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 Paino Knows Somthing I Don't Know
Panic! at the Disco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It grows like fancy flowers but it grows nowhere
My hair, my hair
If I could build my house just like the Trojan horse
I'd put a statue of myself upon the shelf
Of course, of course, of course
She's dancin' fancy pirouettes
Swan diving off of the deep end
Of my tragic cigarette
She's steam
Laughing on the windowpanes
The never-ending swaying haze
Oh, that ever smiling maze
Oh, that ever smiling maze
Ballet
Everything's gone missing
I've lost more songs to floods
I can't prove this makes any sense but
I sure hope that it does
Perhaps
I was born with curiosity
The likes of those of old crows
The likes of those of old crows
And oh, how the piano knows
The piano knows something
I don't know
I won't cut my beard and I won't change my hair
It grows like fancy flowers but it grows nowhere
My hair, my hair
If I could build my house just like the Trojan horse
I'd put a statue of myself upon the shelf
Of course, of course, of course
Of course, of course, of course
Of course, of course, of course
Of course
The lyrics of The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know by Panic! at the Disco are complex and open to interpretation. The song is about the complexities of life and the constant search for meaning and understanding. The opening verses reflect on the singer's appearance and how they refuse to change who they are to fit in with societal norms. They choose to let their hair and beard grow wild and free, like fancy flowers, not caring about the superficial opinions of others.
The middle section of the song reflects on the singer's relationship with a mysterious "she." She is described as smoke, dancing in fancy pirouettes and swan diving off of the deep end of the singer's tragic cigarette. She is steam, laughing on the windowpanes, and the never-ending swaying haze. The imagery here is chaotic and hints at a tumultuous relationship with someone who is not easily understood but is still captivating.
The final section of the song reflects on the singer's own thoughts and feelings. They feel like everything they once knew is missing and lost to floods. They are unsure if their search for understanding makes any sense, but they still hope that it does. They describe themselves as having the curiosity of an old crow and reflect on how the piano seems to know something that they do not. The song ends with a repetition of the opening verses, emphasizing that the singer remains true to themselves even in the face of uncertainty and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't cut my beard and I won't change my hair
I refuse to conform to societal expectations and change my appearance
It grows like fancy flowers but it grows nowhere
My hair appears aesthetically pleasing but has no practical use
If I could build my house just like the Trojan horse
If given the opportunity, I would create a masterpiece of deceit akin to the Trojan horse
I'd put a statue of myself upon the shelf
I would proudly display a sculpture of myself for all to admire
She's the smoke
Referring to a woman, she is elusive and difficult to grasp
She's dancin' fancy pirouettes
She is graceful and performs difficult, impressive movements
Swan diving off of the deep end
She is taking a risk, like a competitive diver jumping off a high platform
Of my tragic cigarette
The woman is metaphorically linked to the singer's negative habits
She's steam
Continuing the metaphorical comparisons, the woman is reminiscent of steam rising and disappearing
Laughing on the windowpanes
The woman brings a sense of happiness and joy to the singer's life
The never-ending swaying haze
The woman's presence creates a continuous, wavering aura surrounding the singer
Oh, that ever smiling maze
The woman's mystery and allure is both captivating and confusing
Ballet
A graceful and artistic form of dance, alluding to the elegance of the woman
Everything's gone missing
The singer is feeling lost and directionless
I've lost more songs to floods
The singer has lost creative inspiration due to overwhelming events
I can't prove this makes any sense but
The singer's current state of mind may seem illogical, but it is his reality
I sure hope that it does
The singer desires for his thoughts and feelings to have purpose and meaning
Perhaps
The singer is unsure and hesitant about his next move
I was born with curiosity
The singer has an inherent desire to explore and learn
The likes of those of old crows
The curiosity the singer possesses is akin to that of old, wise birds
And oh, how the piano knows
The artist is turning to a piano as a source of comfort, wisdom, and understanding
The piano knows something
The piano holds insight and knowledge beyond the artist's understanding
I don't know
The singer acknowledges his lack of understanding, but seeks enlightenment from the piano
Of course, of course, of course
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the singer's certainty and determination in his beliefs
Of course, of course, of course
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the singer's certainty and determination in his beliefs
Of course, of course, of course
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the singer's certainty and determination in his beliefs
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENDON URIE, GEORGE ROSS, JONATHAN WALKER, SPENCER SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JustANotchInYourBlackParade You’reJustAGoddamnDoor
Brendon: I won’t cut my beard and I won’t change my hair
Brendon: cuts beard and changes hair
maddie
I just love the fact that they write the best songs while they're high and drunk.
Nameless Shameless
okay but people have been commenting about how figurative and "imegary" the song is and how they were high writing it, but this is actually saving my grade😂😂😂😂
I go to an arts school with a cinema class, and in this semester we're editing a music video to any song we choose and this is fucking perfect okay😂😂😂
Kylie Is a loser
i love how it goes from like minor chords and then it just kicks into major chords and sound so happy
Armund Wolffe
“I can’t prove this makes any sense, but I sure hope that it does.”
Sabrina Sophia
This song is everywhere they were obviously so high
Isabella
Brendon Urie even said that they were high when writing most of pretty odd😅
Adi Navarro
Salty Ryan Ross Stan lmao in a new interview that was released today with Brendon they asked about a lyric in pretty odd and he said that they were probably on shrooms when they wrote it LMAO
Chloe Martin
The whole album was high lmao
It's my favorite one
Golden Blue89
I've been a fan since 2005 and seeing this is kind of sad. I miss the good old days and I wish it was like that again. I love Brendon with all my heart and respect their wishes but it would make me so happy to see Ryan and Brendon collaborate on a song together again. I regret being too poor to see them in concert when I was younger and I still am but I went for the first time on 03/07/17 as a gift from my Mom before she died of breast cancer. It is my biggest dream to meet Ryan Ross and Brendon Urie someday so I can tell them " I've been a fan since the beginning, your music literally saved my life and you're my hero."