Is Fall Out Boy’s Cowl of “We Didn’t Begin the Fireplace” the Worst Tune of Summer time?

Pop-punk stalwarts Fall Out Boy have inexplicably launched an up to date model of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Begin the Fireplace,” that includes post-1989 historic occasions together with 9/11, Brexit, the demise of Michael Jackson and Fyre Pageant.

“Extra warfare in Afghanistan / Cubs go all the best way once more / Obama / Spielberg / Explosion Lebanon / Unabomber / Bobbit, John / Bombing Boston marathon / Balloon Boy / Warfare on terror / Qanon,” is one in every of many, many cringe moments on the up to date model, which appears to haven’t any cause to exist aside from trolling its viewers.

You may pay attention beneath, in case you should:

Was the 1989 unique chart-topping single horrible? Whereas some might defend Joel’s music — a co-worker right here notes that “the unique was a legit early historical past schooling for me…it was positively performed in elementary college social research class a minimum of a couple of times,” — the consensus is that the popular culture listicle is really irritating. Over at Stereogum, author Tom Breihan (in his ongoing, must-read Numbers One sequence) describes the unique completely:

“If there’s something worthwhile about Billy Joel’s loathsome and maddening ‘We Didn’t Begin The Fireplace’ — something in any respect — it’s that the music captures a sure feeling of overwhelm. Everyone knows that feeling. You’re some timeline or different, and the sheer depth of data will get to be sufficient that you simply need to curl up right into a ball together with your eyes shut and your fingers in your ears. It’s an excessive amount of, on a regular basis.”

Fall Out Boy has given little cause for doing an replace. On the band’s Twitter, they (we’re guessing by way of bassist Pete Wentz) provide up a brief clarification. “I considered this music quite a bit after I was youthful. All these essential folks and events- some that disappeared into the sands of time- others that modified the world perpetually. A lot has occurred within the span of the final 34 years- we felt like just a little system replace may be enjoyable. Hope you want our tackle it…”

As an unapologetic fan and champion of the band, I can safely say the reply isn’t any, we don’t like your tackle a horrible music — though Twitter reactions, for now, appear almost 100% optimistic. Whereas FOB’s covers have been hit (“So Sick,” “I Wanna Dance With Anyone (Who Loves Me)” or miss (“Love Will Tear Us Aside,” “Beat It”) prior to now, they a minimum of confirmed a fearlessness to sort out genres and songs outdoors of the punk/emo sphere. This replace, which foregoes the same old punk playbook transfer of rushing issues up (normally within the identify of sarcasm), sticks to its ’80s tempo and stilted manufacturing.

There’s no irony. Wentz is a intelligent lyricist, however this appears like a writing train that by no means ought to have been shared in public. There are a couple of Warped Tour-era shoutouts (Black Parade, Tom DeLonge and aliens) that I suppose depend as “enjoyable.” However there’s additionally a sinking feeling the band did this merely for the eye that its new — and good — return-to-form album So A lot (For) Stardust hasn’t fairly reached, a minimum of in comparison with earlier information. Witness: the music is the lead story on the aforementioned Stereogum and on the entrance web page of Pitchfork.

Fall Out Boy’s tour continues this summer season. I’ll be there. And I’ll be the primary to go away if I hear “Elon Musk / Kaepernick / Texas failed electrical grid.”