Welcome To The Black Parade – English Lyrics

• By: My Chemical Romance
• Album: The Black Parade

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a musical journey with My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade," an iconic emo anthem exploring themes of life, death, and remembrance. This song offers a chance to delve into profound concepts while experiencing the band's signature blend of rock, punk, and theatrical flair. Discover the lyrics, uncover the story behind the music video, and explore the cultural impact of this generation-defining song.

[English]

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 non-believers

The plans that they have made?"

"Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom

To lead you in the summer

To join the black parade"

...

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?"

...

Sometimes I get the feelin'

She's watchin' over me

And other times I feel like I should go

And through it all, the rise and fall

The bodies in the streets

And when you're gone, we want you all to know

We'll carry on, we'll carry on

And though you're dead and gone, believe me

Your memory will carry on

We'll carry on

And in my heart, I can't contain it

The anthem won't explain it

A world that sends you reelin'

From decimated dreams

Your misery and hate will kill us all

So paint it black and take it back

Let's shout it loud and clear

Defiant to the end, we hear the call

To carry on, we'll carry on

And though you're dead and gone, believe me

Your memory will carry on

We'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated

Your weary widow marches

On and on, we carry through the fears

Oh, ah, ha

Disappointed faces of your peers

Oh, ah, ha

Take a look at me, 'cause I could not care at all

Do or die, you'll never make me

Because the world will never take my heart

Go and try, you'll never break me

We want it all, we wanna play this part

I won't explain or say I'm sorry

I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scars

Give a cheer for all the broken

Listen here, because it's who we are

Just a man, I'm not a hero

Just a boy, who had to sing this song

Just a man, I'm not a hero

I don't care

We'll carry on, we'll carry on

And though you're dead and gone, believe me

Your memory will carry on

You'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated

Your weary widow marches, oh

Do or die, you'll never make me

Because the world will never take my heart

Go and try, you'll never break me

We want it all, we wanna play this part (we'll carry on)

Do or die, you'll never make me (we'll carry on)

Because the world will never take my heart (we'll carry on)

Go and try, you'll never break me (we'll carry on)

We want it all, we wanna play this part (we'll carry on!)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
father /ˈfɑːðər/ A1	noun - a male parent
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or metropolis
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or develop
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - having been fractured or damaged; not working
demons /ˈdiːmənz/ B2	noun - an evil spirit or devil
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the very darkest color
rise /raɪz/ A2	noun - an upward movement; an increase
fall /fɔːl/ A2	noun - a downward movement; a decrease
bodies /ˈbɒdiz/ A2	noun - the physical structure of a person or animal
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
memory /ˈmeməri/ B1	noun - the ability to remember past experiences
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
misery /ˈmɪzəri/ B2	noun - a state of great unhappiness or suffering
hate /heɪt/ A2	noun - intense dislike or aversion
defeated /dɪˈfiːtɪd/ B2	adjective - having been beaten in a battle or contest

Key Grammar Structures

• When I was a young boy

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (was)

  ➔ Uses the past simple tense "was" to describe a state of being in the past. This is a fundamental tense for narrating past events or describing past conditions.

• My father took me into the city

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (took)

  ➔ Another example of the past simple tense, "took", used to describe a completed action in the past. This is used to narrate a sequence of events.

• Would you be the savior of the broken

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1 Implied) with "Would"

  ➔ "Would" expresses a hypothetical or conditional situation. The full implied conditional sentence is something like: 'If you grow up, would you be the savior...?'. Used to express a possibility or desire.

• The beaten and the damned?

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective (beaten), Adjective (damned)

  ➔ "Beaten" is a past participle acting as an adjective to describe who the savior will save. "Damned" also functions as an adjective.

• Sometimes I get the feelin' she's watchin' over me

  ➔ Present Simple (get), Present Continuous (is watching), Noun Clause (the feelin' she's watchin' over me)

  ➔ Uses present simple to describe a recurring feeling and present continuous to describe what the character believes is currently happening. 'She's watchin' over me' is a shortened form of 'She is watching over me.' The whole phrase 'the feelin' she's watchin' over me' acts as a noun clause, functioning as the object of the verb 'get'.

• And when you're gone, we want you all to know

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time (when you're gone), Present Simple (want), Object + Infinitive (want you to know)

  ➔ "When you're gone" is an adverbial clause of time indicating the timing of the main clause. "Want you to know" uses the structure 'want + object + to + infinitive'.

• Your misery and hate will kill us all

  ➔ Future Simple Tense (will kill)

  ➔ "Will kill" is in the future simple tense, used to express a prediction or certainty about the future.

• Do or die, you'll never make me

  ➔ Imperative (Do, Die), Future Simple with "never" (will never make)

  ➔ "Do or die" are imperatives expressing a strong choice. "You'll never make me" uses the future simple with "never" to strongly deny something will happen.