What does "Leave the City" by Twenty One Pilots mean? | Trench Lyrics Explained
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 жов 2018
- 🚨Songwriters, don't forget the How to Write Lyrics Like Twenty One Pilots Course!
how-to-write-lyrics-like-twen...
➡️ Learn to be true to your ideas
➡️ Write raps like Tyler Joseph
➡️ Learn how to come up with non-cheesy ideas
➡️ Learn how to connect with listeners!
➡️ Beat writer's block and actually get your lyrics out there!
YOUR NEXT STEPS:
1. Choose Songs for Me to Explain: goo.gl/WwXQXk
2. Get Free Songwriting Tips: eepurl.com/dlRMCf
3. Learn to Write Lyrics Like Twenty One Pilots: goo.gl/L5vfNL
4. Check out Camera Equipment, Books, & Games I recommend: goo.gl/nRzEuT
GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER:
My PODCAST: goo.gl/9ZTE3f
My Instagram: / cliffordstumme
My Twitter: / cliffordstumme
My website: www.popsongprofessor.com
THE TEAM
Thumbnail designer (for most videos): missoyola_art - / missoyola_art
Video editor (for most videos): Courtney D. - / courtnayedean
DISCLAIMER FOR RECORD LABELS:
The content of this educational video is covered by fair use. My explanations are transformative and add interpretation and analysis to the original work much as happens when I teach poetry in a university classroom. When I explain songs, I use only the lyrics or short clips of the original song or music video and do not hurt the song’s salability or provided a market substitute. All copyright claims will be disputed and appealed. Please see me as your ally in my attempt to use a literary perspective to enable fans to better understand and enjoy your wonderful and interesting piece of music.
🚨Songwriters, don't forget the How to Write Lyrics Like Twenty One Pilots Course!
how-to-write-lyrics-like-twenty-one-pilots.teachery.co/sign-up-now
➡️ Learn to be true to your ideas
➡️ Write raps like Tyler Joseph
➡️ Learn how to come up with non-cheesy ideas
➡️ Learn how to connect with listeners!
➡️ Beat writer's block and actually get your lyrics out there!
L E A V E S the city
XD
Lol that bothered me the whole time
That triggered me ngl
ｌｅａｆ
Leave
I’m starting to think they named the vulture after you
U mean the cheetah?
No the vulture is named clifford
LT Motions the cheetah is Jason Statham
@@zant_3637 yeah I just realized that lol
Waitttt when did they name the vulture???
* releases a video every two minutes about trench *
Me: * tips wine glass * ah yes, another please
emu_and_reyce *sips glass of straight chlorine* Ahhhh. Yes.
AND WHEN YOU THINK OF ME AM I THE BEST YOU"VE EVER HAD
Emmet Anderson more like blue-bla-
SHARE ONE MORE DRINK WITH ME, SMILE EVEN THOUGH YOURE SAD
"the Narnia of depression" - The Tøp song professor (for a few days)
My god he’s making up for the time we lost waiting during the hiatus
I hope it happens again bc he frikin left 😭
I also love the "non crescendo" of this song. The way it builds and builds and then right when you expect the building tension to break, he pulls it right back down. It's brilliant. It feels unsatisfying, but in a great way. It's like the lack of crescendo we get is like the weight of him being still in DEMA, after being so close to being free. Gives me some chills. I love it.
I swear I blink and you upload a new video
"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" - Hebrews 13:14
Yooo I never made that connection that makes sense
"leaveS the city"
Ouch
"It's kind of like the Narnia of depression" I'm dying
"Narnia of depression" was a track that got cut from Trench.
yeah I heard Will Smith didn't like it so Tyler and Josh decided to cut it from the album
Timothy Mably 😆
@@kaitlyn2295 I like you
TRENCH is about fighting mental illness and helping the clique too. Dema is a metaphor the oppressive part of our mind. The side that keeps the other part down. Blurryface was that metaphor in the last album, and now he rules Dema or our brain. Blurryface is the dark side of our psyche. They are symbolized as the bishops or the Nicolas Bourbaki because of their connection to God and the devil. Tyler has a relationship with God that he references many times in his first couple of albums.
We thought this album was going to be a whole new narrative about Clancy and or Dema. That is true but not in the way we thought. Everything is a metaphor, not a real character.
