The duo achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album, Blurryface (2015), which produced the successful singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride" and became the first album on which every track received at least a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The release of the single "Heathens" also made the group the first alternative artist in history to have two concurrent top five singles in the Billboard Hot 100 and the third rock act in history to have two singles simultaneously chart in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, joining the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
The duo have released six studio albums in total, with the latest being Scaled and Icy, released on May 21, 2021. They are due to release their seventh studio album, Clancy, on May 17, 2024. They have also garnered ten No. 1 songs on the Alternative Songs chart, making them the artist with the fourth-most number-one songs on the chart, just below Linkin Park.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_One_Pilots
Studio albums
Twenty One Pilots (2009)
Regional at Best (2011)
Vessel (2013)
Blurryface (2015)
Trench (2018)
Scaled and Icy (2021)
Clancy (2024) (Upcoming)
A Car
twenty one pilots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my, too deep, please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound
There are things we can do
But from the things that work there are only two
And from the two that we choose to do
Peace will win and fear will lose
It is faith and there's sleep
We need to pick one please because
Faith is to be awake
And to be awake is for us to think
And for us to think is to be alive
And I will try with every rhyme
To come across like I am dying
To let you know you need to try to think
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
And now I just sit in silence
And now I just sit
And now I just sit in silence
And now I just sit in silence
And now I just sit in silence
And now I just sit
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
"Car Radio" is a song by Twenty One Pilots that is about the loss of one's voice and the feeling of being disconnected from reality, represented by the stolen car radio. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The singer discusses the feeling of his lungs filling with fire before they deflate, representing the power of his thoughts but their inability to be expressed without his music. He is left with only silence and his thoughts, which become overwhelming. The loss of the car radio represents a loss of communication and power, leaving the singer feeling exposed and vulnerable.
The second verse goes deeper into the singer's mental state. He finds it hard to hide his emotions, and his pride is no longer inside of him, but rather on his sleeve. His skin will remind him of who he killed inside of his dream, representing guilt and trauma. He hates the car he's driving, and there is no distraction that can mask what he feels. He considers pulling the steering wheel, representing suicidal thoughts. The chorus is repeated as a reminder of the loss of the car radio and the ensuing silence.
The third verse moves towards an exploration of the human condition. The singer ponders something terrifying because there is no sound to hide behind. He reflects that, throughout human existence, one thing remains consistent: everyone is battling fear. The singer questions the purpose of humanity and whether or not there is a reason for our existence. He then argues that the only two things that can bring peace are faith and sleep. Faith represents awareness and thinking, while sleep represents distraction and avoidance.
Line by Line Meaning
I ponder of something great
The singer is thinking about a great idea or something important.
My lungs will fill and then deflate
The singer is breathing in and out, full of emotions.
They fill with fire, exhale desire
The emotions are intense, and they want to express them.
I know it's dire my time today
The singer feels that time is running out or something urgent is happening.
I have these thoughts, so often I ought
The singer has these thoughts often and feels like they should do something about it.
To replace that slot with what I once bought
The singer wants to replace the emptiness with something they once had.
'Cause somebody stole my car radio
The singer lost their radio, which was a source of distraction and comfort.
And now I just sit in silence
Without the radio, the singer is left with silence and their thoughts.
Sometimes quiet is violent
Silence can be overwhelming or uncomfortable.
I find it hard to hide it
The singer finds it hard to hide their emotions and thoughts.
My pride is no longer inside
The singer is wearing their emotions on their sleeve.
It's on my sleeve
Their emotions are visible to others.
My skin will scream reminding me of
The singer's physical body may be reacting to their emotions.
Who I killed inside my dream
The singer is haunted by a dream where they may have done something terrible.
I hate this car that I'm driving
The singer doesn't like the situation they are in.
There's no hiding for me
The singer can't hide from their emotions or the truth.
I'm forced to deal with what I feel
The singer has to confront their emotions.
There is no distraction to mask what is real
Without a distraction, the singer can't avoid their emotions.
I could pull the steering wheel
The singer considers hurting themselves to avoid their emotions.
I ponder of something terrifying
The singer is now thinking about something scary or overwhelming.
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
Without a distraction or sound, the singer can't avoid their thoughts.
I find over the course of our human existence
Looking back at humanity's history, the singer has noticed something.
One thing consists of consistence
Consistency is a common factor in life.
And it's that we're all battling fear
The common factor is that everyone has to confront fear.
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
The singer is questioning the meaning of life.
Oh my, too deep, please stop thinking
The singer feels overwhelmed and wants to stop thinking.
I liked it better when my car had sound
The singer misses their radio and the distraction it provided.
There are things we can do
Despite the difficult emotions, there are options for the singer.
But from the things that work there are only two
Out of the many options, only two are effective.
And from the two that we choose to do
The singer has to choose one of the two effective options.
Peace will win and fear will lose
Choosing peace over fear is the best option.
It is faith and there's sleep
Having faith and rest are the two effective options.
We need to pick one please because
The singer has to choose one of the two options.
Faith is to be awake
Having faith allows you to stay awake and confront your emotions.
And to be awake is for us to think
Being awake means you have to confront your thoughts and emotions.
And for us to think is to be alive
Thinking and feeling emotions is a part of being alive.
And I will try with every rhyme
The singer will use their music and words to convey their emotions.
To come across like I am dying
The singer wants to express their intense emotions.
To let you know you need to try to think
The singer wants to make the listener aware of their own thoughts.
And now I just sit in silence
The singer is left with silence and their thoughts.
And now I just sit
They are stuck in this situation.
And now I just sit in silence
Without the radio, the silence is overwhelming.
And now I just sit in silence
The silence is still there, and the singer can't escape it.
And now I just sit in silence
The singer is still left with their thoughts.
I ponder of something great
The song starts and ends with the singer pondering about something great or important.
My lungs will fill and then deflate
The cycle of breathing in and out continues.
They fill with fire, exhale desire
The emotions are still intense.
I know it's dire my time today
The sense of urgency remains.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyler Joseph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sarenemun4817
I was so focused on the car radio, I missed his message.
Faith is to be awake
And to be awake is for us to think
And for us to think is to be alive
And I will try with every rhyme
To come across like I am dying
To let you know you need to try to think
He talks to us here. He says that his music is for us. He sings to let us know we need to try to think. And for us to think is to be alive.
@Hannah-cr7rp
“sometimes quiet is violent” has stuck with me since the first time I heard this song.
@justcarly3830
Too violent. I got put the F away for being woke!!!
@sedricgilmore2373
han facts
@KathyMiller434
This is one of the only lines in the music video he doesn't sing, he skips it after saying and now I just sit in silence
@charleeradford3813
Oof same
@rrpearsall
Great song to distract us from the violence raging on! ;)
@Pedro-uz8jz
I'm a 41 year old man who's battled depression and suicidal thoughts. The lyrics are heavy and very real to what depression is. But, when it hits when everyone is dancing and jumping up and down......that's freedom. So thank you, Twenty One Pilots for sharing this song with the world.
@allisondellasera7211
Wow
@Solacesreprieve
Keep fighting! You still have so much joy in your life to experience. Mine is fairly similar but we have to stay🤎
@mario-nq9jc
Stay alive