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Taxi Cab Lyrics
I wanna fall inside your ghost
And fill up every hole inside my mind
And I want everyone to know
That I am half a soul divided
Sometimes we will die and sometimes we will fly away
Either way you're by my side until my dying days
And if I'm not there and I'm far away
I said, "Don't be afraid,"
I said, "Don't be afraid, we're going home"
I wanna strip myself of breath
A breathless piece of death I've made for you
A mortal writing piece of song will help me carry on
But this you heard
Sometimes we will die and sometimes we will fly away
Either way you're by my side until my dying days
And if I'm not there and I"m far away
I said, "Don't be afraid,"
I said, "Don't be afraid, we're going home"
So the hearse ran out of gas
A passenger person grabbed a map
And the driver inside it contrived a new route to save the past
And checked his watch and grabbed a cab
A beautifully plain taxi cab
A cab, had it cleared out back and two men started to unpack
Driving once again
But now this time there were three men
And then I heard one of them say:
I know the night will turn to gray
I know the stars will start to fade
When all the darkness fades away
We had to steal him from his fate
So he could see another day
Then I cracked open my box
Someone must have picked the lock
A little light revealed the spot
Where my fingernails had fought
Then I pushed it open more
Pushing up against the door
Then I sat up off the floor and found the breath I was searching for
Then there were three men up front
All I saw were backs of heads
And then I asked them am I alive and well or am I dreaming dead
And then one turned around to say:
We're driving toward the morning sun
Where all your blood is washed away
And all you did will be undone
I said, "Don't be afraid"
And fill up every hole inside my mind
And I want everyone to know
That I am half a soul divided
Either way you're by my side until my dying days
And if I'm not there and I'm far away
I said, "Don't be afraid,"
I said, "Don't be afraid, we're going home"
A breathless piece of death I've made for you
A mortal writing piece of song will help me carry on
But this you heard
Either way you're by my side until my dying days
And if I'm not there and I"m far away
I said, "Don't be afraid,"
I said, "Don't be afraid, we're going home"
A passenger person grabbed a map
And the driver inside it contrived a new route to save the past
And checked his watch and grabbed a cab
A beautifully plain taxi cab
A cab, had it cleared out back and two men started to unpack
But now this time there were three men
And then I heard one of them say:
I know the night will turn to gray
I know the stars will start to fade
When all the darkness fades away
We had to steal him from his fate
So he could see another day
Someone must have picked the lock
A little light revealed the spot
Where my fingernails had fought
Then I pushed it open more
Pushing up against the door
Then I sat up off the floor and found the breath I was searching for
All I saw were backs of heads
And then I asked them am I alive and well or am I dreaming dead
And then one turned around to say:
We're driving toward the morning sun
Where all your blood is washed away
And all you did will be undone
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This is a song describing the author's faith. He wants everyone to know that he is helpless without God and must rely on Him for hope. The author knows he's not alone.
The rap goes into a beautiful picture of salvation in Christ. The author found himself a passenger in a broken-down hearse (hopeless life). The driver (God) planned a new route, though. A taxi (Jesus) appears, and the author was packed into the back in his coffin. When the author opens the coffin, he sees he's been fighting against his inevitable death, but couldn't get out on his own. When he asks the three men up front (the Trinity) what happened, and they explain what they had done. They assure the author he can hope. He's been freed from his death, his guilt, and his fear.
Agreed!
Agreed!
@dmmcd Thank you for this spot-on interpretation!
@dmmcd Thank you for this spot-on interpretation!
@dmmcd I created a video breaking this down with bible verses corresponding to each concept here: https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
@dmmcd I created a video breaking this down with bible verses corresponding to each concept here: https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
The last stanza is really something to marvel at. So much is happening there. I found some really neat imagery in there, all you have to do is dig a little.
"Then there were three men up front" This represents the three persons of the trinity.
"All I saw were backs of heads" God shows himself, but not always in the most obvious ways. This line is setting up what is about to happen.
"And then one turned around to say" Which person of the trinity showed their face? Oh yeah. Its Jesus. Jesus is the nly one to ever come to earth in the human flesh and TELL us the way to heaven. This line is also setting up this next part.
We are going to break up this chunk, but stay with me here.
-1-"We're driving toward the morning sun" -2-"Where all your blood is washed away" -3-"And all you did will be undone"
Twenty One Pilots uses the metaphor of a car in several of their songs. In most of the songs, a car drive is a metaphor for someones life, i think this song is no different.
It sounds like to me that This last part is about him and God.
@theycallmesam9 I completely agree. However, I think "Where all your blood is washed away" is coming from the perspecitive of the redeemed person. I believe that its refering to his blood spilt in life through struggles and slips in faith, where God wipes away the pain and suffering.