Tyler fights selling out. He fights his darkness. He does it for the clique and his family, most importantly his wife. In Smithereens he talks about doing anything for his wife, even being beat to "smithereens." Also in Smithereens, Tyler sings, "They think its messed up to sell out for your girl."
Tyler wants to give his family a good life. He would get more money if he sold out. But he doesn't want to do that because the clique is his family too and he knows he helps a lot of people.
In Nico and the Niners, Tyler directly talks about the fight against suicide and mental illness. He talks about "getting out." It was seen as the narrative out of Dema, but it was the fight out from under "Blurryface." He says they'll use the money from razorblade stores; the razor blades used to cut wrists. "We'll win, but not everyone will get out." Tyler uses this to say, we will win the war against mental illness, but not everyone will win the battle.
Trench is about success, mental illness, family and how they all go together. The success Tyler and Josh have found through their music has a lot of pressure. He sinks deeper into depression, Blurryface captures him. But, his family, Banditos, brings him from his depression and sadness. It’s a cycle that one day he will escape from and he’ll finally Leave the City.
this my interpretation of the album, i could be completely wrong.
Mack Hughes this is... beautiful
I think you're 100% correct on the meaning of Trench as a whole
I agree. His lyrics give me a feeling of hopefulness, that one day I will "leave the city" too
I love you man
I completely agree with you. Nough said my fren stay alive ||-//
"Leaves the city"
Woah you're faster than my pet cheetah
Lauren
Ha ha ha
Can i give you a tip?
Have the lyrics on side while you are explaining them . It makes it easier to understand . I mean have them permanently while you are talking about them.
vipin saini This would be easier, I like seeing all the lyrics
Speedy boi
Leave the city is my favorite song from the album because there is a special atmosphere and it really touches me. But honestly the other ones are so beautiful too
I saw that meaning in the 'they know that it's almost over', but I also imagined it as Tyler and Josh's thoughts about the listener. I listened to the album chronologically, and a rush of sadness washed over me when I realized that the last song was starting. In my mind before he said it in the lyrics, I told myself that it was almost over. When Tyler sang it for the first time, I didn't believe that he had actually said that- it was like he read my mind. I think that tøp knows how much their music means so some people, and they were acknowledging their thoughts. They are so proud of their album and they're so excited to see how people react that they're also solemn that this magical new era they created was coming to an end. It's like they're looking at each other half smiling with tears in their eyes telling each other that the magic of the newness of the new music/era is starting to end- they didn't want to be over for the fans, but they knew that we knew the end was coming. I also envisioned it as the 'listener' being someone at the concert. I predict that this and Trees will be the last two songs in the concert. Tyler and Josh know that fans look forward to their concerts for a long time and that their concerts are practically sacred to some people, so I could see this song being played right near the end of the concert as the band acknowledging that some people might start getting sad that this special moment was almost over. Going along with the tour idea, I think that Tyler may have been putting himself in the shoes of being on tour when he says 'though I'm far from home'. The song is more solemn at this point, so it could be somewhat reminiscent and longing for being home, but he follows it with 'but in Trench I'm not alone'. I thought that the album in its entirety had a more positive tone and unifying message, so I think the Trench era will be even more unifying and supportive era than anything we've seen before. Tyler could be referencing that while he's on tour away from home, the new era of Trench in the arms and support of his fans keeps him from being too lonely. This part of the song moved me to tears (for the second time lol) because I imagined one of Tyler's close relatives or relationships asking him if he gets lonely or upset while he's on tour, and he responds with a completely rare an honest answer of how he isn't alone in the Trench era. The innocence in his tone and in the song itself at this point is so raw that I think it is his unfiltered, completely honest opinion. Tyler loves his fans, and he is confirming how much his fans mean to him.
ouch
Update: My prediction was spot on- last two songs of the first concert of the Bandito Tour in Nashville were Leave the City then Trees. This makes me think that the idea that it could be about a sentimental feeling Josh and Tyler feel towards their fans in a concert is highly probable. WOW I can't wait to see them in Columbus next June!
