Misery Business

About this song

Misery Business is the lead single from Paramore's second album, Riot!. The song has been featured in numerous video games and was nominated for the Best Video award at the 2007 Kerrang! Awards. In 2018 the band announced it would no longer perform the song live, but that decision was later reversed, and it was performed on the This Is Why Tour in 2022 and 2023 and at Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in 2024.

What it's about

Hayley Williams wrote the song at 17 as a diary-style account of a friend who was becoming distant while she was possibly falling in love with them. She has said she no longer relates to the lyrics and that they reflect a narrow-minded view from her younger self.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 20 other songs, like “I Want Misery by Pluffaduff”.
• Covered 22 times, including “Misery Business by First to Eleven”.
• Written by Hayley Williams and Josh Farro.
• Produced by David Bendeth.
• Recorded at House of Loud (Elmwood Park.