That's What You Bracket (Paramore bracket) Bracket • Page 22

Listening back to this album makes me realize how biting most of the lyrics are, but we were all like "lol everything is perfect and great because Looking Up." At the time, fans had noticed that the members were a bit more standoffish at m&g's (which then eventually disappeared), seemed less happy on stage and in interviews, and then they cancelled that UK tour, and eventually the news broke...but even then there was never the same openness as we have seen from them during AL. Feels like Hayley was being more honest than we really knew at the time BNE came out. Hearing Hayley's voice and lyrics in hindsight on this album, I can almost hear her pleading for someone to notice the pain. Does anyone else get that?

 

All I Wanted
Careful

Almost went with Misguided Ghosts but didn’t due to AIW being one of Hayley’s absolute best vocal performances. Plus, MG has always been my favorite Paramore ballad but now 26 exists.

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

100%

I’ve thought about this era a lot in the wake of AL and Hayley opening up about her depression. BNE is so special to me because I felt so much of this growing up. I got my preorder a few days early ON my birthday and locked myself in my room and listened to it for like, three hours straight. I’m glad that we’ve progressed as a society to a place where we’re able to be open about our struggles. I think BNE and AL are such fascinating companion pieces, especially with the bravado of S/T in between.

On topic, my votes:
Misguided Ghosts (this was painful, but MG wins for me based on the lyrics. I saw them perform this on Parahoy like one foot away and was absolutely wrecked and crying the whole time)

Careful (I will never forget what this felt like the first time I heard it!!)

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

Speaking of Careful, I love that the music video ends with just 15 seconds uninterrupted of Haley headbanging lol.

It's like the editor went "We need to cut to the band jamming....but nah this looks too cool to cut."

 

Misguided Ghosts (this one was hard!!)
Playing God

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

All I Wanted
Careful

 

Misguided Ghost
Careful

 

Miguided Ghosts vs All I Wanted is the toughest match up yet.

All I Wanted

Careful

 

Misguided Ghosts
Careful

 

All I wanted
Careful

 

All I Wanted
Careful

 

Your comment on Careful just reminded me of one of the happiest moments of my life. I went to the FBR15 show in NYC September 2011. It was (if I recall correctly) their first big show in the US since Josh and Zac left. I was so afraid it wouldn't be "the same" anymore but when they came on stage and started playing Careful I knew I was wrong and I was so happy. Then later they played My Heart and I really lost it. Wow I'm really emo rn

 

Hayley really had to deal with so much back then, being one of the few women in the scene - in 2006/2007 she would often talk with us on the Paramore livejournal and post updates and be engaged with fans, but after they had more mainstream success, a lot of criticism (often with a misogynistic angle, ESPECIALLY after Josh and Zac left) started to come Hayley's way, and I feel like she started to back away from fan engagement. It really is very interesting to look at this album in the post-AL release era, because we didn't get a lot of context behind the BNE songs (lots of speculation), but Hayley has been pretty vocal about these lyrics and what they mean to her now. S/T almost feels like this cynical transition, a kind of "eff the world" stage of recovery where you think that that's the way to get past the pain (of the BNE era), only to find out that it creeps up on you eventually (AL).

This warms my heart and makes me sad at the same time. I think about the moments where I thought Paramore was over, and I think about the interview where Hayley talks about crying in her car, not thinking she could go on, and how important Taylor was in keeping her motivation going and in her recovery. I am getting emotional just thinking about it!! I owe this band my life and those moments were dark, and to think of how they suffered in these moments breaks my heart. But to know that they were so committed to each other brings tears to my eyes. They've always been a band with a fanbase that's more of a community than anything else. "Paramore is a lifestyle" is something we used to say a lot back in the day but something I still feel strongly about.

EDIT: Clarity

 

All I Wanted
Careful

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

AIW
PG

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

Current scores:

Misguided Ghosts - 7
All I Wanted - 21

Playing God - 12
Careful - 16

 

Misguided Ghosts
Careful

 

All I Wanted
Careful

 

All I Wanted
Playing God

 

All I Wanted
Careful