2003–2004: Independent success
After the release of their mini-album, Fall Out Boy built a large following playing in the Chicago area. Drummer Andy Hurley, formerly of Racetraitor, joined the band, while Mike Pareskuwicz and T.J. Kunasch left. At this time, Stump also took over rhythm guitar duties. After signing to Fueled By Ramen, they released their first full-length album, Take This to Your Grave, on May 6, 2003.
With singles Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy and Saturday receiving video airplay on FUSE and mtvU and radio airplay on alternative stations across the country, the band soon gained a cult following. The album sold very well and eventually achieved gold status, but only after the success of their next album, From Under The Cork Tree.
In mid-2003 the band signed with Island Records, part of the super label The Island Def Jam Music Group along with Def Jam Records. While recording their mainstream debut, they released the acoustic EP My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue on Fueled by Ramen, May 18, 2004. It debuted at #153 on the Billboard Top 200, their first entry on the chart. The two-disc set included a DVD with videos, more acoustic performances, and a fan photo gallery.
2005–2006: Commercial debut
On May 3, 2005, Fall Out Boy released their major label debut, From Under the Cork Tree, which debuted on the Billboard 200 at #9, selling over 68,000 copies in its first week. The album achieved double platinum status and has sold over 2.5 million albums in the US alone. Earlier that year, the band’s stability was threatened when Wentz overdosed on the sedative Ativan in a failed suicide attempt. The track 7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen) from their album From Under the Cork Tree is based upon Wentz’s attempted suicide.
Their first single, Sugar We’re Goin’ Down, peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on the Pop 100 and #3 on the Modern Rock Charts. The video reached #1 on MTV’s TRL, where it was retired on August 26, 2005. The video also won the MTV2 Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, prompting a huge new interest and surge in sales. The band was also nominated for “Best New Artist” at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
The second single off the album, Dance, Dance, became their second Top 10 Single when it peaked at #9 on the Hot 100. It also reached #6 on the Pop 100 and became the bands top charted hit when it reached #2 on the Modern Rock Charts. The video for the song premiered on TRL on October 11, 2005; it soon reached #1 and was later retired on January 17, 2006. The third single off the album, A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’, was much less popular than both prior singles but still managed to peak at #65 on the Hot 100 and hit #1 twice on TRL, retiring on June 6, 2006.
2007: Continuing prosperity
Fall Out Boy’s third studio album, titled Infinity On High, was released on February 6, 2007. The lead single, This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race, debuted at the 2006 American Music Awards. The video debuted on MTV on Tuesday, December 19, 2006. In the album’s opening week, Infinity on High reached number 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 260,000 copies.
“This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart on February 4, 2007, making it their most successful song in the UK to date. The single also peaked on the U.S. Hot 100 at number 2 and the U.S. Pop 100 at number 1. The Carpal Tunnel Of Love (the second single released from the album) reached number 81 on the U.S. Hot 100 by way of digital sales alone. Thnks fr th Mmrs was released on April 9, 2007 and made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #12 on the UK Singles chart.
Showing their versatility, Fall Out Boy has collaborated with rappers Kanye West, Babyface, Jay-Z, and Timbaland. Babyface produced and Jay Z is featured on Thriller. They also worked with Timbaland on his new album Timbaland Presents Shock Value, where they are featured on the track One and Only, for which Stump and Wentz both contributed in writing. Stump was also featured on two songs with Gym Class Heroes (also signed with Fueled By Ramen), including their #1 Single Cupid’s Chokehold. He also was a guest vocalist on Motion City Soundtrack’s single, Everything Is Alright as well as contributing to If You Could Remember.
2008-2009:
On April 1, 2008, Fall Out Boy released their live album, **** Live in Phoenix. The album was recorded in Pheonix on June 22. It contained a studio recording of Micheal Jackson’s Beat It with John Mayer as a guest on the guitar.
On December 16th, 2008, Fall Out Boy released their 4th studio album, Folie à Deux (literally meaning “madness shared by two”). The lead single for the album, I Don’t Care was released September 8, 2008.
On November 17, 2009, Believers Never Die - Greatest Hits was released, featuring two new songs titled Alpha Dog and From Now On We Are Enemies. Along with the release of this compilation, Fall Out Boy announced that they were taking a break. "We're just taking a break and decompressing. We're not putting terms on when we're coming back. We're going to come back when everybody's excited about it and it's fun." said Pete Wentz to J14 Magazine.
