he believes that when you die, death comes to you in any form you want it to. So as this man is dying, remembering his father and the parade, death comes to him as a black parade

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 9th 2018 !⃝

    I feel like the song may contain an under current of hope despite the obvious dark nature. A dad takes his son to a parade where they have "man to man" talk about "life" and this is his favourite or enduring memory of his father. In fathers passing he has told his son that although he is no longer there in physical form he will always be there is spirit and his teachings and memories will be a guide through the "summer" of life. The theme is to "carry on" and remember me and what I have taught you, be bold, stand strong, help others in the face of a world bent on death and destruction. I think is is the idealist message every dad wants to or thinks of imparting on a son.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 21st 2012 !⃝

    It is basically a song about a dying mans look on life, and his greatest memory, a marching band parade, which his father took him to when he was little. his father has since died, and he is telling him that they will carry on without him. in the end, death comes to him in the form of the parade he saw, and he moves on. Black parade being a metaphor for Death.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 14th !⃝

    I think they mean that a man dies in the hospital bed, and when he dies, Death welcomes him with a parade and marching band. Then later in the song they say, "We'll carry on. Your memories will carry on." meaning that even if you're dead, the people who cared about you, even after death your memories will stay. Even if you are not living.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 10th 2022 !⃝

    This song to me is of a father, the father of the savior...not of the good and righteous but a savior of all those that have been tormented, beat, and broken by this fucked up world. Before the father leaves him he wants him to see all the people that fit this description, and how he, the son, must defeat his own demons, drug addiction, bitterness from a world quick to judge, his own self loathing so he (the son) can have the inner strength to take these people home, because now they are in limbo and are waiting to finally rest, they were defeated on Earth, but they all still, to their dying breath, had hope. The non believers make plans for the future because they don't believe the son is capable and will die himself before he can carry out his mission. In fact they are probably only a handful of people who still believe in him, and they are dropping fast. When he does finally take his place as the savior, this will be the second coming of Christ or the one who had enough faith for everyone.i know he won't let everyone down, especially himself or his father, and give up everything he thinks makes him happy for a chance to save the ones who deserve saving and let the rest finally have their judgement day, as they have judged so shall they be judged, but by the father who has patiently waited for his son to join him with all those who believed and never turned their backs.if he does not however, his continued misery and hate will kill them all and he will die at the hands of the hated and the ones he turned his back on, to roam on this Earth forever, alone. Paint it black and take it back, let's shout it loud and clear, defiant to the end we hear the call...the call of the angels announcing that the day is upon us, the savior has died letting everyone down, even after all the promises he couldnt follow through. Leaving a planet full of people that believed in him standing alone, without a chance, but they will carry on and not forget him because he was their savior and even though he broke his promises, they will love him like he should have loved them. It is truly a message of hope, faith and how the love will conquer all and good at heart shall emerge victorious by not letting their experiences change who they are.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 18th 2020 !⃝

    The boy (soldier ) is remembering a good time with his father (the nation) ..... I see the father as saying to not give up............ keep fighting the good fight (one nation under God) against COVID, our foriegn enemies and domestic ...........

    “will you be the savior of the broken The beaten and the damned?”

    Sometimes I get the feeling she’s watching over me ( reinstalls the importance of God in our country personally) & other times I feel like I should go (with all the black lives, blue lives, white lives, fake news, election scandles etc in the US citizens sometimes think abandon ship)
    The bodies in the street ( in war (such as ww2) the issues of rioting we’ve had in the country recently and the threat of force possible)

    but we carry on

    A world that sends you reelin’ from decimated dreams (self explanatory the world is shit it’s 2020) Your misery and hate will kill us all ( people be so hateful in recent years riotors, terrorists, bloggers) So paint it black and take it back Let’s shout out loud and clear (We don’t want your crap) Defiant to the end we here the call ( but people keep being uncivil)

    We carry on, your weary widow marches on (we keep marching on)
    Because the world will never take my heart Go ahead and try to break me (we know who we are)

    Im unashamed i’m gonna show my scars

    I’m just a man, I’m not a hero
    just a boy who had to sing this song (we are the average joes on the front lines the nurses, the sales associates, the soldiers, the doctors ) I’m just a man, I’m not a hero I don’t care ( I don’t care about the praise or medals) We carry on well carry on and though your dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on(we remember your sacrifice rather you know it or not) and though your broken and defeated your weary widow marches on (though we may be weary we march on supporting each other)

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 23rd 2020 !⃝

    When my father was terminally ill, this song and it’s story of carrying on a legacy and memory gave me great comfort
    Andrew Crossland

  8. anonymous
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    Nov 12th 2019 !⃝

    Based on what the band said I think that the Black Parade is about a dying man, who sees his favorite memory as he is dying.
    As for my own interpretation, I feel like the black parade could be a representation of war, and the way it is glorified in this society.The father, who knows he will die because of the war, tells his son to keep fighting. To fight for the ones who didn't die as "heros", who were broken by their suffering. In the video, the patient is alone. There are no family members next to him, a rather bored looking nurse holds his hand when he reaches out. I feel that maybe the patient could be either the father or the son, driven mad by what he saw in the war.
    The she in the song is a personification of war.
    Also WTF is a punk church song?