So, here's a different point of view. Tyler is a Christian, and so am I and here's my interpretation. I think that trench is here. It's this earth and this life and all the hardships that come along with it. Here he has his friends, family, and fans to help get him through. Though he's exhausted he's still stoking that fire inside of him. His demons know that it's "almost over" so they're trying to get at him, but ultimately goodness will win and he will leave trench and dema soon (relatively speaking) to go on to Heaven where there will no longer bed this cycle of struggle. One day he will leave the city of this life and go on to something greater, but for now he will stay alive and do what he's called to do in this life even though it's hard. That's just my interpretation when I first listened to the song. I like yours too:) thanks for your videos, they're really good content and I can tell you work hard on them:)
I agree with you...though I think the song is vague enough to mean whatever people want it to mean. I had the same thought that it’s about the struggle of living this side of heaven.
@@joshbalogh7375 I agree, it is vague. Much like a lot of their songs, which makes it easier for a vast group of people to connect with them, I think. Thanks for the feedback!
Autumn Rose yes!!! My thoughts too.
Oh, I like this interpretation a lot too!
that's exactly what i thought!
In time I will leave the city, but in the mean time I’ll stay alive resonates with me because I will get in a depressive state, the best I can do is keep going, even if I’m trudging through crying. I think that’s my all time favorite TØP lyric.
Bleached bee. I definitely have days like that. Today was one of them, so being able to listen to this album helped.
Do "my blood" the video
he did!
I swear Tyler is gonna troll Clifford so hard by announcing that leave the city literally means that he is moving to another house in another city.
oooff
Nah, that’s for the next album when he writes a song called *I’m leaving the city, you cowards*
Did anyone else notice how he always said “leaves” instead of “leave”
The “for now I will stay alive” part is really relatable for people with depression. Sometimes just deciding to stay alive is the goal for the day. It’s ok to just survive some days and take comfort in that decision.
So I've been seeing many people saying that Trench reminds them of vessel both lyrically and sound wise. I do get where they are coming from but personally think that the album as a whole is a response to vessel. My blood basically uses the same words as the run and go from a different p.o.v. as if it was responding to it and now leave the city shares its last note with truce and has the lyric "for now I'll stay alive" responding to "stay alive for me" in truce. It seems like Tyler has grown so much within that time that he has gone from asking for help to offering help to others or giving advice to his younger self. I hope this makes sense to anyone, I kinda suck at explaining it properly :D
@@juli2715 oh yess you're right I totally forgot to mention that!! Thank you ^^
My daughter told me the same, that this album reminds her most of Vessel, though "regional at best" is her favorite.
Maybe levitate has something to do with car radio (egg head tyler)
He hates his car that he's driving so he decided to levitate instead of driving😂 ok no thats to much fantasy
I like the idea that Trench represents that sort of in-between place between depression and dark thoughts and being completely okay and recovered. Dema is that depression that's so hard to escape, he keeps getting better and slipping away but the dark thoughts/the bishops always return for him. And so he has decided that for now the most he can do is to make it through the day, to strengthen himself for recovery. It's interesting that the realm of darkness has a specific location and more of a backstory, but it's never specified where exactly Tyler is trying to go after he finally leaves the city - because the realm of okay and recovery is different for everyone. I think Trench is that journey.
Do Neon Gravestones! It’s so deep and the message it sends it wonderful.
AstroLilaArt it’s about suicide and that people take life for granted I think
At the rate in which these videos are coming out, I'm starting to think that Pet Cheetah is actually about The Pop Song Professor.
*whispers* P.S, please keep it up, I'm living for this
HAHAHA love this
SO glad you covered this song! My respectful theory is that "they know that it's almost over" is talking about the bishops losing power over Tyler or maybe Dema entirely. Which is echoed by him saying he's leaving and until then he's staying alive. Just a theory
From interviews he's done post album release, this one is about his faith snd him in his thoughts of questioning everything. He also said he wants to be more bold in his faith, which is that line about him being away for a year with the faces dacing me is about us at the concerts and him wanting to proclaim to us his faith
trench is flippin amazing and I LOVE leave the city especially the end because it feels so beautiful. Keep doing these amazing videos!
