Mood Swings and Rude Things: WE ARE PARAMORE

In honor of Ain’t It Fun winning the Grammy for Best Rock Song earlier this month, I figured now would be the perfect time to write about my UNDYING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for this band. (I originally wanted to post this like the week after, but then I got this history paper and blah blah blah kinda forgot about this)

I first got into Paramore through the one and only, T-Swizzle.

It was 2010 after Speak Now, what I thought was the greatest gift to mankind, had came out (aaaand after listening to “Airplanes” all summer). I was the typical eleven year old fan with internet access; for every song, I would google who it was about (duh). And, being the rebellious sixth grader that I was, my favorite song off the record was “Better Than Revenge”. My dad would always give me side glances when I would sing the “She’s only know for the things that she does on the mattress” line, but I didn’t care; I googled it as soon as he dropped me off. I found a yahoo news article about it, and in the comments, everyone was talking about how it sounds just like “Misery Business”. Since, Better Than Revenge goes so hard, I figured “wow THAT song has to be pretty great too”.

my unusual gateway drug

I don’t actually remember listening to this song first, but I do remember listening and watching the video to “Ignorance” that night, and falling in love. I was a dumb little sixth grader who thought she was better than everybody else, and nothing had ever fit that persona more than singing that song in your head every time one of your friends pissed you off.

During the whole rest of the school year, I would come home, get on the computer whenever my mom let me, and watch and rewatch every music video. I learned every word (and the coordinated headbangs in “Ignorance”, don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about) and all their names and where they were from. Possibly most embarrassing of all, I distinctly remember playing their music videos in the backgrounds while playing Club Penguin *FACEPALMS SELF TO DEATH*.

t york yelyah and jerm B)

Even with all that stuff, I still loved it. I had my mom buy me Brand New Eyes as soon as I first saw it in the store, and collected the other two along the way; making playlists on my iPod Classic of purely Paramore songs. Plus, I got The Final Riot! and my first band t shirt of any kind for Christmas 2 years ago, and of course, learned every word to all the live versions of the songs. I illegally downloaded every cover and b-side I could scour and scooped up the Singles Club as quick as possible.

Even with all that stuff, I still loved it. I had my mom buy me Brand New Eyes as soon as I first saw it in the store, and collected the other two along the way; making playlists on my iPod Classic of purely Paramore songs. Plus, I got The Final Riot! and my first band t shirt of any kind for Christmas 2 years ago, and of course, learned every word to all the live versions of the songs. I illegally downloaded every cover and b-side I could scour and scooped up the Singles Club as quick as possible.

my paramore collection :)

The year that my dad finally let me do things by myself was made even more sweeter because of them. I didn’t have an iPod that could play without headphones, but I wanted to listen to music while I rode my bike around my neighborhood. So, I took my dad’s old phone that he gave me and recorded “Renegade” onto it and felt like the coolest person flying down the middle of the biggest hill on my sticker-covered bike with my black cargo pants on.

Obsessed? Yeah, I know. Don’t forget every night (or just any general time in my room) where I got out my hair brush and headbanged and lip synched to all of “The Final Riot!” til I was sweaty.

my hayley posters, ft. some patrick stump

this one's my fav

TAYLOR YORK

this is by my fitness calendar also bc im a total flabby tummy CREEP

And I never really thought about why I loved them so much, but I guess it’s because they’ve been the most confident role models in my life? I want to be just like Hayley Williams and Taylor York and Jeremy Davis and Zac and Josh Farro, not in the carbon-copy “ew you poser” way. They are so convincingly comfortable with themselves, and I always wanted to have that same confidence, that same assuredness. (I also might have possibly gotten bangs bc of Hayley...but look how great that worked out for me)(AKA NOT GREAT)

*intense crying*

They’re different than any other pop punk bands, they don't whine about themselves. Ever. Every lyric was always in control: never too positive, never too negative. They always had the perfect balance of being optimistic and yet understanding of how everything is shitty, like “Don’t go cryin’ to your mama / cuz you’re on your own / in the real world” from Ain’t It Fun. And it’s always seemed like they knew their imperfections and what they could improve on and always were, “I wanna know what it’d be like / to find perfection in my pride / to see nothing in the light / and turn it off in all my spite”, from “Turn It Off”. I could go on forever with quotes and songs and albums and sounds and everything, but I’d be writing for years. Seriously, they don’t have any bad songs, and no, I cannot pick a favorite song/album/anything, it’s 2 damn hard *ugly crying* Instead, here’s a 2-fer and a 1-fer that’ll show anybody the IMMENSE CRAZY MIND BENDING SPELL BINDING POWER that Paramore has.

^^ there's an "official" audio version of the top one on spotify and itunes and what not from their self tited deluxe album if you would rather, but i think you really got watch to get the full effect. also, the version from "the final riot!" (without part 2) is EPIC AS HELL AS WELL BC DRUMS

btw: in the first phot below, that's josh farro on hayleys left, and zac farro on her right.

they're bros, playin lead guitar and killer drums, respectively.

some shit happened, then they left...but i wasnt a fan then so i wasnt scarred emotionally like everyone else, i just never WITNESSED THE FARRO MAGIC

1.0 lookin fresh as well w/ their gum of bubble

2.0 lookin fresh

EVEN FRESHER WITH THE BOW TIE U GO JEREMY

*bursts into tears at taylors eVERYTHING*

And no Paramore post would be complete without talking about Hayley Williams. I would never exclude Taylor York or Jeremy Davis, but I just look up to Hayley more than anything.

First off… fucking fashion. This girl never stops.