No one will talk about TOP with me, the clique scares me.....I'll just talk to myself.

Tyler Joseph is by far my favorite songwriter of the 21st century. His lyrics are mysterious, intriguing, heartbreaking, complex, and uplifting all at the same time. He has an unmatched ability to use simple metaphors to describe the complex conditions of the human experience. Coupled with this, Josh Dun's unique sense of rhythm adds tension, a sense of urgency and presence; just another layer on top of the layers of meaning in Tyler's words. 

Twenty One Pilots songs, much like ogres and onions, have layers, and you can find yourself sitting and pondering the meanings and pulling back layer after layer for hours and still not be sure what the songs are about. Tyler Joseph also holds the unique ability to give a strong message while simultaneously being ambiguous. It's clear what he's trying to say, but when you think about it it could really apply to anything. The best example of this is Guns For Hands. 

"I'm trying to sleep but I can't when you all have guns for hands." 

That line could mean so many things. From the rest of the lyrics ("you swear to your paraents it will never happen again" etc.) that it could simply be alluding to bullying, and how careless people, more specifically teenagers, and be with their words and actions. But, when looked at through the lens of politics, the lyrics seem to directly point to a need for gun control especially as a means to stop school shootings.

"Let's go outside and all join hands,

But until then you'll never understand.

That you all have guns,

And you never put the safety on,

And you all have plans,

To take it, to take it,

Don't take it, take it, take it.

I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep,

I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep,

But I can't, but I can't

When you all have guns for hands, yeah.

We've turned our hands to guns, trade in our thumbs for ammunition,

I must forewarn you of my disorder, or my condition,

'Cause when the sun sets, it upsets what's left of my invested interest,

Interested in putting my fingers to my head,

The solution is, I see a whole room of these mutant kids,

Fused at the wrist, I simply tell them they should shoot at this,

Simply suggest my chest and this confused music,

It's obviously best for them to turn their guns to a fist."

The first line ("let's go outside and all join hands but until then you'll never understand") sounds like it could allude to a call for peace between political parties, and a mutual understanding, as with many issues if both sides don't agree something should be done, nothing will be done. 

These double meanings and layers are refreshing in a world of blunt, straightforward songwriting. What are they trying to say? Why are they saying it? Who knows. You can dig and dig and never find the bottom of the barrel with TOP songs. 

I'll make a separate post about my favorite TOP song, Migraine, but I do want to look at one lyric that shows the concept of simplicity in metaphor I talked about:

"Behind my eyelids are islands of violence,

My mind ship-wrecked,

This is the only land my mind could find,

I did not know it was such a violent island,

Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions,

They're trying to eat me, blood running down their chin,

And I know that I can fight or I can let the lion win"

When describing the landscape of his mind Tyler calls it an violent and dangerous island. The wording he used is special though. He could've decribed them as "crazed lions" but they are more than that. "Suicidal crazed lions" represents the insidious form suicidal thoughts take. It is a metaphor of how your dangerous, suicidal thoughts seem to hunt and stalk you in your mind at all times, never letting you forget they exist, until you finally do something about them ("I know that I can fight or I can let the lion win") 

This lyrical complexity and craft is what I enjoy most about TOP. Tyler Joseph knows how to write about things people experience, but unlike a lot of his peers he can do it in a layered, nuanced way, that gives more meaning. His vocabulary can turn the simple concept of suicidal thoughts into a song like Migraine, where as most other songs about the same topic tend to seem heavy handed and obvious. The creative, colorful, and nuanced lyrics are what make me come back every time.