My first review! And it’s something extremely close to my heart :D Paramore.
I had pre-ordered my box set a few months before the album came out and was very excited to receive it. When I got it in the mail and opened it, it felt like Christmas! There was so much awesome stuff inside. Oh, and I also forced myself to NOT listen to any songs until I got the album myself. I don’t know why, I just decided it (even though it killed me not knowing what the songs were). Ok, let’s get to the reviews!
So, the songs. I had read the lyrics in the little lyric book that I got in the box set before I listened to them to just read what they had to say. After listening to them I’ll just say now that they all sound amazing and I love blasting this album in my car to and from school…
1. Careful: “I settled down a twisted up frown disguised as a smile, well you would’ve never known.” Woah. The first lyrics to the first song and they were not what I was expecting! “I had it all but not what I wanted.” Lyrics like that catch me off guard, because we all see the band as always having a blast and having such amazing fans and so much support, that you wouldn’t (well I wouldn’t) think they ever had any depressing moments. This song sounds great and I really love it.
2. Ignorance: This song is so good. I heard it before the album came out because it’s their first single and I saw the music video for it (and bought it on itunes ;D). I love love love love love it. It, also, took me by surprise though. It’s hard to think about the band NOT getting along, I didn’t even think it ever happened (I heard rumors, but there’s always rumors). So when I hear songs like this, or when she says that they made her feel like she wasn’t wanted and stuff, it makes me feel really sad! Kinda like…how can she think that she isn’t looked up to as such an amazing person by SO MANY PEOPLE? I wish I could just tell her to her face how awesome she is, but unfortunately I can’t. Actually, I did. At the VMAs. It was one of the best moments ever. But I didn’t actually get to discuss anything with her. Sigh. Anyway, it also made me think like…how can Josh ever dislike her in any way? I don’t know if Zac, Jeremy, or Taylor had the same feelings as Josh, but I know he did. I just can’t picture any of them having any negative feelings towards her, but apparently they did. It just makes me sad, really. “You treat me just like another stranger.” I just cannot comprehend that the band was ever that disconnected. “The same tricks that once fooled me, they won’t get you anywhere.” I wonder what she’s talking about here…what could they (or Josh) have done? I don’t dislike any of the guys for it, but it just seems surreal to me.
3. Playing God: These lyrics are so powerful. I remember when I read them I was like “wow.” “Next time you point a finger I might have to bend it back or break it, break it off.” Wowowowow. Seriously, those are lyrics that really hit you. And I love “It has to be so lonely to be the only one who’s holy.” I really relate to these lyrics. People always tell others what they’re doing wrong, but who are they to say anything? And most of the time, the people telling someone that they’re doing something wrong have done exactly what they’re talking about. It really is Playing God. Nobody accepts anybody because they’re so sheltered and used to their own simple way of life that anything different is bad. People have to be themselves and anyone who has anything negative to say about something different than themselves, well, their finger should be broken off ;D
4. Brick by Boring Brick: Love. Love this song. (I had to look up the lyrics online because it’s too hard to read them with the artwork behind the words in the lyric book). “Forgotten the taste and smell of the world that she’s left behind” and “With her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds,” I wonder if those lyrics have to do with paramore’s success? I’m not really sure. I guess it might make sense, even though she says she is still the same person she was. I don’t know. “Her prince finally came to save her, and the rest you can figure out.” I LOVE that :D “Well you built up a world of magic because your real life is tragic. Yeah you built up a world of magic. If it’s not real you can’t hold it in your hands, you can’t feel it with your heart, and I won’t believe it. But if it’s true you can see it with your eyes even in the dark.” Love. Those lyrics are amazing. This song is really great.
5. Turn It Off: Again, love (I love every song on this album). “I scraped my knees while I was praying and I found a demon in my safest haven.” -love it. “And the worst part is before it gets any better we’re headed for a cliff.” I really don’t know what she actually means there, but I wonder if it has to do with success, again. Or their relationship as a band. “I will realize I’m better off when I hit the bottom. The tradgedy, it seems unending. I’m watching everyone I looked up to breaking.” Hmm. I really wish I could ask them about those lyrics. But yes, this song is great.