2010-2012: Hiatus
In early 2010 the band entered a state of hiatus, with each member eventually going off to explore their own musical interests. Wentz formed DJ duo Black Cards with singer Bebe Rexha in July 2010, releasing an EP before Rexha quietly left the group in January 2012. Trohman and Hurley started the band The Damned Things with Scott Ian from Anthrax and members of Every Time I Die, releasing their debut album Ironiclast in December 2010.
Stump recorded his debut solo album Soul Punk which was released on July 26, 2011. Despite gaining generally positive reviews, ticket sales were poor with many Fall Out Boy fans unwilling to follow him in his new musical direction. This negative feedback caused Stump to create his blog entry "We Liked You Better Fat" in which he honestly aired his feelings, causing Wentz to reach out to him and ultimately begin collborating again musically in February 2012.
2013-2014: Reunion and Save Rock and Roll
During 2012, the band reformed and began attempts to reinvent their sound. Sessions were difficult, with early attempts a struggle to produce new material. On February 4, 2013 the band simultaneously announced their reunion, a new single My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) and the album Save Rock and Roll which was released the following month.
2014–2016: American Beauty/American Psycho
Centuries - the first single of Fall Out Boy's sixth studio album - premiered on September 8, 2014. Another song titled Immortals was released October 14, 2014, as part of the soundtrack for the Walt Disney film Big Hero 6. On November 24, 2014, the title of Fall Out Boy's sixth studio album was announced as American Beauty/American Psycho; the album was released on January 20, 2015.
2017–2022: MANIA
On April 27, 2017, Fall Out Boy announced that their new album was set to be released on September 15, titled M A N I A. The first single, Young and Menace was released the same day. The second single, Champion was released in the U.S. on June 22 and worldwide on June 23. On August 3, 2017, Patrick Stump tweeted that the album's release would be pushed back to January 19, 2018, because the band were not satisfied with the results of their work at the time.
A few months after the release of MANIA, Fall Out Boy released their ninth EP, Lake Effect Kid. It was released on August 23, 2018 through Island and DCD2. It features themes from their older albums as well as a song that was a demo for CitizensFOB Mixtape: Welcome To The New Administration -- which was a promotional mixtape for Folie à deux.
They then released Believers Never Die (Volume 2) on November 15, 2019. It is their second greatest hits album and was released through Island. It included two new songs, Bob Dylan and Dear Future Self (Hands Up) .
2023–present: So Much (For) Stardust
Fall Out Boy released a new single, Love From the Other Side, on January 18, 2023. The single featured the song, Love From the Other Side, as well as an edit of the track. After the release of this single, they announced that their eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust, was to fully release on March 24, 2023. This album marked the first time the band had released music through Fueled By Ramen since Take This to Your Grave, their 2003 debut album. They also once again joined forces with producer Neal Avron, who produced From Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, and Folie à Deux.
Novocaine
Fall Out Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So put all of your anger on
In the truly gruesome do we trust
I will always land on you like a sucker punch
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
You would never sing along
Cast them out 'cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
And now I'm just numb
Don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
I'm just a problem that doesn't wanna be solved
So could you please hold your applause
Take this sideshow and all its freaks
And turn it into the silver screen dream
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sing at you,
You would never sing along
Cast them out 'cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
And now I'm just numb
And don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
I said one day the bell is gonna swallow me whole
And I feel like a photo that's been overexposed
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
And now I'm just numb
Don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
The lyrics to Fall Out Boy’s song Novocaine suggest an individual that is feeling numb, disillusioned and disconnected from the world around them as a result of being betrayed and mistreated by others. The ski mask imagery indicates an attempt to hide or mask their emotions, as they prepare to take revenge on those who have wronged them. They sing “I am your worst nightmare” to assert their power and dominance over others, becoming a problem that doesn't want to be solved. The lines “if you knew, knew what the bluebirds sing at you, you would never sing along” suggests that the singer has witnessed the true intentions and nature of others, which is not pure or good, however, others are blind to this and therefore follow along blindly like sheep. The idea of “casting them out” and protecting their own culture suggests a desire to maintain a sense of identity and belonging, away from the negative influences of outsiders or ‘vultures’.
The lyrics also emphasise the idea that love and emotions have been stripped of their authenticity or purity through the use of novocaine, a painkiller that numbs physical sensation. The singer sings “because they took our love and they filled it up with novocaine” to further suggest that their ability to feel love has been numbed or lost as a result of betrayal and mistreatment. Even though they feel nothing, the singer still demands that others continue to pursue their desires until their hearts go numb, showing a desire for others to feel the pain they have experienced or to also become numb themselves.
Overall, the lyrics to Novocaine suggest a person disillusioned by the betrayal and mistreatment of others and who is trying to assert their power and maintain a sense of identity and belonging away from negative influences.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a black, black ski mask song
The song is dark and filled with anger, hence the reference to a black ski mask.
