Pray For The Wicked: The Meaning Behind The Album
(a thread)

— Pray For The Wicked.
Let’s start with the album itself; when the album was released he advised us that this album was completely different from the rest, he didn’t expect it to turn out the way it did and that he hopes it would surprise us as much as it surprised him

Here’s exactly what he said about why the album was called Pray For The Wicked and what he was going for when he made it

now let’s go with each track to understand what he actually meant when talking about praying for himself to stay positive and surrounded of love (hence why it’s such an upbeat and feel-good type of album)

— (Fuck A) Silver Lining

This is actually one of the most hated songs by the fandom but it plays an essential part in the album especially as the opening track (+)

The song opens with a sample of “Oh What A Night” that says “Ode to the old and to the new, we dedicate this song to you” this could serve as a welcome to the old and new Panic! fans to a new era of music leaving behind the sad songs and entering an album full of positivity

Throughout the whole song we can hear how it centers itself around the common phrases “every cloud has a silver lining” and “cherry on top”, now let’s see how these two phrases served as the inspiration behind the song and how brendon twisted them to his own perspective (+)

“every cloud has a silver lining” means that every difficulty or stepback that causes harm also contains the potential to be postive

while “cherry on top” refers to something good that follows a series if unfortunate events. Brendon uses this two phrases and flips them letting us all know that endless cherries and a silver lining just aren’t enticing to him

In conclusion, the song itself tells us to not settle for second best to please everyone, you gotta believe in yourself and know that you’re worth so much cause “only gold is hot enough” for you.

Here’s something else Brendon has said about the song:

— Say Amen (Saturday Night)

This song is essentially about his days as a Mormon and how much he has changed since he left his religious days behind.

The song opens with a pitched down “cold open” which is often used when a movie straight up jumps into the plot point right after the opening credits, this could refer to Silver Lining as the opening credit of the album and Say Amen the actual plot since it name drops PFTW

Brendon was raised as a mormon, a culturally conservative sect of christianity that places emphasis in honesty, obedience to higher powers, and abstinence from sex, drugs and alcohol (+)

when he says “been traveling in packs that i can’t carry anymore” it indicates that he no longer indentifies with the group’s mentality of his previous faith. He also references that the religion itself felt like a constant weight on his shoulders he had to get rid of.

The constant mentions of saturday nights is yet another mormon reference since these days are used in the mormon faith for preparing for the Sabbath, however Brendon makes it clear that since he’s no longer religious his saturday nights are associated with wild care-free behavior

something i found interesting about this song is the irony behind the line: “swear to God i ain’t never gonna repent”.

Repentance is the turning away from one’s sins, he swears to God that he won’t turn away and feel regret from the sins he has committed

Say Amen overall is a way from Brendon to try to reconcile his career with his mormon roots, even though he isn’t religious anymore it’s not his intention to spite his religious roots.

Here’s what Brendon said about this song:

— Hey Look Ma, I Made It

This song might be one of my favorite from the album and brings us back to one of the major points in the album, Brendon trying to bring positivity into his life in a world full of wicked people

As a teenager, Brendon’s parents were afraid for his future as a starving artist. Having succeeded in the industry, Brendon tips his hat to his mother and reflects on his journey to the top (+)

Of course nothing in life is easy which makes Brendon also recall the thirst of record labels for new material and the quest to avoid people who only want to be associated with him because of his fame.

one of the lyrics in this song that makes you do a double take is “i’m a hooker selling songs and my pimp is a record label” now a we all know a pimp is the man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking part of their earnings in return (+)

pimps are also well known for their almost ownership status of their women, often taking advantage of them for personal gain. Here, Brendon describes his relationship with the music industry, often taking advantage of artist’s skills for their own benefit (scooterbraun)

Here’s Brendon’s take in this specific line:

Another lyric in this album that takes us back to the main theme of Pray For The Wicked is “this world is full of demons, stocks and bonds and bible traders” (+)

(-) In this line, Brendon equates the ills of the financial system with those who use religion for self-profit. They are the prominent examples of “demons” in today’s world.

— High Hopes

I’ve been meaning to talk to y’all about this song for quite sometime so get ready for this read i’m about to give to everyone who says this is just another meaningless pop song

High Hopes is about is about seeking your dreams without hesitancy and seeing those dreams come to fruition beyond your wildest imagination, and anyone who knows the story behind Brendon/Panic! At The Disco would know the importance of this song in his discography

The usage of the common phrase “having high hopes” aludes to a strong feeling that something good will happen or be true, which takes us to the roller-coaster like history of Panic! At The Disco

Throughout Panic! At The Disco’s career the band has faced multiple challenges and changes. The beginning of their journey was fraught with financial challenges, Brendon himself had to work selling smoothies and singing for tips in order to get money for their 1st album (+)

The band has also opened up about not being able to hire professional musicians for their first album due to their financial problems, which led them to record a middle school band member for the intro of I Write Sins Not Tragedies (+)

