| Twenty One Pilots – Ode to Sleep Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| Wow. I think you really nailed it! I like you're interpretation better than mine :) | |
| Twenty One Pilots – Ode to Sleep Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
"Ode to Sleep" is one of my favorite songs lyrically from twenty one pilots (who happens to be my favorite band of the last decade) and admittedly one of the most difficult to interpret. The song is deeper that what most believe. I think the following is pretty close, but I'm sure I may have missed some nuances or gotten it wrong in some places. The lyrical genius of Tyler Joseph portrays a torrid struggle between voices of darkness and the songwriter's struggle to overcome the darkness. The song is girded in spirituality and the voices that are attempting to overcome his mind are in fact demons or even Satan. The song also happens to be all over the map musically, which I feel adds to this struggle and to the song's uniqueness. "I wake up fine and dandy But then by the time I find it handy To rip my heart apart and start Planning my crash landing I go up to the ceiling Then I feel my soul start leaving Like an old man's hair receding" He starts his days well, but inevitably as his day progresses he begins on a self-destructive path toward hopelessness, giving up, and perhaps taking his life. Later lyrics seem to indicated he may also be struggling with guilt over his hypocritical thoughts and actions that betray his faith and beliefs [in God and Christ] but more on this later. However, just as he's "planning [his] crash landing" - taking himself out - he is brought "up to the ceiling" and "feels his soul start leaving" as God brings him back into a healthier state of mind. I'll admit I am somewhat unsure of the meaning of this verse, but I think my interpretation fits well with the struggle portrayed by the rest of the song. "I'm pleading, "Please, oh please!" On my knees repeatedly asking Why it's got to be like this Is this living free? I don't wanna be the one To have the sons blood on my hands" During this time with God as he reflects on his failure to live the way he wants to - the way God desires that he live - he pleads with God asking why he has to continue to struggle in his fight against hopelessness and sin and the forces that continue to seem to ensnare him and tell him to give up. "Is this living free?" Obviously not. Additionally, the songwriter does not want to be a hypocrite by continuing to sin and nail holes into the wrists of his Savior ("I don't wanna be the one to have the son's blood on my hands") and the son he is referring to is Christ, the son of God. Christ shed his blood to atone for the sins of man (or for those who believe depending on your theology). The songwriter is in turmoil because he knows he is hurting the his Savior and not living in the freedom that is meant for him. At this point, I believe the songwriter begins to transition into a new, more hopeful thought process. My favorite lyric in this song is "I'll stay awake 'cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight." This phrase could have one of several meanings: he will choose to physically stay alive and not allow the enemy to take his life; he will choose to stay spiritually awake and vigilant in his struggle against what the evil voices are telling him to do, and thus not be taken prisoner; or perhaps he's simply referring to staying awake. "Why am I not scared in the morning? I don't hear those voices calling I must have kicked them out I must have kicked them out I swear I heard demons yelling Those crazy words they were spelling They told me I was gone They told me I was gone" At some point during the night, after his decision to "stay awake," the songwriter seems to have squelched the voices of the demons that were speaking "crazy words" into his brain, telling him he "was gone" - that it was hopeless, he was done for, and that he might as well give up (and perhaps take his life). "But I'll tell 'em Why won't you let me go Do I threaten all your plans? I'm insignificant" He inquires of the demons why they continue to torment him, as he sees himself as ultimately insignificant in the kingdom of God and that his life will not threaten the plans of the enemy (to lead people away from God). Why does he not see himself as a threat? Because following, during the bridge, he clearly states that his witness for God and Christ is nonexistent because he is afraid to tell others who he adores. "I'm not free, I asked forgiveness three times Same amount that I denied, I three-time MVP'd this crime I'm afraid to tell you who I adore Won't tell you who I'm singing towards Metaphorically, I'm a whore, and that's denial number four" This passage is clearly a reference to the three time denial of Christ by Peter in the New Testament of the Bible. The songwriter has denied Christ because, as I said before, he is afraid to tell others who he adores and who he's singing towards. The bridge also has some other great lines in it. "The start of a day when we put on our face a mask that portrays that we don't need grace" alludes our bad habit of pretending we're without fault (sin) and we don't need the undeserved favor of God. "On the eve of a day that is bigger than us" I believe means that our lives are not about us, but instead about how God uses us in His grand story. "And the trees wave their arms and the clouds try to plead desperately yelling, "There's something we need!" - Creation pleads with us that we need help - that we need a Savior from ourselves and from the lying voices of the enemy that tell us to give up. "Please tell 'em You have no plans for me I will set my soul on fire What have I become?" At this point, he even asks of God to tell Satan or the demons that he has no significance and that God has no plans for him in God's kingdom. This is clearly part of the demon's lies that the songwriter has been believing about himself. This is the turmoil. This is the struggle. I believe the lyrics "I will set my soul on fire" means he is so deep in despair that he desires to destroy his soul. In his hypocrisy and denials of God he asks "what have I become?" "I'm sorry" It's pretty clear here, if you buy into my interpretation of this song, the songwriter is apologizing to God. Part of the beauty and genius of Tyler's lyrics is that although they have a deep spiritual meaning (in this case Christian), they can also be interpreted in many different ways, making his heartfelt and honest lyrics that deal with real problems accessible to so many. |-/ |
|
| Twenty One Pilots – Holding on to You Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| Yes! I couldn't have said it better. I'm so glad someone else gets the true intent behind Tyler's lyrics. And the whole brilliant part: spot on. | |
| Twenty One Pilots – Holding on to You Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| Absolutely. Listeners who aren't aware the chorus is basically a praise to God/the Holy Spirit are truly missing a huge chunk of meaning to this song. The songwriter is desperately trying to cling to God and what he knows to be true about God in the midst of the dark places his mind takes him to. | |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.