I Write Sins Not Tragedies

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Single by Panic! at the Disco
from the album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
Released	February 27, 2006 (2006-02-27) (UK) April 27, 2006 (2006-04-27) (United States) October 30, 2006 (2006-10-30) (UK re-release)
Format	CD, 7"
Genre	Alternative rock, pop punk
Length	3:06
Label	Fueled by Ramen, Decaydance
Writer(s)	Ryan Ross
Producer	Matt Squire
Certification	Platinum (RIAA)
Panic! at the Disco singles chronology
"The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (2006) "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (2006) "But It's Better If You Do" (2006)

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, and is the lead single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005). It was released on April 27, 2006 on both compact disc and 7 inch vinyl. The song was written by guitarist Ryan Ross. The song reached #7 on the United States Billboard Hot 100. This is the band's only top 40 hit in America. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies features a mandolin in the song's introduction.

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. UK chart 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 there of "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 #25 in the UK Singles Chart.

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 the 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.)

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was rank #3 in Billboard's Best 2000's Video poll.

Title

The title of the song 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."

Music video

Brendon Urie and Daniel Isaac in the music video.

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is Panic! at the Disco's first single to have a music video. ("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, 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. His family are lower-class entertainers and carnival folk, and 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.^[1]

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 #7 on VH1's list of the Top 100 Videos of 2006. ^[2]

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.^[3] Recently, the video won Best VMA Winning Video of All Time, on a world-wide poll on the MTV website.

Track listing

UK 7" poster bag (February 2006)

• A. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"

UK CD/Digital (February 2006)

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

WMI CD/Digital (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/Digital (October 2006)

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

UK 7" gatefold sleeve (October 2006)

• A. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
• B. "But It's Better If You Do" (Live from Glasgow)

UK 7" picture disc (October 2006)

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

Enhanced CD (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

Chart (2006)	Peak[4] position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	12
Australian ARIA Digital Track Chart	8
Canadian Hit Chart (Airplay)	60
Dutch Top 40	29
RIANZ New Zealand Top 40	5
UK Singles Chart	25
UK Official Download Chart	44
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	7
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	4
U.S. Billboard Hot Ringtones	5
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	16
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	2

References

1. ^ YouTube video documenting the making of the music video
2. ^ Watch the latest Music Video by Shakira from Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 | See Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean) Online|VH1.com
3. ^ "Panic at the Disco - Interview 2006". http://onelouderradiouk.homestead.com/Interview_Panic_at_the_disco.html/. Retrieved 2006-12-17. 
4. ^ References for chart positions:
   • "Panic! at the Disco - "I Write Sins Not Tragedies": Charts". Music Square. http://www.musicsquare.net/charts/song/7999. Retrieved July 26, 2006. 
   • "Panic! at the Disco: Artist Chart History". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Singles&model.vnuArtistId=696097&model.vnuAlbumId=734110. Retrieved July 26, 2006.