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 A Torch A Death
twenty one pilots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I start the car, and then I begin
To add the miles piled up behind me
I barely feel a smile deep inside me
And I begin to envy the headlights driving south
I want to crack the door so I can just fall out
But then I remember when you packed my car
For me to drive away with
I began to understand why God died
The demons sat there waiting on her porch
It was a little dark so we held a makeshift torch
And when my car was far out of sight
He crept in her room and stayed there for the night
And then I felt chills in my bones
The breath I saw was not my own
I knew my skin that wrapped my frame
Wasn't made to play this game
And then I saw him, torch in hand
He laid it out, what he had planned
And then I said I'll take the grave
Please just send them all my way
And then I felt chills in my bones
The breath I saw was not my own
I knew my skin that wrapped my frame
Wasn't made to play this game
And then I saw him, torch in hand
He laid it out, what he had planned
And then I said I'll take the grave
Please just send them all my way
I began to understand why God died
The air begins to feel a little thin
As we're waiting for the morning to begin
But for now you told me to hold this jar
And when I looked inside I saw it held your heart
For me to walk away with
I began to understand why God died
"A Car A Torch A Death" is a song by Twenty One Pilots that explores themes of death, sorrow, and self-reflection. The opening line "The air begins to feel a little thin" sets the tone for the song, suggesting a sense of suffocation or lack of breath. As the singer starts his car and begins to drive away, he reflects on the miles he has traveled and the baggage that has accumulated behind him. He feels an emptiness inside, unable to find a reason to smile. The singer becomes envious of the headlights driving south, suggesting a desire to escape his current circumstances.
The second verse shifts the narrative to a dark story of demons and violence. The singer recounts a scene where he and someone else hold a makeshift torch in the darkness outside of someone's house. The torch is meant to serve as a warning or threat to someone inside the house. The singer then has a chilling realization that the breath he sees is not his own, suggesting a duality of consciousness or possession. The final verse returns to the original theme of the air feeling thin, but this time, the singer is not alone. He is holding a jar that contains someone else's heart, a symbol of love lost or unrequited. He understands that he is carrying this burden with him, and it is something he must learn to live with.
Line by Line Meaning
The air begins to feel a little thin
The oppressive feeling of emptiness that surrounds my life starts weighing down on me.
As I start the car, and then I begin
I get into my car, but I realize that I am about to embark on a new stage of my life.
To add the miles piled up behind me
I take on the burden of the past and try to move beyond it by going through life.
I barely feel a smile deep inside me
Inside, I feel sad and unfulfilled, but I struggle to keep a facade of happiness.
And I begin to envy the headlights driving south
The thought of escaping my troubles by running away to a different direction starts creeping up on me.
I want to crack the door so I can just fall out
I entertain the dangerous idea of abandoning my responsibilities and just letting go of everything.
But then I remember when you packed my car
I recall how someone important to me helped me set up my life and how I cannot let them down now.
You reached in the back and buckled up your heart
The memory of someone I love helping me set up my life comes back to me.
For me to drive away with
I realize that my loved one gave me their trust and that I must keep moving forward with my life, no matter how difficult it may be.
I began to understand why God died
I start to comprehend why a deity who is supposed to be all-powerful could still suffer and die.
The demons sat there waiting on her porch
The thought of lurking demons patiently waiting for me, the unsuspecting victim, scares me.
It was a little dark so we held a makeshift torch
In the face of fear, I cling to the little light I have, even if it's just an improvised source of illumination.
And when my car was far out of sight
Once I am out of the immediate danger, I take a moment to reflect on what just happened.
He crept in her room and stayed there for the night
My mind conjures up images of evil spirits invading a defenseless person's space, without their consent.
And then I felt chills in my bones
The fear that once felt only in my mind now materializes in my physical bones, possibly indicating a sense of deep-seated dread.
The breath I saw was not my own
The fear constricts me to the point of hyperventilation, making me feel like I'm witnessing these events from outside of my own body.
I knew my skin that wrapped my frame
I am acutely aware of the physical vulnerability of my skin that is currently enveloping me.
Wasn't made to play this game
My mortal body was never meant to endure the horrors that life sometimes has to offer.
And then I saw him, torch in hand
I visualize the source of my fear, which could be an actual assailant or just my own anxiety playing tricks on me.
He laid it out, what he had planned
My fear of the unknown is compounded by a sense of dread that comes from not knowing what this person has in store for me.
And then I said I'll take the grave
The fear that has taken hold of me now makes me crave the peace of death.
Please just send them all my way
I plead with some higher power to help me bear the weight of my fear and let me cultivate the strength to face life's trials head-on.
As we're waiting for the morning to begin
Despite the nightmarish events of the previous night, I am hopeful that the next day could bring brighter things.
But for now you told me to hold this jar
I am given an object that symbolizes love and hope, something to cling to in times of hardship.
And when I looked inside I saw it held your heart
The object I am given contains the heart of someone who gives me hope to continue in the face of adversity.
For me to walk away with
I am entrusted with the task of bearing this love and hope forward, to continue the cycle of giving and receiving that makes life worthwhile.
I began to understand why God died
The realization of the depth of love and suffering that life encompasses makes the divine sacrifice resonate with me in a personal way.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyler Joseph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VAMP
on Choker
Someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin
It hurts a little less and you can even push it further in
When your body's screaming out, trust your mind's listening
for me, this sounds like sh.
VAMP
on Good Day
HOMIE JUST SUED ME!!!
VAMP
on Shy Away
omg i love thsi song sm ah