This song truly resonates with me personally. As someone who has suffered from major depression since I was 14 (28 now) It is so ironic... "Am i the only one...?" is quite literally a thought I would have years before this song came out and I instantly fell in love with the tune from the very first verse. It is so ironic because clearly others out there are having mental struggles, as well.
SO much of this song is a perfect reflection of what true depression is like... it is paired with its lover: anxiety. When he discusses how his mind is fighting this constant battle against the 'lion' and it won't let him sleep, so he has sought a permanent fix: permanent 'sleep' in the form of suicide: "It will not let me sleep I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead."
With depression and the accompanying anxiety one finds him/herself trying to use the depression sleep for abnormally long periods of time, seeking reprieve from through the form of unconsciousness in between times when the anxiety causes abnormally grueling insomnia. One can easily have those thoughts of defeating the 'lion' aka depressed and violent thoughts through suicide. For the sufferer, it doesn't seem like a cowardly act and can, in fact, seem like a very logical solution: "you- depression/anxiety- are killing me anyway, as I do not feel truly alive but rather like a walking zombie pretending to be normal:
("I am not as fine as I seem.
Pardon, me for yelling and telling you green gardens
Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me
A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees.")
So the suicidal thoughts are warped into a form of bravery: "If you're taking me down, I'm taking you down with me."
I've been there, and when I first came across this song it totally hit home. It seems several of their tunes deal with the issue of suicide/suicidal ideations. They seem to always end the songs with a hopeful stanza, so I'm curious as to whether they are speaking from personal experience in overcoming depression and transforming that negative energy into hope and optimism- anyone know?
Also, I doubt this is what they actually meant with the line:
"'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind"
Also, I doubt this is what they actually meant with the line:
"'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind"
but since songs are meant to be interpreted in various ways, I'm going to go for it. A lot of people with depression use drugs and alcohol as a method of self-medicating. Whether it's shooting up a bag of heroin or downing an entire 1/5th of vodka, the purpose is to 'kill your mind' temporarily. You will, most likely, when the drugs/alcohol wear off, feel like complete shit and probably withdrawing to the point where you...
but since songs are meant to be interpreted in various ways, I'm going to go for it. A lot of people with depression use drugs and alcohol as a method of self-medicating. Whether it's shooting up a bag of heroin or downing an entire 1/5th of vodka, the purpose is to 'kill your mind' temporarily. You will, most likely, when the drugs/alcohol wear off, feel like complete shit and probably withdrawing to the point where you feel worse than you did before, but you are alive. By blacking out for the time being, you prevented yourself from actually committing suicide because your mind was 'killed' for the time being.
Again, unlikely what they meant, but hey, it sort of fits.
@julius1848 Oh my God, I'm not even kidding! Your description is so accurate and relatable and just SO RIGHT! I hope you've kicked depression's butt, because it's a jerk! I have had depression for as far as I can remember, literally I s2G. I tried telling my parents but they don't believe me and say that a "child" like me (do they have ANY idea how mentally matured I am? Like not in the bad way, but in the SAD way.) has no idea about depression, so I relate to this song a lot. On a spiritual level, man.
TOP is...
@julius1848 Oh my God, I'm not even kidding! Your description is so accurate and relatable and just SO RIGHT! I hope you've kicked depression's butt, because it's a jerk! I have had depression for as far as I can remember, literally I s2G. I tried telling my parents but they don't believe me and say that a "child" like me (do they have ANY idea how mentally matured I am? Like not in the bad way, but in the SAD way.) has no idea about depression, so I relate to this song a lot. On a spiritual level, man.
TOP is life.
@julius1848 I think you're right on all counts. I'm quite certain Tyler doesn't advocate alcohol or drugs to kill your mind, but I'm equally certain the temptation is always there. I read somewhere that Tyler is a Christian, and I do believe he gives voice to his own struggles in his songs, which would explain why he sings about depression with such happy music. The music is the hope he has in God through Christ. I'm a 47-year-old Christian who thought Christians never got depressed... until I went through several cycles of depression myself. I learned that the Bible is...
@julius1848 I think you're right on all counts. I'm quite certain Tyler doesn't advocate alcohol or drugs to kill your mind, but I'm equally certain the temptation is always there. I read somewhere that Tyler is a Christian, and I do believe he gives voice to his own struggles in his songs, which would explain why he sings about depression with such happy music. The music is the hope he has in God through Christ. I'm a 47-year-old Christian who thought Christians never got depressed... until I went through several cycles of depression myself. I learned that the Bible is FULL of people experiencing depression from Joseph to Moses to David to the Sons of Korah (who wrote, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 NIV http://bible.com/111/psa.42.5.niv) to Elijah to Jesus himself to the Apostle Paul. It was mostly in my teens and 20s, but it surfaces in weird ways even still. Yet I also know the hope that Tyler points to. Unfortunately, too many people in church believe you have to have it all together to come to church or to God at all. Not true. Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Tyler Joseph has found that rest, and he uses his songs to shine light in the darkness for those who are searching for a path out of the dark forest.
