Stressed Out

Stressed Out
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Blurryface
Released	April 28, 2015
Format	Digital
Length	3:23
Time signature	4/4
Tempo	85
Key	A minor
Live debut	April 25, 2015
Live count	489
Composer	Twenty One Pilots
Lyricist	Tyler Joseph
Writer	Tyler Joseph
Producer	Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun, Ricky Reed
Label	Fueled by Ramen
Stream / Buy
Twenty One Pilots track listing Heavydirtysoul Stressed Out Ride Fairly Local Tear In My Heart Lane Boy The Judge Doubt Polarize We Don't Believe What's On TV Message Man Hometown Not Today Goner

Stressed Out is the 2nd track on the album, Blurryface

Background

“Heavydirtysoul” opens with a genre-bending flurry of raps and industrial beats. It sets the tone for the rest of the album as an exploration of the Blurryface character created by singer Tyler Joseph.

The song was featured on the Madden NFL 16 and the WWE2K16 soundtracks.

The verses of this song are taken directly from Joseph’s “Street Poetry”.

Versions

Studio

Title	Releas	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Stressed Out	Blurryface	3:23	2014-2015	April 28, 2015

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szE3DTbtqw8

Lyrics

Lyrics

CollapseAlbum version

[Verse 1] I wish I found some better sounds no one's ever heard I wish I had a better voice that sang some better words I wish I found some chords in an order that is new I wish I didn't have to rhyme every time I sang I was told, when I get older, all my fears would shrink But now I'm insecure, and I care what people think [Pre-Chorus] My name's Blurryface and I care what you think My name's Blurryface and I care what you think [Chorus] Wish we could turn back time (Time, time) to the good old days When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out (Out, oh) Wish we could turn back time (Oh) to the good old days (Oh) When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out (Out, out, out, out) [Post-Chorus] We're stressed out (Out, out, out, out) [Verse 2] Sometimes a certain smell will take me back to when I was young How come I'm never able to identify where it's comin' from? I'd make a candle out of it, if I ever found it Try to sell it, never sell out of it, I'd probably only sell one It'd be to my brother, 'cause we have the same nose Same clothes, homegrown, a stone's throw from a creek we used to roam But it would remind us of when nothing really mattered Out of student loans and treehouse homes, we all would take the latter/ladder [Pre-Chorus] My-my-my name's Blurryface and I care what you think My name's Blurryface and I care what you think [Chorus] Wish we could turn back time (Time, time) to the good old days When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out (Out, oh) Wish we could turn back time (Oh) to the good old days (Oh) When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out [Bridge] We used to play pretend, give each other different names We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away Used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughin' at our face Sayin', "Wake up, you need to make money," yeah We used to play pretend, give each other different names We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away Used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughin' at our face Sayin', "Wake up, you need to make money," yeah [Chorus] Wish we could turn back time (Time, time) to the good old days When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out (Out, oh) Wish we could turn back time (Oh) to the good old days (Oh) When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out [Outro] We used to play pretend, used to play pretend, money We used to play pretend, wake up, you need the money Used to play pretend, used to play pretend, money We used to play pretend, wake up, you need the money Used to play pretend, give each other different names We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away Used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughin' at our face Sayin', "Wake up, you need to make money," yeah

Lyrics meaning

ExpandLyrics
In a nutshell, “Heavydirtysoul” addresses how, although Tyler seems strong, he’s emotional and has depressing thoughts in his mind that he wishes weren’t there and how he wants to be saved. Music is Tyler’s way to deal with his problems, and throughout the 2015 album Blurryface he tells us he might not be alive if he didn’t do so. “Heavydirtysoul” reveals how Tyler thinks how he “didn’t lose his mind but he has a crazy mind to clean.” A bigger purpose of the song is how people look up to him. The entire song compares himself to a gangster, or looked up figure in some people’s lives, whether it has a good or bad correlation. Usually, people think of role models as strong people, but the song is about Tyler and how people look up to him, but he’s not a hero. He’s a person who has feelings and expresses them. In a 2019 interview, Andrew Donoho, the music video director, explained that the car falling apart symbolized the self-destructive nature of the ideas expressed in “Heavydirtysoul” and that similar to the car exploding after Tyler jumps out people need to put off such a mentality before they self-destruct completely. The wordings, like “heavy” and “dirty,” of the song and its title inspired the use of a car for the director.
all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website