I'm going to see my second favorite band for the first time next week! I thought I'd mix it up and instead of doing a full Spotlight, I'm making a list of my favorite lyrics first, to show how stunning Tyler Joseph's lyricism is--it is, after all, the main aspect that reeled me in. And let me also mention that I originally had a list of over 80 of my favorite twenty one pilots lyrics from their four albums, but I'm gonna be cheesy and list 21 of them for now.
1. | “I'm only at it again as an addict with a pen” |
This lyric comes from one of my absolute favorite songs. It means something to me because like Tyler, I'm a writer, an "addict with a pen", or a keyboard, in this case.
2. | “And I have nothing else left to say but I will listen to you all day, yes I will” |
I never realized this line was in this song before because I guess I was too busy paying attention to the rest of the lyrics. I usually don't really talk all that much unless I have something worth adding to the conversation. But even when I have nothing else to say, I'll still listen, and I try to be there for anyone who needs me. We may not have anything to say that will actually take our loved one's pain away, but the least we can do is just be there to listen. This song as a whole is about suicide, and what anyone with suicidal thoughts needs more than anything else is for someone to care about them and to listen to them.
3. | “And we're dying with every step we take, we're dying with every breath we make” |
From the time we're born, we're already dying. That's weird and pretty morbid to think about, but it's important to realize that we're not guaranteed the next step or even the next breath. So we have to live while we're dying.
4. | “I don't believe in talking just to breathe” |
I completely overlooked this one, as well. Even though I've heard these songs several times, I still hear something new just about every time. I love this line because, as I said above, I'm not much of a talker unless I think what I want to say is worth it. I hate small talk. I don't really want to talk about the weather or how school is going or if I'm enjoying my summer.
5. | “Nothing kills a man faster than his own head” |
We're the only ones standing in the way of everything we want.
6. | “Please don't be afraid of what your soul is really thinking” |
Don't be afraid if your thoughts and opinions don't align with everyone else's. Don't be afraid if you believe in something bigger than yourself.
7. | “I find over the course of our human existence one thing consists of consistence and it's that we're all battling fear” |
"Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here, oh my, too deep, please stop thinking". We're afraid of everything--life, death, the short and awkward in-between--but we can't let fear take control. Fight it.
8. | “I don't wanna be heard; I want to be listened to” |
Personally, one of the reasons I don't feel the need to talk much is because I almost never feel like anyone is paying attention to my words. I don't want people to hear what I'm saying and just dismiss it, I want them to truly listen.
9. | “I don't understand why everything I adore takes a different form when I squint my eyes. Have you ever done that? When you squint your eyes and your eyelashes make it look a little not right and then when just enough light comes from just the right side and you find you're not who you're supposed to be?” |
"Forest" is definitely high on the list to be my favorite twenty one pilots song. When we take a step back out of our bubbles to see that not everything is going to go as we originally planned, it's kind of a psychological thing. We paint this perfect picture in our minds of exactly what we want our life to be like and when it doesn't turn out that way, we wonder why. Tyler asking if anyone has "ever done that" is him wondering if he's the only one suffering in this way. Finding out you're not who you're "supposed to be" is recognizing that you're becoming a changed person, which could be a good thing, whether you realize it at first or not.
10. | “Something happened to my imagination. This situation's becoming dire, my tree house is on fire and for some reason I smell gas on my hands. This is not what I had planned.” |
This verse is rich with fear and anxiety. As a creator of art, Tyler has an almost never-ending fear of ruining everything he creates with his own mind and hands. I'm the same way, I think. We may not plan to destroy anything, but it could still happen at any moment, because we're all capable of both creation and destruction. It's like being King Midas, but instead of everything we touch turning to gold, it could crumble, and could never be brought back the same way again.
11. | “We all are stranger creatures than when we all started out as kids, culture forbids” |
Love love love this song and this quote. I love how he says that we're "creatures". It seems like a negative thing to be called, like something society would call anyone who doesn't want to live up to all the norms and standards, but we as the different ones, freaks, or "creatures" embrace it. Culture would not only forbid that we be creatures, but also that we wouldn't care to be called that. I'd like to think I was a pretty strange kid growing up, but I think I'm even stranger now that my mind is more developed and I am able to truly think for myself and become more informed without the hindrance of a society that's working against me. I know that my thoughts and opinions are unique to me and that I'm not a sheep. My mind is no longer as easily molded as it was when I was much younger. And that's cool.
12. | “I am kitchen sink, you don't know what that means because a kitchen sink to you is not a kitchen sink to me, OK friend?” |
Another one of my absolute favorite songs. Just think about it. We're all kitchen sinks. Being a kitchen sink means something different to all of us, and we just have to find and be able to recognize that difference. I can't tell you what it means for you, and you can't tell me what it means for me. It's an individually unique and highly personal thing.
13. | “Are you searching for purpose? Then write something, yeah it might be worthless” |
"The meaning of purpose for me, is by creating something, if it be by writing lyrics, painting a picture, by expressing yourself through art if it’s photography or music or theater, or whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be artistic, but if you create something and only you know the meaning of it, that’s the beginning of purpose for you. When you’re in the room by yourself trying to decide whether to stay alive, you can tell yourself 'I should probably stay alive because I’m the only one who knows the meaning of that thing'." ~Tyler Joseph
This is important because Tyler is saying that your purpose is found in creating something that only you understand, and it doesn't matter if someone else thinks it's "worthless", as long as it has meaning to you, personally.
