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!Meaning
!Meaning
|-
|-
|''«I know You're not a liar and I know You could set fire this day''
|''«I don't wanna fall, fall away''
''Go ahead and make me look away»''
''I don't wanna fall, fall away''
|Tyler believes that all of God’s promises
(everlasting life will be eventually fulfilled,
but because of his doubt, he still wants physical proof of His existence.
This is why he is asking for God to show himself and make it rain fire upon the
Earth now, just as the Bible says it will during the final days in 2 Peter 3:10:<blockquote>But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,


and then the heavens will pass away with a roar,  
''<nowiki/>'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away»''
|The Book of Hebrews asserts the impossibility for one who has seen the Light of God to repent for their sins, for it would imply a negation of God and all He stands for. The term, “fall away,” is also used in Matthew 26:31 when Christ proclaims “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
Given Tyler’s religious roots, one can assume that “Fall Away” is a reference to the above verses. He seems to be evaluating the importance of following God as we see in the lyrics, “I don’t want your way, I want mine.” He doesn’t want to fall away from God because Tyler believes there’s no going back.


and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved,  
Alternately, ‘falling away’ could represent succumbing to depression or suicidal tendencies. Tyler doesn’t want to fall away from a stable mental state, so he literally keeps the lights on at night as that’s a time he struggles with. The chorus of ‘I won’t fall in love with falling" in “[[Air Catcher]]” echoes this line, suggesting that Tyler is focusing on trying to avoid depression or negativity.<ref>https://genius.com/3903266</ref>
|-
|«''I'll keep the lights on in this place»''
|Light in the Bible commonly references the removal of darkness. If this is truly what Tyler is referring to, then he is trying to remove the darkness from his soul, which would align with God’s will.
This could also be a reference to suicidal thoughts. The phrase, “lights out,” commonly refers to death, so to “keep the lights on” may refer to his wish to remain alive. To “keep the lights on” can also be interpreted literally as Tyler leaving a light on during the night, a period of time that his lyrics portray as bleak, introspective and difficult to survive. People afflicted with mental health problems often feel worst at night-time, so leaving a light on could be Tyler’s way of alleviating his suffering.


and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.</blockquote>“Make me look away,” could be a reference to Genesis 19,  
Tyler continues to play on the presence of light throughout his career–often associating night with his internal struggles and day with feelings of inner peace. We can see evidence of this in songs such as “[[Message Man]]”, “[[Truce]]”, and “[[Ode to Sleep]]”.<ref>https://genius.com/6610217</ref>
|-
|«I disguise and I will lie»
|Tyler will attempt to hide his true identity from God by lying about what he has done. This is seen in [[Screen]] within many of its lines. Although it is inevitable that an omnipotent being would see the truth regardless of any effort to hide it, Tyler recognizes that he still does it anyway.
This line could also refer to Tyler attempting to disguise himself as to hide from other people. Among the clinically depressed, it’s very difficult to admit your struggle due to the stigma that society has placed upon it. This theme is revisited in “[[Trapdoor]]”.<ref>[https://genius.com/2668494? https://genius.com/2668494?]</ref>
|-
|«''And I will take my precious time''
''As the days melt away»''
|God calls Tyler daily to fulfill His will, but Tyler’s will does not go hand-in-hand with God’s. While he does wish to please God, he is drowned with comfort and laziness, as referenced in Blasphemy:<blockquote>And it’s said that a war’s led but I forget


where God destroyed the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with a rain of fire.
That I let another day go by.<ref>https://genius.com/4216128</ref></blockquote>
|-
|«''as I stand in line''
''And I die as I wait, as I wait on my crime»''
|This line connects with the line in “March to The Sea”:<blockquote>There’s miles of land in front of us


When God told Lot to leave with his family,
And we’re dying with every step we take


they were told to not look directly at the cities burning,
We’re dying with every breath we make


for little did they know, they would turn to salt if they peeked;
And I’ll fall in line</blockquote>Tyler’s crime is never veering from that path. He suffers as he makes repeated attempts to stray from the line, but it seems to be an impossible feat.<ref>https://genius.com/4216136</ref>
 
Lot’s wife learned the hard way.
 
