Some emo artists express a more progressive musical style, utilizing complex guitar work, unconventional song structures, avant-garde noise, and extreme dynamic shifts; while some emo leans much more toward pop-punk, while being a bit more detailed.
Emo lyrics are profoundly personal, and are most of the time either free-associative poetry or intimate confessionals. Though it’s far less aggressively masculine, emo directly birthed from hardcore and therefore also concerns itself with authenticity and anti-commercialism; the genre grew out of the idea that commercial music was too artificial and calculated to express any true emotion. Because emo values authentic and deep emotion that defies rationality, the music can be a bit overexaggerated in its search for ever grander statements. But at its best, emo has a colossal power that manages to be emotional, inspiring, and intimate all at the same time.
The groundwork for emo was laid by Hüsker Dü’s classic Zen Arcade, which expanded the possibilities of hardcore bands to deal with more personal subject matter and write more melodic and technically challenging songs. Emo arose from Washington, D.C. a short while after, among the remains of the hardcore scene that had spawned Minor Threat and Bad Brains.
The word emo (or as it sometimes is called, emocore) was in the beginning used to describe hardcore bands that had frontmen who sang more eloquently instead of the usual shouts and rants; the first true emo band was Rites of Spring, which was then followed by ex-Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye’s short-lived Embrace.
The MacKaye-founded label Dischord Records became the center for D.C.’s evolving emo scene, as it released records by Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty, Nation of Ulysses, and eventually Ian MacKaye’s new band formed together with members from Rites of Spring, Fugazi.
Fugazi became the definitive early emo band, as they appealed to alternative rock listeners and received attention for their strictly anti-commercial ethics. Aside from Dischord, emo was in the beginning deeply underground, recorded by extremely short-lived bands and released in small amounts by small labels; some of these band’s vocalists actually wept onstage during song climaxes, earning ridicule from hardcore purists.
Not counting Fugazi, emo didn’t truly break out until the mid-’90s due to Sunny Day Real Estate, whose early records practically defined the style for many listeners. Taking the intricate guitar work of Fugazi and combining it with Seattle grunge, genuine prog-rock, and softly sentimental vocals, Sunny Day Real Estate created an immense legacy influencing many who related to their dramatic melodies and inward-looking mysticism.
Some of these listeners connected equally to the ironic, geeky introspection and catchy pop-punk of Weezer’s Pinkerton album.
Several artists and bands contined to build on the groundwork laid by Fugazi (like Quicksand and Drive Like Jehu), but most ’90s bands took inspiration from some combination of Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Weezer.
Bands like the Promise Ring, the Get Up Kids, Braid, Texas Is the Reason, Jimmy Eat World, Joan of Arc, and Jets to Brazil also greatly influenced the indie rock scene, thereby making emo one of the more popular underground rock styles by the turn of the millennium.
Misery Business
Paramore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top
She's got a body like an hourglass, that's ticking like a clock
It's a matter of time before we all run out
When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth
I waited eight long months
She finally set him free
I told him I couldn't lie, he was the only one for me
Two weeks and we had caught on fire
She's got it out for me, but I wear the biggest smile
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God, does it feel so good
'Cause I got him where I want him now
And if you could, then you know you would
'Cause God, it just feels so
It just feels so good
Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change
Once a whore, you're nothing more, I'm sorry that'll never change
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged
I'm sorry honey, but I passed it up, now look this way
Well, there's a million other girls who do it just like you
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who
They want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God, does it feel so good
'Cause I got him where I want him right now
And if you could, then you know you would
'Cause God, it just feels so
It just feels so good
I watched his wildest dreams come true
And not one of them involving you
Just watch my wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving
Whoa, well I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God, does it feel so good
'Cause I got him where I want him now
And if you could, then you know you would
'Cause God, it just feels so
It just feels so good
The lyrics of "Misery Business" by Paramore tell the story of a love triangle between the singer, another woman, and the man they both desire. The main character is in the business of misery, meaning she enjoys the power that comes from stealing other people's boyfriends. She is jealous of the other woman's hourglass figure and the fact that she caught the man's attention by kissing him.
