I Write Sins Not Tragedies

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, is the second single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), and was released on February 27, 2006, on both CD and 7" vinyl. The pizzicato cello motif that the song is built upon was played by session musician Heather Stebbins. The song reached No. 7 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, the band's only top forty hit until the release of "Hallelujah" in 2015, and only top ten hit until "High Hopes" in 2018. While the song failed to hit the top 10 on the Alternative Songs chart peaking at No. 12 which was lower than their prior single, "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" which peaked at No. 5, the song's success on the Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 (at No. 2) charts was what made the song one of the biggest modern rock hits of 2006 and is still one of the band's most played songs on alternative radio stations to this day.[6]

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Single by Panic! at the Disco
from the album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
ReleasedFebruary 27, 2006 (2006-02-27)
Recorded2005
Genre
Length3:06
Label
Songwriter(s)
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 UK, 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, in September 2006, due to the popularity of the track and following further single releases thereof "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" and "But It's Better If You Do", going top 40 there, the single was re-released on October 30, 2006. Despite receiving significant radio airplay upon its re-release, the single only reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart.[7]

Many U.S. 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.

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.)[8]

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was ranked No. 3 in Billboard's Best 2000's Video poll.[7]

Title

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."[9]

Music video
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 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 Jessie Preston, and groom, Daniel Isaac McGuffey, are about to be married. Her family dress and behave formally, but 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.[10]

The music video 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 anything else. The video was also ranked No. 7 on VH1's list of the Top 100 Videos of 2006.[11]

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.[12] In August 2011, the video won Best VMA Winning Video of All Time, in a worldwide poll on MTV's website.[13]

Track listing

UK 7" 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" gatefold sleeve (October 2006)

UK 7" 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

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] Platinum 80,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[37] 5× Platinum 5,000,000
Ringtone
United States (RIAA)[38] Gold 500,000^

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

References
  1. Tamsyn Wilce. "Track by track: Panic! At The Disco – Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die". gigwise.com.
  2. Rose, Ethan. "Best Early 2000s Pop Punk Songs". Rant Hollywood. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  3. "Panic! At the Disco's 'This Is Gospel' review: Unstoppable". September 2, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  4. Stanton, Elleah (2016). "Panic! at the disco I write sins not tragedies analysis". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  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. "Billboard". 8 January – 26 March 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  7. Wiener, Robert (2016). "10 Facts About Panic! At The Disco". theodysseyonline. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  8. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At the Disco". secondhandsongs.
  9. name=Songfacts>"I WRITE SINS NOT TRAGEDIES by PANIC! AT THE DISCO". Songfacts. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  10. video documenting the making of the music video on YouTube
  11. "Watch the latest Music Video by Shakira from Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 | See Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean) Online|VH1.com".
  12. "Panic! at the Disco - Interview 2006". Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  13. John Mitchell (2011-08-24). "Poll: Best VMA-Winning Video Of The Year Of All Time". MTV. Retrieved Feb 12, 2012.
  14. "Australian-charts.com – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  16. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  17. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  18. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  20. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Panic! at the Disco". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  21. "Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard. May 9, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Panic! at the Disco" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  24. "Charts.nz – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Top 40 Singles.
  25. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  28. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  29. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  30. "Panic at the Disco Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  31. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2006". Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  32. "End of Year 2006" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  33. "Hot 100 Songs: Year End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  34. "Top AFP – Audiogest – Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  35. "Canadian single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Music Canada.
  36. "British single certifications – Panic at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type I Write Sins Not Tragedies in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  37. "American single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  38. "American single certifications – Panic! at the Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 12, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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