Every My Chemical Romance Fan Knows These Things

Slide some jelly bands on your wrists and smear some dark eyeliner on your face, because we're about to dive into the greatest alternative band of all time, My Chemical Romance. This life-changing band screamed out to us all — the awkward, angry, and Hot Topic-wearing pre-teens and teens of the '00s — that it was OK to have all those feelings and that we could totally get through them. And, because we were all such big fans, there are one or two things die-hard fans of My Chemical Romance know to be true. I mean, I'm not about to tell anyone what makes them a True Fan or doesn't, because I'm not like that, but if you know some or all of these things, then you're definitely well on your way.

If you used to lock yourself in your room and thrash about with a hairbrush as a microphone while blasting some of MCR's greatest hits, then chances are that you're a bit of an expert on the pop punk group. Congratulations. You're a member of a most hallowed organization, and you should be proud of yourself. And now, without further ado, I give you a list of all the truths you already know, you MCR-lover, you.

1. They Killed Warped Tour Both Times

Even if you couldn't attend Warped Tour, you knew they were up on the stage, rocking it. Warped Tour never saw a better band than MCR in 2004 and 2005.

2. They Are Not An Emo Band

Frontman Gerard Way insisted in an interview with The Maine Campus that MCR was in no way, shape, or form an emo band. He had some strong words about the genre saying, "I think emo is f*cking garbage, it's bullsh*t... All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities." While the original interview isn't available online, you can read a portion of it in this Rolling Stone article.

3. They Captured All Our Feels About America's Dilemmas

A lot of MCR's songs have content that angrily points a magnifying glass at America's dilemmas, but I bring your attention specifically to the loss and sorrow that screams out in a song from their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. According to Noisey, the song in question (and the band), "Skylines and Turnstiles" came into being after Gerard Way watched the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001. The lyrics are a painful reminder of how many Americans felt at the time, "Steel corpses stretch out towards an ending sun, scorched and black. It reaches in and tears your flesh apart as ice cold hands rip into your heart."

4. Their Troubles With The Conservative Media Made Them Even Cooler

When Glenn Beck got all up in arms about the appearance of My Chemical Romance's single "Sing" from their album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys in the popular show Glee, the band got instant cool points. On Fox News, Beck accused the song and the show of propaganda saying, "Pay attention to the lyrics. It's an anthem saying 'Join us'. How can you and I possibly win against that?" Something about MCR being attacked by "The Man" made them so much more hardcore.

5. "Helena" Described Grief Perfectly

The Way cousins wrote "Helena" about the loss of their grandmother, and the emotion really shows in the song. "We are the very hurt you sold" is a beautiful line. I strongly suggest playing this song if you happen to lose a loved one. It really fits exactly how you might be feeling at the time.

6. The Screaming Parts Of Their Songs Are Difficult To Copy

You really need to take a class or something to figure out how to scream like this band. If not you will definitely hurt your vocal chords. How do they do it?

7. "The Black Parade" Is The Best Marching Band Song Of All Time

Because, let's be real, there were a lot of kids in marching band and they put their souls into their interpretation every time. It was made for marching band.

8. They Made Your Sadness Feel Valid

Teens are often told that their angst is just in their head, or because they're "going through a stage." Everything about MCR, from their songs to their albums to the interviews, let teens know it was OK to feel sad.

9. Gerard Way Has The Best Facial Expressions

There's just something about the way his eyes pop open wide and his face contorts as he screams that makes the performances spectacular. How can you not get pumped up when watching one of their music videos? It is literally impossible.

10. Gerard and Mikey Way Are #CousinGoals

Cousins, besties, and bandmates — the Way boys are a triple threat. The most I can get my cousins to do is raid grandma's liquor cabinet on Thanksgiving.

11. A Reunion Is Necessary For All Of Us

What a glorious day it will be when My Chemical Romance joins up again and creates a reunion album. All our fears and anxieties will finally get a sweet release.

There are very few universal truths in this world, but the universal truth here is that My Chemical Romance was the bomb. Their impressive guitar riffs and nearly-impossible-to-replicate screams awakened a generation of salty tweens and teens to the possibility of something more. I await the return of MCR like a loyal puppy waits for their owner to return home after work. Soon it will happen... soon.

Images: nightrain5565, My Chemical Romance (2), schankula, Tina Vafiadis/Youtube, Giphy (7)