Fall Out Boy – This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race

Song

"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single from their commercially successful third studio album Infinity on High (2007).

The song officially debuted on November 21 at the American Music Awards and was shipped to radio stations that night (with an impact date of December 5 in the United States). The music was composed by vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump and the lyrics were penned by bassist Pete Wentz, following the band's songwriting approach which first began with some songs on their 2003 album Take This to Your Grave.

Production was handled by Neal Avron, who also produced the band's previous From Under the Cork Tree album. Commenting on the band's decision to pick the track as the first single, Wentz said "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message."

The track was a commercial success and the band's major international breakthrough. "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 162,000 first week sales and broke various records.

It is the group's first single to chart worldwide in countries including Australia, New Zealand and most of the European nations, where it reached the top five in many. After its Platinum RIAA and ARIA certifications in 2007, in 2013 it was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 200,000 sales. In Australia, it spent nine consecutive weeks at either No. 4 or No. 5.

Music

Vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump called "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" the "funkiest thing we've ever done", and attributed the change in musical style to his love of soul music, which he acquired by listening to oldies stations as a child.

Bassist Pete Wentz described the song "a bit of '70s funk mixed with [the band’s 2003 album]  Take This to Your Grave with tight verses and big, fat choruses". The song closing sing-along was influenced by Justin Timberlake's "Señorita".

Lyrics

On "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", Wentz uses wartime-inspired metaphors to discuss the band's newfound popularity; he called the song

"kind of a tongue-in-cheek look at the way we are so addicted and obsessed with new arts, cultures and loves — to the point where it just becomes oversaturated."

He commented

"I think people are gonna read into it what they will. In the back of my head it's a call to arms, but not [in the traditional sense] — more in the way that you sometimes need to just talk to yourself in the mirror."

Slant Magazine called it "an unexpectedly funky battle cry that likens the quest for respect and fame to a combat situation."

The song is reportedly about Wentz's frustration with the ever-growing "emo scene". As he told Rolling Stone, "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message." Wentz's inspiration for the "arms-dealer" metaphor came from the movie Lord of War.

The song has also been interpreted to be a critique on artists making music just for the money and fame, an "arms race", instead of music for the fun of it.

Album

nfinity on High è il terzo album della band statunitense dei Fall Out Boy. L'album precedente è stato From Under the Cork Tree, uscito nel 2005. L'album doveva uscire a fine 2006, ma il suo lancio è stato posticipato a febbraio 2007. Infinity on High ha debuttato al 1º posto nella Billboard 200.

Il nome è stato ispirato da una lettera scritta da Vincent van Gogh, nella quale spiegava il significato e il vigore che dava alle sue opere pittoriche. Il titolo originale della lettera era: "Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all."

Artist

I Fall Out Boy sono un gruppo musicale pop punk/emo-pop statunitense. Il gruppo si è formato nei sobborghi di Chicago, Illinois, nel 2001.

La formazione è composta da: Patrick Stump (voce principale, chitarra), Peter Wentz (basso, voce e autore dei testi), Joe Trohman (chitarra principale) e Andrew Hurley (batteria).