Helena is a rock song from My Chemical Romance's 2004 album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. The lyrics describe lead singer Gerard Way's feelings for his late grandmother, Elena Lee Rush. Stylistically, the song is a mixture of dance, punk-rock, and emo. The single has become a best-selling hit, both in the US and internationally.
The video was shot on-location in a Korean Presbyterian churchinLos Angeles, California, directed by Marc Webb, and choreographed by Michael Rooney. The video has a simple plot, with Gerard Way as a pastor-cum-entertainer at a funeral where the band is performing. There are also mourners who dance and mourn the death of Helena. Near the end, the dead body of Helena (played by Tracey Philips) appears and dances down the center aisle of the church's narthex representing crossing over into the afterlife. After she falls back into the casket, the pallbearers (also played by MCR) carry the casket to the hearse, surrounded by a phalanx of dancers.
Though the song in general is about band members Gerard Way and Mikey Way's late grandmother, it was stated in an interview that the video told a different story. The music video shows the funeral of a young, beautiful, twenty-somthing year old girl named Helena, who, according to Gerard Way, died tragically. There is speculation that she could be the female of the "Demolition Lovers" that chronicle some of the band's songs, but evidence from the song leads most to believe that the video Helena died in a fatal car accident.
The video was nominated for five Moonmen at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Rock Video, Best Choreography, Best New Artist, and the MTV2 and Viewer's Choice Awards (both of which are choosen by viewers). Though the band did not win any awards, they did do a surprise performance of the song towards the end of the show. They also won a Best Video award in the Kerrang awards 2005