Even with commercial success, the trials of the music industry still plagued the band. From band members leaving and constantly changing to adapt to a turbulent industry, Brendon has seen his dream of maintaining success in the music industry fade in and out of view (+)

Despite these difficulties and now being the last remaining member of the band, Brendon has continued to strive for his goals earning him a Grammy nomination, a top 5 hit, critical acclaim, a stint on broadway and numerous other accolades

Now something really interesting about this song is how it shows a completely change of heart from Vices era Brendon (don't even let me get started on what was going on during that era), specifically the song ''Turn Off the Lights'' (+)

while in 2011 Brendon sang ''I set my expectations high so nothing ever comes out right'', in 2018 Brendon changed his mind and decided to ''have high hopes for a living''. If that ain't character development then i don't know what it is

now let’s crack down some important lyrics from high hopes that will help us connect the dots back to the theme of the album

“shooting for the stars when i couldn’t make a killing” the phrase “shooting for the stars” refers to set one’s goals or ambitions very high, to try to achieve something particularly difficult (+)

It ain’t a secret to anyone that throughout his career, Brendon has faced countless challenges. Despite his low points, he bas continued to aim high and chase his dreams

This line also talks about “making a killing” (achieving financial success) which is something already addressed in the first track of the album, Silver Lining: “I was born to cut a million, cut my teeth and made a killing”

other line that talks about the band’s financial difficulties is “Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision”

Here’s Brendon reflecting on those difficulties that were face during the recording of A Fever You Can’t Swear Out:

despite having little money to keep the band afloat, their vision of achieving succes was enough to sustain them (and it worked!)

This line also calls back to another similar lyric in Silver Lining: “was lost in thought but held my vision”
This lyric refers to Brendon possibly being overwhelmed or lost but ultimately remaining set on his goal.

other line is “didn’t know how but i always had a feeling i was gonna be that one in a million”, as we all know, in the music industry it’s extremely difficult to become successful or well-known (+)

while Panic! rose to fame rapidly mostly bc of the hit of their debut single and their signing with Pete Wentz, they still fought to maintain their success, and Brendon felt he was capable of reaching to the top and defying the odds.

The constant mentions of Grace (Brendon’s mom) aren’t a coincidence, she has inspired him throughout his life, especially musically.

Here’s Brendon talking about the impact his mother has on his life in an instagram post:

when talking about the line “fulfill the prophecy” it hints at the idea that Brendon was destined to do something great, that he should look to fulfill the prophecy that had been set out for him.

By referencing “museum victories”, Brendon continues the theme of seeking out the best in everything that he does; achieving goals so great that they deserve to have commemorative paintings commissioned in their honor

The second verse of the song is a call back to the band’s constant changes of genre and how they’ll never make the same thing twice “the weird and the novelties don’t ever change” and even with all these odds they managed to took the world by storm as “stranger crusaders”

when brendon talks about “staying up on that rise” he refers to pushing himself towards success. If you’re always going up, you’ll never have to fall.

“they say it’s all been done but they haven’t seen the best of me” could be another reference to Panic’s contant musical.m changes; this line is also reminiscent of a lyric in This Is Gospel that states “they haven’t seen the best of us yet”

To conclude the analysis of High Hopes, here’s what Brendon said of this song: https://twitter.com/PanicAtTheDisco/status/999349422466256896?s=20

— Roaring 20s

This song describes Brendon’s experiences playing Charlie Price from Kinky Boots in Broadway.
Brendon references the “Roaring 20s” because of how he wrapped his twenties by starring in a broadway show.

This song specifically talks a about how anxious and nervous he felt to participate in a show of such magnitude, even though he had the time of his life most of the times, the constant anxiety and “what ifs” where still present throughout the whole journey

the lyrics “maybe i’ll smile a bit, maybe the opposite but pray that they don’t talk me thankless” could reference to the numerous times Brendon had to put the brakes on his fans in order to not trigger his anxiety but still letting them know how much they mean to him

now let’s go to the iconic “roll me like a blunt cause i wanna go home” which is often the butt of the joke of many haters because of how silly it sounds, however this is a wordplay that Brendon used to describe his fear of performing in Broadway (+)

Brendon uses the action of rolling a blunt to describe how much he wants to roll out —an informal term for leaving— so he can go home, relax and escape from the anxiety of performing.

— Dancing’s Not A Crime

This is probably one of the most simple and straightforward songs on the album, there’s not much to strip about it since he goes straight to the point with it

This is nothing more than a ligh-hearted song that showcases the purities and youthfulness of young love, with terms as simple as wanting to dance with your lover all night without a care of the world

something i’d like to point out is the simple yet affective nod at the LGBT community while adding a “Boyfriend/Girlfried” in the bridge, meaning that this song could be sung/dedicated to anyone, rendering an atmosphere of inclusivity.

— One Of The Drunks

now we’re leaving a song full of laughter and love behind and we’ll be emerging ourselves in a song more complex and unhealthy

This song explores the consequences and downfalls of the party lifestyle. Although Brendon once enjoyed this lifestyle, he has grown fonder of spending nights in with his wife or having a smaller gathering with close friends.

