Tyler Joseph's lyrics are pure poetry put to music, often in rap.
In Car Radio, he thinks aloud in a monologue.
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
The first part of this stanza is ambiguous--it can be applied to different situations in meaning. From my perspective, the speaker longs to be completely and perfectly known and understood, but he knows he can't be. No one understands him, nor will they ever--and he feels the gravity of the despair from this realization. He longs for purpose and meaning, but feels hopeless. This is an allusion to the void in our souls that God has given to every person--only God truly knows and understands us. We innately desire communion with Him, and the speaker is describing his turmoil wrestling with these thoughts without God's help. He drags himself along, knowing his time is demanded of him. He must carry out his daily responsibilities. The problem he is facing is more than what we see on the surface--he didn't merely lose his car radio, he lost his distraction, symbolizing the very thing that gave him a break from the thoughts and questions he's afraid to answer. Now, he just sits in silence, afraid of what may come to mind next.
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
The silence soon becomes almost deafening with his rapid-fire thoughts. He remembers his past, his dreams, his thoughts, and all the anxiety that comes along with it. He feels exposed, paranoid thinking everyone around him can see something is wrong with him. He just wants to get to his destination in his usual routine, but he can't. The pattern is broken--his car radio is stolen, and now he has to improvise, trying to suppress his anxiety. He finds it nearly impossible to quiet the chaos in his mind, so pulling the steering wheel (or committing suicide) is an appealing alternative.
To many new listeners, this line may be shocking; however, to many with anxiety and depression, it is very relatable. It’s comforting to know they aren’t the only ones fighting to find a solution to their anxiety and chaotic thoughts.
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
The speaker can no longer suppress his thoughts--they are all out in the open. He realizes that throughout the history of mankind, the consistency is that we're all dealing with fear, and no one knows why we exist. Once that thought occurs, he soon tries to stop it, although it's in vain.
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
Tyler Joseph nearly breaks character in this stanza--He is now giving advice to his audience. There are ways to cope with anxiety, and from what he's observed, only two methods work. From the two options that we choose to do, Tyler says peace wins and fear loses. One is faith, and the other is sleep--we must pick one or the other. Tyler implores his audience to pick faith because, to have faith, you are awake, and to be awake is to think. Thinking means that we are alive--we must stay alive and fight through our anxiety and depression. Throughout the song, the speaker is fighting his thoughts, but Tyler says to not be afraid of them. These thoughts are normal and must be answered--he encourages his listeners to think for themselves. In one line, Tyler says, "And I will try with every rhyme/To come across like I am dying/To let you know you need to try to think" meaning that he's trying to become like his mission field. Just as Jesus came as a man to save mankind from Hell, Tyler is becoming like the hopeless to spread the hope and light of Christ. Tyler is not shoving the gospel down anyone's throats, instead he is giving options to his audience, telling them to think and answer these questions for themselves.
The audience Twenty One Pilots acquired for themselves are those who are considered to be outsiders in society--the ones no one understands, the ones who suffer in silence, much like the speaker in this song. These people often don't go to church or associate with Christians because they're afraid they will get condemned again, and shunned. Tyler Joseph, a Christian himself, is applying Jesus' teachings and example in his music. He is gently leading the hopeless to the Hope he has found, and befriending them. It's true that Tyler hasn't mentioned Christ at all, but he is encouraging them to think for themselves. He can't force anyone to believe in Christ. Tyler knows that everyone has heard the gospel in some way, so with this knowledge, he is able to lead them along the right path--or, at least, hope they choose to follow along his train of thought towards Christ.
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
Tyler Joseph screams out this last bit with pure emotion, alternating between screaming and melodically singing (or crying) out. The speaker is desperately crying out for a solution to his pain, he is searching for peace, which is only found in Christ. Twenty One Pilots is trying to get their nonChristian audience to search for an answer, relating to these lyrics of turmoil and anxiety. If the listeners follow along with their lyrics and message of each song, it will become clear that Christ is the answer. Jesus may or may not heal us of our depression, anxiety, or mental illnesses, but he will give us salvation and hope.
Hope is what helps us cope.
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