Ode To Sleep

Glowing Eyes
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Regional at Best
Released	July 8, 2011
Format	Digital
Length	5:34
Tempo	120
Key	B major
Last played	April 8 2017
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

Ode to Sleep is the 3rd track on the album, Regional at Best as well as the 1st 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	5:34	2010-2011	8 July 2011
Ode to Sleep	Vessel	5:34	2011-2012	8 Jan 2013	Kitchen Sink, 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

[Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1: Tyler Joseph] Nobody thinks what I think Nobody dreams when they blink Think things on the brink of blasphemy I'm my own shrink Think things are after me, I'm my catastrophe At my kitchen sink You don't know what that means Because a kitchen sink to you is not a kitchen sink to me Okay, friend? Are you searching for purpose? Then write something, yeah, it might be worthless Then paint something, and it might be wordless Pointless curses, nonsense verses You'll see purpose start to surface No one else is dealing with your demons Meaning maybe defeating them could be the beginning Of your meaning, friend [Chorus: Tyler Joseph] Go away, go away Go away, go away Leave me alone, leave me alone Leave me alone, leave me alone Leave me alone Leave me alone Leave me alone [Verse 2: Tyler Joseph] Nobody thinks what you think, no one Empathy might be on the brink of extinction They will play a game And say they know what you're going through And I tried to come up with an artistic way to say They don't know you And neither do I So here's a prime example of a stand-up guy who Hates what he believes and loves it at the same time Here's my brother And his head's screwed up, but that's all right [Bridge: Zack Joseph] Time gains momentum the moment when I'm living in 'em I'm winning a momentary, sinning a moment passing after A re-beginning moment's mending memories Pretending enemies are friends of me Sending me straight to bending me My bad behavior but I bet I could have been a better man Copy and paste caught me, and copy, better rhymes bother me The better the rhythm, the badder I am But I bet I'll battle with 'em battle Better I am, gamblin' man, better bet I am a gambling man, I am? [Chorus: Tyler Joseph] Go away, go away Go away, go away Leave me alone, leave me alone Leave me alone, leave me alone [Outro: Tyler Joseph] Leave me alone! Don't leave me alone! Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics
When asked about the famous symbol that has come to represent the band, |-/, frontman Tyler Joseph told interviewers that the meaning of that symbol has a lot to do with “Kitchen Sink,” an extremely important song to him. "Something happened to me at a kitchen sink. There was something I realized. That song ‘Kitchen Sink’ and that reference means something to me. But if I were to tell you exactly what that meant, those times where I need the motivation to continue forward, I wouldn’t have that as part of my motivation. In my darkest hour, when I’m trying to figure out what to do with myself, there’s that thing, that song…If I were to no longer continue forward, there would be no one there to explain this thing. I will not tell you what a kitchen sink is to me because it represents something that only I understand." [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