| Twenty One Pilots – Ode to Sleep Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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An interpretation of Ode to Sleep by Twenty One Pilots-Verse by verse I wake up fine and dandy but by the time I find it handy To rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing I go up up up up up to the ceiling, then I feel my soul start leaving, Like an old man’s hair receding One has to be pretty knowledgeable about Tyler Joseph to get this song in general. So let’s lay this out. Tyler has struggled with plenty of negative thoughts, and even suicidal feelings, and parts of this song reflect that. Tyler (and Josh) both are Christians, and this song has heavy religious undertones, if you’re looking for them. “I wake up fine and dandy” refers to waking up in the morning and feeling great. Everyone knows how it is, after you get past the morning tiredness, you’re usually pretty energetic, right? Most are, anyway. “By the time I find it handy/ to rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing” refers to the depression and suicidal thoughts setting in. “I go up up up up up to the ceiling, then I feel my soul start leaving/like an old man’s hair receding” is referring to the singer (Tyler) being lifted up, motivated, cheered up, whatever you want to call it, by God. 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, be the one who has the sun’s blood on my hands, I’ll tell the moon, “Take this weapon forged in darkness; Some see a pen, I see a harpoon.” The first two lines there, indicate Tyler’s struggles as a song writer. He’s crying out to God, pleading to have the struggles and constricting force of his sins and wrong-doings as well as other burdens lifted from him. “Is this living free?” No. The next three lines were a hard one, but here are my thoughts. TOP is pretty well known for their metaphors; almost nothing is exactly what it looks like. My thought is perhaps, “sun” has two meanings here. The sun is a light, yes? Jesus is the light of the world, but he is also the son of God. Tyler doesn’t want Christ’s blood on his hands, but he is struggling with internal battles because he is a sinful being, as we all are, and he knows that he is not perfect, and his bad choices hurt Christ. I’m kind of unsure on what the moon has to do with it, but my best thought is that when he says he’ll tell the moon to take the weapon forged in darkness, it’s like he’s trying to pass the deed off on someone else. “Here; you take it, you do it. I don’t want the blood on my hands.” The moon could also be referring to a darker being. Perhaps one of the demons he mentions later on? We know the saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Well, here, a pen is being compared to a harpoon. Tyler is acknowledging the power that words can have, for better or for worse. A harpoon is capable of doing a lot of damage; a pen holds that same deadly power. But, with his words, Tyler also knows he can spread hope. And the next part of the song takes on a happier, more hopeful feel. I’ll stay awake; cuz the dark’s not takin’ prisoners tonight. This line could have several meanings. But for my purposes, I have chosen one; He’s going to stay physically awake, to avoid torment in his dreams, when his mind is vulnerable. He’s not going to be overwhelmed by the negativity that his sleep brings. Why am I not scared in the morning? I can’t hear those voices calling. I must have kicked them out, I must have kicked them out. I swear I hear demons yelling, those crazy words they were spelling They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone. Tyler’s gaining confidence. He no longer hears the voices in his head; he must have kicked them out. Pretty literal. He’s gotten rid of them. “I swear I heard demons yelling, those crazy words they were spelling/ they told me I was gone they told me I was gone” is referring to the negativity; it is being personified as demons. Demons also tend to target threats. This point discussed next. But I’ll tell ‘em “Why won’t you let me go? Do I threaten all your plans? I’m insignificant.” Please tell ‘em You have no plans for me I will set my soul on fire, what have I become? I’ll tell ‘em So the demons seem to think Tyler is a threat. He’s trying to tell them he’s insignificant, and asking God to tell them that he’s not a threat, because he just wants them to leave him alone. He’s tired of being tormented. Or, he’s beginning to believe the demons lies that he’s really not anything. “I will set my soul on fire” suggests that he feels so far gone that he feels his soul must be destroyed(?), and then he asks himself “What have I become?” Seemingly looking with disbelief and hopelessness at what he’s saying/doing. He can’t believe what he’s becoming. On the eve of a day that’s forgotten and fake And the trees they await and clouds anticipate The start of a day when we put on our face A mask that portrays that we don’t need grace On the eve of a day that is bigger than us But we open our eyes cuz we’re told that we must And the trees wave their arms and the clouds try to plead Desperately yelling there’s something we need. I’m not free. I asked forgiveness three times Same amount that I denied I three-time MVP’ed 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. Ok. So big chunk of song here, let’s break it down. And I don’t mean try to rap it. A day that’s forgotten and fake, through desperately yelling there’s something we need. This suggests a day, perhaps in history, that has been forgotten. Or could be. Looking at earlier parts of the song(specifically “The sun’s blood), it could be suggested that the “forgotten day” is Good Friday, the day of the Crucifixion, or Easter, the day of the Resurrection. A mask that portrays that we don’t need grace indicates a façade that Christians will sometimes present to “fit in” with society’s norms and practices. We don’t need this, we’re good enough on our own. But human nature contradicts this, “desperately yelling there’s something we need.” And we “await” and “anticipate” that something(?) The next chunk of the verse. Tyler is acknowledging that he isn’t free. He is imprisoned by his wrongs, and by the darkness in his life. “I asked forgiveness three times/ same amount that I denied” refers quite bluntly to Peter’s denial of Christ in the New Testament. Jesus tells Peter that before the rooster crows, he(Peter) will deny him(Jesus) three times. Peter says “no, I will never deny you.” But yet, when a servant girl asks if he’s one of Jesus’s disciples, He says “I am not.” He does this twice more, even getting angry and cursing at those who swear up and down that they’ve seen him with Jesus. Immediately after the third denial, the rooster crows. “Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.” The song seems to suggest that Tyler asks forgiveness after each denial. He’s the “MVP” in his crime of denying his faith. He states that he’s “afraid to tell you who I adore, won’t tell you who I’m singing towards”, meaning that he’s denying his faith again, by neglecting to tell you who he’s calling out to: God. The word “whore” is defined as prostitute, which we know to mean someone who sells their body for sex, or one who is not faithful/loyal, in this respect. When Tyler says that he is metaphorically a whore, he’s conceding to the fact that he’s not being faithful/loyal to his God. And he admits to it being “denial number four,” adding to the first three that he mentioned. The end of the song, where Tyler concludes with “I’m sorry”, is him apologising to God for his denial, and for his sin, and for everything else that he feels he is at fault for. As a whole, this song digs into Tyler’s struggle as a Christian writer, who wants to share his beliefs without sharing them, and the torment he faces about his life, and his choices. At least, that’s my view on it. -StressedOutLaneBoyWithAMigraine |
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