Midwest Indigo

Midwest Indigo is the fourth song on the album Clancy by Twenty One Pilots.

Midwest Indigo
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Clancy
Recorded	2022 - 2023
Released	May 24, 2024
Format	Digital
Length	3:16
Tempo	116
Key	G#
Live debut	24 May 2024
Last played	24 May 2024
Live count	1
Writer	Tyler Joseph
Producer	Tyler Joseph
Label	Fueled by Ramen
Stream / Buy
Clancy track listing Overcompensate Next Semester Backslide Midwest Indigo Routines In The Night Vignette The Craving (Jenna's Version) Lavish Navigating Snap back Oldies Station At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb Paladin Strait

Versions

Studio

Title	Releas	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Midwest Indigo	Clancy	3:16	2022-2023	24 May 2024

Background

After three years, Twenty One Pilots return in 2024 with their latest album, Clancy. The fourth song on the album, Midwest Indigo, is one of the songs that best describe the atmosphere of the album by Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun: the audience is introduced to a cold, distant place, inspired by the American Midwest, with a very different climate from the one Tyler and Josh dreamed of.

In the end, there is a clear distinction between reality and the dream: the lyrical self expresses a desire for “love and sunny days”, in other words, the search for warmth and happiness that seems far away. In various songs, films, series, and literature in general, the idea is reinforced that summer holds good things like sun, warmth, youth, and hope. They refference tones such as orange, yellow, and red, in contrast to winter, a more melancholy, introspective time, commonly linked to the colors dark blue, black and gray. In this sense, it is interesting to note how the colors do not go unnoticed by Tyler: there is a plant called Indigofera leguminous from which the indigo dye is extracted, historically used to dye fabrics deep blue.

'Midwest Indigo' is a reflection on the internal struggle to find warmth and connection in an environment that seems constantly cold and indifferent, both literally and metaphorically.

Lyrics

Album version

[Intro] Reachin' out on my way home You can be so cold, I'll try again You make me sad and second-guess myself You can be so cold [Chorus] Reachin' out on my way home You can be so cold, I'll try again You make me sad and second-guess myself You can be so cold, Midwest Indigo [Verse 1] Running late so I didn't have the time To scrape the frosted windshield like we're barely scrapin' by Concentrate on the little gap in the ice That seems to be about as wide as our chances [Pre-Chorus] Did you pull up yet? (Not yet) Did you forgеt we're tight on time? [Chorus] Rеachin' out on my way home You can be so cold, I'll try again You make me sad and second-guess myself You can be so cold, Midwest Indigo [Verse 2] Cloud coverage matched my outfit to a knife I requested counsel with the counselor and he cancelled twice It's a different blue, it's deeper than it's been I'll be pulling into the parking lot before the heat kicks in [Pre-Chorus] What's your ETA? (Two minutes) Chill out, man, we're right on time [Chorus] Reachin' out on my way home You can be so cold, I'll try again You make me sad and second-guess myself You can be so cold, Midwest Indigo [Outro] And I want love and sunny days I'm a bit too old to run away You make me sad and second-guess myself You can be so cold You can be so cold Midwest Indigo

Rough draft version

Reaching out on my way home You can be so cold, I'll try again You make me sad and second guess myself You can be so cold, midwest indigo And I want love and sunny days I'm a bit too old, to feel this way You make me sad and second guess myself You can be so cold, midwest indigo Running late, so I didn't have time To scrape the frosted windshield Like we're barely scraping by Concentrate, on the little gap in the ice // through the crack in the ice That seems to be about as wide as our chances // my lips feel chapped/sour // I left my bag/hat inside, I'm losing hold of a reason why Did you pull up? Not yet I'll honk when I'm outside // I'll wait for you outside// I'll be outside Cloud coverage matched my outfit to a knife I requested council with the counselor and cancelled twice It's a different blue it's deeper than it's been I'll be pulling in to the parking lot before the heat kicks in What's your eta? Two minutes Chill out man, we're right on time Running late, I had no time To scrape the windshield, like barely scraping by Concentrate, through the crack in the ice Am I losing hold of a reason why?

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics
Midwest Indigo, the fourth track on the album, Clancy, was released on May 24th, 2024. The track, alongside the other songs on the album, was leaked a week early as a result of the early sale of vinyl and CD orders by stores and early delivery by online stores. It officially debuted at listening parties on May 18, 2024. During the album’s livestream premiere, Tyler Joseph spoke on the meaning behind the song: It was a song to Ohio and where we grew up in the midwest specifically… that feeling of driving to school, and barely being able to see out the window.
all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website