@theycallmesam9 I completely agree. However, I think "Where all your blood is washed away" is coming from the perspecitive of the redeemed person. I believe that its refering to his blood spilt in life through struggles and slips in faith, where God wipes away the pain and suffering.
@theycallmesam9 I created a video where I break this song down and give the bible verses that support each concept from a Christian worldview. https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
@theycallmesam9 I created a video where I break this song down and give the bible verses that support each concept from a Christian worldview. https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
Man, this song just means everything to me. I'm not religious whatsoever, but it just for me describes my struggles with depression, the night, and starting over. That last line of his rap is just... so powerful for me. I love it so much and I can listen to it on repeat for hours.
Okay honestly, to me this song is like...i can listen ro it as many times as i want without getting bored of it. In my opinion this song has to do with the religious concepts. Like the three men are the trinity and all he could see were the backs of heads, God presents himself in different ways. The hearse is what carries the coffins to the cemetery and when the three men stole him from his "fate" (death, or like hell) they put him in the taxi. Which was his second chance at life, his other way (Jesus).
I agree with much of what others have posted here, but I wonder how many appreciate the allegorical significance of the taxi cab itself. Unlike the hearse, which takes its cargo to a cemetery or crematorium -- or even an ambulance, as some have suggested, which takes a patient to the nearest hospital -- a taxi cab symbolizes true free will: it'll take its passenger wherever he or she wants to go, with no predetermined destination. Of course, the same could be said of a limousine, but a taxi cab -- most especially a "beautifully PLAIN taxi cab" -- is affordable by anyone, the common man as well as the rich man. I believe the songwriter is telling us that salvation is a free will choice that's open to everyone.
And to those arguing that the last lines of the rap represent a hospital and/or post-hospital therapy instead of Christian salvation, I respectfully suggest you consider the writer's choice of words more carefully. We go to hospitals to treat our ailments, and we go to therapy to learn how to cope with our lives. But these lyrics describe a more fundamental forgiveness only possible through salvation: having our sins (blood) washed away, and undoing whatever harm we've done.
@rvidil Agreed! I made a video showing the Christian themes with the biblical references here https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
@rvidil Agreed! I made a video showing the Christian themes with the biblical references here https://youtu.be/v6Pr0C_ZMeY
I really, REALLY don't feel like this song, or any of their songs in general, is about faith or God or any of that feel-good shit. Everyone knows their songs are primarily about mental struggles and mental illnesses. So here is my interpretation: This song is about depression. The narrator (not necessarily Tyler) is struggling with his feelings about someone, and fighting their own brain in an attempt to be happy for once. "You're by my side until my dying days", "a breathless piece of death made just for you". Aforementioned narrator is feeling particularly low, and starts having suicidal thoughts. The narrator attempts suicide somewhere between Verse 2 and Chorus 2. Then, the story becomes more interesting. My colleagues were right here in saying that Verse 3 (aka the rap) is a metaphor. But it's not about finding faith. The last verse is a metaphor for the hospital visit and therapy after the attempt. "We had to steal him from his fate"=saving his/her/their life "The hearse ran out of gas"=the narrator couldnt go through with the suicide attempt "A beautifully plain taxi cab"=an ambulance "Where my fingernails had fought"=the scars from cutting his/her/their wrists "Someone must have picked the lock"=the narrator felt that someone or something freed him/her/them from their suicidal thoughts "Morning sun"=a bright and happy future "Where all your blood is washed away and all you did will be undone"=could refer to the ER or therapy
@Ninjachibi117 I find it hard to believe that you really don't think any of their songs are about faith or God if you have spent much time listening to them, especially their most recent Blurryface album. Each album has songs about faith. I do agree that this song is more ambiguous than others, and I think your interpretation is interesting. I do think that this song is about Tyler's faith, but I agree that it is written in a way that incorporates depression and maybe it does even parallel a suicidal state of being.
@Ninjachibi117 I find it hard to believe that you really don't think any of their songs are about faith or God if you have spent much time listening to them, especially their most recent Blurryface album. Each album has songs about faith. I do agree that this song is more ambiguous than others, and I think your interpretation is interesting. I do think that this song is about Tyler's faith, but I agree that it is written in a way that incorporates depression and maybe it does even parallel a suicidal state of being.
Back to the faith in their...
Back to the faith in their songs thing. I agree that pretty much none of their songs are "feel-good shit" faith based in the way that a worship album may be, but in my opinion they are about God. With an open mind, re-listen to"Illicit Demand for Proof", "Addict with a Pen", "March to the Sea", "Doubt", "Polarize", Not Today", "Goner".