A less literal analysis of this line is that God is
 
making him look away from any proof, forcing him to solely rely on his faith.<ref name=":0" />
|-
|-
|«''Strike me down, I am calling Your lightning down from Your dark hiding place''
|«''And I'll try to delay what you make of my life''
''Go ahead and show me Your face»''
''But I don't want your way, I want mine»''
|Tyler is taunting God, trying to draw Him out and make Him prove Himself. What Tyler doesn’t realize is that God isn’t hiding; Tyler simply hasn’t found Him of his own accord. He resorts to blasphemy, asking for his own self-destruction. What Tyler is asking for is comparable to what was described in either Job 36 or Job 37.
|Tyler passively tries to turn his life into what he wants for it, rather than allowing God to mold him into what He has in mind.
“Show me your face,” connects with the chorus and the previous demands for self destruction as well (“Strike me down”). It is quite likely an allusion to Exodus 33:20:<blockquote>‘But,he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.</blockquote>Ironically, this line defies the meaning of an implicit demand. “Show me your face” is an ''explicit'' , or direct, demand, whereas an ''implicit'' demand would be indirect with only the implication of a demand.<ref name=":0" />
This is the side of Tyler that strives for comfort as mentioned in Isle of Flightless Birds. While he cares for God’s will, he has allowed his own will to dominate.<ref>https://genius.com/4216149</ref>
|-
|-
|«Reign down and destroy me
|«''I'm dyin' and I'm tryin'»''
Reign down and destroy me
|Modern culture tests those of faith. He’s trying the best he can, but the world is constantly pulling him away from who he wants to be. This takes a toll on his soul, causing a spiritual harm that feels like death.
“I’m dying and I’m trying” could also be interpreted as Tyler fighting against the darker side of his mind. He explicitly mentions his own depression in songs off of twenty one pilots' album ''Vessel'', such as “Migraine” and “Car Radio.”


Reign down (Reign down)»
Depression and other mental health problems can cause individuals to feel terrible, almost as if they’re dying. Despite his pain, Tyler remains determined to maintain his mental well-being.<ref>https://genius.com/4216152</ref>
|Tyler taunts God, vying for his attention or acknowledgement by saying, “Go ahead, destroy me, then at least I’ll know you’re real.” Recognizing that God does not owe him an answer (as seen in Job 38), he may also be asking for God to destroy him as an atonement for all of his doubting.
|-
The word “reign” in these lines could have a double meaning, acting as a homophone for “rain.” Gods are usually seen as having control of the weather and the sky, bringing bad weather to punish people for things such as blasphemy. God is also known as the “King of kings,” and Tyler is asking God to actually “reign down” by doing something that only a king or a god could do to prove their existence.
|«''but believe me, I'm fine''
''But I'm lyin', I'm so very far from fine»''
|He says he is fine, providing the expected response. In reality, there’s a lot more going on.
Tyler tries to be independent but quickly realizes he is incapable of doing this. He finds he cannot really live without God. Traces of evidence leading towards this are found in Isle of Flightless Birds where Tyler tells the listener how they will become depressed if they try to live an independent lifestyle, presumably based off of his own experiences.


This could also be a nod to Radiohead’s 1997 song “Paranoid Android” where it says:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>Rain down, rain down
As with the start of Verse 1, these lines also refer to Tyler lying about his mental health by saying he’s fine.<ref>https://genius.com/2349508</ref>
 
|-
Come on, rain down on me
|«''And I, I can feel the pull begin''
 
''Feel my conscience wearing thin''
From a great height
''And my skin, it will start''
''To break up and fall apart»''
|He can feel himself being pulled into the “darkness” that represents evil or depression.
His conscience is becoming thin, or weaker, causing what he deems as wrong and right to sway back and forth. His conscience is consisting less and less of God and more and more of himself, causing him to “fall away” from the right choices.


From a great height, height</blockquote>
Because he struggles to make correct choices, the wrong choices cause his “skin,” or appearance, in this case, to break up and fall apart from what he envisions for himself to look like. He comes across as something that he has no intentions of being because he is trying to make his own decisions.<ref>https://genius.com/1910206</ref>
|-
|«''I mean no disrespect''
''I am simply very perplexed by Your ways»''
|Sometimes following blindly in the words and ways of your superiors can be confusing and lead you to question their motives; not out of malice, but out of genuine curiosity. Nobody likes to be left in the dark.
More specifically, Tyler strives to understand God Himself more thoroughly. This is seen more blatantly in Tyler’s song “Blasphemy” from his 2008 solo project, ''No Phun Intended''. He seems to possess some resentment towards God in this line, as many do after suffering some sort of trauma. He questions His methods, which is not acceptable behavior according to some Christian churches, but is common in those who feel hopeless.<ref name=":0" />
|-
|«''Why would you let us use your name?»''
|As many worshipers have expressed, Tyler is curious as to why God would create humans with the ability to sin. In biblical times, the true name of God was considered much too holy to be spoken aloud. This may also allude to the famous passage in the Book of Exodus in which speaking the Lord’s name in vain is made to be a crime:<blockquote>Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.</blockquote>It’s appropriate to note here that Tyler never directly says “God” in his songs (save for “A Car, A Torch, A Death”), even though many clearly contain religious allusions. As this article suggests, it almost seems as if this is done to draw people in, then let them figure it out for themselves.<ref name=":0" />
|-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the [https://genius.com/artists/Twenty-one-pilots Genius] website
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the [https://genius.com/artists/Twenty-one-pilots Genius] website

