Oh, well imagine
As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor
And I can't help but to hear
No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words

"What a beautiful wedding
What a beautiful wedding", says a bridesmaid to a waiter
"And, yes, but what a shame
What a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore"

I chime in with a
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality

I chime in
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of

Well, in fact
Well, I'll look at it this way
I mean, technically, our marriage is saved
Well, this calls for a toast
So pour the champagne

Oh, well in fact
Well, I'll look at it this way
I mean, technically, our marriage is saved
Well, this calls for a toast
So pour the champagne, pour the champagne

I chime in with a
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality

I chime in
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality

Again

I chime in
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality

I chime in
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality

Again


Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter, edited by Ninjasauceman, LaserKiwi, thfuckboy, PATDandTOP, emoqueen420, iamsobadatthis

I Write Sins Not Tragedies Lyrics as written by Brendon Urie George Ross

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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I Write Sins Not Tragedies song meanings
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817 Comments

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  • +28
    My Interpretation

    Beautiful thing about music (and art in general) is one's freedom of interpretation.

    This song to me just wreaks sarcasm. I think the groom overhears the conversation (since he's nervously pacing) and obviously gets upset, "....you people...goddamn door?!". Which I interpret as "keep your thoughts to yourself". Truth is, whether we admit it or not, we tend to regard what others think of us. You tell yourself you could not care less about what someone else thinks, but if someone suggested something bad about something you valued, you would definitely (subconsciously) consider it. Is there any validity in their suggestion? Hearing someone suggest you're soon-to-be-wife is a whore is pretty daunting if you ask me.

    He tries to make himself feel better, tells himself to be calm and not to overreact, that everything will work out: "....sense of poise and rationality", but you can tell it's eating at him inside. His frustration ultimately leads to the cancellation of the wedding, and again he tries to make himself feel better: "I'll look at it this way... technically our marriage is saved", because if he would've married a whore (suspected) they would've had a horrible marriage. So he's trying to look on the bright side of things, "this calls for a toast so pour the champagne." But is he genuinely happy with the situation? Even if he did prevent a miserable marriage? It just wreaks of sarcasm and dismay.

    I think this song says a lot about the powerful influence of others (society), especially when it regards something one takes to heart.

    Noemotionon November 07, 2012   Link
  • +11
    General Comment

    I think its about the groom overhearing the bridesmaid gossip to the waiter that the bride is a whore. "I'd chime in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!"" - I think this means that he already knows about the bride's promiscuous past but that she has changed and these people should "close the door on the past" and not bring it up. The next part of the song is mocking the people that are gossiping with their "poison rationality", because they can't accept that people can change. He shows the irony of their point of view: "Oh! Well in fact, well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved Well this calls for a toast, so pour the champagne, pour the champagne"

    • Using their "poison rationality" he should judge his bride by only her past actions and assume that she will be unfaithful to him. Thus he would "save" the marriage by calling it off and not even giving her a chance. This is analogous to "saving" someone's life by shooting them in the brain and heart with a magnum .44 repeatedly.
    electromagneton April 04, 2010   Link
  • +8
    General Comment

    My take on this- Brendon and the groom are the same guy. Brendon is his conscience or even in a way his sub-conscience, that little voice in your head telling himself, well in the video showing himself what is clear to see the whole time. The groom seems caught off guard, in denial, but Brendon seems almost one step ahead of the bride, and has known for awhile her game, it just took him overhearing a comment between the bridesmaid and the waiter while he was nervously pacing at the church, probably with what he knows deep down, that the marriage is a mistake because of what he suspects, to finally snap out of it and face what is really in front of him. Bride walks away in video meaning she destroyed this in his mind and he is left confused and shocked by the whole thing but Brendon drags him out to see what he has known, his fiancee with another man. In the end you see Brendon and the groom bow and the groom is suddenly in the top hat, clearly indicating that they are one person.

    Kellen96on August 31, 2011   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    Why does it have to be a metaphor for anything? The story is simple.

    The character telling the story is the groom, he's pacing nervously and overhears the conversation. He chimes in with the line and then rethinks his reaction and treats it with poise and rationality. He blows the comment off as nothing but jealousy and that's it. Get on with the wedding, pour the champagne.

    Panic!on September 10, 2005   Link
  • +4
    Song Meaning

    I believe that the meaning of this song is that the groom was walking past some people having a conversation about the grooms bride, basically he was telling them to close the door on the past. Not leave it open. The champagne reference to me is "forgetting about it"

    Aztechieon August 04, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think the song is about people talking behind your back, and you know it. The Bride Maid is suppose to be the Bride's friend, usually a close friend but here she is saying she's a whore and tell that to a random waiter. I really don't think it has anything to do with marriage really, that could be a metaphor -I think it's about people you thought you could trust lie and talk behind your back and you just have to deal with it, drink it down ["pour the champagne"] and just get over it. It's about how he reacts which is telling them "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?" while he knows you should act like you never heard it, react with a mature look on the situation. But then again, only the boys of PANIC! know the true meaning.

    raygunjoneson September 06, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I never said he was actually getting married, his character in the song is.

    L-Kyneon September 01, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Ok. So lets settle this. The character in the song, is getting married. Alright, good. Settled. Doesn't mean that it has to be exactly what is going on in someone's life. Nor does it have anything to do with who writes the songs. L-Kyne's meaning makes sense and that's what I'm going with because that was my interpretation.

    Brandanwithanaon September 02, 2005   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    Honestly, It's really simple, when they say "Oh, well imagine, as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor" It talks about a very worried (hence the pacing) groom, "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?" The groom walks in on the bride and another man, also explaining "the poor groom's bride is a whore" The paragraph starting with "Well in fact, well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved" is basically the groom being sarcastic and fighting with the bride. And finally, "No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality" is the groom trying to remind himself to remain cool, remain calm, and to not be stressed. This song is basically the story of a groom that walks in on the bride with another man.

    eridanHopeon February 28, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    Here is my idea of the "story" of this song! Oh, Well imagine, As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor, means that the groom is nervous And I can't help but to hear, No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words: "What a beautiful wedding! What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter. "And yes, but what a shame, what a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore." a bridesmaid and a waiter are having a conversation about the pros and cons of a marriage I'd chime in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality. I'd chime in,

    "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of... the chorus is the groom hearing the conversation, and because of the remark on his bride he is interrupting to say "If you are going to insult my soon to be wife then get a room and talk in private!"

    Oh. Well in fact, Well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved Well this calls for a toast So pour the champagne Oh! Well in fact, Well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved Well this calls for a toast, So pour the champagne, pour the champagne the groom of the song is the part where the groom's alter ego is getting the best of him knowing that his bride is in fact a whore. Because of that he is trying to interrupt it with a toast I'd chime in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality. I'd chime in, "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality. Again... its the same meaning as the first chorus line but he is saying that just again I'd chime in, "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality. I'd chime in, "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!" No, it's much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality. Again... Sorry if my grammar isn't the best but this is what i believe the song means

    PanicKaton April 05, 2013   Link

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