‘What a Catch, Donnie’ was the anthem for angsty high school students
Fall Out Boy’s emotional song accompanied and comforted me throughout my four years in h(ell)igh school.
High school was an awkward point in most of our lives. The clearest way to demonstrate that is to look at the music we listened to. Personally, I was at the weirdest point in my life, and my music choices reflected that. I listened to Nevershoutnever, Eminem, Earl Sweatshirt, Mayday Parade, and everything in between. Some of these artists fell off my playlist as I grew older, but the musical stylings of Fall Out Boy holds a permanent spot on my iPod.
“What a Catch, Donnie” is an angsty, emotional song that accompanied and comforted me throughout my four years in h(ell)igh school.
On to the Track:
Production:
Where did Pharrell come from??
FOB rarely dabbles in the art of the ballad, but whenever they do, Patrick Stump’s angelic voice shines.
Lyrics:
I got troubled thoughts and the self-esteem to match. What a catch. What a catch.
Pete Wentz is King of the angsty teenager. The use of the word “catch” refers to the phrase, “there’s a lot of fish in the sea.” Pete is saying that out of all the people in the world, I am the one you “caught.” Lucky you.
Throughout the entire 4:51 of the song, Wentz speaks from the perspective of a disenfranchised youth who has ruined a relationship because of problems mental health.
Miss Flack said, “I still want you back” — Miss Flack refers Roberta Flack, who would sing duos with Donnie Hathaway, the song’s namesake.
The ending of this song is one of my favorite things any band has every done. In a song that talks about low self-esteem, FOB brings back their biggest hits from their previous albums, proving that they have much to be proud of as a band. They gathered some of their best friends to sing:
Grand Theft Autumn- Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship)
Sugar, We’re Going Down- Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heros)
Dance, Dance- Brendon Urie (Panic! at the Disco)
This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race- Doug Does (Fall Out Boy’s manager)
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs- Alex DeLeon (The Cab)
Growing Up- William Beckett (The Academy Is…)
What Do I Think?
For many people, this is more than a song: it’s validation. I grew up listening to rap, which will always be my first love, but rarely would a rap song pull emotion out of me. Fall Out Boy opened up a new world. It was one of the first songs that I personally identified with.
High School can be a very tough time for many different reasons, but the right song, with the right message, can console even the saddest soul. For me, “What a Catch, Donnie” is that song.
Grade:
- 10/10
- A perfect song- lyrics, vocals, production, meaning: it’s all there.
