Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013)

Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco. The album was released on October 8, 2013 by Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen. Recorded as a trio, the album was produced by Butch Walker, and is the only album to feature bassist Dallon Weekes since he officially joined the band in 2011. This was also the final album to feature drummer Spencer Smith, thus making this Panic!'s final album as a rock band, with further releases being made as a solo project fronted by Brendon Urie.

Described as a "party record", Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! was preceded by the singles "Miss Jackson" and "This Is Gospel", with "Girls / Girls / Boys" and Nicotine EP following after its release. The album's overall aesthetic is influenced by dance music, electronica and hip hop. Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, earning the band their second career number two after Pretty. Odd. (2008). The song "Vegas Lights" would later be used as the Vegas Golden Knights' goal song.

Writing and composition

Musically, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is inspired by hip hop in that "there are no rules". In an extension of that mantra, the album is an eclectic affair that varies wildly from song to song. Other inspirations for the album were drawn from electronic composers such as Kraftwerk, and Wendy Carlos (composer of the soundtrack of Tron and A Clockwork Orange). The album's sound has been described as pop, dance-pop, synth-pop, electropop, indie rock, alternative rock, pop rock, and emo.

Name origin

The name of the album was lifted from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a book based on a Gonzo Journalism account of author Hunter S. Thompson's trip to Las Vegas to cover the Mint 400 - a desert race held yearly just outside Las Vegas. It was also a 1998 film directed by Terry Gilliam featuring Johnny Depp. It is a reference to the central idea of the album, which was inspired by lead singer Brendon Urie, and drummer Spencer Smith's home city of Las Vegas.

Lyrics

Urie's lyrical contributions to Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! were further inspired by the band's city. Prior to the album's release, he noted: "When we did our first record, we were really bitter toward the whole Vegas scene. We weren't old enough to experience all of what Vegas is really known for. Even the shows, most of them were twenty-one and over. There was a lot of hostility, but over the past couple years, I've started to get rid of that cynicism and see it in a new light [...] I wanted to celebrate it." He penned much of the album's lyrics in the city itself: "There's some glitz, some glamour, but there's also the dingy, old Vegas side to the music."

The record's lyrics are very personal in nature. The first track, "This is Gospel" (written by Urie and bassist Dallon Weekes), talks about Smith's drug addiction. The original demo sat on Urie's laptop for months before he finally shared it with the rest of the band. The album's lead single, "Miss Jackson", was written about Urie's first sexual experiences during his youth. "When I was younger, I would mess around; I'd sleep with one girl one night, sleep with her friend the next night, and not care about how they felt, or how I made them feel. And then it happened to me, and I realized 'Wow, that's what that feels like? I feel really shitty.'" A hidden preview of "Vegas Lights" was featured in the announcement video of Fall Out Boy's Save Rock and Roll fall arena tour. "Vegas Lights" was intended as an anthem for carefree nights in Las Vegas, that most prominently reflected how Urie felt clubbing. "I felt this weird energy where everybody was having a good time, and it didn't matter," he remarked. "Dancing like nobody's watching. It was kind of beautiful.". The song also uses a sample from "Number 5" (a song used on Sesame Street in the 1970s) at the beginning of the song. "Girl That You Love" was originally written in French following a five-day vacation in France. Bassist Dallon Weekes, who also performed lyrical duties for the album, later penned the English lyrics for the song based on Urie's French demo.

The album's third single, "Girls / Girls / Boys", has been described by Dallon Weekes as being centered on a love triangle complicated by differing sexual orientations. When commented on about the video for "Girls / Girls / Boys", lead singer Brendon Urie said "It's inspired by D'Angelo's 'Untitled (How Does It Feel)' video."

The YouTube release of "Casual Affair" samples the quote "Looks innocent enough, doesn't it? But sometimes there are dangers involved that never meet the eye. No matter where you meet a stranger, be careful if they are too friendly" taken from the 1961 public domain anti-gay film Boys Beware. This quote is not present in the official album release.

"The End of All Things" was written about Urie's wife Sarah Urie, and is written as Urie's vows in their wedding. The song was written two days before they got married.