Revision as of 18:51, 17 January 2024

Fall Away
Song by Twenty One Pilots

from the album Twenty One Pilots

ISWC: T-906.533.710-2
Composer: Tyler Joseph
Lyricist: Tyler Joseph
Recorded: Second half of 2009
Producer: Tyler Joseph
Mixed: Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas
Released: 29 December 2009
Single: 18 April 2015
Length: 3:02
Time signature: 4/4
Tempo: 120
Key: F major
Live debut: 11 October, 2009
Last performed: 9 November, 2019
Live count: 89
Stream / Buy:
Twenty One Pilots tracklist
  1. Implicit Demand For Proof
  2. Fall Away
  3. The Pantaloon
  4. Addict With a Pen
  5. Friend, Please
  6. March To The Sea
  7. Johnny Boy
  8. Oh, Ms. Believer
  9. Air Catcher
  10. Trapdoor
  11. A Car, A Torch, A Death
  12. Taxi Cab
  13. Before You Start Your Day
  14. Isle Of Flightless Birds

Fall Away is the third song on the album Twenty One Pilots by Twenty One Pilots.

Versions

Title Releas Length Recorded Released Notes
Fall Away Twenty One Pilots 3:02 Second half
of 2009
29 Dec 2009
Drown No Phun Intended 3:38 2007 2007 Some of lyrics are
taken for "Fall Away" from
old Tyler Joseph's song.

Background

The song is alternative hip-hop, quite similar to trip-pop and has a melodic pre-chorus and chorus in which vocal samples can be heard.

The track has no live drums and bass and is fully synthesized in Logic Pro X software.


Lyrics

Album version
I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't, I don't wanna fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away


I disguise

And I will lie

And I will take my precious time

As the days melt away

As I stand in line

And I die as I wait as I wait on my crime

And I'll try to delay what you make of my life

But I don't want your way,

I want mine

I'm dying and I'm trying

But believe me I'm fine

But I'm lying,

I'm so very far from fine


And I, I can feel the pull begin

Feel my conscience wearing thin

And my skin

It will start to break up and fall apart


I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away


Every time I feel selfish ambition

Is taking my vision

And 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 face

For name's sake

Abuse grace

Take aim to obtain a new name

And 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 I, I can feel the pull begin

Feel my conscience wearing thin

And my skin,

It will start to break up and fall apart!


I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away...


I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away!

Live version

5 September 2014
I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't, I don't wanna fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away


Every time I feel selfish ambition

Is taking my vision

And 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 face

For name's sake

Abuse grace

Take aim to obtain a new name

And 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 I, I can feel the pull begin

Feel my conscience wearing thin

And my skin

It will start to break up and fall apart


I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away


I disguise

And I will lie

And I will take my precious time

As the days melt away

As I stand in line

And I die as I wait as I wait on my crime

And I'll try to delay what you make of my life

But I don't want your way,

I want mine

I'm dying and I'm trying

But believe me I'm fine

But I'm lying,

I'm so very far from fine


And I, I can feel the pull begin

Feel my conscience wearing thin

And my skin,

It will start to break up and fall apart!


I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

I'll keep the lights on in this place

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away...

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics Meaning
«I don't wanna fall, fall away

I don't wanna fall, fall away

'Cause I don't wanna fall, fall away»

The Book of Hebrews asserts the impossibility for one who has seen the Light of God to repent for their sins, for it would imply a negation of God and all He stands for. The term, “fall away,” is also used in Matthew 26:31 when Christ proclaims “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”

Given Tyler’s religious roots, one can assume that “Fall Away” is a reference to the above verses. He seems to be evaluating the importance of following God as we see in the lyrics, “I don’t want your way, I want mine.” He doesn’t want to fall away from God because Tyler believes there’s no going back.

Alternately, ‘falling away’ could represent succumbing to depression or suicidal tendencies. Tyler doesn’t want to fall away from a stable mental state, so he literally keeps the lights on at night as that’s a time he struggles with. The chorus of ‘I won’t fall in love with falling" in “Air Catcher” echoes this line, suggesting that Tyler is focusing on trying to avoid depression or negativity.[1]

«I'll keep the lights on in this place» Light in the Bible commonly references the removal of darkness. If this is truly what Tyler is referring to, then he is trying to remove the darkness from his soul, which would align with God’s will.

This could also be a reference to suicidal thoughts. The phrase, “lights out,” commonly refers to death, so to “keep the lights on” may refer to his wish to remain alive. To “keep the lights on” can also be interpreted literally as Tyler leaving a light on during the night, a period of time that his lyrics portray as bleak, introspective and difficult to survive. People afflicted with mental health problems often feel worst at night-time, so leaving a light on could be Tyler’s way of alleviating his suffering.

