On February 6th in 2007, Fall Out Boy released their third full length studio album titled Infinity on High. The band began to incorporate a reflection of their quick rise to fame in their lyrics, musical composition and guest features. In celebration of twelve years with Infinity On High, we will be breaking down the deluxe version of the album.
Thriller
The album opens with fan-favorite track Thriller. To this day, fans speak of Thriller with reverence and love. It is indeed written as a love letter to the fans. The track features a melodic instrumental opening which is then joined by the introductory speech by Jay-Z:
Yeah, what you critics said would never happen
We dedicate this album to anybody people said couldn’t make it
To the fans that held us down ’til everybody came around
Welcome, it’s here!
The band then launches into a faster tempo accompanied by drums, guitar and lead singer, Patrick Stump. The first few lines speak of their practically overnight success during the release of their second album, From Under the Cork Tree. Lyricist and bassist, Pete Wentz, acknowledges that the fame and labels that come along with it will not impact them. He also acknowledges the power that music, and specifically the musicians that create the music, have over a fan. Though they appreciate the world joining their fandom, the people that they write music for are the ones that have always believed in them and the ones that always will.
The chorus reads like a promise to the outcasts and the over-thinkers that the band identifies with.
“Long live the car-crash hearts,
cry on the couch, all the poets come to life, fix me in forty-five”
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“Make us poster boys for your scene but we are not making an acceptance speech”
“Crowds are won and lost and won again But our hearts beat for the die-hards”
“The Take Over, The Breaks Over”
The soul-bearing love letter to the fans flawlessly transitions into the second track on the record. This track has a completely different vibe than the album opener and also features guitar solos from former Panic! At The Disco guitarist, Ryan Ross, and Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory. The opening lyric declares that “Baby season change but people don’t”, without question a powerful statement (and a caption that has been featured in many throwback comparison photos).
This song also takes a look at the concept of fame and the media manipulating your art into whatever they want it to be. Wentz boldly claims that people will analyze them and pick them apart until the meaning of their words completely loses its intended purpose. The things that they choose to say mean something more that words on a page and sometimes looking at images and analyzing things too closely ends up defeating the point of their message. It is an unfortunate consequence of fame.
The concept of an image to uphold is discussed multiple times in this track. Wentz suggests it would be easier to be a widow than divorcee in society. Widows receive sympathy and support for their loss while divorce poses the question of what went wrong between two people who used to be in love. They also joke about those that may call them sellouts or old news with the line “Don’t pretend you ever forgot about me”. This can also be interpreted as a reference to someone from his past.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“They say your head can be a prison, Then these are just conjugal visits”
This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
The message of the third song on the album heavily deals with the culture associated with “the scene” and the band’s frustration with their label as such members. The first verse compares a musician’s battle against life to that of a fighter. Instead of guns, they fight their lives with lyrics as a means of expressing themselves, their pain and their thoughts on the world. Pete Wentz has previously spoken about interpretations of his lyrics as being open ended. He believes they mean whatever they want you to mean because they are still words we all have access to. What it means to him may not mean the same to you and that is not only okay with him, he actively encourages you to find your own meanings. He proves this stance in the first verse by claiming that it doesn’t really matter what you think the words mean, as long as you’re listening to music, everyone wins.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“I am an arms dealer fitting you with weapons in the form of words”
“Bandwagon’s full, please catch another”
I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
This next track takes the view of a relationship that is doomed to fail despite the two loving each other. They acknowledge the ideal of a honeymoon and loving someone’s flaws, but the truth is that sometimes it doesn’t always work out just because you are in love. There is also the possible interpretation that Wentz’s mental health, which he has openly struggled with, is what many people care about when listening to their music. It is no secret that people in this scene struggle with their own and they like to find comfort in similar people with similar struggles. This could possibly be a message that he knows he should get help but his struggle is what the masses are drawn to the most posing a dilemma: Do I get better and potentially lose my ability to create art? Or do I suffer for the masses?
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“The best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact Is to realize that two out of three ain’t bad”
Hum Hallelujah
This track is truly a culmination of many topics and themes, right down to the title and first line of the chorus. The line “So hum hallelujah, just off the key of reason” is a clever play on words that the average listener may not detect the meaning of. When referencing surviving his nearly deadly overdose, Pete Wentz comments that he was listening to the song “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley, a song which he claims helped save his life. The “key of reason” is another name for the key of C major, a key in which Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is written in. However, Hum Hallelujah is written in the key of D, meaning that the band is quite literally playing hallelujah just off the key of reason.
