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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)
Audio
"Cancer" on YouTube

"Cancer" is a song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance, released as the eighth track from their third studio album, The Black Parade (2006). A piano ballad, "Cancer" was conceived by Gerard Way and written in eight minutes by him and Rob Cavallo. "Cancer" was written by band members Bob Bryar, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Gerard Way, and Mikey Way, and was produced by the group alongside Cavallo.

The song's lyrics focus on The Patient, the dying protagonist of The Black Parade, and depict his struggles with cancer. "Cancer" was praised by music critics for its sentimentality, though its bleakness was deemed excessive by some; nonetheless, it has been regarded as one of the best songs in the band's discography as a whole. "Cancer" has been certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has notably been covered by American duo Twenty One Pilots in 2016.

Background, writing, and recording

[edit]

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 majority of the album was written after the band moved to the Paramour Estate, a haunted mansion in Los Angeles.[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, Gerard 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 accompanied Way on the piano, following Way's instructions on how he wanted the chords to sound; according to Cavallo, the pair composed "Cancer" in eight minutes, and recorded and finalized the song half an hour later.[5][6] Way later said that writing "Cancer" was "almost like an attempt to write the darkest song ever".[7]

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][8] The band continued to play "Cancer" in live shows up to 2012, but Gerard Way said in 2019 that the song was "too hard" to play following the death of their former manager, Lauren Valencia, to cancer; on May 22, 2022, the band performed "Cancer" for the first time in ten years during their reunion tour.[9]

Composition and lyrics

[edit]

"Cancer" is a piano ballad[10] with a length of two minutes and twenty-two seconds.[11] 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.[12] In addition to a "melancholic" piano,[10] the song's instrumentation consists of violins[13] and "big and present" yet restrained drums.[14] Sia Michel of The New York Times called "Cancer" the "unlikeliest power ballad ever",[15] while Alternative Press instead classified the song as emo.[16] The song has been stylistically compared to those by the Beatles, with Christopher Weingarten of The New York Times comparing it to "Let It Be"[17] and Ed Thompson of IGN comparing it to "Fixing a Hole".[18] Weingarten also likened "Cancer" to the Ozzy Osbourne song "So Tired", calling both songs "symphonic, string-soaked piano ballads".[17]

Lyrically, "Cancer" takes the perspective of The Patient, the protagonist of The Black Parade whose life is flashing before his eyes as he dies.[19] In the context of the album, "Cancer" acts as a "bridging sequence" in the middle of the album, revealing that The Patient is dying from cancer.[4][19] The song takes on a first-person perspective,[19] depicting The Patient's struggle with the disease as he bemoans his "fading appearance" and wishes to bid his family goodbye.[10][20] However, Gerard Way has also said that cancer was "being used as a metaphor",[7] 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.[21]

Release

[edit]

"Cancer" was first announced as the ninth song on The Black Parade's on September 13, 2006,[22] and was released alongside the album on October 23, 2006.[11] 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 noted that Gerard Way's vocals "shined brightest" on the track.[23] On March 25, 2014, "Cancer" was released as part of May Death Never Stop You, the band's greatest hits album.[24] 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.[25]

Critical reception

[edit]

"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".[19] 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.[26] 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.[27] 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.[28] Similarly, Lauren Boisvert of American Songwriter placed the song at twelfth, calling it "hard to listen to" despite being a "masterpiece of narrative".[29]

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.[30] 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".[10] Andy Belt of PopMatters ranked "Cancer" as the eighth-best song by the band, calling it their "most affecting ballad",[31] while Marianne Eloise of Louder Sound included it in her list of the 20 best songs by the band, calling it "mournful and visceral".[13]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Black Parade[32] and iTunes.[33]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Twenty One Pilots version

[edit]
"Cancer"
Cover artwork of "Cancer": The song's title is split between two lines on a black background, with the 'A' in the title illuminating a person falling.
Promotional single by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2016 (2016-09-14)
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)
Lyric video
"Cancer" (Lyric Video) on YouTube

American musical duo Twenty One Pilots recorded a cover of "Cancer" for the 2016 tribute album Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade. The song was released as a standalone single on September 14, 2016, with an accompanying lyric video being released a day prior to the band's YouTube channel. Unlike the original song, the Twenty One Pilots cover featured electronic elements and differently-ordered verses. The song was well-received by music critics, who considered it a strong cover. "Cancer" appeared at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.

Background and release

[edit]

Twenty One Pilots has been stylistically compared to My Chemical Romance, with Paul Travers of Kerrang! writing that the bands both "write their own musical and aesthetic rules" in similar fashions,[35] and Christopher Weingarten of The New York Times noting similarities between "Cancer" and the Twenty One Pilots song "Goner".[17] In July 2016, a video of Tyler Joseph covering "Cancer" surfaced on social media.[36] Later, on August 8, 2016, British rock magazine Rock Sound announced Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade, a tribute album celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Black Parade; this included the announcement of Twenty One Pilot's cover of "Cancer".[37][38]

On September 13, 2016, a lyric video for "Cancer" was released to the band's YouTube channel, featuring mostly-black-and-white animated visuals such as books with lyrics written on their pages and a chessboard.[38][39] The song was then released as a standalone digital single for digital download and streaming the following day.[38][40]

Composition

[edit]

As opposed to the original song, which was a piano ballad, the Twenty One Pilots cover of "Cancer" features synthesizers, layered vocals, and other electronic elements to lend the song a "dark" and "atmospheric" sound.[39][41] The cover also shuffles around and reprises certain verses from the original song, with Gerard Way noting that the cover "almost sounds like a remix".[39][42] The cover is in the key of D Major and is set in common time, with a slow tempo of 72 to 76 beats per minute.[43]