I don't comment a lot but I have a theory about the lines "In time, I will leave the city For now, I will stay alive" I think that leaving dema is only achievable through death because we can never get rid of our insecurities completely, we can get close but will still feel insecure every once in a while and when you die your insecurities along with everything else about you disappears [exept for memories and achievements of course] but he is saying that for now he will stay alive even though it can feel bad sometimes, but he knows that he will die at some point
This song means a lot to me personally. I'm still fighting the fight, trying to just get through the day every day.
To me this was one of the most straight forward, but emotional
I love how Tyler references both Truce and Goner in Leave the City when he says "for now, I will stay alive" and "it's a glorious gone."
I don't often tear up from songs, but this one has has me crying towards the end of every listen all day. Stuff going on I guess and I'm just really feeling it. Such a good song as it is.
Omg the Narnia of depression i tried so hard not to loose it and wake people up. The sentiment and ideas behind that thought were wonderful and your metaphor is just the icing on that cake. This all makes me so happy and thankful to be “in the trench” with everyone I guess so to speak
Jesus man I know this is like every comment but god your fast
This is such a wonderful explanation!
Thank you for these vids!
i love this song even more now
to me this song has double meaning...the obvious one being about depression and mental health issues. But from a Christian perspective I think 'leaving the city' is like leaving earth and 'though I am far from home' is referring to our spiritual home in heaven and right now he is in trench meaning he is the trenches fighting a spiritual battle here on earth :)
Yes!!!!! This is exactly what I thought too. I took it as a nod to the rapture. It’s been hinted in other songs as well.
@@alishabrousseau7219 Totally! I agree!!
The "Trench" idea of waging a spiritual/mental war against oneself in the "trenches" occurred to me as well. Trenches are made for protection.
Omg! That's exactly what I thought and I was going to comment saying just that earlier. I totally agree :) 👍
It makes a lot of sense from looking at the city as living on earth, he even brings up about no one bringing back details from “beyond”
Thank you
Love it at the 1.25 speed setting..
im shooketh i love this album oml
This song is deeper than I thought
*New Twenty one pilots fan joins*
Me: Welcome to *Trench*
Twenty One pilots arent' just a band to me. there lyrics help me through so much. one day i was thinking about ending it all i had all i need... and then me and my parents went to wall mart and i was just finding out about Twenty One Pilots. and i had some money to blow so i went to the CD isle and i vessel caught my eye. i bought it and took it home. i was writing my suicide note wile listening to it then, Truce came on. and ill never forget this. When he said "Stay Alive, Stay Alive for me" i felt like he was speaking to me and i ripped up the note and started crying. You may not understand and i don't either, but i had a sudden change of mind. its my favorite song by them. and now i always say Stay Alive to everyone and at the end of my videos man. They saved my life, Ill forever be a part of the clique. ll-// Love you all never take your life, cause people care about you i promise i love you all. I hope my story can help some of you. Stay Alive. Im posting this as a comment everywere so some people can relate to it no hate please just trying to spread my story
The one thing I love about this song is the line “in Trench I’m not alone” this is sweet because the way I see it is that in the trenches in the war everyone was fighting the same evil so in this we are all part of a trench that have some for of evil we’re fighting.
I listen to the album today, its realllllly good! Totally love it
My favourite track is bandito but I think leave the city will be my favourite after a while. Great video. I love watching these. I wish you were my teacher
Top 5 tracks from trench:
1 bandito
2 leave the city
3 chlorine
4 neon gravestones
5 morph
The two favorites for me match yours.
I thought 'they know it is almost over' stands for that they know he is getting out slowly.
this is actually a quite hopeful song, he’s saying it’s almost over, and i will stay alive. he went from i’m a goner to i will stay alive
Thank u for these videos they really mean a lot to this little emo so live long and stay strong 💪🏼🦅
Tyler ran out of cars to burn
"the Narnia of depression" my new favorite quote
This is gonna sound weird but trench is kinda like a game of capture the flag between the banditos and the bishops and Tyler is the flag.
That sounds accurate, but horrible at the same time. Lol
Thank goodness I watched this. I was freaking out about the comments on the audio saying that this is twenty one pilots last song.
I got a sense that leave the city flips Dema on it's head a little. Trench sounds like the staging ground where we battle our insecurities, leaving Trench=death. Which makes the Bishops not only our antagonists but also our protectors. I relate this to neon gravestones where he warns against glorifying a quick escape. He realizes death will come, but he doesn't need to hasten it. I love that this comes right after Legend. Thanks for listening.
