Thank You for the Venom

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
"Thank You for the Venom"
Cover artwork of "Thank You for the Venom": A person holds their hands as if they are praying, the words "Thank You for the Venom" appear at the top in all caps, along with the band's logo, "My Chemical Romance", in the middle.
Promotional single by My Chemical Romance
from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
ReleasedJune 8, 2004 (2004-06-08)
GenrePunk rock
Length3:41
LabelReprise
Songwriters
ProducerHoward Benson

"Thank You for the Venom" is a song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance from their second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004). It is the ninth track on the album and was written by band members Frank Iero, Matt Pelissier, Ray Toro, Gerard Way, and Mikey Way, additionally produced by Howard Benson. It was released as a promotional single on June 8, 2004.

Described as a punk rock song, its lyrics tell the story of critics hating on the band, and telling their fans to stand up to anyone trying to change them. The song received positive reviews from critics, with some considering it one of My Chemical Romance's best songs. The song charted in the United Kingdom, reaching number 71 on the UK singles chart and number 4 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2025.

Background and release

My Chemical Romance began writing their second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004), while touring for their first album in 2003.[1] During occasional shows on the tour, frontman Gerard Way would come out wearing a shirt that read "Thank You for the Venom".[2][3] The song's concept had already existed before the band played their first show, with the phrase printed inside the CD artwork for the band's debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002).[3] The band began recording Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004 after concluding a short, already scheduled tour in the United Kingdom.[4] The album, along with "Thank You for the Venom", was produced by Howard Benson.[5] All five band members are credited with writing the song.[6]

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was released as the band's second studio album on June 8, 2004, through Reprise Records,[7] with "Thank You for the Venom" as the ninth song on the track list.[8] The song was released as a promotional single on the same day.[9] In the United Kingdom, "Thank You for the Venom" reached number 71 on the UK singles chart,[10] and number 4 on the UK Rock & Metal chart.[11] The band also performed the song live on various occasions, including during their 2019–2023 reunion tour,[12][13][14] the 2022 Riot Fest,[15] and the Long Live The Black Parade tour.[16] Additionally, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2025.[17] Unlike other singles released from Revenge, "Thank You for the Venom" did not receive a music video.[18]

Composition and lyrics

"Thank You for the Venom" is a punk rock[19] song that is three minutes and forty-one seconds long.[6] The song begins with an opening guitar riff that Chloe Spinks of Gigwise described as "so sharp and biting you risk going into fight or flight".[20] It then kicks into the main chorus, followed by a guitar solo at 2:12,[21][18] with glam-rock influence present.[18] The track contains lyrics such as "So give me all your poison / And give me all your pills / And give me all your hopeless hearts, and make me ill".[2] Ed Walton of Distorted Sound claimed that the song became known for its high energy and aggressive sound.[22] Lyrically, it is about critics that berated the band's personality, and encouraging their fans to defy outside pressure.[18][3] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan described the track's instrumentation as "metallic guitar heroism."[23]

Critical reception

"Thank You for the Venom" received positive reviews from music critics, with some highlighting it as a standout track from the album.[18] Marianne Eloise of Louder Sound described "Venom" as overlooked in terms of the band's other songs, she also cited it as the best track on Revenge.[18] She also placed it at number 12 on a list of the 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs.[24] Both Tom Bryant, also writing for Louder Sound, and Sam Law of Kerrang! ranked "Thank You for the Venom" as the band's ninth and second best song, with the latter writing "For all the talk of their inky darkness, serrated edge and unstoppable swagger, no other track manages to pack in all those elements half as convincingly as this snarling classic".[19][2] DaveyBoy, a staff writer of Sputnikmusic claimed it was "extremely catchy and memorable from start to beginning."[25] In rankings of the band's entire discography, Cassie Whitt and Jake Richardson of Loudwire and Spinks placed "Thank You for the Venom" at number 9 (of 71) and number 2 (of 79) respectively, with the latter writing that the song is a complete and utter masterpiece.[3][20] Additionally, Eloise, writing for The Forty-Five, placed the song at number 1 (of 46) in her review, stating it was a "fast [and] wild song".[26]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music.[6]

My Chemical Romance

  • Gerard Way – lead vocals, songwriter,
  • Ray Toro – lead guitar, background vocals, songwriter
  • Frank Iero – rhythm guitar, background vocals, songwriter
  • Mikey Way – bass guitar, songwriter
  • Matt Pelissier – drums, songwriter

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance
Chart (2004) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[10]71
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[11]4

Certifications

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

Sources

Citations

  1. Bryant 2014, pp. 81
  2. Law, Sam (April 9, 2021). "The 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  3. Whitt, Cassie; Richardson, Jake (March 24, 2019). "Every My Chemical Romance Song Ranked". Loudwire. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  4. Bryant 2014, p. 83.
  5. Chaudhry, Aliya (June 6, 2024). "My Chemical Romance's 'Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge' Turns 20". Stereogum. Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  6. My Chemical Romance (June 8, 2004). "Thank You for the Venom – Song by My Chemical Romance". Reprise Records. Retrieved April 10, 2026 – via Apple Music.
  7. Bryant 2014, pp. 90.
  8. Wilson-Taylor, James (April 11, 2025). "My Chemical Romance To Release 'Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge' Deluxe Edition". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  9. My Chemical Romance (2004). "Thank You for the Venom" (Compact disc liner notes). Reprise Records. 54391-6126-7.
  10. "Official Singles Chart on 25/12/2004 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  11. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 19/12/2004 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  12. Estrada, Kevin (December 21, 2019). "Here's The Setlist From My Chemical Romance's Reunion Show". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  13. "Here's My Chemical Romance's setlist from the first night of their 2022 tour". Alternative Press. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  14. Brannigan, Paul (May 16, 2022). "My Chemical Romance return to the UK: the setlist, the skinny, the social media meltdowns". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  15. Law, Sam (September 18, 2022). "What happened when My Chemical Romance headlined Riot Fest". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  16. Rolli, Bryan (August 3, 2025). "Photos + Review – My Chemical Romance Bring Emo Theatrics and Tour Debuts to Arlington". Loudwire. Archived from the original on August 5, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  17. Howell, Maddy (April 14, 2025). "My Chemical Romance's 'Helena' Is Now Certified 4x Platinum". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on April 13, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  18. Eloise, Marianne (May 24, 2021). "The Story Behind The Song: My Chemical Romance's Thank You For the Venom". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  19. Bryant, Tom (July 8, 2016). "The Top 10 Best My Chemical Romance Songs". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  20. Spinks, Chloe (June 13, 2022). "Every My Chemical Romance song ranked from worst to best". Gigwise. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  21. Whitt, Cassie (July 27, 2022). "The 10 Most Metal My Chemical Romance Riffs". Loudwire. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  22. Walton, Ed (June 21, 2024). "Heavy Music History: Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge – My Chemical Romance". Distorted Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  23. Sacher, Andrew. "15 Best Emo & Post-Hardcore Albums of 2004". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  24. Eloise, Marianne (May 27, 2024). "The 20 greatest My Chemical Romance songs ever". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  25. DaveyBoy (July 4, 2008). "My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  26. Eloise, Marianne (August 30, 2020). "Every My Chemical Romance song ranked from worst to best". The Forty-Five. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  27. "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Thank You for the Venom". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 11, 2025.