I waited a while before reviewing Teenagers by My Chemical Romance. Why? Because my interpretation of the song has been forever skewed by a comment on the JK and Joel breakfast show. They were talking about the track on air after having just played it and one of the two said it sounded like a rock n’ roll Chas and Dave.

So now, when I hear that distorted blues riff at the start of the song, all I can think of is two aging cockney piano botherers. Which is a shame, because despite the musical cliches which underpin it, Teenagers is a topical and intelligent song that vocalizes the popular perception of youth these days:

They said all teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone’ll bleed
So darken your clothes
And strike a violent pose

I mean, consider that in terms of all the scaremongering in the tabloid press about the ‘youth of today’. Having said that, Teenagers is a complete departure from the eccentricity and flamboyance of lead single, The Black Parade. It’s much more immediate in appeal, and though the message is deep, the music is shallow.