Many Panic! (Rydon) fans are speculating that Vices & Virtues is just going to be album that Brendon wrote for Ryan. Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll just have to wait and see. Or hear, as the case may be.
But Vices & Virtues won’t be the first Rydon album by Panic! at the Disco. Here are my reasons on why Pretty. Odd. was the first:
Nine in the Afternoon—The first line, “Back to streets where we began,” could refer to one of two things. “We” could be referring the boys as band, or we could be talking about Brendon and Ryan as lovers. The second line, “Feeling as good as lovers can,” basically confirms that.
She’s a Handsome Woman—This is Ryan’s way of warning Brendon to stay away him, that he’s unhealthy for him. “Send for all your absent lover’s things.” Well, Ryan’s pretty obviously absent from Brendon when he’s with Keltie. “Beat back bones, gazed the poem and made it strange. I wasn’t born to be a skeleton.” Ryan’s the poet in the band, and he’s a skeleton anyways (he’s not doing what he’s supposed to). “I’m tucking fibs into a cookie jar.” Ryan’s a liar; he’s lying to Keltie about his relationship with Brendon, but could he also being lying to Brendon as well? “It’s useless searching in your cupboards when everything you have is on your back.” Aw, gee, I bet that’s talking about touring. Ryan doesn’t care what’s back at home (Keltie?) when he has Brendon with me on tour (on his back).
Do You See What I’m Seeing?—“I know it’s mad, but if I go to Hell, would you come with me or just leave? I know it’s mad, but if the world were ending, would you kiss me or just leave? Just leave me.” The first line is Ryan’s way of asking if Brendon really loves him (because all homosexuals go to Hell, right?), the second line is Ryan’s way of telling Brendon that all he needs is his love, and the third line is Ryan’s way of telling Brendon that he shouldn’t stick around to save him, he’s not worth it, and he doesn’t want Brendon getting hurt. Not Ryden-related, but I think parts of this song are also about Ryan’s father. I mean, we got Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks and Camisado (from Fever) about his father’s abuse, and this is his more subtle way of talking about it. “I know it’s sad that I never gave a damn about the weather, and it never gave a damn about me.” The “weather” is referring to his father.
That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)—This song is basically Ryan talking about how much he’s changed from his Fever days, but despite all the changes, he still loves Brendon. “Things have changed for me, and that’s okay. I feel the same. I’m on my way, and I say …” Also, the first line of this song, “Things are shaping up to be pretty odd,” is probably talking about their relationship.
I Have Friends in Holy Spaces—This is Brendon’s song for Ryan. “You remind me of a former love that I once knew.” He’s telling Ryan that he’s changed so much, that he no longer knows him, but still loves him.
Northern Downpour—The first verse, “If all our live is but a dream, fantastic, posing greed, then we should feed our jewelry to the sea, because diamonds do appear to be just like broken glass to me,” is Ryan’s way of saying, “I deny the theatrics of Fever. I give that life up.” And the line, “You clicked your heels and wished for me,” is his way of acknowledging that he’s changed and that he knows that Brendon misses the old him.
When the Day Met the Night—This is the equivalent of Sarah Smiles; the song written “for his girlfriend.” But the song is still, without a doubt, a love song. A love song that tells a certain story. Ryan’s telling Brendon “Your eyes saved my life, and we were just hanging out, as friends, when I fell in love with you.” And song is constantly saying, “In the middle of summer.” Ryan’s band, before he met Brendon, was called “The Summer League.” Hmm?
Pas de Cheval—Ryan tried to write this song from Brendon’s point of view. “It’s the greatest thing in chance to have happened, imagine knowing me!” Yes, knowing Brendon was the best thing to ever happen to Ryan. Ryan is also, in the first line, telling Brendon that Brendon’s a part of him and he couldn’t let him go even if he wanted to.
Behind the Sea—This song is so obviously about their ocean sex. If you haven’t heard of this theory yet, there is many a livejournal about it. Here’s a good Rydon dump, which also details about the ocean sex theory. (Also, at the list of fanfics at the bottom, I recommend When Your Memories Were Just a Fantasy, All We Fear is All That Can Save Us and Rose is a Four-Letter Word.) But back to the song. Notice that the chorus goes “The men all played along to marching songs and boy, did they have fun behind the sea.” No mention of any girls in any way.
Folkin’ Around—Another one of song by Brendon, another song about the past. “Allow me to exaggerate a memory or two when summer last longer than we do,” is saying that his memories of Ryan really mean a lot to him, and is the second of that referring to a summer-time fling? “And all that really mattered was for me to be with you.” (Self-explanatory.) "Your melody sounds as sweet as the first time it was sung," is Brendon's way of telling Ryan that he's always found his voice beautiful, even if Ryan doesn't think so. “If I’ve forgotten how to sing before I’ve sung this song, I’ll write it all across the sky before my job is done.” Well, Brendon’s job in the band, is to sing, so …
She Had the World—The verses of this song talk about Ryan being gay (“She could never have me.”) and touches upon the circus-like part of their Fever days (“She said she won the world at a carnival, but she could never win me.”). The chorus shows Ryan’s amazement that Brendon loves him, since he is always so wrapped up in his own world of song-writing. “But who could love me? I am out of mind!”
Mad as Rabbits—The first verse is more babble about Ryan’s artistic-self always being lost in a world of his own (“Come save me from waking off a window sill, or I’ll sleep in the rain.”) The next line, “Don’t you remember when I was a bird and you were map?” is obviously Ryan telling Brendon that he didn’t always need him, but he certainly does now. But mostly? One line: “We must re-invent love!” If that isn’t talking about homosexuality, I don’t know what is.
I know that these are not all the songs from Pretty. Odd. but these are the ones that I believe relate to Rydon. (I mean, We’re so Starving is just the introductory song it appears to be, and The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know and From a Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins are both pretty obviously about Ryan Ross’ very intimate relationship with drugs.)
Hope y’all enjoyed my little theories.
—Johnny
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