Makin’ Memories: Fall Out Boy’s ‘Take This To Your Grave’

Today Fall Out Boys’ 2003 release Take This To Your Grave turns 10 years old! To honor the album and our theme this month on Buznet, I am going to listen to the album from start to finish and write a few memories I have tied to the record in real-time. I suggest getting the album out and playing along with me.

HIT PLAY!

“Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today”

Love how this album kicks off. It makes you want to run as fast as you can down the street you grew up on singing along. I can remember loving the line, “To my favorite liar, to my favorite scar.” That may have been my AIM away message often back in 2003.

Favorite line: “ To my favorite liar, to my favorite scar.”

“Dead On Arrival”

Ah, the first single. Anyone who has this blue 7” is a lucky lucky fan. I remember this song coming on the boom box (yep boom box) at my friend Chris’ house. That was the first time I heard anything from Fall Out Boy. Chris actually had a lot to do with my introduction to music in this scene when we were kids.

Favorite line: “ I know I’m not your favorite record.”

“Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy”

I think I would say my most distinct memory of this song is singing along in the car with my friends the summer of 2003. An acoustic version of the song was floating around the Internet as well and I remember downloading it on Kazaa. Sorry FOB.

Favorite line: “You were the last good thing about this part of town.”

“Saturday”

This is my personal favorite off of Take This To Your Grave. I have a vivid memory of being in college years later, feeling like an outcast, and hearing a boy in my dorm singing this song in the hallway. I ran up to him in excitement! Knowing that post high school there were still some FOB fans walking among us was amazing. He had a nice voice too!

Favorite line: “And I read about the afterlife but I never really lived”

“Homesick At Space Camp”

I remember hitting the play back button on this one a lot because it told such an obvious story of missing things and having to leave them behind. I didn’t have to really dig for any hidden meaning in the lyric’s metaphors.

Favorite line: “And I can’t forget your style or cynicism.”

“Sending Postcards From A Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here)”

This is the perfect angsty and bitter breakup song for an emo teenager. The kind of stuff that makes your parents worried about you when it’s blaring out of your bedroom.

Favorite line: “Turn this up I’ll tune you out”

“Chicago Is So Two Years Ago”

This chorus is so perfectly catchy but then hits you with some of the most descriptive imagery in any of the songs on this album. Someone upset Pete Wentz and he is letting them know; these are fighting words. “With every breath I wish your body will be broken again” and the line “loaded words with loaded friends. Loaded guns to our heads.” I can remember being a bit shocked by how direct this song was.

Favorite line: “My heart is on my sleeve. Wear it like a bruise or black eye.”

“The Pros and Cons Of Breathing”

I just remember singing along to this chorus furiously when I started driving on my own.

Favorite line ”Wish that I was as invisible as you make me feel.”

(And I still relate to that one just as much today as I did in 2003.)

“Grenade Jumper”

This one always stood out to me, because as I mentioned before, I had a buddy Chris. Thankfully I never lost any friends at a young age so I couldn’t empathize with this song but it was a nice change of pace from singing about hating girls.

Favorite line: “but at the end of the day you know where we come from and where we call home.”

“Calm Before The Storm”

Second favorite track! Love how it opens and the harmonies. I remember making a mix CD for my oldest brother and he feel in love with this song for the same reasons. So many harmonies and vocal runs – GO PATRICK!

Favorite line: “What you do on your own time’s just find. My imaginations much worse, I just never want to know.”

“Reinventing The Wheel To Run Myself Over”

All I can remember about this song from the first time I got into the album loved the chorus and Patrick’s vocals and the drum fill towards the end.

Favorite line: “I can’t wake up to these reminders of who I am: a failure at everything, 18 going on extinct.”

“The Patron Saint Of Liars And Fakes”

Gosh, talk about angry. This is song is such a great way to wrap up all of the aggression and anger on this album. I remember after listening to it a few times I finally noticed the line, “take this to your grave” laced into the last chorus. This records goes out with a bang.

Favorite: “ And when it all goes to hell, will you be able to tell me you’re sorry with a straight face.”

I guess an overall memory of this album is how aggressive and angry the content was. It was all laid out, nothing was held back. Take This To Your Grave was one of the first times someone was singing about all of the things I was thinking; and singing it with convocation. It was around the time I was also getting into Taking Back Sunday and Brand New. I had stumbled upon all this new music that was catchy, but wasn’t all about rainbows and sunshine. It was about the hard parts of growing up and having your naive heart broken.

When I got past the insanely catchy melodies I realized the lyrics are really harsh. Just what I need as a sophomore in high school who kept making the same missteps we all make at that age.

Wow that was fun and ironically my Spotify account just started to play “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” bringing me right back to 2013. Very excited Fall Out Boy is back and congrats on a decade of giving us all something to relate to with a nice melody and drum fills. #musicrules.

What are you memories of this album?

Let’s talk music, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.