In 2005 an album was released that changed the lives of numerous people around the world. That album was From Under the Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy. It came out and not only skyrocketed the band’s success but also cemented them as a staple of the emo genre.
Fall Out Boy definitely existed before and had their PLACE in the emo scene, but this album made them known and absolutely beloved. It was so unique and catchy, and unlike anything the genre had seen. Known for its insanely long song names and catchy lyrics, one could argue it’s one of the most crucial pop-punk albums ever.
When asked about this album compared to their previous album, “Take This to Your Grave (2003)” lyricist and bassist Pete Wentz said, “This time the lyrics were more about the anxiety and depression that goes along with looking at your own life.”
Track 1, “Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name Of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued”:
I wasn’t joking when I said that this album has some of the longest titles I’ve ever seen. One of my favorite lines in this song is “We’re only good ‘cause you can have almost famous friends, besides we’ve got such good fashion sense.” It’s a song warning people about the shortcomings of becoming famous.
Track 2, “Of All the Gin Joints in All the World”:
One of the most simultaneously upbeat but tragic songs of all time. It has one of my favorite drum beats and such a catchy chorus “And oh, the way your lipstick stains my pillowcase, like i’ll never be the same.” it’s a song that gets stuck in your head in the best way possible every single time you hear it.
Track 3, “Dance, Dance”:
One of their most popular songs, a song that everyone I’ve asked in the past absolutely loves. It starts with another signature Fall Out Boy upbeat drum melody followed by fast at first almost unintelligible lyrics, “She says, she’s no good with words but I’m worse. Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue.” are the opening lines and some of my favorite opening song lines to date!
Track 4, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”:
Ah yes, the magnum opus of Fall Out Boy’s early works. Definitely one of their greatest songs and one of my favorites of all time. It’s a classic in the emo genre. An anthem about longing for someone that you can’t have. Even my mom knows every single word to it, it’s just that good. “I’m just a notch in your bedpost but you’re just a line in a song.” has to be one of the best and most clever song lyrics of all time.
Track 5, “Nobody Puts Baby In the Corner”:
Deriving its name from a line from an absolutely classic movie, this is one of the strongest, catchiest songs in the album. It’s super fast-paced, not wasting any time getting started with its quick and always Fall-Out Boy brand of clever lyrics. It’s been in my top five favorite tracks from this album since I heard it for the first time. It’s a haunting song about still loving and wanting to be with someone who has wronged you.
Track 6, “I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)”:
Another absolutely crazy song title. Like I said, kings of long song names. This is a sort of slower beat compared to some of their other work. “And the records won’t stop skipping, and the lies just won’t stop slipping”. I absolutely love Pete Wentz’s lyricism, it’s always so smart, there’s always tons of wordplay, and it’s just so fun.
Track 7, “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)”:
This is a very, very bitter, sad song. It’s about Pete Wentz’s attempted overdose of the mentioned medicine, Ativan. The song title is a mix of Ativan and the band Van Halen. “I keep telling myself, I’m not the desperate type, but I keep looking in through blinds.” This is an exceptionally underrated song. It’s also a song that resonates with me very much, as Pete is extremely open with his struggles with anxiety through it and that’s something I also struggle heavily with.
Track 8, “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year”:
The song that I got the name of this article from. One of the most iconic songs in the album with some of the most beautiful lyricism in the world. “Take our tears, and put them on ice. ‘Cause I swear I’d burn this city down to show you the light.” This is a song about Fall Out Boy themselves and wanting From Under the Cork Tree to be a success. And I think I can safely say that this song aged incredibly well and the album DEFINITELY was!
Track 9, “Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends”:
“Strikes us like matches, ‘cause everyone deserves the fame. We do it for the scars and stories, not the fame.” This is an earworm of a song. Once you hear it, you won’t get it out of your head for WEEKS. It’s about how they want to be famous for the memories, and not the money.
Track 10, “I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me”:
Another song with brilliant lyrics by Pete Wentz. “I found the cure to growing older, and you’re the only place that feels like home.” The song is about being in a relationship that is ultimately unfulfilling and just leaves you feeling more empty.
Track 11, “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me'”:
Genuinely my favorite song of all time. The inspiration for my senior quote next year, and one of the most iconic songs ever. When I saw them live I SCREAMED the lyrics. “I don’t blame you, for being you, but you can’t blame me for hating it.” Says the chorus. This song makes you feel like you’re in a coming-of-age movie, as does the whole album, but this song stands out as far as that feeling goes.
Track 12, “Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)”:
This is a very unique song in the sense that it features rough-spoken word lyrics by Pete Wentz at the end. Which is rare considering he doesn’t sing for the band and is exclusively their lyricist and bassist. “From day one I talked about getting out, but not forgetting about how my worst fears are letting out. And why put a new address on the same old loneliness? When breathing just passes the time, till we all get old and die. Now talking’s just a waste of breath and living’s just a waste of death and why put a new address on the same old loneliness. And this is you and me, and me and you until we’ve got nothing left.”
Track 13, “XO”:
The shortest song name in the album, which is surprising for Fall Out Boy. “Put your ear to the speaker, and choose love or sympathy.” It’s a great way to close out an equally impeccable album. A fast-paced, thoroughly Fall Out Boy closing song.
From Under the Cork Tree was and still stands to be a massively influential album and a sort of time capsule from the early 2000s, when the emo scene was at its peak. It’s very coming of age and I would highly recommend it if you’re into that sort of vibe. Even if you don’t like Fall Out Boy, it has a very different sound from their new releases, It’s much rougher around the edges and I’d recommend it as an absolute must-listen for anyone who is into emo, pop-punk, or just rock music altogether.