This song truly resonates with me personally. As someone who has suffered from major depression since I was 14 (28 now) It is so ironic... "Am i the only one...?" is quite literally a thought I would have years before this song came out and I instantly fell in love with the tune from the very first verse. It is so ironic because clearly others out there are having mental struggles, as well.
SO much of this song is a perfect reflection of what true depression is like... it is paired with its lover: anxiety. When he discusses how his mind is fighting this constant battle against the 'lion' and it won't let him sleep, so he has sought a permanent fix: permanent 'sleep' in the form of suicide: "It will not let me sleep I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead."
With depression and the accompanying anxiety one finds him/herself trying to use the depression sleep for abnormally long periods of time, seeking reprieve from through the form of unconsciousness in between times when the anxiety causes abnormally grueling insomnia. One can easily have those thoughts of defeating the 'lion' aka depressed and violent thoughts through suicide. For the sufferer, it doesn't seem like a cowardly act and can, in fact, seem like a very logical solution: "you- depression/anxiety- are killing me anyway, as I do not feel truly alive but rather like a walking zombie pretending to be normal:
("I am not as fine as I seem. Pardon, me for yelling and telling you green gardens Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees.")
So the suicidal thoughts are warped into a form of bravery: "If you're taking me down, I'm taking you down with me."
I've been there, and when I first came across this song it totally hit home. It seems several of their tunes deal with the issue of suicide/suicidal ideations. They seem to always end the songs with a hopeful stanza, so I'm curious as to whether they are speaking from personal experience in overcoming depression and transforming that negative energy into hope and optimism- anyone know?
Also, I doubt this is what they actually meant with the line: "'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind"
Also, I doubt this is what they actually meant with the line: "'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind"
but since songs are meant to be interpreted in various ways, I'm going to go for it. A lot of people with depression use drugs and alcohol as a method of self-medicating. Whether it's shooting up a bag of heroin or downing an entire 1/5th of vodka, the purpose is to 'kill your mind' temporarily. You will, most likely, when the drugs/alcohol wear off, feel like complete shit and probably withdrawing to the point where you...
but since songs are meant to be interpreted in various ways, I'm going to go for it. A lot of people with depression use drugs and alcohol as a method of self-medicating. Whether it's shooting up a bag of heroin or downing an entire 1/5th of vodka, the purpose is to 'kill your mind' temporarily. You will, most likely, when the drugs/alcohol wear off, feel like complete shit and probably withdrawing to the point where you feel worse than you did before, but you are alive. By blacking out for the time being, you prevented yourself from actually committing suicide because your mind was 'killed' for the time being.
Again, unlikely what they meant, but hey, it sort of fits.
@julius1848 Oh my God, I'm not even kidding! Your description is so accurate and relatable and just SO RIGHT! I hope you've kicked depression's butt, because it's a jerk! I have had depression for as far as I can remember, literally I s2G. I tried telling my parents but they don't believe me and say that a "child" like me (do they have ANY idea how mentally matured I am? Like not in the bad way, but in the SAD way.) has no idea about depression, so I relate to this song a lot. On a spiritual level, man. TOP is...
@julius1848 Oh my God, I'm not even kidding! Your description is so accurate and relatable and just SO RIGHT! I hope you've kicked depression's butt, because it's a jerk! I have had depression for as far as I can remember, literally I s2G. I tried telling my parents but they don't believe me and say that a "child" like me (do they have ANY idea how mentally matured I am? Like not in the bad way, but in the SAD way.) has no idea about depression, so I relate to this song a lot. On a spiritual level, man. TOP is life.
@julius1848 I think you're right on all counts. I'm quite certain Tyler doesn't advocate alcohol or drugs to kill your mind, but I'm equally certain the temptation is always there. I read somewhere that Tyler is a Christian, and I do believe he gives voice to his own struggles in his songs, which would explain why he sings about depression with such happy music. The music is the hope he has in God through Christ. I'm a 47-year-old Christian who thought Christians never got depressed... until I went through several cycles of depression myself. I learned that the Bible is...
@julius1848 I think you're right on all counts. I'm quite certain Tyler doesn't advocate alcohol or drugs to kill your mind, but I'm equally certain the temptation is always there. I read somewhere that Tyler is a Christian, and I do believe he gives voice to his own struggles in his songs, which would explain why he sings about depression with such happy music. The music is the hope he has in God through Christ. I'm a 47-year-old Christian who thought Christians never got depressed... until I went through several cycles of depression myself. I learned that the Bible is FULL of people experiencing depression from Joseph to Moses to David to the Sons of Korah (who wrote, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 NIV http://bible.com/111/psa.42.5.niv) to Elijah to Jesus himself to the Apostle Paul. It was mostly in my teens and 20s, but it surfaces in weird ways even still. Yet I also know the hope that Tyler points to. Unfortunately, too many people in church believe you have to have it all together to come to church or to God at all. Not true. Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Tyler Joseph has found that rest, and he uses his songs to shine light in the darkness for those who are searching for a path out of the dark forest.