How Panic! at the Disco turned an obscure 1990s song into a banger

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In the past, when Panic! at the Disco had more members than Brendon Urie, they drew inspiration from unusual sources for their music composition. For instance, the aborted 2007 album named “Cricket & Clover” saw them retreat to a cabin and abandon traditional instruments like guitars and drums, instead opting for unconventional choices such as harpsichords and glass percussion.

When they separated and additional songwriters were introduced for a power pop style, it’s clear that the unique, quirky days might have ended. This is evident in Panic!’s last album as a group, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!“, which showcases stadium rock songs such as “This Is Gospel” and “Vegas Lights”.

Although the album had an immaculate and polished appearance, there were some enigmatic aspects hidden within its songwriting, which can be traced back to Dallon Weekes – a co-writer of the entire album who joined Panic! at the very last moment before it transformed into a solo endeavor.

Origins of the Panic! at the Disco song date back 17 years

Looking back to 1996, I was part of the band 1000 West, formed in Salt Lake City by Scott Jones on vocals, Matt Glass on drums, Cory Rowley on guitar, and none other than Panic! At The Disco’s future bassist. Initially, we played as a Beatles tribute act, but eventually released a few albums in the 90s before disbanding in the early 2000s following some member changes.

As an ardent music enthusiast, I wasn’t expecting much from this relatively unknown band given their raw, local sound. Yet, something about their demos captivated me – a track titled “School Bell” had a chorus that was so catchy, it compelled me to rework it into my own song, which I named “Monday Morning”.

Originally known as 1000 West, most of its founding members, substituting Rowley with Michael Gross, reorganized in 2002 under a new name, the Brobecks. They incorporated their revamped version of one of the band’s songs into their first album. The track sounds significantly improved now, thanks to better mixing, enhanced vocals, and the addition of modern elements such as keyboards to give it more depth.

It’s quite typical for Weekes to incorporate tracks from an old band into a new group’s catalog. Many songs originally by the Brobecks have been reworked for his band I Dont Know How But They Found Me at some point. An unusual occurrence, however, is for songs to be shared among three different bands.

Literally timeless lyricism

In the process of revising “Monday Morning” for a third time, Weekes opted to preserve the verses and just retain the opening line from the chorus. The new lyrics, titled “Far Too Young to Die,” may resonate as they serve as part of the title track for Panic! at the Disco’s fourth album.

Although the titles might seem similar, the Brobecks’ demo of the song varies significantly from its final version. The choruses are the only parts that remain unchanged, while new verses have been written. Musically, the upbeat rock vibe has been replaced with synth beeps and strong autotuned vocals by Urie.

Regardless of the various changes it underwent, the initial verse and tune of the chorus remained unaltered in “Far Too Young to Die.” The song, however, was never played live by the band beyond its debut, marking its end during their subsequent performances.

Panic! at the Disco is set to reunite and perform their entire debut album at the When We Were Young festival this year. The initial day of the event has already been sold out, but you can still get tickets for the second day through the festival’s official website.

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2025-06-07 16:00