So put all of your anger on
The singer is urging the listener to channel their anger into the music.
In the truly gruesome do we trust
The singer is acknowledging the appeal of horror and gruesome imagery in popular culture.
I will always land on you like a sucker punch
The singer will hit the listener with brutal honesty and emotion, like an unexpected punch.
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
The singer is asserting their dominance and power in the relationship between artist and listener.
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sing at you
The bluebirds are a metaphor for the beauty and innocence of love, which has been taken away by the harsh reality of the world.
You would never sing along
If the listener knew the truth about love and the world, they would never sing along to this song.
Cast them out 'cause this is our culture
The singer is rejecting the mainstream and embracing a subculture of their own creation.
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
The singer sees the mainstream as scavengers who feed off of the genuine emotion and creativity of subcultures.
Because they took our love and they filled it up
The mainstream has co-opted the singer's ideas and filled them with meaningless substance, as if numbing the emotions of the people.
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
The reference to novocaine reinforces the idea of numbing emotions.
And don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
The singer is acknowledging their own rebellious nature and refusal to conform to the mainstream.
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
The singer is urging the listener to embrace their own emotions and not give into the numbing effect of the mainstream.
I said one day the bell is gonna swallow me whole
The bell is a metaphor for death, and the singer is acknowledging their own mortality.
And I feel like a photo that's been overexposed
The singer feels like they have been overexposed to the harsh reality of the world, and their emotions have been numbed as a result.
I don't feel a thing for you
The singer is expressing their emotional detachment from the world and their fans.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Uzi, Andrew Hurley, Joseph Trohman, Patrick Stump, Peter Wentz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ummyeah5159
This is a black, black ski mask song
So put all of your anger on
In the truly gruesome do we trust
I will always land on you like a sucker punch
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you,
You would never sing along
Cast them out cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with Novocaine and now I’m just numb
Now I’m just numb
And don't mind me, I’m just a son of a gun
So don’t stop, don’t stop until your heart goes numb
Now I’m just numb
I don’t feel a thing for you
I’m just a problem that doesn’t want to be solved
So could you please hold your applause
Take this sideshow and all its freaks
And turn it into the silver screen dream
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you,
You would never sing along
Cast them out cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with Novocaine and now I’m just numb
Now I’m just numb
And don't mind me, I’m just a son of a gun
So don’t stop, don’t stop until your heart goes numb
Now I’m just numb
I don’t feel a thing for you
I said one day the valley's gonna swallow me whole
(Hijack the hype! Hijack the hype!)
and I feel like a photo that’s been over-exposed
(Hijack the hype! Hijack the hype!)
They took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with Novocaine and now I’m just numb
Now I’m just numb
And don't mind me, I’m just a son of a gun
So don’t stop, don’t stop until your heart goes numb
Now I’m just numb
I don’t feel a thing for you
@Donox180
Lyrics
Novocaine
This is a black, black ski mask song
So put all of your anger on
In the truly gruesome do we trust
I will always land on you like a sucker punch
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sing at you, you would never sing along
Cast them out ‘cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
Now I'm just numb
And leave me, don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
I'm just a problem that doesn't wanna be solved
So could you please hold your applause
Take this sideshow and all its freaks
And turn it into the silver screen dream
Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare
If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sing at you, you would never sing along
Cast them out ‘cause this is our culture
These new flocks are nothing but vultures
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
Now I'm just numb
And leave me, don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
I said one day the bell is gonna swallow me whole
I feel like a photo that's been overexposed
Because they took our love and they filled it up
Filled it up with novocaine and now I'm just numb
Now I'm just numb
And leave me, don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun
So don't stop, don't stop 'till your heart goes numb
And now I'm just numb
I don't feel a thing for you
@AndyAyala0101
what did the fucking bird say about me
@AndyAyala0101
Dune Bug :) i knew that
@crisayala2907
Dune Bug :) that was....
kind of mean
@krampusplague
Paola Cristina Ayala Ruiz I don't. ...
..give a shit.
@crisayala2907
Dune Bug :) ok sorry....
calm down
@HolidayTuna
Dune Bug :) You are a cancer to human kind.
@ForeverStarFox
I will always question how Patrick reaches those high notes but then goes fucking low as shit. I swear he's a wizard
@melodyhenshaw2128
Patrick has 5 lung
@octothulhu
Patrick is strong in the force. He had it... He had it... He also had it. You don't have that power too.
@ericmillwood5195
+CyberBowers don't you mean the force is strong with him :D