Panic! at the Disco recorded their first demos while they were in high school. Shortly after, the band recorded and released their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005). Popularized by the second single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", the album was certified triple platinum in the US. In 2006, founding bassist Brent Wilson was fired from the band during an extensive world tour and subsequently replaced by Jon Walker. The band's second album, Pretty. Odd. (2008), was preceded by the single "Nine in the Afternoon". That album marked a significant departure from the sound of the band's debut. In 2009, Ross and Walker formed a new band, the Young Veins, leaving Urie and Smith as the sole remaining members of Panic! at the Disco.
Continuing as a duo, Urie and Smith released a new single, "New Perspective", for the movie Jennifer's Body, and recruited bassist Dallon Weekes and guitarist Ian Crawford as touring musicians for live performances. Weekes was later inducted into the band's lineup as a full-time member in 2010. The band's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011), was recorded solely by Urie and Smith in 2010, produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker. Crawford departed once the tour cycle for Vices & Virtues ended in 2012.
As a three-piece, Urie, Smith, and Weekes recorded and released the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, in 2013. Prior to the release of the album, Smith unofficially left the band due to health and drug-related issues, leaving Urie and Weekes as the remaining members. The duo recruited guitarist Kenneth Harris and drummer Dan Pawlovich as touring musicians for live performances.
In 2015, Smith officially left the band after not performing live with them since his departure in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Weekes reverted to being a touring member once again, resulting in Panic! becoming Urie's solo project. In April 2015, "Hallelujah" was released as the first single from Panic! at the Disco's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor (2016). In December 2017, Weekes officially announced his departure from the band. In March 2018, Panic! at the Disco released "Say Amen (Saturday Night)", the lead single from its sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked (2018), which was released in June. Panic! at the Disco's seventh studio album, Viva Las Vengeance, was released on August 19, 2022.
On January 24, 2023, Urie officially announced that Panic! at the Disco would be disbanding following the conclusion of the Viva Las Vengeance Tour.
The Ballad of Mona Lisa DEMO
Panic! at the Disco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin
She's paid for
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words are swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
Mona Lisa, yeah
Pleased to please you
Mona Lisa
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
The Ballad Of Mona Lisa is a tale of a man who has fallen in love with a woman who is both mysterious and manipulative. The song is written in a way that it seems to be directed at the titular Mona Lisa, who is painted as both seductive and dangerous. The opening lines of "She paints her fingers with a close precision, He starts to notice empty bottles of gin" immediately set the mood for a dark and secretive narrative. The singer is observing Mona Lisa's habits, and it becomes clear that she is a woman who drinks to forget something, and he wants to know more about her.
The chorus of the song is where the singer begins to reveal his feelings for Mona Lisa. He seems to be both captivated and controlled by her, asking her to say what she means and tell him that he's right. He is obsessed with her, even going so far as to say that he would pay to see her frown. The final lines of the song suggest that Mona Lisa is a prostitute, selling herself for money, and that the singer is aware of this. He wants to know the truth about what she is doing but is afraid to ask.
Line by Line Meaning
She paints her fingers with a close precision
She applies nail polish with great accuracy
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
He sees that she has consumed a lot of alcohol
And takes a moment to assess the sin
He considers the moral wrongdoing
She's paid for
She has already experienced the consequences
A lonely speaker in a conversation
She is talking to him but feels isolated
Her words are swimming through his ears again
He is hearing her words repeatedly in his mind
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
It's okay to indulge in something that you have already paid for
Say what you mean
Be truthful in what you say
Tell me I'm right
Assure me that I am correct
And let the sun rain down on me
Allow happiness and positivity to come into my life
Give me a sign
Provide me with a signal
I want to believe
I desire to have faith
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
The title character is being addressed
You're guaranteed to run this town
You have a lot of power and influence in this place
I'd pay to see you frown
Observing the subject feeling unhappy is worth paying for
He senses something, call it desperation
He detects a feeling of hopelessness or urgency
Another dollar, another day
Another payment, another day spent this way
And if she had the proper words to say
If she could express herself correctly
She would tell him
She would communicate with him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
She would have nothing else to offer him
Mona Lisa, yeah
Repeating the subject's name
Pleased to please you
It's her pleasure to make him happy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENDON URIE, BUTCH WALKER, JOHN FELDMANN, SPENCER SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@familiamartinezsanmiguel4681
Licrys:
She paints her fingers with a close precision
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin she's paid for
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words are swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for
Say what you mean, tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign, I wanna believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
Say what you mean, tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign, I wanna believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
Mona Lisa, wear me out
I'm pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Say what you mean, tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign, I wanna believe
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa oh oh oh oh, Mona Lisa
I'd pay to see you frown
Say what you mean, tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign, I wanna believe
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for
@mylilcupcake821
First time listening: "Oh. Okay, its not bad."
Second time listening:"Is this the same song?"
Third time listening:"OkAy. This is amazing."
100th time listening:"WOAH, MONA LISAA!!!! YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO RUN THIS TOWN!"
@bananabanana2326
story timeline of patd
1.But its better if you do (prologue)
2. Hallelujah (chases the lady with the amulet)
3. miss Jackson (gets the amulet from the lady)
4. say amen (Brendon gets attacked by a woman and steals the key)
5. This is Gospel (brendon dies in the hospital)
6. Ballad of Mona Lisa (Brendon's funeral)
7. emperors new clothes (brendon goes to hell)
8. LA Devotee (Brendon tortures kids to get the devils key to escape hell)
@liambrunner3026
If this song doesn't play at my funeral then I'm not coming
@rachellathem
Dr Monday omg literally same😂😂
@dragonitefan420
Same
@LiahsArchive
Neither will we.
@radical9838
the playlist for my funeral:
Helena
Ballad of Mona Lisa
Every tøp song in existence
@marrygbg
@øh my jøsh my funeral playlist is Mona Lisa, spirit in the sky and every P!ATD song in existence
@JamesLawner
I don’t think we, as a society, didn’t appreciate Steam Punk!Panic enough.
@thankuslay6766
Viva Las Vengeance 6/1 !!
@whatisthisbusiness4681
I adore the steampunk genre, and i love that my favourite band did this.
@Harrietmjones
This music video inspired my outfit for my great-grandmother’s funeral last year (I’m heavily into the Steampunk look). 🎩