Tyler continues to play on the presence of light throughout his career–often associating night with his internal struggles and day with feelings of inner peace. We can see evidence of this in songs such as “Message Man”, “Truce”, and “Ode to Sleep”.[2]

«I disguise and I will lie» Tyler will attempt to hide his true identity from God by lying about what he has done. This is seen in Screen within many of its lines. Although it is inevitable that an omnipotent being would see the truth regardless of any effort to hide it, Tyler recognizes that he still does it anyway.

This line could also refer to Tyler attempting to disguise himself as to hide from other people. Among the clinically depressed, it’s very difficult to admit your struggle due to the stigma that society has placed upon it. This theme is revisited in “Trapdoor”.[3]

«And I will take my precious time

As the days melt away»

God calls Tyler daily to fulfill His will, but Tyler’s will does not go hand-in-hand with God’s. While he does wish to please God, he is drowned with comfort and laziness, as referenced in Blasphemy:

And it’s said that a war’s led but I forget That I let another day go by.[4]

«as I stand in line

And I die as I wait, as I wait on my crime»

This line connects with the line in “March to The Sea”:

There’s miles of land in front of us

And we’re dying with every step we take

We’re dying with every breath we make

And I’ll fall in line

Tyler’s crime is never veering from that path. He suffers as he makes repeated attempts to stray from the line, but it seems to be an impossible feat.[5]
«And I'll try to delay what you make of my life

But I don't want your way, I want mine»

Tyler passively tries to turn his life into what he wants for it, rather than allowing God to mold him into what He has in mind.

This is the side of Tyler that strives for comfort as mentioned in Isle of Flightless Birds. While he cares for God’s will, he has allowed his own will to dominate.[6]

«I'm dyin' and I'm tryin'» Modern culture tests those of faith. He’s trying the best he can, but the world is constantly pulling him away from who he wants to be. This takes a toll on his soul, causing a spiritual harm that feels like death.

“I’m dying and I’m trying” could also be interpreted as Tyler fighting against the darker side of his mind. He explicitly mentions his own depression in songs off of twenty one pilots' album Vessel, such as “Migraine” and “Car Radio.”

Depression and other mental health problems can cause individuals to feel terrible, almost as if they’re dying. Despite his pain, Tyler remains determined to maintain his mental well-being.[7]

«but believe me, I'm fine

But I'm lyin', I'm so very far from fine»

He says he is fine, providing the expected response. In reality, there’s a lot more going on.

Tyler tries to be independent but quickly realizes he is incapable of doing this. He finds he cannot really live without God. Traces of evidence leading towards this are found in Isle of Flightless Birds where Tyler tells the listener how they will become depressed if they try to live an independent lifestyle, presumably based off of his own experiences.

As with the start of Verse 1, these lines also refer to Tyler lying about his mental health by saying he’s fine.[8]

«And I, I can feel the pull begin

Feel my conscience wearing thin And my skin, it will start To break up and fall apart»

He can feel himself being pulled into the “darkness” that represents evil or depression.

His conscience is becoming thin, or weaker, causing what he deems as wrong and right to sway back and forth. His conscience is consisting less and less of God and more and more of himself, causing him to “fall away” from the right choices.

Because he struggles to make correct choices, the wrong choices cause his “skin,” or appearance, in this case, to break up and fall apart from what he envisions for himself to look like. He comes across as something that he has no intentions of being because he is trying to make his own decisions.[9]

all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website

Live

The song has never been fully performed, or at least no performance of the song has been recorded, But a slightly modified intro of the track was used for the Guns for Hands intro during the 2014 tour.

Media

Video

Chris Joseph and his partner have a religious website where the latter posted a homemade video clip of this song a long time ago.


Sources

Twenty One Pilots
Members Tyler JosephJosh Dun
Former Members Chris SalihNick Thomas
Albums Twenty One PilotsRegional at BestVesselBlurryfaceTrenchScaled and Icy
EPs Johnny Boy (EP)Live At UG Studios • Three SongsMigraine (EP)Holding on to You (EP)Quiet Is Violent

The LC LPDouble SidedTOPxMMTrench 10" Triplet EPLocation Sessions

Live releases Blurryface LiveScaled and Icy (Livestream Version)
Singles Holding on to YouGuns for HandsLovelyHouse of GoldFake You OutCar Radio

Fairly LocalTear in My HeartStressed OutLane BoyRideHeathensHeavydirtysoul CancerJumpsuitNico and the NinersLevitateMy BloodChlorineThe Hype Level of ConcernChristmas Saves the YearShy AwayChokerSaturdayThe Outside

Tours Local ShowsTwenty One Pilots TourRegional at Best TourMostly November TourBlurryface World Tour

Emotional Roadshow World TourTour De ColumbusThe Bandito TourTakeover TourThe Icy Tour

List of Twenty One Pilots songsList Twenty One Pilots music videos