# Skylines and Turnstiles

"Skylines and Turnstiles" is a song by the American band My Chemical Romance, released as the seventh track from their debut studio album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002). A hardcore punk and pop-punk song whose lyrics focus on the September 11 attacks, Gerard Way initially wrote "Skylines and Turnstiles", his first song, after witnessing the attacks; subsequently, the song continued to be fleshed out as Way formed My Chemical Romance. The song was written by band members Frank Iero, Matt Pelissier, Ray Toro, Gerard Way, and Mikey Way, and was produced by Geoff Rickly.
"Skylines and Turnstiles" received mixed retrospective reviews from music critics, with the track being deemed both as a standout and as an unpolished inclusion on the album. Nonetheless, critics have also identified it as one of the best songs in My Chemical Romance's discography, highlighting its role in establishing the band and its sound. "Skylines and Turnstiles" was the first song that the band performed during their debut live show, and was later performed as part of their reunion tour. A demo of "Skylines and Turnstiles" was also released on the band's greatest hits album, May Death Never Stop You (2014).

## Background, writing, and composition

Prior to the formation of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way worked in the art industry. However, upon witnessing the September 11 attacks, Way decided to give up art and start a band in order to "see the world" and "make a difference". The same day, he penned "Skylines and Turnstiles", his first song, in his parents' basement with a guitar and practice amp in reaction to the attacks. He then recruited Matt Pelissier, who played in a local rock band, to bring percussion onto the track. Later, Way and Pelissier played "Skylines and Turnstiles" to Ray Toro — who was in the local band with Pelissier — whereupon according to Way he "improved it tenfold instantly". The group subsequently recorded The Attic Demo in Pelissier's attic, a set of three demos including that of "Skylines and Turnstiles". My Chemical Romance would later record the song, as well as the majority of their debut studio album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, in May 2002 at Nada Studios in New Windsor, New York with Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly as producer.
"Skylines and Turnstiles" is a hardcore punk and pop-punk song, described as being "horror-punk" by Sam Law of Kerrang!. The song contains "scabrous and shimmering" guitar and "throat-shredding screams", which would go on to be staples of My Chemical Romance's music. Lyrically, "Skylines and Turnstiles" focuses on the fear, uncertainty, and hope Way felt as a result of the September 11 attacks. The lyrics include references to the fall of the Twin Towers and the "futility" of daily life.

## Release and live performances

"Skylines and Turnstiles" made its live debut in October 2001, being the first song performed during the band's debut show. The song was later released on July 23, 2002, as the seventh track on I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The demo of "Skylines and Turnstiles" was later included on May Death Never Stop You, the band's 2014 greatest hits album, alongside the other "attic demos". My Chemical Romance rarely perform "Skylines and Turnstiles" live; however, the band performed the song as part of early shows following the release of the album, and later as part of their reunion tour, notably as the second song of their performance on September 11, 2022 at Barclays Center in New York City.

## Critical reception

The song received mixed retrospective reviews from music critics; Austin Saalman of Under the Radar praised it as a standout track, while a 2008 review for Sputnikmusic instead described it as being unpolished and "of poor quality in almost every department". Dillon Eastoe of Gigwise included "Skylines and Turnstiles" in his list of the band's underrated songs, praising Way's "raw" vocals and its "harrowing" lyrics as being evocative of the September 11 attacks. Writing for The Ringer, Rob Harvilla emphasized that the track was not the best on I Brought You My Bullets, yet as a first song it "got [Gerard Way] where he needed to go, which was firmly on the road to leading everyone where they needed to go".
Music critics have placed "Skylines and Turnstiles" among the best songs in My Chemical Romance's discography as a whole, due to its role in establishing the band and its sound. The staffs of Spin and Billboard included the song in their lists of the 10 and 15 best My Chemical Romance songs respectively, with Taylor Weatherby of the latter praising its emotional resonance and writing that the song would "largely inform the group’s music for the rest of their career". Cassie Whitt and Jake Richardson of Loudwire similarly declared "Skylines and Turnstiles" the fifth-best song by the band, with the former writing that it was "perhaps the most important song" in their catalog due to being their first written. Law ranked the track at #19 in his list of the band's 20 greatest songs, writing that it was a "jagged work in progress, but glowed with undeniable burning promise".

## Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music.