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 3rd 2019 !⃝

    All that matters is that this song is amazing

  10. anonymous
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    Dec 15th 2017 !⃝

    Black parade is about the death of someone close to the writer. The phrase dead bodies in the street is actually a metaphor from wars that the songwriter incorporated into the song. There are many devices of figurative language used to describe the experience of this person's death for the song writer. This is the meaning of the song.

  11. anonymous
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    Jul 25th 2017 !⃝

    I believe that the "Black Parade" is like the Japanese tale that states, "Before entering the afterlife, you must cross a river. But you can't speak your name if you don't belong or else you will set your death in stone." The Parade is the strongest memory "The Patient" has, and that is the memory that will take him to his death. The "Black Parade" is simply a guide to his death. As for the bodies, they are the people who failed to save the damned. That, or it's a kind of Limbo.

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 2nd 2016 !⃝

    The song is kind of about death. Look at it this way:
    -Gerard explained that Death comes to you in the form of your most fond memories. Death, being a horsemen, actually has no control of what you see post-mortem.
    -The song is, defined by band members, about a man, who's fondest memory is from when he was a boy and his father, only having limited days, takes him to see parade. So, when this man is dying in hospital, this is how Death greets him.
    -Each person has their own heaven, so this is the memory he sees in his heaven; it is the environment his brain creates for him.

    (I think I've watched too much Supernatural lately).

  13. anonymous
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    Feb 19th 2016 !⃝

    I believe that the dad was told he had only a few days to live due to cancer and his son,while having cancer,has a higher chance to live so the father takes him to see a show since these are his final days.He's telling his son to fight the cancer and maybe figure out a cure along the way to save the people while the part about "nonbelievers"might be for suspense or something else.The black parade might be a group of scientists that are trying to cure cancer.That or it's a group of people that have shiny black hair,suits,expensive cars and pistols that do like a magician,and make people "Disappear".LOL.But Anyway,I think his father is telling him to fight the cancer and help everyone he can.nvm you guys already got it

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 19th 2016 !⃝

    I believe that the dad was told he had only a few days to lived use to cancer and his son,while having cancer,has a higher chance to live so the father takes him to see a show since these are his final days.He's telling his son to fight the cancer and maybe figure out a cure along the way to save the people while the part about "nonbelievers"might be for suspense or something else.The black parade might be a group of scientists that are trying to cure cancer.That or it's a group of people that have shiny black hair,suits,expensive cars and pistols that do like a magician,and make people "Disappear".But Anyway,I think his father is telling him to fight the cancer and help everyone he can.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 11th 2016 !⃝

    I like number 3's interpretation

  16. anonymous
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    Aug 3rd 2015 !⃝

    I believe this is about a father first taking his son (the singer's point of view)at first literally to a parade. He informs him that he will be dieing soon. His "phantom" is a letter or message informing of the father's funeral.
    "The Black Parade" is the funeral. Everyone is dressed in black, in black cars, and move down the street: very parade like.
    The song is informing his father though "he's dead and gone, his memory will carry on" and despite the death, his "weary widow marches on" after his death.
    The verses are about how the son (again, the viewpoint of the song) won't let that drag him down and destroy his dreams, but that he does cares. Those around him see him acting inappropriately by still being happy and wanting to sing, trying to make him grieve with sadness rather than care in his own way.

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 15th 2015 !⃝

    I think that the lyrics are about the French Revolution and that the singer poses as an important/rich person (along with his father) who remembers that when he was a child his father took him to see a marching band in the city. The fact that they were rich would explain that they were able to afford going to the show. The "non-believers" were the poor who were mad about the amount of taxes. When he says that "she's watching over him" I think that it's his mother who had been murdered by the people of France. When he says he will carry on, I think he means that he will fight against the citizens in an attempt to save France. When his father mentions someday leaving him, I think it means that he will probably die in the terrible war that is raging in France. When the singer says he thinks he should go, I think he means that he would rather die than whitness the battles and murders that the revolution contained.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  18. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 8th 2014 !⃝

    well the first part is about remembering a happy time in your life, and words of wisdom.

    The second part (in my opinion) is about man's will to carry on. To be "defiant to the end". You may not win the war but you can win your own personal battle.

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