Cancer (My Chemical Romance song)

"Cancer" is a rock song [1] by American rock band My Chemical Romance. It is the eighth track from the group's third studio album The Black Parade. The song was released on October 23, 2006.[2]

"Cancer"
Song by My Chemical Romance
from the album The Black Parade
ReleasedOctober 23, 2006
Recorded2006
Genre
Length2:22
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

Composition

The original version of the song is written in the key of E major with a common time tempo of 70 beats per minute. The vocals span from E3 to A4 in the song.[3]

A four bar bridge passage prior to the final chorus includes a transposed quotation from the 1958 Buddy Holly hit Raining in My Heart. Its chord progression (featuring a characteristic rising chromatic figure) is highly reminiscent of that from the verse of Raining in My Heart whilst the vocal line closely matches the rhythmic pattern and pitch content of the Bryant and Bryant-penned song. The entire song was written in 8 minutes.[1]

Personnel

Additional musicians

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Twenty One Pilots version
"Cancer"
Promotional single by Twenty One Pilots
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2016 (2016-09-14)
Recorded2016
GenreElectronic
Length3:56
LabelFueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)
Twenty One Pilots promotional singles chronology
"We Don't Believe What's on TV"
(2016)		 "Cancer"
(2016)		 "Heavydirtysoul"
(2016)

American musical duo Twenty One Pilots recorded a cover of "Cancer" for British music magazine Rock Sound's 2016 compilation album, Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade.[5][6] It was teased by lead singer Tyler Joseph in January 2016, having uploaded a short clip of himself singing the song.[7] The full version was released on September 14, 2016.[8][9]

Composition

The cover is played in the key of D Major with a common time tempo of 72 to 76 beats per minute. The vocals span from D3 to G4 in the song.[10] It contains a piano part and also incorporates programmed beats and other electronic sounds.[11] Rolling Stone described the song as "synth-laden" and featuring "additional lyric reprises and layered vocals, which gives the song an extra pensive vibe."[12]

Reception

Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone wrote that "the duo stays faithful to the already melancholic song while ratcheting up the somberness a tad."[12] Scott Shetler, writing for AXS, wrote that "Twenty One Pilots keep the melancholy while taking the song in a different direction."[11] The lead singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, was impressed by the cover, saying in an interview with PopBuzz "There's a bit of rejuggling of parts and I was like 'Wow, this almost sounds like a remix,' but it's a cover by way of this, kind of, rearrangement and I was really impressed with it".[13] Brii Jamieson of Rock Sound named it one of the band's best covers.[14]

Music video

On the day of its release, an animated lyric video was uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel. The video shows floating books and large bookshelves in a library. As of September 2023, its lyric video has received over 64 million views.[15]

Personnel

Chart performance
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 53
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 75
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[18] 99
New Zealand Heatseekers
(Recorded Music NZ)[19]		 1
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[20] 96
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 93
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 91
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 6

Year-end charts
Chart (2016) Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[24] 53

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Weingarten, Christopher R.; Aufrichtig, Aliza (18 December 2019). "Before & After 'The Black Parade'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020. The emotional climax of "The Black Parade" is a piano ballad about the titular disease. The producer Cavallo plays piano on the track and said it was written in eight minutes. "It's not a poetic track. It's very direct, very brutal, but that's the way disease is," Way said in a 2006 statement. "For me it was almost like an attempt to write the darkest song ever, and I think we achieved that."
  2. Ralph, Caitlyn (20 July 2016). "My Chemical Romance post new logo and cryptic date". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. "My Chemical Romance "Cancer" Sheet Music in E Major (transposable)". Musicnotes. 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  4. "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  5. "Introducing... 'Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade'". Rock Sound. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  6. Wicks, Amanda (September 14, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots Cover My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". Radio.com. CBS Radio. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  7. "Here's Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph singing My Chemical Romance". Alternative Press. July 20, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  8. "Cancer (Cover) Single". iTunes. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  9. "Twenty One Pilots release cover of My Chemical Romance's "Cancer"". Alternative Press. August 13, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  10. "Twenty One Pilots "Cancer" Sheet Music in D Major (transposable)". Musicnotes. 16 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  11. "Listen: Twenty One Pilots cover My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". AXS. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  12. "Hear Twenty One Pilots' Melancholic Cover of My Chemical Romance's 'Cancer'". Rolling Stone. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  13. "Gerard Way reacts to Twenty One Pilots' cover of "Cancer"". Alternative Press. August 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  14. Jamieson, Brii (September 5, 2018). "12 Of Twenty One Pilots' Best Covers". Radio.com. Rock Sound. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  15. "YouTube Lyric Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  16. "CHART WATCH #387". auspOp. September 24, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  17. "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  18. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201639 into search. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  19. "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 3, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  20. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201641 into search. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  22. "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  23. "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  24. "Hot Rock Songs - Year-End 2016". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  25. "American single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Cancer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
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