Music Review: Fall Out Boy "Centuries"

Fall Out Boy

Centuries

Album: TBA

Year: 2014

           Patrick Stump is trying to change his worst boyfriend ever status in the clamorous         “Centuries.”

            In the intro, Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” sample opens the single, setting a      random tone. (“Da da da da a da da/Da da da da da da da da.”)

            In the chorus, he says some relationships take on own their life. The breakup involved a situation that was outrageous and out of a movie. Others are barely thought of again. He is capable of doing that one screw-up that will be talked about. She will be calling in radio shows and winning concerts based on it. (“Some legends are told/Some turn to dust or to gold/But you will remember me/Remember me, for centuries/Just one mistake/Is all it will take/We'll go down in history/Remember me for centuries/Hey, hey, hey/Remember me for centuries.”)

         After multiple heartbreaks, he decided a loving relationship was not meant for him. People usually give him weird looks when he says he doesn’t believe in love. He usually responds that the fairytales warp people’s minds anyway. It never works out that way. Besides, people can love lots of things and become disappointed. Growing up, he was into heavy metal. But then he saw the bands try to become pop bands and he lost interest. She is skittish about dating him. He would like to have it considered between them. He senses that she understands him. However, she found the strength to get past her damage on her own. (“Mummified my teenage dreams/No, it’s nothing wrong with me/The kids are all wrong, the story’s all off/Heavy metal broke my heart/Come on, come on, and let me in/Bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints/And this is supposed to match/The darkness that you felt/I never meant for you to fix yourself.”)

             The chorus is sung again, with the Vega sample popping up.

        He wants to remembered for something: a hard worker, a helpful son, etc. He can be whatever he wants to be. He wants her undying admiration. He will make such an impact on her that she will talking about him for years. She will wonder what he is up to and will be searching for him on Google. He thinks she can be a great girlfriend and someone who will be able to fix him. But he’s not sure how long his chance will last with her. (“And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name/Cause I was only born inside my dreams/Until you die for me, as long as there's a light, my shadow's over you/Cause I am the opposite of amnesia/And you're a cherry blossom/You're about to bloom/You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon.”)

              The  chorus is sung again, along with the Vega sample.

              In the  bridge, they have both liked each other a long time but haven’t admitted it out loud yet. However, their generation is messed up to begin with. They were born to be cynical. (“We’ve been here forever/And here’s the frozen proof/I could scream forever/We are the poisoned youth.”)

              The chorus is sung again to end the single

               Stump’s labored vocals push too hard. He has a clear, versatile range that can mix the genres together. However, he shouts to the point that his voice gets scratchy. It’s a wonder his mom isn’t giving him bottles of water and smacking him with a newsaper, telling him to not ruin his livelihood.

         The Suzanne Vega “Tom’s Diner”  is pasted onto the arrangement and only chimes during the chorus. It plays quietly underneath during the rest of the song. It doesn’t really serve a purpose, though, other than to get listeners to think of what exactly the song is and why it sounds so familiar. It ends up becoming a distraction, turning attention away from the song.

                The  forgettable “Centuries” isn’t going to live forever, at most three months tops.