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Paramore released their third album, Brand New Eyes, in 2009, kicking things off with the explosive first single “Ignorance.” This was a huge moment for high school emo kids, and, dare we say, it remains a cultural touchstone of that era.

But “Ignorance” wasn’t just a formative moment for angry teenagers. The song also served as a way for Paramore to address interpersonal issues within the band. Hayley Williams spoke with Kerrang! in 2009 and gave insight into Paramore’s mindset during that time.

“In my eyes, this song is a huge turning point for the band,” she said. “The truth of it is, growing up is not easy. We’re five different people who have to work towards the same goal on a daily basis. There were a lot of times when I felt really alone or angry or insecure. I don’t always feel good at confronting people, especially people that I love, like these guys.”

“Ignorance” was then written as a way for Paramore—at the time a five-piece band—to explore their emotions and issues, whether with each other or someone outside the core group.

Hayley Williams Explained How Paramore Used “Ignorance” Single to Express Complicated Emotions

“Sometimes it takes songs to get the point across,” Williams continued. “The song is from one person’s perspective. It’s unfair that I’m the one who gets to talk about it but it helped me a lot. The line ‘ignorance is your new best friend’ is about how I felt I was losing people, and I think the band did too.”

Paramore was likely in a transition period around 2009—still reeling from the success of their 2007 sophomore album Riot!, adjusting to being 21-year-olds, and figuring out where to creatively go next. “But,” said Williams at the time, “it’s okay, we’re growing up. I love that song.”

Williams further explained the song’s impact on the band while speaking with The Guardian in 2010. “I tried to mumble all the way through,” she said, describing the first time she brought the lyrics to the rest of Paramore. “But Taylor [York, guitarist] was right next to the speaker and heard every word. He gave me this fierce look – I thought he was going to kill me – and said, ‘So do you want to tell me about those lyrics?’ I ran into the bathroom, I was so nervous. But we talked for two hours and reconciled a lot of tough, heavy things. That song saved our band.”

Additionally, as Williams put it to Alternative Press also around 2010, “The guys and I needed this song. We really did. I don’t think any of those words were going to be said had they not been written to music.”

The “Ignorance” Music Video Gives Visual Context To Its Emotional Lyrics

“Ignorance” is lyrically evocative for its exploration of feeling isolated or forgotten by formerly close or reliable people. The tension is clear in lyrics like “That the friends who stuck together / We wrote our names in blood / But I guess you can’t accept / That the change is good.” Additionally, there’s relief and acceptance of the situation in lines like “This is the best thing that could’ve happened / Any longer and I wouldn’t have made it / It’s not a war, no, it’s not a rapture / I’m just a person but you can’t take it.”

In the music video, the overall sentiment of “Ignorance” is even clearer. With the band stuck in a small room together, there’s a claustrophobic sense of pressure. We’re also being trapped in this oppressive darkness with them. The use of a single light source, which Hayley Williams manipulated like a spotlight, created tension, isolation, and made the video seem almost like an interrogation.

Put everything together cohesively, and Paramore made a crucial example of how it feels to be accused, forgotten, misunderstood, and a million other emotional stressors.

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage