Joseph's solo project released an EP entitled No Phun Intended. The EP was recorded in Joseph's senior year of high school, from 2007–2008, in his basement. The song "Save", off the release, was redone and released as a free download for a time on Twenty One Pilots' official website before it was then pulled.
In 2010, Joseph was featured in the song "Live" by the Christian rapper Jocef, with two other rappers (Juda and Alon). The song is the opening track to Jocef's debut album, In Search Of: L.O.V.E. The track was co-written by Tyler Joseph and Joseph Langston (who is Jocef). Jocef eventually returned the favor a year later by being featured on the song "Be Concerned" off Twenty One Pilots' 2011 Regional at Best.
In 2011, Joseph was also the lead star in Five14 Church's three episode mockumentary entitled "The (moderately inspiring tale of the) Longboard Rodeo Tango". According to the mockumentary, Joseph was an intern at the church at the time.
In 2012, Joseph was featured in an internet-use awareness video entitled "Where are you?" by Mark C. Eshleman (producer of many of Twenty One Pilots' music videos) for an annual contest put on by Trend Micro called What's Your Story? The room used in the video is the same room in which the original music video for "House of Gold" was filmed.
On December 24, 2013, Christmas Eve, Tyler Joseph participated and sang "O come, O come, Emmanuel" at Five14 Church's Christmas With the Stars in New Albany, Ohio. The official video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube on February 14, 2014. He also performed a magic segment with the church's host & emcee David McCreary for the show. Joseph has also contributed to a few tracks for Five14 Church's worship albums.
Between the years of No Phun Intended and Twenty One Pilots' rise to fame with their third studio album "Blurryface" the clique expanded the search for Tyler's 'lost' songs from his first production. In mid-2018 (day 361 of the Twenty One Pilots hiatus) 2 new tracks surfaced, one titled "Going Down" from No Phun Intended, and the other untitled but known as "Track 07", suspected to be a demo from 2011-2012 era. WAKE UP
Drown
Tyler Joseph Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I killed, killed you in and now I know I’m alone
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me?
I wanna be a lot of things, so much pent up inside of me
I wanna be stronger, too long I’ve sat here undecidedly
Planning strategy, half of me know it’s all just a fallacy
Into a wall I’ve hit a hundred times before
And yet I still ignore the dark red blood stains on the floor
And I’m back in front of you, Lord, with the blood on the floor
Is the blood mine or yours? Don’t wanna do this anymore
Back and forth between me and me and who you call me to be
You see a man free who thinks he has to buy a key
To a door but he can’t ‘cause he’s poor and he can’t
Fall down anymore ‘cause he’s already on the floor
And his heart is broken and all and this is his scar
But it’s warm from crying ‘cause he will try nine times
To realize nine crimes but he has more than nine lives
So he picks himself up and keeps fighting for the prize again
Here I come again to you
Just to show the blood soaked through
Through my bones and all I own
Is there a way for me to grow?
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me, please?
Every time I feel selfish ambition is taking my vision
My crime is my sentence, repentance is taking commission
It’s taking a toll on my soul, I’m screaming submission and
I don’t know if I am dying or living
‘Cause I will save a face for name’s sake
Abuse grace, take a aim to obtain a new name in a newer place
But my name is lame, I can’t walk and I ain’t the same
And my name became a new destiny to the grave and
They say the ocean’s blue but it’s black right now
In the dark, on the sand, looking out at my crowd
Depression and drowning singing now the full parts
Of lightning reveals where the ocean stops and the sky starts
I’ve been told by the sky that the ocean I shall win
But it’s hard for me to see where ocean stops, and where sky begins
A random strike of light reminds me of what is true
But right now the ocean is black and black the sky is too
The song "Drown" by Tyler Joseph is a powerful reflection on a person's struggle with their inner demons and their desire to be washed and drowned by something greater than themselves. The opening lines immediately set a haunting and introspective tone, as the singer describes coming to someone in the clothes they used to kill them in, and feeling alone. The rain falling from the person they address seems to represent a cleansing or purifying opportunity, with the singer asking if they can be washed or drowned.
As the song progresses, we hear the singer describe their inner turmoil and conflict. They want to be stronger and more decisive, but find themselves falling into self-defeating patterns. They see themselves as poor and powerless, with a broken heart, but continue to pick themselves up and fight for a better life. References to blood on the floor, scars, and crying further emphasize the idea of pain and struggle.
