Helena (song)

"Helena"
Single by My Chemical Romance
from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Released	May 23, 2005 (2005-05-23)
Format	7" vinyl CD digital download DVD
Recorded	2004
Genre	Emo,punk rock
Length	3:22
Label	Reprise, WMG
Writer(s)	My Chemical Romance
Producer(s)	My Chemical Romance, Howard Benson
My Chemical Romance singles chronology
"Thank You for the Venom" (2004) "Helena" (2005) "Under Pressure" (2005)
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge track listing 13 tracks "Helena" "Give 'Em Hell Kid" "To the End" "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" "The Ghost of You" "The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You" "Interlude" "Thank You for the Venom" "Hang 'Em High" "It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Fucking Deathwish" "Cemetery Drive" "I Never Told You What I Do for a Living"

13 tracks
"Helena" "Give 'Em Hell Kid" "To the End" "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" "The Ghost of You" "The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You" "Interlude" "Thank You for the Venom" "Hang 'Em High" "It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Fucking Deathwish" "Cemetery Drive" "I Never Told You What I Do for a Living"

"Helena" (sometimes titled "Helena (So Long & Goodnight)" on digital retailers such as iTunes) is a song by American rock band My Chemical Romance, and is the third single from their second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. The lyrics describe lead singer Gerard Way and bassist Mikey Way's feelings for their late grandmother, Elena Lee Rush (whom her friends referred to as "Helen", and because of this, Gerard always thought to combine her first name with this alias, forming the name, "Helena").

"Helena" was released to radio on March 8, 2005. The single has become a moderately-selling hit, both in the US and internationally. Way stated in an interview with Channel V that the main influence behind "Helena" was from the song "Aces High" by Iron Maiden and tracks by The Ventures. This song is also My Chemical Romance's sixth overall single. Way described it as representing the band's image and sound, and as such it was often used to end the band's shows. The single was certified as a Gold Record in United States. Despite charting lower than their prior hit, "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" on the "Billboard" Modern Rock Tracks chart peaking at number 4 where "Helena" peaked at number 11, "Helena" was the band's first crossover hit crossing over to Top 40 radio at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and it also still had more airplay on alternative rock stations.

NME declared that the song was one of the "20 Greatest Goth Tracks" and that it was "a pivotal moment in cross-fertilising goth with emo" and that "MCR spawned a hybrid that ensured black clothes and eyeliner became, once again, teenage rebellion's default setting".

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Wikipedia