International twenty one pilots
week/weekend
I like to think the 'they' in "they know that it's almost over" is the shadows who are dancing on Tyler's plans, realizing they're about to loose control of him.
In my life I've had times where I feel like I'm stuck in a rut and I'm lacking the motivation and courage to start the process of becoming the person I really want to be. I will do everything I can to try to make myself feel satisfied where I'm at, but all of these attempts just bring fleeting happiness, just adding this is to a fire. But once you have tried everything and there is nothing left to fuel the fire you realize that you really aren't going to find lasting joy being stagnant. It's at this moment you realize that the fear, anxiety, and discomfort of getting on the path to a better you is better than the alternative of just staying where you are in your depressed state.
So with this context the shadows in the song are realizing Tyler is about to hit that point where moving on is better than staying where you are because nothing is making you happy. This explains why the fire going out would be a "glorious gone" and why "no one ever returns with details from beyond". It's because trying to improve yourself will always bring you more happiness than staying stagnant.
I like to think of it like the demons who have been holding you back are realizing that their power over you is "almost over".
I read somewhere that someone thought this song was about TØP going on a long hiatus or ending the band altogether so he can start a family or something. The city being the clique and the whole environment
Morgan Kenly that what I thought too. I hope that’s not what the song means but we will never know what Tyler is thinking.
i actually think that when he is talking about leaving the city he means leaving dema. Dema is supposed to be a place where blurryface (personification of depression, bad thoughts...) rules completely. As he said in the interview, dema is the scenification of the place where all our bad thoughts are, "the city", and he says he is going to stay alive for now BECAUSE he is going to leave the city, a place where he is in a constant state of sorrow and sadness. If he remained there forever he would just... Die, you cannot live in a constant state of depresion and suicidal thoughts. "In time
I will leave the city, for now I will stay alive". As soon as i don't think of killing myself, i'm gonna stay alive.
I think by saying, though I'm far from home he means when they're on tour and then he sees the faces facing him.
Thank you for explaining this song, is so far my favorite!! I feel a really deep contection to the lyrics!
I love Leave the City because it starts out heartbreaking but as the music slowly builds, the hope builds along with it. It's an awesome ending to the album and I love it!! my theory was that at the very end when he says "they know that it's almost over" Tyler is referring to the bishops realizing that there is still a spark, still a fight in him and that he will someday be free of Dema (depression, sin, etc)
I’m soooo ready for your take on neon gravestones, and whether or not it lines up with mine
I haven't watched the video yet, but I agree.
Tyler also explains that this song is about losing faith
wow. deep.
This is the third video on a row that I don’t receive a notification for, and if I didn’t know that your uploading a lot about the album this week, I wasn’t going to see the videos on time...
UA-cam, sort your stuff out.
Anyway, I really like this video, and I loved how you explained “In time, I will leave the city. For now, I will stay alive”... I didn’t have the same idea about the lines, but I like yours better.
I also think that this is the “Truce” of TRENCH. He’s trying to help himself while helping us too... This album is so beautiful and I am loving your videos about it ||-// 🖤💛🌻
"Narnia of depression" The Pop Song Professor is awesome!
Nice video
Cool post
I watch Twenty One Pilots all day and night 24/7 and all of a sudden sad short films and try not to get challenges pop up in my recommended list
I love how people can have a totally different take on a meaning of a song. That’s the beauty behind music. A song should never be fully explained because it’s important to keep it open for the listeners interpretation. Songs tend to be very personal to writers and this song is definitely that. Here is what I make of the lyrics: the fire described is the Band and everything it currently is. It’s no longer 2 hungry guys trying to create a buzz while expressing themselves. It’s a BIG product, a working active machine At the moment Tyler wrote it he was tired of tending to that fire. Being the person responsible to keep it burning and healthy. He was feeling pressure of expectations from people and the label waiting in the wings who are ready to go and jump in and contribute. ( those in the shadows) dancing on his plans. ( family) or what they expect him to do. So many people were waiting on ( the product) Trench. To get back to their business, promotions, tour, many employees. Tyler is so fan oriented. He is not alone in trench because he has the fans to stare back at him who are his family too. It’s a relationship, they feed each other. But this could be the end of the ride ( no pun intended ) of the Huge machine that’s was created solely by a great need and hunger to express ones self. It’s a sad tune and he is almost father like preparing his fans in advance for what will come one day when he hangs it up. Tyler eludes to using all all the knowledge he has collected in his songs. Almost like saying He’s got no more tricks up his sleeve. Or that he has thrown everything he can into the fire and even singed he hands from giving it all he can. I have always appreciated how well he crafted his songs and how unpredictable his songs are to me musically. I had no idea what direction the songs were going to turn and when they did turn I could only smile , shake my head and at times my eyes would well up with tears saying how did he he pull that off. Brilliant sometimes , sometimes just ballzy and unchained.. ( truce ) well , trench is complete, so For now the Rock star will stay alive ! But he just dropped all a big hint. There so much more to life and sometimes and end is a just a new beginning. One day he will come back with stories from beyond.
