We Are Done

“Done with being a silent many
Every voice rings out and carries
No we won’t just go back
Home without you hearing
The sound when the many say
We are done”

We Are Done – The Madden Brothers

I grew up with Good Charlotte as my favourite band. From when I first heard The Young and the Hopeless album when I was about 11 I fell in love. Billy was my favourite; Joel and Benji were alright and I did enjoy their stories, but Billy was the rockstar of my teenage years. I remember when I found out Billy wrote Ghost of You on their third album and it was totally my favourite track of Chronicles of Life and Death. Yes, in the 2000’s you could throw any emo style boy band at me and I would probably like them, but Good Charlotte were my top pick, always.

It’s always a bit of a mind battle when your favourite band goes their separate ways and start releasing solo music. When I heard The Madden Brothers were a thing and a thing without Billy and Paul, their longstanding band mates, I was sceptical. However, I am a fan of We Are Done. I’ve heard a lot of negative feedback about the musical style of the song and I know this isn’t the best work The Madden Brothers have done, and probably not the best work they will do.

No, it is the theme of the song that draws me in and in the best way possible reminds me of why I loved Good Charlotte. Nestled amongst the music from girls singing about their heartbreak and the boys singing about their favourite boo was this band I loved for challenging society in a way I could relate to. The music Good Charlotte made was never threatening but thought provoking, and was more than giving a giant middle finger to the world. Throughout their five albums their lyrics raised questions about the society we lived in – hierarchy, family issues, living outside of the spotlight and above all, making you think about what you believed in.

I know that Good Charlotte’s music was never known for pushing musical boundaries and people would think it strange when I say they were my favourite band. But they were the band that helped me gain my voice. They never told me what to do when a man broke my heart, they told me stand out from the crowd and be myself throughout my life. It’s a lesson that I thought would end in my teens, but has actually become more prominent as I grow into an adult. I get that it was time for Good Charlotte to move on and pursue new projects, but I am so glad The Madden Brothers still hold their priorities straight.