Lovely

Ode to Sleep
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Regional at Best
Released	July 8, 2011
Format	Digital
Length	5:15
Time signature	4/4
Tempo	150
Key	G major
Live debut	October 1 2010
Last played	Jan 8 2023
Composer	Twenty One Pilots
Lyricist	Tyler Joseph
Writer	Tyler Joseph
Producer	Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun
Label	Self-released
Stream / Buy
Twenty One Pilots track listing Guns For Hands Holding On To You Ode To Sleep Slowtown Car Radio Forest Glowing Eyes Kitchen Sink Anathema Lovely Ruby Trees Be Concerned Clear

Lovely is the 10th track on the album, Regional at Best as well as the 15th track on Vessel

Background

Twenty One Pilots bounces between lighthearted, cheerful, and dark, eery sounding verses in Ode to Sleep. The song takes the listener through a day in the life of ups and downs of depression. Right from the get go, a haunting vocal serves as a backdrop for Tyler Joseph's rap which begins the track on the eerier side of things.

In the first verse, Tyler "wake[s] up find and dandy", the day looks positive. It doesn't take long for something to leech the optimism and it's not a few bars later that he's "pleading, "Please, oh please!" on [his] knees repeatedly asking Why it's got to be like this?", a surprisingly common question to pose before God. In times when it feels like things should be normal, Tyler appears confused.

It's in the lead up to the chorus that the first talk of darkness is mentioned. The dark is personified, and Tyler is determined the "the dark's not taking prisoners tonight". It's sung instead of rapped, and with a new, brighter guitar and a much more positive tone. The dark is a constricting force that seems to allude to the night when battles with mental illness can be common, and aligns with evidence that mental illness and sleep disorders can go hand in hand.

The chorus continues this lighter tone and shouts questions "why won't you let me go? Do I threaten all your plans?". The questions and statement of insignificance draws some parallels to similar questions asked by Joseph Smith recorded in his account that speaks of persecution he faced during periods of religious revival in the 1800's, why is it that darkness always finds a way to detest motives that seem good? In recognizing that light threatens darkness, it seems to take a more concerted effort on distracting sources of greater light. Paradoxically suggesting that evidence of difficulty and/or hardship could mean a greater potential for light. As the chorus ends the harsher electronic elements from the first verse are reintroduced, to present another layer of obstacles.

In the second verse there are references made to the Bible. Asking "forgiveness three times, Same amount that I denied", which refers to Peter, who denied association with Christ upon His arrest on three occasions. Tyler becomes afraid to tell who he adores for fear perhaps that the truth is hard to accept. The final line of the verse: "Metaphorically, I'm a whore, and that's denial number four" draws upon the comparison of the Biblical house of Israel that's often compared to a bride wed with Christ. At times, Tyler feels he deserts his ties, denying his love yet again, which threatens to plunge him back into darkness.

The chorus repeats twice to end the song. "I will set my soul on fire" is sung again and again, as though Tyler has begun to recognize that finding light in his life is likely of method of enduring pain and burning off impurities like a refiners fire. His soul still has parts that need to be burned off, and he's humble enough to recognize, even saying "I'm sorry" at the end demonstrating his penitence. The oscillation between periods of darkness and light in life is a reality, but is encouraging to improvement. [1]

Versions

Studio

Title	Releas	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Ode to Sleep	Regional at Best	5:15	2010-2011	8 July 2011
Ode to Sleep	Vessel	5:08	2011-2012	8 Jan 2013	Ode to Sleep, along with other songs from Regional at Best were remastered for their next album, Vessel

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i48ZbAnyvC8

Lyrics

Lyrics

Album version

[Verse 1] You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out I hear a second voice behind your tongue somehow Luckily I can read your mind, flies and cobwebs unwind They will not take you down, they will not cast you out, out [Pre-Chorus] Dear friend, here we are again Pretending to understand how you think your world is ending Sending signals and red flags in waves It's hard to tell the difference between blood and water these days I'll pray that one day you'll see The only difference between life and dying Is one is trying, that's all we're called to do So try to love me and I'll try to save you [Chorus] Won't you stay alive? I'll take you on a ride I will make you believe you are lovely Won't you stay alive? I'll take you on a ride I will make you believe you are lovely [Verse 2] Your redemption won't grow stale We are now just setting sail On the seas of what we fear Treason now is growing near to me [Bridge 1] I'm coming clean God, hit me straight on God, hit me straight on [Chorus] Won't you stay alive? I'll take you on a ride I will make you believe you are lovely Won't you stay alive? I'll take you on a ride I will make you believe you are lovely [Bridge 2] Don't be gone, don't be gone Don't be gone, don't be gone Don't be gone [Outro] You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics
“Lovely” was originally released in 2011 on the band’s second album, Regional at Best. On April 17, 2013, a new version of the song was released as a promotional single in Japan. It received radio play in Japan and even landed on the Japanese Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was also featured in a Japanese commercial one week before this second release on April 10. Warner Bros. Music put together a promotional video documenting the duo’s tour in Japan along with the new version of “Lovely.” The video only aired in Japan, and was eventually taken down for copyright reasons. [2]
all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website

Sources

[1] https://www.audio-vault.com/ode-to-sleep-twenty-one-pilots

[2] https://genius.com/Twenty-one-pilots-lovely-lyrics