This is album of life
Was waiting for this song to be explained!
Another thing I noticed from the first time I heard Leave The City is that it ends with the same piano chord as Truce. What I think when he says "They know what I mean" is he's reminding either himself of the Truce he made with himself at the end of Vessel or reminding the clique of their promises to stay alive. Maybe both. That's my idea of it.
I always thought "they know that it's almost over" meant hte Bishops knew Tyler was going to escape soon but this makes soooo much more sense
The Narnia of Depression
Definitely using that
Uh professor...you do learn song names before you explain them right?
Uh-oh, what did I say?
I plead lack of sleep.
The Pop Song Professor honestly that was my excuse alllllll day
I'm pleading please, oh please, on my knees repeatedly asking why it's got to be like this, I plead lack of sleep
Song Theory that’s an amazing lyric replacement and it’s even the same amount of syllables 😍
7:46 "it sounds like he's on the outside..."
me, rewatching after SAI: "ohh yes, he most certainly is on The Outside..." 😁
"Leaves the city" wow. WoW. wOw.
I’m glad I’m not the only the curious one
I think that the last verse could referring to the fans, when they'll be on tour
"Though I'm far from home
In TRENCH I'm not alone
These faces facing me"
Calling it, second last song of the setlist, leading into trees
“The Narnia of Depression” dang
The song is so incredible. I love how he ended the album with this song and with the lyrics “They know what I mean.” ||-//
"It's like the Narnia of depression" -Clifford Stumme
Yes dad crank out these theory videos!!
Dema=Narnia of Depression. That makes so much sense.
We stannn Tyler talking about him leafing a city 👏 🍁
For me, the song "Leave The City" and the album (minus Smithereens and The Legend) talks about the struggles of escaping depression. No matter how hard he tries to escape and no matter how many times the The Banditos (The Clique) help him escape, he's pulled back in. It reminds me of something a spoken word poet, Shane Koyczan, says about depression... "What I learned about depression, is this... If you keep your eye on depression and back away. Spacing yourself farther and farther away but all the while watching depression shrink in the growing distance. When the tiny spec of sadness vanishes from sight completely... it's as if at that precise moment your periphery will catch 2 hands reaching up from behind you to cover your eyes and you will hear a small voice whisper... 'guess who'? Depression can be kinda like, Depression can be kinda like, Depression can kinda be like loop playing over and over again." Just my 2 cents. If you want to see Shane Koyczan talking about it, here's the link... ua-cam.com/video/aV805a2XJgA/v-deo.html
*ast year
I needed change of pace
Couldn't take the pace of change
Moving hastily
But this year
Though I'm far from home
In TRENCH I'm not alone
These faces facing me
*I can relate to these lyrics so much*
Anybody else really really want them to do a tour DVD? Could you guys imagine a Trench Live coming in like two years?
Great video, Clifford, your videos are as enjoyable as the music.
I feel like leave the city is from Tyler’s grandpas pov of him “leaving the city” or dying
I think the fire is talking about the torches we see in the videos
In time I will leave this city
For now, I will stay alive
I think this means someday I will win this fight(I will stopmy suicidal thought and depressive thought etc.)but for now, I am just going to focus on staying alive, not giving in.
next year i turn 18 so i'm getting "in trench i'm not alone" tattooed i love it so much