Bad Religion: My Chemical Romance’s Shameless Catholic Guilt
My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade once sparked a modern Satanic panic, yet the most macabre moments of the album can be credited to Catholicism.
Bad Religion explores the relationship between music and spirituality, from Christianity and Islam to the paranormal and the occult.
Written by Audrey Vieira
Illustrated by Brittany Canales
Reaching new heights of popularity with the release of their critically acclaimed 2006 album The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance were beloved in the aughties emo subculture they helped to cultivate, as well as adored by a legion of teenage fans who proudly identified as the “MCRmy.” But the religious aspects of their music were misunderstood by some, to say the least. The Daily Mail falsely claimed that the album’s title track, which lead singer Gerard Way based on the idea of death arriving in the form of one’s fondest memory, referred to “a place where all emos believe they will go when they die,” in a fear-mongering article aimed at warning parents about “the sinister cult of emo.” It didn’t help that some of the album’s lyrics, such as “Mama, we all go to hell / Mama, we all go to hell,” from “Mama” and “S-I-N, I S-I-N” from “House of Wolves” were taken out of context to scare adults, much to the amusement of some. Throw in the fact that the band’s lead guitarist, Frank Iero, was born on Halloween, and My Chemical Romance indeed appeared to be the textbook definition of Evil Satanic Music — if someone were writing a textbook on how to scare parents and excite teenagers.
In reality, however, My Chemical Romance did not belong to any cult. They were simply from New Jersey, the second-most Catholic state in the U.S. with 40% of its population identifying as such. All four members of the band were raised in the Catholic church, and although none went on to identify with Catholicism as adults, they were still influenced by Catholicism in their lyrics and their album concepts. Catholic guilt bleeds heavily through The Black Parade as its protagonist, the Patient, expresses complicated feelings regarding their former life as they die unwed, unforgiven for past sins, and estranged from their mother, who believes the Patient deserves to go to Hell. Indeed, the same part of “Mama” that frightened parents without context as Way softly repeated, “Mama, we all go to hell,” over upbeat polka guitars, could also be interpreted as a nod to original sin — the belief in Christian doctrine that everyone is born a sinner and absent of holiness.
Much of My Chemical Romance’s discography wrestles with these concepts of guilt and being beyond salvation — take “I Never Told You What I Do For A Living,” the closing track of their previous album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, for example, in which Way’s character begs their deceased lover to “clean me off / I’m so dirty, babe.” This lyric could be read literally, as the protagonist of the album and his lover are covered in blood on the Revenge album artwork, but it also alludes to baptism and the protagonist’s desire to wash away his sins, although he is ultimately unable to do so as the album concludes on a tragic note with the protagonist and his lover once again separated by death.
However, the Patient of The Black Parade is never apologetic about their sins in the way that the Revenge protagonist is — they express regret and guilt, but never shame. Instead of fearing potential damnation, the Patient mocks the idea that they are in need of salvation by embracing the sins of their past life. As demonstrated by the bridge of the title track: “I won’t explain or say I’m sorry / I’m unashamed / I’m gonna show my scar,” the true brilliance of The Black Parade is how it takes Catholic guilt and turns it on its head. The guilt and regret that the Patient associates with their past life is juxtaposed with unbridled, unabashed joy. The Black Parade which the Patient sees as they die is not an image of doom or damnation judging their past, but a fond memory they follow into the light.
Perhaps there is something comforting about embracing guilt and sin instead of internalizing it that resonates with My Chemical Romance’s fanbase, both at the time of the album’s release in 2006, and today with the 2022 reunion tour only one year away. Maybe some interpret the shamelessly macabre lyrics to be symbolic of self-acceptance. Or maybe other fans feel a sense of rebellion in the music, especially when the songs can sound so frightening to someone unfamiliar with the concept behind The Black Parade. But either way, it is somewhat funny to see how lyrics some associate with a “sinister cult” can credit the Catholic Church’s teachings — and traumas — as an influence.