The final lines of the song offer a moment of hope, but also acknowledge the difficulty of seeing a path forward. The ocean and sky, usually seen as symbols of vastness and possibility, are instead described as black and indistinguishable. Despite this, the singer is reminded of what is true by a "random strike of light," perhaps hinting at the idea of a higher power or guiding force.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt and raw expression of the pain and hopelessness that can come with struggling against oneself. It acknowledges the difficulty of trying to change, but also offers a glimmer of light in the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I come, come to you in the very clothes
That I killed, killed you in and now I know I’m alone
The artist approaches a higher power in desperation, aware that the actions he took previously have left him isolated.
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me?
The artist seeks salvation from the higher power, asking to be cleansed or submerged.
I wanna be a lot of things, so much pent up inside of me
I wanna be stronger, too long I’ve sat here undecidedly
Planning strategy, half of me know it’s all just a fallacy
Failing miserably, drastically and then I crash dramatically
The artist speaks of his internal struggles, wanting to become someone stronger but is held back by his own indecisiveness and the realization that things may not always go according to plan.
Into a wall I’ve hit a hundred times before
And yet I still ignore the dark red blood stains on the floor
And I’m back in front of you, Lord, with the blood on the floor
Is the blood mine or yours? Don’t wanna do this anymore
Even though the artist has experienced failure numerous times before, he continues to push himself to the point of exhaustion and desperation, questioning if the blame for his actions lies within himself or a higher power.
Back and forth between me and me and who you call me to be
You see a man free who thinks he has to buy a key
To a door but he can’t ‘cause he’s poor and he can’t
Fall down anymore ‘cause he’s already on the floor
The artist struggles with his identity and purpose, feeling trapped and unable to progress due to financial hardships and emotional exhaustion.
And his heart is broken and all and this is his scar
But it’s warm from crying ‘cause he will try nine times
To realize nine crimes but he has more than nine lives
So he picks himself up and keeps fighting for the prize again
The artist acknowledges his past mistakes and wears them as a reminder of his pain, yet finds hope in the fact that despite his failures he can continue to try and overcome them.
Here I come again to you
Just to show the blood soaked through
Through my bones and all I own
Is there a way for me to grow?
The artist returns to a higher power with the same desperation, displaying the wounds and scars caused by his past actions and asking for guidance and growth.
Every time I feel selfish ambition is taking my vision
My crime is my sentence, repentance is taking commission
It’s taking a toll on my soul, I’m screaming submission and
I don’t know if I am dying or living
The artist reflects on the negative effects of his own selfish desires, feeling that he is being punished for his actions and wrestles with the idea of life and death.
‘Cause I will save a face for name’s sake
Abuse grace, take a aim to obtain a new name in a newer place
But my name is lame, I can’t walk and I ain’t the same
And my name became a new destiny to the grave and
The artist acknowledges his desire to change himself for the benefit of his reputation, but realizes that there is no escaping his past and who he truly is.
They say the ocean’s blue but it’s black right now
In the dark, on the sand, looking out at my crowd
Depression and drowning singing now the full parts
Of lightning reveals where the ocean stops and the sky starts
Using depression and drowning as metaphors, the artist expresses the darkness and confusion he feels inside, with the hope that a sudden moment of clarity will reveal a way out of his turmoil.
I’ve been told by the sky that the ocean I shall win
But it’s hard for me to see where ocean stops, and where sky begins
A random strike of light reminds me of what is true
But right now the ocean is black and black the sky is too
The artist has been told that he will overcome his struggles, but in the midst of his turmoil, it's difficult to see the path forward. Despite this, a small ray of hope gives him temporary perspective on his situation, but it's fleeting and he remains in a place of darkness.
Contributed by Layla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Monique Esmile
Hello,
Today you are alive
You are alive because of yourself
You should be proud of that
You didn't drown,
Even though you almost did,
Even though you were fighting for air,
Hoping that someone would reach out and grab your hand.
You struggled, yes
But you made it
You didn't drown
You're still here,
Still alive.
Caleb Cash
"He can't fall down anymore 'cause he's already on the floor"
I'd usually say I'm not emotional...
Tyler had different plans
Stay alive frens. You've made it this far. you can make it. You're not alone.
MJ
Heres the lyrics again for if you can’t keep up like me 😅
Here I come, come to you in the very clothes
That I killed, killed you in and now I know I'm alone
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me?
I wanna be a lot of things, so much pent up inside of me
I wanna be stronger, too long I've sat here undecidedly
Planning strategy, half of me know it's all just a fallacy
Failing miserably, drastically and then I crash dramatically
Into a wall I've hit a hundred times before
And yet I still ignore the dark red blood stains on the floor
And I'm back in front of you, Lord, with the blood on the floor
Is the blood mine or yours? Don't wanna do this anymore
Back and forth between me and me and who you call me to be
You see a man free who thinks he has to buy a key
To a door but he can't 'cause he's poor and he can't
Fall down anymore 'cause he's already on the floor
And his heart is broken and all and this is his scar
But it's warm from crying 'cause he will try nine times
To realize nine crimes but he has more than nine lives
So he picks himself up and keeps climbing for the prize again
Here I come again to you
Just to show the blood soaked through
Through my bones and all I own
Is there a way for me to grow?
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me, please?
Every time I feel selfish ambition is taking my vision
My crime is my sentence, repentance is taking commission
It's taking a toll on my soul, I'm screaming submission and
I don't know if I am dying or living
'Cause I will save a face for name's sake
Abuse grace, take a aim to obtain a new name in a newer place
But my name is lame, I can't walk and I ain't the same
And my name became a new destiny to the grave and
They say the ocean's blue but it's black right now
In the dark, on the sand, looking out at my crowd
Depression and drowning singing now the full parts
A lightning reveals where the ocean stops and the sky starts
I've been told by the sky that the ocean I shall win
But it's hard for me to see where ocean stops, and where sky begins
A random strike of light reminds me of what is true
But right now the ocean is black and black the sky is too
Angry Indian Man
1. There are so many people out there who love you
2. It's not worth the regret. Either by yourself if you failed or just simply left scars, or the regret everyone else feels by not doing enough to help you.
3. It does get better. Believe it or not it will eventually get better. Sometimes you have to go through the storm to get to the rainbow.
4. There's so much you would miss out on doing.
5. There is always a reason to live. It might not be clear right now, but it is always there.
6. So many people care, and it would hurt them if you hurt yourself.
7. You ARE worth it. Don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise.
8. You are amazing.
9. A time will come, once you've battled the toughest times of your life and are in ease once again, where you will be so glad that you decided to keep on living. You will emerge stronger from this all, and won't regret your choice to carry on with life. Because things always get better.
10. What about all the things you've always wanted to do? What about the things you've planned, but never got around to doing? You can't do them when you're dead.
11. I love you. Even if only one person loves you, that's still a reason to stay alive.
12. You won't be able to listen to music if you die.
13. Killing yourself is never worth it. You'll hurt both yourself and all the people you care about.
14. There are so many people that would miss you, including me.
15. You're preventing a future generation, YOUR KIDS, from even being born.
16. How do you think your family would feel? Would it improve their lives if you died?
17. You're gorgeous, amazing, and to someone you are perfect.
18. Think about your favourite music artist, you'll never hear their voice again...
19. You'll never have the feeling of walking into a warm building on a cold day
20. Listening to incredibly loud music
21. Being alive is just really good.
22. Not being alive is really bad.
23. Finding your soulmate.
24. Red pandas
25. Going to diners at three in the morning.
26. Really soft pillows.
27. Eating pizza in New York City.
28. Proving people wrong with your success.
29. Watching the jerks that doubted you fail at life.
30. Seeing someone trip over a garbage can.
31. Being able to help other people.
32. Bonfires.
33. Sitting on rooftops.
34. Seeing every single country in the world.
35. Going on roadtrips.
36. You might win the lottery someday.
37. Listening to music on a record player.
38. Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
39. Taking really cool pictures.
40. Literally meeting thousands of new people.
41. Hearing crazy stories.
42. Telling crazy stories.
43. Eating ice cream on a hot day.
44. More Harry Potter books could come out, you never know.
45. Travelling to another planet someday.
46. Having an underwater house.
47. Randomly running into your hero on the street.
48. Having your own room at a fancy hotel.
49. Trampolines.
50. Think about your favourite movie, you'll never watch it again.
51. Think about the feeling of laughing out loud in a public place because your best friend has just sent you an inside joke,
52. Your survival will make the world better, even if it's for just one person or 20 or 100 or more.
53. People do care.
54. Treehouses
55. Hanging out with your soul mate in a treehouse
55. Snorting when you laugh and not caring who sees
56. I don't even know you and I love you.
57. I don't even know you and I care about you.
58. Because nobody is going to be like you ever, so embrace your uniqueness!
59. You won't be here to experience the first cat world emperor.
60. WHAT ABOUT FOOD?! YOU'LL MISS CHOCOLATE AND ALL THE OTHER NOM THINGS!
61. Starbucks.
62. Hugs.
63. Stargazing.
64. You have a purpose, and it's up to you to find out what it is.
65. You've changed somebody's life.
66. Now you could change the world.
67. You will meet the person that's perfect for you.
68. No matter how much or how little, you have your life ahead of you.
69. You have the chance to save somebody's life.
70. If you end your life, you're stopping yourself from achieving great things.
71. Making snow angels.
72. Making snowmen.
73. Snowball fights.
74. Life is what you make of it.
75. Everybody has a talent.
76. Laughing until you cry.
77. Having the ability to be sad means you have the ability to be happy.
78. The world would not be the same if you didn't exist.
79. Its possible to turn frowns, upside down
80. Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive.
81. Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary. Be your own hero.
82. Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
83. One day your smile will be real.
84. Having a really hot, relaxing bath after a stressful day.
85. Lying on grass and laughing at the clouds.
86. Getting completely smashed with your best friends.
87. Eating crazy food.
88. Staying up all night watching your favourite films with a loved one.
89. Sleeping in all day.
90. Creating something you're proud of.
91. You can look back on yourself 70 years later and being proud you didn't commit
92. Being able to meet your Internet friends.
93. Tea / Coffee / Hot Chocolate
94. The new season of Sherlock
95. Cuddling under the stars.
96. Being stupid in public because you just can.
97. If you are reading this then you are alive! Is there any more reason to smile?
98. being able to hug that one person you havent seen in years
99. People care enough about you and your future to come up with 100 reasons for you not to do this.
100. But, the final and most important one is, just, being able to experience life. Because even if your life doesn't seem so great right now, literally anything could happen
101. Tyler and Josh.
Stay alive friend, I love you and everyone else does. We clikkies are a family.
Bryan Ss
Here I come, come to you in the very clothes
That I killed, killed you in and now I know I'm alone
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me?
I wanna be a lot of things, so much pent up inside of me
I wanna be stronger, too long I've sat here undecidedly
Planning strategy, half of me know it's all just a fallacy
Failing miserably, drastically and then I crash dramatically
Into a wall I've hit a hundred times before
And yet I still ignore the dark red blood stains on the floor
And I'm back in front of you, Lord, with the blood on the floor
Is the blood mine or yours? Don't wanna do this anymore
Back and forth between me and me and who you call me to be
You see a man free who thinks he has to buy a key
To a door but he can't ‘cause he's poor and he can't
Fall down anymore ‘cause he's already on the floor
And his heart is broken and all and this is his scar
But it's warm from crying ‘cause he will try nine times
To realize nine crimes but he has more than nine lives
So he picks himself up and keeps climbing for the prize again
Here I come again to you
Just to show the blood soaked through
Through my bones and all I own
Is there a way for me to grow?
I walk to you, rain falls from you
Can you wash me, can you drown me, please?
Every time I feel selfish ambition is taking my vision
My crime is my sentence, repentance is taking commission
It's taking a toll on my soul, I'm screaming submission and
I don't know if I am dying or living
‘Cause I will save a face for name's sake
Abuse grace, take a aim to obtain a new name in a newer place
But my name is lame, I can't walk and I ain't the same
And my name became a new destiny to the grave and
They say the ocean's blue but it's black right now
In the dark, on the sand, looking out at my crowd
Depression and drowning singing now the full parts
A lightning reveals where the ocean stops and the sky starts
I've been told by the sky that the ocean I shall win
But it's hard for me to see where ocean stops, and where sky begins
A random strike of light reminds me of what is true
But right now the ocean is black and black the sky is too
lailariee
"Tyler is so wise and his words are so meaningful and the way he expels words is so powerful."
Tyler: I am a bean
Gabriella G
+iBlurryface Tyler can be poetic yet can be hilarious sometimes
jes
Tyler: my taste in music is your face
Epril Seye
Tyler: I put socks on my feet
Tyler: A moth ate through your favorite shirt
heyitsboomer
+iBlurryface did he seriously say that lmao i'm dying
lailariee
heyitsboomer
It's on his Twitter
Georgia Kingsley
I was 15 when I first listened to this and wanted to end my life, I’m now almost 21 and studying psychology at University in order to help others struggling with mental health. You can get through anything, stay alive 🖤
Monique Castelli
Georgia Kingsley this comment literally made me cry, I am so happy that you have been able to use the pain in your past to help others. Literally, I don’t even know you yet I’m so proud. Keep up the hard work, I'll be praying for you ❤️
Georgia Kingsley
Monique Castelli Thankyou, I really appreciate your kind words🖤
Knife Prty
❤️