The song is full of so many rich lyrical references that it can be overwhelming to break it down as one large message, which is really the point of it in the end. Our minds work overtime thinking of things at a lightning speed, especially when we are struggling with out mental health. If anything, the song is about that struggle and the band’s relationship with mental health. They are apologetically the band that they want to be creating the art that makes them happy. And while they invite you to take your own interpretations with their music, they also want you to know that what they say is what they mean and they won’t change their values for the benefit of someone else.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“I thought I loved you, it was just how you looked in the light”
“I sing the blues and swallow them too”
“One day we’ll get nostalgic for disaster”
Golden
Golden is a ballad most closely associated with the feeling of desperate hopelessness. There is no other way to take it than complete self-deprecation. Featuring lines such as “All the lovers with no times for me” and “All of the mothers raise their babies to stay away from me and pray they don’t grow up to be me” indicate that Wentz has an impossibly low view of his own worth.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“And I saw God cry in the reflection of my enemies”
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Highly popularized, this track is still on set lists and one of the most well-known Fall Out Boy tracks. Though there are plenty of smaller meanings and interpretations that you can discover, the main message is that sometimes wanting to be a part of something and actually being a part of it result in very different feelings. You still are thankful for the memories, but really they weren’t what you were expecting them to be. You can choose to dive deeper into the intricacies of the song, though many seem to just take the face value of the chorus.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“If that’s the best you’ve got better put your fingers back to the keys”
“Get me out of my mind and get you out of those clothes”
Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am?
This track is another that makes you ponder the power of mental health. It opens the discussion for the fact that society as a whole has a nasty tendency to take joy in other people’s misfortune. This is demonstrated in lines such as “We walk the plank on a sinking ship” and “There’s a world outside of my front door that gets off on being down”. Your own personal sanctuary is your home. It is where you feel the most safe and comfortable. But just outside of that safety net lies those that thrive on the pain of others.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“I could learn to pity fools as I’m the worst of all And I can’t help feeling sorry for myself”
The (After) Life of the Party
The concepts of Hollywood, lust and drugs are examined in this track. Several references can be seen in lines such as “Put love on hold, young Hollywood is on the other line” and “Death’s in a double bed” referencing the difference between love and lust. In show business in particular, real emotions have to be put on hold to get the job done. The business is dirty and filled with sin, sex and drugs.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“I’m a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart”
The Carpal Tunnel Of Love
The theme of this track seems to be that the band themselves are greatly damaged and struggle with their issues but for some reason, the audience still loves them. The line “Whoa we’re so miserable and stunning” seems to be the most prominent way to explain this in the song.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“Got postcards from my former selves saying ‘How you been?'”
Bang the Doldrums
Bang the Doldrums is yet another track about a doomed relationship. The opening verse originated from an old blog post on Pete Wentz’s Livejournal account. The words were then adapted for the song. Bang the Doldrums is a track that has never been played live in any capacity and many fans theorize it is because the subject matter is just too painful to play to the public. Something clearly happened and ended poorly, whether it was what they wanted or not. Lines such as “I couldn’t bring myself to call except to call it quits” and “I can’t commit to a thing be it heart or hospital” strengthen the belief that one or both of them just were not ready for a relationship and now there is no going back.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“They knew it was over, just didn’t know the date”
Fame < Infamy
This track is without question an exploration of narcissism. There are references which indicates that, like a true introvert, he finds strength in being alone to recharge.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“Signing off ‘I’m alright in bed but I’m better with a pen'”
You’re Crashing, But You’re No Wave
Part of what makes this track the most remarkable is that it tells a complete story. This unique approach to songwriting makes a compelling stage for the message of corruption and media’s negative influences. This track takes us through the journey of a man on trial that has been rigged against his favor. The themes of the song stray from typical Fall Out Boy material about broken minds and damaged souls and instead shines a light on the dark world of justice. Integrity is hard to come by and for the right price, anyone can be bought. Not only that, but the media does not actually care about human life. What they care about is a good headline.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“Clear your throat and face the world, The verdict falls like bachelor’s for bad luck girls”
“The press prays for whichever headline’s worse”
I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers
This track is about how dangerous the speaker is in a relationship. The song begins with the line “You’re a canary, I’m a coal mine”. There was a time when miners sent canaries into a coal mine to test the air and see if it was suitable for the workers. If the canary did not make it back, the answer was clearly death. Comparing a romantic partner to a canary when you are the coal mine is a powerful way to state that they take a great risk simply by being near you.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“The truth hurts worse than anything I could bring myself to do to you”
G.I.N.A.S.F.S.
The title of this song stands for the phrase “Gay is not a synonym for shitty” which is a direct reference to a quote from Pete Wentz. He states “We’re sick of hearing people say ‘That band is so gay’ or ‘Those guys are fags’. Gay is not a synonym for shitty. If you wanna say something’s shitty, say it’s shitty. Stop being such homophobic assholes.” The lyrics seem to reference a past love that the speaker still feels drawn to but remains hesitant to explore again. The details on their demise are vague and open for interpretation.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“It’s a strange way of saying that I know I’m supposed to love you”
“Threw caution to the wind but I’ve got a lousy arm”
It’s Hard To Say “I Do” When I Don’t
The final track on the deluxe album deals with the concept of marriage. More specifically, the hesitancy to engage in the traditional marriage. The speaker’s intent is made very clear in the line “The only ring I want buried with me are the ones around my eyes”.
Author’s favorite lyrics:
“When I said that I’d return to you I meant more like a relapse”
