Fall Away

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

Fall Away
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Twenty One Pilots
Recorded	June — November 2009
Released	December 29, 2009
Format	Digital
Length	3:02
Time signature	4/4
Tempo	120
Key	F major
Live debut	11 October 2009
Last played	9 November 2019
Live count	89
Writer	Tyler Joseph
Producer	Tyler Joseph, Chris Salih
Label	Self-released
Stream / Buy
Twenty One Pilots track listing Implicit Demand For Proof Fall Away The Pantaloon Addict With A Pen Friend, Please March To The Sea Johnny Boy Oh, Ms. Believer Air Catcher Trapdoor A Car, A Torch, A Death Taxi Cab Before You Start Your Day Isle Of Flightless Birds

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.

On “Fall Away,” Tyler expresses​ the conflict he finds within himself as he struggles with his spirituality. The song bears a depressing and suffering tone, quite fitting to the subject matter. Tyler seems to go back and forth between a desire to fight the disconnection he feels to religion in the Chorus and accepting it in Verse 1 and Verse 2.

The second verse on “Fall Away” was repurposed from an earlier song titled “Drown” off Tyler Joseph’s 2008 independently released solo album No Phun Intended.

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.
Fall Away	The LC LP	3:24	2014	2015	Live version

Live

Professional recordings

Date	Type	Location	City	Country	Notes
4 Oct 2014	Video	The Eagles Ballroom	Milwaukee, WI	United States	feat. Dr. Blum of MisterWives
21 Nov 2014	Video	El Plaza Condesa	Mexico City	Mexico

Lyrics

Album version

[Chorus] 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 [Verse 1] 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 [Pre-Chorus] 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 [Chorus] 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 [Verse 2] 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 [Pre-Chorus] 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! [Chorus] 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

[Chorus] 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 [Verse 1] 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 [Pre-Chorus] 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 [Chorus] 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 [Verse 2] 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 [Pre-Chorus] 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! [Chorus] 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... [Outro] 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.
«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”.
«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”.
«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.
«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.
«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.
«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.
«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.
«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.
«Every time I feel selfish ambition is takin' my visionMy crime is my sentence, repentance is taking commission It's takin' a toll on my soul, I'm screaming submission and»	There are at least three possible meanings to these lines: He has been finding himself to be more selfish as time goes on. He chases fame and fortune instead of what is truly valuable. He is lost and doesn’t know which route in life he should take He gives into temptation. leaving him with a need to repent. He may be realizing that he is living a life that will only take him further from salvation. As difficult as it is to create change, he now pleads for the assistance of God The word sentence could actually mean a written string of words. Viewed from this angle, the lyric is stating that writing music grounds him, preventing a “selfish ambition taking [his] wisdom. The line “I’m screaming submission” communicates either a psychological, emotional, or spiritual crisis. He realizes some sort of change must occur.
«I don't know if I am dying or living»	Tyler is conflicted, yet again. Even though his body is still living, he feels that he is dead inside due to his thoughts of darkness. He worries he is beyond redemption as he may have already fallen away too far to repent. He fears that his efforts may be a waste of time. Some intuitive thoughts “March To the Sea,” Tyler says the line: And we’re dying with every step we take We’re dying with every breath we make As an individual is living, they are simultaneously progressing towards death, or dying. Consequently, Tyler is conflicted about this introspective thought, and it causes panic. He genuinely views life and dying as essentially the same. There is more evidence of this within the song “Lovely” from Regional at Best. The only difference between life and dying Is one is trying, that’s all we’re gonna do These lyrics bring a solaced closure to the original line. We can see that Tyler not only understands the difference, but he has turned his past struggle into a tool to help others in the present.
«'Cause I will save face for name's sake»	Save face is a term used to represent someone trying to “retain respect,” or “avoid humiliation.” He says he does this in order to protect his identity in a selfish way. An instance of this is found in “Ode to Sleep” where Tyler mentions Peter’s three denials.
«abuse grace»	A defining trait of God (in Christianity) is grace. With Him being well known for His unending grace, it is arguable that the most common sin within the Christian faith is to abuse grace through using it for things other than God’s will. This line also brings to mind the common idea of one using their identity as a Christian (or as a follower of a number of other religions) to support unjustifiable actions, or an excuse to escape consequences of his own decisions, leading people to think that his actions were founded on faith. This may also point to one who doesn’t recognize the Christian ideal we have been given the generous gift of salvation by Christ.
«Take aim to obtain a new name in a newer place»	Tyler says he will “Take aim” or take focus on God, meaning he will become saved and pledge himself to focus his life on what God wants for him. Because of this, God rewards us with a place in heaven and a new identity so we can leave behind our flawed selves.
«But my name is lame, I can't walk, and I ain't the same-a And my name became a new destiny to the grave»	Tyler says his “name is lame” or it is worn out and not what it used to be. This isn’t necessarily the same as saying he is tired of his name. His name no longer represents what it used to. He believes actions define a person and a name represents a person. The mistakes he has made is causing him to be ashamed of his own name. The “I can’t walk” line plays off the word lame, which also refers to not being able to use your legs. “And my name became a new destiny to the grave” expands upon “Take aim to obtain a new name and a newer place.” He is referencing salvation and how he receives a new identity in heaven. The identity of “Tyler Joseph” is destined to die just like our physical bodies as they are flawed.
all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website