The character waits patiently for eight months until the other woman finally sets him free. She tells him that he is the only one for her, and they quickly fall in love. However, the other woman still has it out for her and is envious of her relationship. The main character admits that she never meant to brag, but she got the man where she wanted him now. She knows that it feels good to have him, and she enjoys the power.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of forgiveness, where the main character refuses to forgive the other woman for what she did. She says that second chances don't matter because people never change. The final line of the song is a reflection of the main character's desire for success, where she watches her wild dreams come true, not involving the other woman. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of empowerment through the control of others' emotions and the satisfaction of coming out on top in a love triangle.
Line by Line Meaning
Hit that, hit that snare
The song starts with a catchy beat.
I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top
The singer brings her dissatisfaction to light by describing herself to be working in misery.
She's got a body like an hourglass, that's ticking like a clock
She is admiring a woman who is physically attractive and feels time is slipping away.
It's a matter of time before we all run out
The inevitability of time running out is weighed upon.
When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth
The singer is betrayed by a woman for kissing a man whom she thought was hers.
I waited eight long months
The singer waited patiently for 8 months for the incident to be resolved.
She finally set him free
The woman who kissed the man lets him go.
I told him I couldn't lie, he was the only one for me
The man is assured of the singer's loyalty.
Two weeks and we had caught on fire
The singer and her partner's relationship becomes intense soon after the previous incident.
She's got it out for me, but I wear the biggest smile
The woman who caused the earlier incident still harbors ill feelings towards the singer. However, she remains unfazed and puts up a brave front.
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
The singer acknowledges that she did not intend to brag, but is proud that she has attained the affection of her love interest.
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God, does it feel so good
The singer insists that her intention was never to steal her partner from another person, but admits that the feeling of being wanted by someone is enjoyable.
Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change
Once a whore, you're nothing more, I'm sorry that'll never change
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged
The singer feels that people rarely change, and a person labeled as something like a 'whore' will never be looked at any different. The concept of forgiveness between the two women involved in the incident is judged to be futile.
I'm sorry honey, but I passed it up, now look this way
Well, there's a million other girls who do it just like you
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who
They want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!
The singer describes the other woman's attempts to project herself as innocent, and suggests that there are many like her who have selfish motives. She, however, declines to follow the same path.
I watched his wildest dreams come true
And not one of them involving you
Just watch my wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving
The singer talks about her partner's dreams, implying that none of them include the other woman. She urges the other woman to watch her own dreams come true, which do not include the partner.
Whoa, well I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God, does it feel so good
'Cause I got him where I want him now
And if you could, then you know you would
'Cause God, it just feels so
It just feels so good
The singer reiterates that her intention was never to brag or steal someone's partner, but is elated that she has found love. She believes that anyone who found themselves in the same position would have done the same.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joshua Neil Farro, Hayley Nichole Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paramore
Today marks the 8th anniversary of this video! Thanks for still watching it!
@AmandaFinnglader08
one of my favorite songs! great!
@korycooper2285
Paramore I never get sick of this song<3 Just stinks that I standing right beside the girl who got picked to sing this at the Paratour show in Bethlehem PA!! She deserved it tho! But that would have made my life lol...I did get the skip the line wrist bands tho which was AWESOME! Keep being the Awesome band you guys are and keep making rad music<3 Paramore fan Fo EVA<3
@kategrey526
You said that on twitter
@sarahgarratt6235
+Paramore this song is one of the best because it gives people chance to sing with +Hayley Williams and the whole band onstage. 8 years of this song and 10 years as a band what a achievement from you guys keep going and believe in yourself like your fans do.
I wish I could go to a show to see it live and feel the atsmosphere of the crowd and the way the crowd goes crazy and starts dancing with them.
@CharlieMora
This song is still Ticking like A Clock
@warrenrandolph96
I'm 33 and this gives me goosebumps remembering dancing to this in my bedroom as a teenager, I was a big fan of them i had all their albums they were up there with Linkin Park one of the greats for sure...Damn! Man, time flies so fast!!!!
@jusjerm
My daughters just discovered Paramore and it's crazy to see them rocking out to a song I did sixteen years ago
@AyoubSaoudi-bh6kp
Cool
@supme7558
I don't think you've got your timing, right?