My Chemical Romance fans sob over meaning behind The Foundations of Decay lyrics

13 May 2022, 11:36

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By Sam Prance

'The Foundations of Decay' is My Chemical Romance's first single since 'Fake Your Death' in 2014.

My Chemical Romance are back with new music and fans are crying over the meaning of 'The Foundations of Decay' lyrics.

Ever since My Chemical Romance released 'Fake Your Death' as their final single in 2014, fans have been desperate for the band to reunite and release new music. In 2019, MCR sent emo kids into meltdown by announcing a one-off live show and they later announced The My Chemical Romance Reunion Tour which is set to commence in the UK on May 16th this year.

Now, Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Mikey Way and Ray Toro have surprised us by releasing a six-minute song ahead of the tour.

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'The Foundations of Decay' is a bold, reflective MCR anthem in which Gerard Way appears to sing about the band's journey, getting old and the passage of time. Gerard opens the song by singing: "See the man who stands upon the hill / He dreams of all the battles won / But fate had left its scars upon his face / With all the damage they had done".

Gerard then alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks which happened the day before MCR formed. Gerard sings: "And he was there, the day the towers fell / And so he wandered down the road / And we would all build towers of our own / Only to watch the roots corrode / But it’s much too late / You’re in the race / So we’ll press."

Taking to their Instagram on the 20 year anniversary of 9/11, the band released a statement writing: "Starting Mychem was a direct result of everything we experienced and witnessed during those horrific events. The world changed that day, and the next day we set about trying to change the world."

In the chorus of 'The Foundations of Decay', Gerard sings: "Let our bodies lay while our hearts we'll save / Let our blood invade if I die in vain".

My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay

Naturally, fans are living for the surprise release. One fan tweeted: "i cannot believe that my chemical romance just dropped a song out of nowhere. absolutely no build up to the release at all and it’s still sending every fan into a frenzy."

Another added: "Yes I do feel personally attacked by MCR’s song about getting old and washing away into the crumbling cities and cleansing rivers of memory and time".

As it stands, MCR are yet to reveal if they plan to release any more new music. We shall keep you posted with any updates.

My Chemical Romance - 'The Foundations of Decay' lyrics

VERSE 1
See the man who stands upon the hill
He dreams of all the battles won
But fate had left its scars upon his face
With all the damage they had done

PRE-CHORUS
And so time, with age
He turns the page
Let the flesh
Submit itself to gravity

CHORUS
Let our bodies lay while our hearts we'll save
Let our blood invade if I die in vain
Now, if your convictions were a passing faith
May your ashes feed the river in the morning rays
And as the vermin crawls
We lay in the foundations of decay

VERSE 2
He was there, the day the towers fell
And so he wandered down the road
And we would all build towers of our own
Only to watch the rooms corrode

PRE-CHORUS
But it's much too late
You're in the race
So we'll press
And press 'til you can't take it anymore

CHORUS
Let our bodies lay while our hearts we'll save
Let our blood invade if I die in vain
And if, by his own hand, his spirit flies
Take his body as a relic to be canonized, now
And so he gets to die a saint
But she will always be the whore

BREAKDOWN
(Let's flip out!)
Against faith (Antihero)
Against all life (As if it must be pure)
Against change (Wander through the ruins)
We are free (The guiltiness is yours)[Verse 1]
See the man who stands upon the hill
He dreams of all the battles won
But fate had left its scars upon his face
With all the damage they had done

PRE-CHORUS
And so time, with age
He turns the page
Let the flesh
Submit itself to gravity

CHORUS
Let our bodies lay while our hearts we'll save
Let our blood invade if I die in vain
Now, if your convictions were a passing faith
May your ashes feed the river in the morning rays
And as the vermin crawls
We lay in the foundations of decay

BRIDGE
You must fix your heart
And you must build an altar where it rests
When the storm decays and the sky it rains
Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away
And as we stumble through your last crusade
When you welcome your extinction in the morning rays
And as the swarming calls, we lay in the foundations

OUTRO
Yes, it comforts me much more
Yes, it comforts me much more
To lay in the foundations of decay
Get up, coward!

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