What Did the Twenty One Pilots Say About Depression? (+7 Notable Songs)

Twenty One Pilots is a band famous for their songs on depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, stress, and other mental health disorders. In this blog post, we will discuss more Twenty One Pilots depression and their songs on depression. 

Twenty One Pilots depression

Twenty One Pilots is an American music band consisting of two members, Tyler Joseph, the lead vocalist and Josh Dun, the drummer. The songs by the band tend to focus on themes relating to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideations among many others. 

Tyler Joseph has suffered from depression and anxiety and many lyrics for their songs are inspired by his struggles with these disorders. The band has a heavy fan following due to the level of relatability that they have with the songs. Many individuals have claimed that the songs have helped them deal with their depression and saved some too from committing suicide.

Twenty One Pilots since 2009 have been releasing songs on themes of mental health but also provide hope to their listeners rather than just show the ugly side of depression. They have used songs like ‘Holding on to you’ to show how it feels when you are feeling suicidal and are on the verge to take your life. But then the song talks about taking back control of your life and surviving through the pain. Similar to these songs there are other songs by the band that promote seeking help for depression and fighting it.

With the release of the album Blurryface many people associated the lyrics to the songs. They could relate to the insecurities that are present inside their heads due to depression and anxiety. Feeling like they are scared of what they have become and know that deep inside they are someone else. The outer part of them may seem weak and defeated but that is not their real self.

Some critics find their songs to be beautifying depression and other mental health disorders rather than showing what it truly is. They feel that the songs romanticize mental health which is extremely unhealthy. They feel that though the songs are able to address the problem of depression and put it out in the open, they do not offer any advice that can be useful for their listeners. They do not use their position to help people seek help or give a bit of helpful advice. 

Twenty One Pilots depression songs

Here are some of the songs by Twenty One Pilots about depression and suicidal thoughts:

• Heathens
• Stressed out
• Ride
• Chlorine
• Guns for hands
• Car Radio
• Jumpsuit

Heathens

The song ‘Heathens’ talks about how depression can’t be seen physically and is a mental disorder. It talks about people with depression being anxious because of the struggles they have had to go through.

All my friends are heathens, take it slow

Wait for them to ask you who you know

Please don’t make any sudden moves

You don’t know the half of the abuse

Welcome to the room of people

Who have rooms of people that they loved one day

Docked away

Just because we check the guns at the door

Doesn’t mean our brains will change from hand grenades

You’ll never know the psychopath sitting next to you

You’ll never know the murderer sitting next to you

You’ll think, “How’d I get here, sitting next to you?”

We don’t deal with outsiders very well

They say newcomers have a certain smell

You have trust issues, not to mention

They say they can smell your intentions

Stressed out

The song ‘Stressed out’ talks about how stressful life gets once childhood is over. It states its wish to go back to the time when they were not stressed and used to play in tree houses.

But now I’m insecure

And I care what people think

My name’s Blurryface and I care what you think

My name’s Blurryface and I care what you think

Wish we could turn back time

To the good old days

When our momma sang us to sleep

But now we’re stressed out

Wish we could turn back time

To the good old days

When our momma sang us to sleep

But now we’re stressed out

Same clothes, home grown

The stone’s throw from a creek we used to roam

But it would remind us of when

Nothing really mattered

Out of student loans and tree house homes

We all would take the latter

Ride

The song ‘Ride’ talks about the suicidal thoughts that one has during depression. It talks about the feelings of killing oneself and states that it is more difficult to live for someone than to die for them.

I just wanna stay in the sun where I find

I know it’s hard sometimes

Pieces of peace in the sun’s peace of mind

I know it’s hard sometimes

Yeah, I think about the end just way too much

But it’s fun to fantasize

On my enemies who wouldn’t wish who I was

But it’s fun to fantasize

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

I’m fallin’ so I’m taking my time on my ride

“I’d die for you” that’s easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them, a bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don’t seem to see many bullets coming through

See many bullets coming through

Metaphorically, I’m the man

But literally, I don’t know what I’d do

“I’d live for you” and that’s hard to do

Even harder to say, when you know it’s not true

Even harder to write, when you know that’s a lie

There were people back home who tried talking to you

But then you ignore them still

All these questions they’re for real, like

“Who would you live for?”

“Who would you die for?”

And “Would you ever kill?”

Chlorine

The song ‘Chlorine’ talks about consuming the chemical chlorine as a way to end their life. It is again about the suicidal ideation a person feels during depression. It mentions escaping the mental walls that depression builds in one’s mind.

Sippin’ on straight chlorine, let the vibes slide over me

This beat is a chemical, beat is a chemical

When I leave don’t save my seat, I’ll be back when it’s all complete

The moment is medical, moment is medical

Sippin’ on straight chlorine

Lovin’ what I’m tastin’

Venom on my tongue

Dependant at times

Poisonous vibration

Help my body run

I’m runnin’ for my li-i-i-i-i-i-fe

Fall out of formation

I plan my escape from walls they confined

Rebel red carnation

Grows while I decay

Guns for hands

The song ‘Guns for hands’ is a song about the audience indulging in acts of self-harm. Self-harm is one of the symptoms of clinical depression. The song asks the listeners to take a deep breath and be hopeful about the future rather than harm themselves.

I know what you think in the morning

When the sun shines on the ground

And shows, what you have done

It shows, where your mind has gone

And you swear to your parents

That it will never happen again

I know, I know-ow-ow what that means

I know-ow-ow-ow-ow

That you all have armaments

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

Let’s take this a second at a time

Let’s take this one song, this one rhyme

Together, let’s breathe

Together, to the beat

But there’s hope out the window

So that’s where we’ll go

Let’s go outside and all join hands

But until then you’ll never understand

Car Radio

The song ‘‘Car radio’ is about low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, and helplessness that a person with depression experiences. The song talks about the negative thoughts and feelings that are present inside the mind of a person with depression.

I ponder of something great

My lungs will fill and then deflate

They fill with fire, exhale desire

I know it’s dire my time today

I have these thoughts, so often I ought

To replace that slot with what I once bought

‘Cause somebody stole my car radio

And now I just sit in silence

Sometimes quiet is violent

I find it hard to hide it

My pride is no longer inside

It’s on my sleeve

My skin will scream reminding me of

Who I killed inside my dream

I hate this car that I’m driving

There’s no hiding for me

I’m forced to deal with what I feel

There is no distraction to mask what is real

I could pull the steering wheel

Jumpsuit

The song ‘Jumpsuit’ talks about the fear of being in a new place, the social anxiety accompanied by depression. How the pressure of being in a new place can be mentally exhausting and daunting. 

I can’t believe how much I hate

Pressures of a new place roll my way

Jumpsuit, jumpsuit, cover me

Jumpsuit, jumpsuit, cover me

Spirits in my room, friend or foe?

Felt it in my youth, feel it when I’m old

Jumpsuit, jumpsuit (Cover me)

Dusting off my, jumpsuit (Cover me)

I’ll be right there

But you’ll have to grab my throat

And lift me in the air

If you need anyone

I’ll stop my plans

But you’ll have to tie me down

And then break both my hands

In this blog post, we discussed more Twenty One Pilots depression and their songs on depression. 

BetterHelp: A Better Alternative

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FAQs: Twenty One Pilots depression

References

Twenty One Pilots: Trench | The Obsession with Depression

https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/twenty-one-pilots/trench-mental-health/

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/10/twenty-one-pilots-tackle-suicide-trench/572173/