I even think that there are references to a faith based struggle with depression in a lot more of their songs, but these are the ones that I think focus more around the theme of wondering where God is in the midst of depression or acknowledging that God exists and trying to reconcile that to whatever the author is feeling.
I say all this as my opinion, so please don't be offended. I do feel strongly about their lyrics though, as I am a Christian and I have experienced the suicide of my mother about 3 years ago. So I find their lyrics very poignant to the way that I find myself feeling towards God or what have you. I would be glad to expand upon why I think some of those songs are about Christianity if you are interested in my opinion.
@Ninjachibi117 Have to agree with @crackercheese on this one
@Ninjachibi117 Have to agree with @crackercheese on this one
@Ninjachibi117 I agree with you wholeheartedly.
@Ninjachibi117 I agree with you wholeheartedly.
@Ninjachibi117 Thank you! I guess we all interpret what we want/need from songs, so I have a really hard time fitting all that faith and trinity concepts into twenty one pilots songs, specially this one.
@Ninjachibi117 Thank you! I guess we all interpret what we want/need from songs, so I have a really hard time fitting all that faith and trinity concepts into twenty one pilots songs, specially this one.
As you said, their songs are primarily about mental struggles and mental illnesses, and although religion can sometimes help with those problems, I really don't see them using religion in their songs.
As you said, their songs are primarily about mental struggles and mental illnesses, and although religion can sometimes help with those problems, I really don't see them using religion in their songs.
@Ninjachibi117 @Ninjachibi117 well Tyler is a Christian so it goes without says my that he believes God is what saves us from death. However, that does not exclude the fact that this s By could be about depression as well. I'm pretty sure it is. However, many of the twenty one pilots song a incorporate God in them fairly explicitly and I do think that this song parallels many Christian aspects. So I'm going to have to disagree with the notion that this has nothing to do with religion. For Christians religion is a way of life and it is...
@Ninjachibi117 @Ninjachibi117 well Tyler is a Christian so it goes without says my that he believes God is what saves us from death. However, that does not exclude the fact that this s By could be about depression as well. I'm pretty sure it is. However, many of the twenty one pilots song a incorporate God in them fairly explicitly and I do think that this song parallels many Christian aspects. So I'm going to have to disagree with the notion that this has nothing to do with religion. For Christians religion is a way of life and it is experienced in every instance so it would make sense for him to incorporate it here. Addict with a Pen, implicit demand for proof, doubt, Holdikg on to you, Trees, Oh ms believer, A car a death a torch, isle of flightless birds, heavydirtysoul, and the judge all have God in them. Also the main point of Christianity is that Jesus died to forgive our sins: to wash away our blood. Just my thoughts
It's sad to see a comment get dislike bombed because you didn't agree with the whole religion idea. In my honest opinion this makes a bigger amount of sense than the religious explanations and it's easier to go through than people's biased opinions of something they don't know exists. Great explanation m80!
It's sad to see a comment get dislike bombed because you didn't agree with the whole religion idea. In my honest opinion this makes a bigger amount of sense than the religious explanations and it's easier to go through than people's biased opinions of something they don't know exists. Great explanation m80!
@Ninjachibi117 alright so recently in an interview for "level of concern" by twenty one pilots there is a part where tyler says that there are a few meanings to the song and that the lyrics support both theories. so i think thats what is going on in this song where the lyrics can have the theory where everything has to do with his religon and also it has to do with depression and mental struggles
@Ninjachibi117 alright so recently in an interview for "level of concern" by twenty one pilots there is a part where tyler says that there are a few meanings to the song and that the lyrics support both theories. so i think thats what is going on in this song where the lyrics can have the theory where everything has to do with his religon and also it has to do with depression and mental struggles
I just don't think his songs are strictly about his faith. I really like the idea of the rap being a suicide attempt- and him finding his way back to sanity- which he needed his faith to do, and relied on that. But I don't think any of his songs were written strictly about his faith. They're not a Christian band, but he does express his faith freely.
The great thing about it is that it means whatever you want it to mean. That is what art is after all, open for interpretation. That's why Tyler doesn't sit there and break down the meaning behind the lyrics that he writes because that's just what it means to him. I'm fairly confident that this song was written based off of religion. However, it's still one of my favorite songs, though I'm an atheist. Despite knowing Tyler wrote this based on a concept that I don't believe in, I have attached my own meaning to the song and it inspires me. There's no incorrect interpretation to music.
See ive always thought taxi cab was tyler basically saying hes scared of dying if all he's done his whole life is fight mental illness. And that God has answered him and told him he can let go.