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I Write Sins Not Tragedies

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"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco. It is the second single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), and was released in the United States as a digital download on November 16, 2005. The song is built upon a pizzicato cello motif that was played by session musician Heather Stebbins. It reached a peak of No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's only top-40 hit until the release of "Hallelujah" in 2015, and only top-10 hit until "High Hopes" in 2018. While the song failed to reach the top 10 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at No. 12, the song's success on the Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 (at No. 2) made the song one of the biggest modern rock hits of 2006, and it is still one of the band's most-played songs on alternative radio stations.[8]

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Single by Panic! at the Disco
from the album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
ReleasedJanuary 16, 2006 (2006-01-16)[1]
Genre
Length3:06
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Ryan Ross
Producer(s)Matt Squire
Panic! at the Disco singles chronology
"The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage"
(2005) 		"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
(2006) 		"But It's Better If You Do"
(2006)
Music video
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" on YouTube

In the United Kingdom, the song was released on February 27, 2006, as a limited-edition single with a free sticker. Because the sticker was included with the CD single, the song was not eligible for the UK Singles Chart; Official Charts Company rules state that stickers are not allowed in single releases. Later, due to the popularity of the track and following further single releases of "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" and "But It's Better If You Do" reaching the top 40, the single was re-released on October 30, 2006. Despite receiving significant radio airplay upon its re-release, the single reached only No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart.

Many US radio stations, in response to the language found in the song, wanted an edited version. The lyrics "The poor groom's bride is a whore" and "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?" were changed by replacing "whore" with a "shhh" sound and removing "god" in "goddamn". Some stations – generally modern rock stations – still play the original version. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was ranked No. 3 in Billboard's Best 2000s Video poll,[9] and Variety ranked it as one of the best emo songs of all time in 2022.[10] The song was covered by Fall Out Boy, fellow Decaydance band, for their live album, Live in Phoenix. Fall Out Boy commonly uses the song's chorus as a lead-in to "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" in concert.[11]

Title

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The title of the song, while not mentioned in the lyrics, refers to Douglas Coupland's novel Shampoo Planet, wherein the main character, Tyler Johnson, says: "I am writing a list of tragic character flaws on my dollar bills with a felt pen. I am thinking of the people in my universe and distilling for each of these people the one flaw in their character that will be their downfall – the flaw that will be their undoing. What I write are not sins; I write tragedies."[12]

Music video

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Brendon Urie and Daniel Isaac McGuffey in the music video.

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is Panic! at the Disco's first single to have a music video, and the video was published on July 18, 2006. ("The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" was the first single, but no video was filmed.) The video for the song takes place at a strange, circus-themed wedding played by the Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque.

The video starts as the bride, played by Jessica Preston Gatena, and groom, Daniel Isaac McGuffey, are about to be married. Her family dress and behave formally, but they are revealed later to have fallen asleep and have eyes painted on their eyelids. The groom's family are lower-class entertainers and carnival folk, who interrupt the wedding. The ringmaster, played by vocalist Brendon Urie, acts as narrator and disrupts the events. After an argument between the two families, the bride runs out and is followed by one of her guests. The ringmaster drags the groom outside by his tie, where his fiancée is kissing the guest who followed her out of the church. The groom straightens up, looking shocked, and Urie and the groom bow to the camera. The ringmaster is revealed to be the groom's alter ego.[13]

The music video, filmed by director Shane Drake, won the award for Video of the Year during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. This marked the first occasion since the 1989 VMAs that the winner of Video of the Year did not win in any other categories. The video was also ranked No. 7 on VH1's list of the Top 100 Videos of 2006.[14]

The video was shot in December 2005. According to vocalist Brendon Urie, he and guitarist Ryan Ross suffered from the flu while filming the video clip.[15] In August 2011, the video won Best VMA-Winning Video of All Time, in a worldwide poll on MTV's website.[16]

Track listing

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UK 7-inch poster bag (February 2006)

  • A. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"

UK CD single (February 2006)

  1. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  2. "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" (demo version)

WMI CD single (May 2006)

  1. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" – 3:10
  2. "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" (demo version) – 3:57
  3. "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Remix) – 5:04

UK CD single (October 2006)

  1. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  2. "Karma Police" (Live in Denver)

UK 7-inch gatefold sleeve (October 2006)

UK 7-inch picture disc (October 2006)

  • A. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  • B. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (Live in Denver)

Enhanced CD single (October 2006)

  1. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  2. "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" (demo version)
  3. "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Remix)
  4. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (video)

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[36] 4× Platinum 320,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[37] Gold 4,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[1] 8× Platinum 8,000,000‡
Ringtone
United States (RIAA)[39] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 16, 2006 Digital download
Fueled by Ramen
[1]
United Kingdom February 27, 2006
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [40]
Australia May 22, 2006 CD [41]
United Kingdom (re-release) October 30, 2006
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [42]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "American single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ^ a b Tamsyn Wilce. "Track by track: Panic! At The Disco – Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die". gigwise.com.
  3. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (September 2, 2013). "Panic! At the Disco's 'This Is Gospel' review: Unstoppable". Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  4. ^ Lowry, Candace (October 21, 2014). "Songs Every Former Emo Kid Will Never Forget Crying To". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  5. ^ Crane, Matt (September 25, 2015). "Vinyl Theatre cover Panic! At The Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (exclusive)". Alternative press. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Phillips, Maya (September 27, 2020). "Panic! at the Disco's Flourishes Weren't Just Dramatic. They Were Theater". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Stanton, Elleah (2016). "Panic! at the disco I write sins not tragedies analysis". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  8. ^ "Billboard". January 8, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "The 10 Best '00s Music Videos: Poll Results". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  10. ^ "The 25 Best Emo Songs of All Time". Variety. October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At the Disco". secondhandsongs.
  12. ^ "I WRITE SINS NOT TRAGEDIES by PANIC! AT THE DISCO". Songfacts. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  13. ^ video documenting the making of the music video on YouTube
  14. ^ "Watch the latest Music Video by Shakira from Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 | See Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean) Online|VH1.com". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007.
  15. ^ "Panic! at the Disco - Interview 2006". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  16. ^ John Mitchell (August 24, 2011). "Poll: Best VMA-Winning Video Of The Year Of All Time". MTV. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  17. ^ "Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. ^ "Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  19. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  20. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  21. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  22. ^ "Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  23. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Panic! at the Disco". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard. May 9, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Panic! at the Disco" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  26. ^ "Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. ^ "Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  30. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  31. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  32. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  33. ^ "Panic at the Disco 2 Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  34. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". ARIA. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  35. ^ "Hot 100 Songs: Year End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  36. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Music Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  37. ^ "Guld Og Platin November/December/Januar". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Panic at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  40. ^ Marshall, Lindsay (March 3, 2016). "I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Lindsay's Untitled Rock Mag. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  41. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 22nd May 2006" (PDF). ARIA. May 22, 2006. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  42. ^ "The Schedule: Singles". Music Week. October 28, 2006. p. 17.
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