6. The Only Exception: When I first read the lyrics, it reminded me of Emergency. The lyrics still do. “Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts and we’ve got to find other ways to make it alone.” Wow. I’m just so impressed with the lyrics on this album and how honest they were. Yeah this song is kind of sad, but it’s such a beautiful song. “And up until now I had sworn to myself that I’m content with lonliness because none of it was ever worth the risk.” What did she go through?? I really want to know, I mean I know she basically told us everything about what she’s been going through in this album, but I want to know moreeeeeeee :O! Haha. “I know you’re leaving in the morning when, you wake up leave me with some kind of proof it’s not a dream.” Seriously…do lyrics get better than this?! Paramore does it better than anyone.
7. Feeling Sorry: I love the background art for this. “I’m getting bored waiting around for you. We’re not getting any younger and I won’t look back cause there’s no use, it’s time to move forward.” Ahh, amazing. And relatable. Oh and I LOVE this: “I feel no sympathy, you live inside a cave. You barely get by, the rest of us are trying.” Very harsh, but relatable. Who is this song about, though?? I wonder if the person knows this song is about them. Hm.
8. Looking Up: The first lyrics to this song kind of made me laugh. After all the badass truth and honesty and harsh reality that they put into their songs, it starts with “Things are finally looking up. OH FINALLY!” hahaha, it seemed like the intermission to this album. Like, things are finally getting better after all the hard times they went through. “Can you believe we cross the world while it’s asleep?” Is that about touring? Or am I not thinking hard enough haha. I guess it could apply! But either way, this song is so awesome. I think this song is completely about the band and their success and all that. I could be wrong, but look: “I’ll never trade it in cause I’ve always wanted this and it’s not a dream anymore.” I think this was about when the band had their hard times. The lyrics are good to hear. Omg, I LOVE this too: “I was a few cheap shots away from the end of me. Taking for granted most everything that I would’ve died for just yesterday.” I can’t take the amazingness. I also can’t believe that they took anything for granted when they always seemed sooo appreciative. I don’t know, this album is very surprising. “God knows the world doesn’t need anther band, but what a waste it would’ve been.” I AGREE. I don’t know what I’d do without Paramore. “I can’t believe we almost hung it up. We’re just getting started!” I never knew they every thought about stopping, and it’s a scary thought! :O This song reminded me of Born For This, too. Just because of how they love what they do and they talk about it in both songs.
9. Where The Lines Overlap: This song is funny too. “Give me attention. I need it now” haha. This song also is kind of really different than the other songs. “No one is as lucky as us” and “I’ve never been happier” but they went through so much in the other songs. Even though I personally agree with them in this song. “Tell me how you got so far, never making a single sound.” Not sure what that is about. It’s interesting though. Oh and this song also reminded me a little of My Heart and Born For This. My Heart because of the lines “Now I’ve got a feeling if I sang this song loud enough you would sing it back to me” in Where The Lines Overlap and the lyrics in My Heart; “Sing us a song and we’ll sing it back to you. We could sing our own but what would it be without you?”
10. Misguided Ghosts: Love the artwork for this. I think Hayley said that this song is about how she feels at random times, so she just wrote about it (correct me if I’m wrong). It definitely has a depressing tone to it, it’s far from cheerful, but that doesn’t make it any less good. I think it’s awesome. When she sings “You are not useless” it really hits your heart. They seem to have a knack for doing that…
11. All I Wanted: I know that Hayley wrote that this is about when Chad was going on tour and she just kind of felt like writing it. What I don’t get are these lyrics: “When the world treats you too fairly, it’s a shame I’m a dream.” Huh? Hm. I wish I knew! And I love this: “I think I’ll pace my apartment a few times and fall asleep on the couch.” Just random lyrics about how she feels. It’s great. Oh, ok, and these lyrics are brilliant: “I could follow you to the beginning just to relive the start. Maybe then we’d remember to slow down at all of our favorite parts.” I LOVE IT.
This album is fantastic. It’s real, inspiring, honest, and much more. The songs are VERY Paramore. They’re catchy and great to listen to, but mean so much. I don’t know how they do it, but they always do. That’s why they have been my favorite band since 2007! They’re the best. And I also get the feeling that all these songs are really from Hayley’s perspective, with the exception of a few. But she’s a genius writer, so it’s all good. I know Josh wrote too, but reading the lyrics I just think it’s obvious who the point of view is from. This album also did make me feel sad that they went through this stuff.
Please buy the album for you and everyone you know!
P.S. The Box Set is SO AWESOME. It came with a Certificate of Authenticity, a lyric book, the CD/DVD (which I’ve watched everyday since I’ve gotten it…), an amazing journal that Hayley wrote in (awesome cover drawn by Josh), two sided posters, and the record! It’s so great, I love it. I hope you were lucky enough to get your hands on one!
