Kurt Cobain bid his goodbye by quoting Neil Young in his farewell note before departing from this earth. Decades after the Nirvana frontman’s untimely suicide, yet another rocker quoted Young but this time to announce upsetting but less tragic news. Recently, Fall Out Boy’s guitarist Joe Trohman announced via the band’s Instagram account that he was leaving the act due to mental health struggles.
The line, ‘It’s better to burn out than to fade away,’ from Neil’s iconic song, ‘Hey Hey, My My,’ has been relatively used from Cobain’s note to now Joe Trohman’s message as the words have been uttered whenever a rocker has lost their passion and want to take a step back. So, this tradition continues with Joe joining the long list of artists who are taking some time away to focus on themselves and their mental health.
“A note from Joe,” announced the band before sharing Trohman’s words. “Neil Young once howled that it’s better to burn out than to fade away. But I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful. Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years.”
The timing of Joe’s departure was unfortunate as the band had just teased the fans by signaling that a new record was on the way. Trohman noted, “So, to avoid fading away and never returning, I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell. It pains me to make this decision, especially when we are releasing a new album that fills me with great pride [the sin I’m most proud of].”
However, the guitarist promised to return. He said, “So, the question remains, ‘Will I return to the fold?’ Absolutely, one hundred percent. In the meantime, I must recover, which means putting myself and my mental health first. Thank you to everyone, including my bandmates and family, for understanding and respecting this difficult but necessary decision. Smell you sooner than later.”
So, Trohman decided to take some time off to focus on his mental health and recovery, and on the road to getting better, he was taking a step away from his musical career and Fall Out Boy. However, he promised that he would love to return as soon as he felt better, but in the meantime, he had to take the necessary steps to recover mentally. So, Joe, good luck.
Photo Credit: Fall Out Boy – Instagram
