Revisiting Our Favorite Stomachaches Lyrics While We Wait For Frank Iero’s XNauseousX

Can you believe it’s been a decade since Frank Iero released his first solo album, Stomachaches, in August 2014? The album, which he released as Frnkiero andthe cellabration, explores Frank’s mental health and some of his more negative views on life as he works through the healing process and addresses pains he didn’t properly address earlier. He already helped define the soundtrack of our lives as one of the guitarists of My Chemical Romance, but Stomachaches showed us a whole new side of Frank’s artistic talent and the way he views the world. 

Even though this album has been in our lives for such a long time, we’re absolutely buzzing because Frank is releasing a deluxe album for this special anniversary, called XNauseousX! This new edition includes his first solo track, ‘This Song Is A Curse…,’ unreleased songs we can’t wait to check out, past favorites like ‘B.F.F.,’ and even some covers. The world of Stomachaches was already pretty great considering it’s one of our all-time favorite records, but we’re very excited to see how Frank expands on it. The album comes out on August 30th, so not too far away!

It’s pretty wild having to sit down and think about putting together a 10-year anniversary edition of a record that you originally had zero intentions of releasing. First off, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years, damn time really does fly by. And second, I’m still shocked anyone cares… but I suppose if my original plan was to make a time capsule for my kids to discover, funnily enough, it all kind of worked out. I’ve had a fun time digging through old hard drives, finding recordings, photos, and videos of that time and place. I suppose, in a lot of ways, I’m still that person, but in many cases, I am not. I truly believe that everything we have gone through and experienced gets us to the place where we currently reside, and I honestly wouldn’t change one second of it.

Frank Iero

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stomachaches, the upcoming release of XNauseousX, and Frank’s incredible talent, we’re breaking down five of our favorite Stomachaches lyrics and why they stick out to us! Make sure you pre-order and pre-save XNauseousX, then let’s discuss.

“Let’s learn to laugh at ourselves again…”

When you’re dealing with mental health challenges or even just the stress of life, it can be hard to let loose and not take yourself so seriously. This line from ‘.weighted.’ reminds us that it’s okay to lower your standards for yourself a bit! The world is already so tough on us and we don’t need to add more to that weight. Sure, trying to be more positive won’t undo any of our past mistakes or bad memories, but it’ll help us move forward to a better future with fewer burdens.

“I still remember how I made you feel once upon a time…”

This lyric from ‘.tragician.’ has always stood out to us because of how nostalgically melancholic it is. The song dissects how Frank feels like he’s negatively impacted someone he loves, and we think this line has two possible interpretations that complement the story. First, since he’s reflecting on some of his mistakes and doubts upon himself, you can see it as being about a time he hurt this person. Second, this memory might be about a time he was really good for this person, that he wants to get back to now that they’ve lost their way.

“They see the world through tired eyes and we refuse to live in black and white…”

When we look at the world around us, we usually see two things: a lot of potential to grow and evolve together, but also a lot of negativity and hatred. Throughout ‘Neverenders,’ Frank expresses his disappointment about how pessimistic so many people are, while also cellabrating his empathetic side rather than trying to push it away. Your life is yours to create, and you shouldn’t let other people’s opinions stop you from doing the things you want to do! Make sure your life is filled with as many colors as you want and don’t force yourself into grayscale because of what others might say about you.

“At night, we face what lies hidden in our hearts…”

Speaking of shaping our lives, we love this line from ‘.smoke rings.’ because it’s a subtle reminder to keep your mindset in check as much as you can. If you know you went about your day with the best intentions for yourself and the people around you, it’ll be much easier to sleep than if you carried around negativity all day and took it out on someone else. It’s important to make sure you’re not carrying the weight of anger or cruelty, towards other people or yourself! Try your best to be compassionate and see the good in the world. 

“I’ve felt this bad for so long I’m scared I’m fine…”

If you’ve dealt with anxiety, depression, or another condition, you’re probably all too familiar with the feeling that it will be your “normal” forever. They don’t seem like bad days, they just seem like your average days that you’ll keep experiencing for a very long time, if not the rest of your life. This line on ‘Guilt Tripping’ puts that horrible feeling into words so well and it has comforted us so many times over the years while reminding us we’re not alone in getting down about it!

For better or worse this is a time capsule, now fully complete and unearthed. I hope it finds you well, and makes you smile more than it makes you frown.

Frank Iero

What are your favorite lyrics from the Stomachaches album? Which track are you claiming from XNauseousX? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

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