This is important because Tyler is saying that your purpose is found in creating something that only you understand, and it doesn't matter if someone else thinks it's "worthless", as long as it has meaning to you, personally.
14. | “No one else is dealing with your demons meaning maybe defeating them could be the beginning of your meaning, friend.” |
As soon as you begin to create something, as soon as you start to find your purpose, you can begin getting rid of your personal demons. Only you know what you're truly going through, and if you can find a way to persevere, you'll find even more meaning in your life.
15. | “Sometimes to stay alive you’ve got to kill your mind” |
Referring back to Number 5 with "Nothing kills a man faster than his own head", this lyric is just as powerful. A lot of Tyler's songs are about overthinking, which is something I do all too often. Sometimes, I just have to tell myself to stop before I get too caught up in my overwhelming thoughts. Like Tyler says in "Heavydirtysoul": "This doesn't mean I lost my dream, it's just right now I got a really crazy mind to clean".
16. | “While you're doing fine, there's some people and I who have a really tough time getting through this life so excuse us while we sing to the sky” |
You're not the only one having trouble with life, and Tyler is trying to remind you of that, and to let you know that it's okay to not be okay. "We're broken, we're broken, we're broken people".
17. | “Don't wanna call you in the nighttime, don't wanna give you all my pieces, don't wanna hand you all my trouble, don't wanna give you all my demons. You'll have to watch me struggle from several rooms away. But tonight, I'll need you to stay.” |
I think this has a lot to do with not wanting to be a burden on people and not wanting to make yourself too vulnerable, but then realizing that you can help yourself by letting them in. You don't want to overwhelm them with your problems, but at the same time, they may actually be able to help. A lot of the time, I prefer to be alone, but I'd rather be alone with someone I care about, someone I can vent to and trust.
18. | “I'm so afraid of what you have to say cause I am quiet now and silence gives you space” |
Being yourself putting yourself out there is scary. I find that myself writing this blog is scary mainly because I'm afraid of what people will say. As soon as I stop talking (or writing), a space opens up for others to pick everything apart and interpret it in their own way, whether it is in the way I intended it to come across or not, which is actually kind of terrifying.
19. | “I’ve been thinking too much (help me)” |
Another lyric about overthinking, I love the "(help me)" part.
20. | “If it wasn't for this music, I don't know how I would've fought this” |
Music in general is extremely important to me, and I know that a lot of twenty one pilots fans claim that their music specifically has "saved" their life. And, in a way, you could say that Tyler is saying music is one of the things that saved his life, too. If he hadn't used his talents or created anything, he wouldn't have found his purpose, and he wouldn't know how to cope with his depression, anxieties, and overthinking. Through the music he creates, he can openly write about those things and even connect with other people who may have those same problems.
21. | “I need to know that when I fail you'll still be here, 'cause if you stick around I'll sing you pretty sounds, and we'll make money selling your hair. I don't care what's in your hair; I just wanna know what's on your mind. I used to say, ‘I wanna die before I'm old,’ but because of you I might think twice” |
Man oh man I love this whole song. I think we all want to have that reassurance in knowing that there will always be someone there for us, even when we make mistakes. When we find that person, we won't care about anything else, just as long as they stay by our side through everything. They'll be important enough to live for.
I did 21 lyrics because I thought that would be funny (however, it's probably already been done before), but there are definitely so many more amazing words from the songs Tyler Joseph has written--both for his band, and in previous solo work. And I know, I did add some more lyrics in some of my explanations, but that's okay. And wow, I actually revealed some personal things about myself, but those are a few reasons why twenty one pilots speaks to me so well. I can really relate to Tyler and all the fears and anxieties he has and I know a lot of other people can, as well.
When I first listened to the band a couple years ago, I wasn't a big fan of the music style, then later I payed more attention to the lyrics and that's when they immediately became one of my favorites. Now that they're becoming more mainstream (radio-popular), I'm proud of their success and all, but I can only hope that newer fans will listen and appreciate the beauty of everything they create, rather than just liking the beats or melodies of "Stressed Out" and "Ride".
I'll definitely be talking more in depth about some of these songs when I write a full Spotlight post, so be on the lookout for that sometime within the next month or two (maybe three or four, since college will be starting back up soon).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and I honestly hope some of these lyrics already mean a little something to you, even if you've never listened to or liked this band before. twenty one pilots mean a lot to me, as well as several thousands of other people, and I can almost guarantee they'll mean something to you if you give them a chance. I'm beyond excited to be a part of their EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW tour and can't wait to see what their next album holds.
|-/ Power to the local dreamer |-/
Thanks for reading!
~Say Love <3
When I first listened to the band a couple years ago, I wasn't a big fan of the music style, then later I payed more attention to the lyrics and that's when they immediately became one of my favorites. Now that they're becoming more mainstream (radio-popular), I'm proud of their success and all, but I can only hope that newer fans will listen and appreciate the beauty of everything they create, rather than just liking the beats or melodies of "Stressed Out" and "Ride".
I'll definitely be talking more in depth about some of these songs when I write a full Spotlight post, so be on the lookout for that sometime within the next month or two (maybe three or four, since college will be starting back up soon).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and I honestly hope some of these lyrics already mean a little something to you, even if you've never listened to or liked this band before. twenty one pilots mean a lot to me, as well as several thousands of other people, and I can almost guarantee they'll mean something to you if you give them a chance. I'm beyond excited to be a part of their EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW tour and can't wait to see what their next album holds.
|-/ Power to the local dreamer |-/
Thanks for reading!
~Say Love <3