Reception

[edit]

"Cancer" received positive reviews from music critics, who considered it a strong cover. Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone wrote that the cover "stays faithful to the already melancholic song while ratcheting up the somberness a tad."[39] Joe DeAndrea of Billboard called "Cancer" one of the band's best covers, complimenting how "they made the track their own".[41] Alternative Press called "Cancer" one of the best covers of a My Chemical Romance song, praising Tyler Joseph's vocals for having the "same kind of grace that he conveys on his albums".[44] Gerard Way also praised the cover, commenting in an interview with PopBuzz that he was "really impressed" by the cover and "liked the sound" of Twenty One Pilots in general.[42]

Commercially, "Cancer" sold 25,000 digital downloads in its first week.[38] In the United States, the song debuted peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100[45] and at number 6 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[46] The song also appeared at number 53 on the year-end Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[47] Outside the United States, "Cancer" charted on the Canadian Hot 100 (75),[48] on the UK Singles chart (93),[49] in Slovakia (96),[50] and in the Czech Republic (99).[51] The song also topped the Heatseekers chart in New Zealand.[52] On February 1, 2019, "Cancer" was certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.[53]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from iTunes.[54]

Twenty One Pilots

[edit]

My Chemical Romance

[edit]
  • Bob Bryar – songwriter
  • Frank Iero – songwriter
  • Gerard Way – songwriter
  • Mikey Way – songwriter
  • Raymond Toro – songwriter

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[48] 75
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[51] 99
New Zealand Heatseekers
(Recorded Music NZ)[52] 		1
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[50] 96
UK Singles (OCC)[49] 93
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 91
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[46] 6

Year-end charts

[edit]
Chart (2016) Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[47] 53

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[53] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]

Books

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

Sources

[edit]
  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. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Bryant 2014, p. 170
  6. ^ Cooper, Ali (October 23, 2020). "16 things about 'Black Parade' even My Chemical Romance probably forgot". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "My Chemical Romance defend 'Cancer' track". NME. October 16, 2006. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Darus, Alex (April 19, 2021). "10 alternative artists who brought the scene to the 'SNL' stage". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Carter, Emily (May 23, 2022). "My Chemical Romance perform Cancer live for first time in 10 years at final Milton Keynes date". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Weatherby, Taylor (November 14, 2019). "The 15 Best My Chemical Romance Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "The Black Parade — Album by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ a b Eloise, Marianne (May 27, 2024). "The 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs ever". Louder. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Exclusive: Ex-MCR drummer shares his memories of recording 'The Black Parade'". Alternative Press. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  15. ^ Michel, Sia (October 22, 2006). "Fresh From the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "Fan poll: 5 saddest emo songs of all time". Alternative Press. July 24, 2024. Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Weingarten, Christopher (December 18, 2019). "Before & After 'The Black Parade'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  18. ^ Thompson, Ed (October 25, 2006). "My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade". IGN. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
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  20. ^ Willis-Abdurraqib, Hanif (September 8, 2016). "Life & Death: My Chemical Romance And 10 Years Of The Black Parade". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Bryant 2014, p. 176
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Templeton, Mackenzie (January 22, 2020). "'The Black Parade' ranked from good to peak My Chemical Romance". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Bacle, Ariana (July 22, 2016). "My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade: Ranking the songs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  28. ^ Shepherd, Tom (October 20, 2021). "My Chemical Romance: Every song on The Black Parade, ranked from worst to best". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  29. ^ 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. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  30. ^ "My Chemical Romance's Best Songs, Picked By Your Favourite Bands". Kerrang!. June 16, 2020. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  31. ^ Belt, Andy (October 1, 2014). "The Top 15 Songs of My Chemical Romance". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  32. ^ My Chemical Romance (2006). The Black Parade (liner notes). Reprise Records.
  33. ^ "Cancer — Song by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  34. ^ "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  35. ^ Travers, Paul (March 4, 2021). "12 bands who wouldn't be here without My Chemical Romance". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  36. ^ "Here's Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph singing My Chemical Romance". Alternative Press. July 20, 2016. Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  37. ^ "Introducing... 'Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade'". Rock Sound. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  38. ^ a b c d Anderson, Trevor (September 22, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots' 'Cancer' & Calvin Harris' 'My Way' Debut in Top 10 of Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  39. ^ a b c d "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. ^ "Twenty One Pilots release cover of My Chemical Romance's "Cancer"". Alternative Press. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  41. ^ a b DeAndrea, Joe (October 27, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots' 10 Best Covers: Watch Them Take on Katy Perry, Elvis Presley & Lana Del Rey". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  42. ^ a b Dickman, Maggie (September 27, 2017). "Gerard Way reacts to Twenty One Pilots' cover of "Cancer"". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  43. ^ "Twenty One Pilots "Cancer" Sheet Music in D Major (transposable)". Musicnotes. September 16, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  44. ^ "10 My Chemical Romance covers from all over the place". Alternative Press. December 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  46. ^ a b "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  47. ^ a b "Hot Rock Songs - Year-End 2016". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  48. ^ a b "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  49. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  50. ^ a b "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.
  51. ^ a b "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.
  52. ^ a b "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 3, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  53. ^ a b "American single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  54. ^ "Cancer — Song by My Chemical Romance — Apple Music". Retrieved November 30, 2024.
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