During this song, Brendon talks about how drugs and alcohol were the makeup of his life for many years, almost as though he ‘baptized’ himself into this lifestyle

when Brendon sings “every weekend with your friends, every weekday when it ends” he let us know that it doesn’t necessarily has to be a party or any special occasion for him to be drinking, a clear sign of normalized alcoholism.

the “uncomfortably numb” line references one of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs from their eleventh album The Wall, which tells the story of an “embittered and alienated rockstar”, similar to the narrative of “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”

This reference seems fitting, as Brendon describes filling the negatives in his life with alcohol and drugs, similar to Pink Floyd’s album.

These lyrics could also allude to alcoholic neuropathy, nerve damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption, or describe other side effects of alcohol, such as aggressive behaviour (becoming numb to others emotions), lack of judgement, and blackouts.

This song also continues the theme of the album by using religious imagery in a negatice matter, as seen in the lyric “big fun, dancing with the demons”

Here’s Brendon’s take on this song:

— The Overpass

this song describes a relationship that has been torn apart but is longed for by Brendon. He proposes they meet at “The Overpass” where they can truly be together.

overpass are often used for prohibited things, such a drug deals, prostitution, gathering place for thugs, etc. Brendon telling his lover to medt him here aludes that they gotta keep their relationship secret (most likely cause it’s frowned upon)

in the line “sketchy girls and lipstick boys” he could be referring to the other people he sees at the overpass where he’s meeting his forbidden lover, sketchy girls refers to women who are very attractive on the outside but aren’t trustworthy, probably a hooker (+)

while the “lipstick boys” line could lead to different interpretations such as men in drag, femine boys or simply a men with a lipstick mark after he kissed one of the “sketchy girls”

— King of the Clouds

This is a dreamy track that explores the ideas of interdimensional travel and multiverses.
The song was born out of Brendon’s weed-induced musings that were captured by a friend of Brendon, and made lyrics from his ideas.

the lyric “everyday im Carl Sagan in the space” holds the entirety of KOTC inspiration behind the track; Brendon started to ramble about Sagan’s work on the existence of multiple dimensions and interdimensional travel while being high, this conversation gave life to the song.

the lyric “i don’t trust anyone or anything below the sun” has an interesting connection to the 2011 track Stall Me where he sings “curse everyone and everything, even the sun” (+)

There’s a connection in the lyrics themselves, as well as in the meaning, both of them describe distancing oneself from the world.

Brendon’s lack of trust can also be connected to his high state, because paranoid thoughts can be triggered during a cannabis high.

when he sings “i get lifted” it could either be considered as the common slang of being high or we could also take with the song’s theme of transcending and exploring a higher plane of thought. This same analysis can be put to the lyric “I fade, elevate from the earth”

— Old Fashioned

In this song Brendon reminisces about his teenage years and good time with his booze and medication. Brendon also seems to be envious about the wasted years with alcohol in this track (maybe a little call back to One Of The Drunks)

while this song is a celebration of his teenage years and he’s cheering to his old self at the same time he’s letting everyone know that he’s a completely different person now and he won’t go back to his old lifestyle, hence the lyric: “dead and gone so long, seventeen so long”

he also seems to talk about his life as a kid with anxiety and adhd who couldn’t handle his medication because of how numb it made him feel; we can see this in the lyric: “we were borderline kids with a book of disorders, medicating everyday to keep the straightness in order”

These lyrics, like much of the album, call back to his childhood as he learned to deal with his disorders; a major point in the album’s theme.

Here’s Brendon’s take specifically in the lyric “remember your youth in all that you do, the plank and the passion”

— Dying In LA

The closing track of the album describes the struggles of someone who goes to Los Ángeles to persue their dreams, but ended up unsuccessful.

This song shows us how many are captivated by the glamour and opportunities of LA when they first arrive only to be slowly broken down over time

It paints the picture of a person slowly losing hope and becoming who they promised they would never be in the city of (broken) dreams.

This song can also serve as the antagonist of LA Devotee, since it paints a darker image of the city Brendon once wrote a love letter to.

one important lyric in this song is “you looked at death in a tarot card and you saw what you had to do” when a death tarot card is upright it has *this* meaning, this could refer to all the changes the band has gone through the years and how they reinvent themselves every era(+)

however when a death tarot card is reversed it means *this*, which is referenced when Brendon talks about “put[ting] [his career] on ice” and he realizes he has lost the ability to become successful in his career.

another interesting lyric is “drink of paradise, they told you to put your blood on ice” this could take a figuratively meaning as in he has to put his dreams and career on hold because he can already sense he’s not gonna make it in the industry (+)

but it could also tell us that in order to be successful you gotta be cold blooded and not let your optimism blind you on your way to the top, this representation could help us commect this song with the events taken in “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”

Here’s Brendon’s personal take on the song:

And... here concludes my long ass thread about one of Panic! At The Disco’s most overlooked album’s themes.

and to answer the assumptions that everybody can’t stop making: NO, Pray For The Wicked isn’t just another meaningless sellout pop album