Shy Away

Shy Away is the third song on the album Scaled And Icy by Twenty One Pilots.

Shy Away
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Scaled and Icy
Recorded	2019 - 2020
Released	April 7, 2021
Format	Digital
Length	2:55
Time signature	4/4
Tempo	97
Key	C
Single	7 April 2021
Live debut	21 May 2021
Last played	14 May 2024
Live count	86
Writer	Tyler Joseph
Producer	Tyler Joseph
Label	Fueled by Ramen, Elektra
Stream / Buy
Scaled and Icy track listing Good Day Choker Shy Away The Outside Saturday Never Take It Mulberry Street Formidable Bounce Man No Chances Redecorate

Versions

Studio

Title	Releas	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Shy Away	Scaled and Icy	2:55	2019-2020	7 May 2024

Background

“Shy Away” is the lead single from Twenty One Pilots' sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy. The song is based on a conversation frontman Tyler Joseph had with his younger brother where he walked him through his creative process for writing a song. It eventually turned into a letter of advice for his brother, encouraging him to pursue his dreams in the music industry. While Tyler did not specify which brother he was referring to in his interview, it is likely he was speaking about Jay Joseph since Jay dropped his first solo music, "Drywall", one month prior to Shy Away’s release.

The track was revealed after multiple posters for the band’s Scaled and Icy Livestream Concert were found on the dmaorg.info website, similar to the way Trench was announced.

Lyrics

Lyrics

Album version

[Verse 1] When I get home You better not be there We're placin' bets you won't [Pre-Chorus] Shed your modesty And the only thing to leave behind Is your own skin on the floor [Chorus] Don't you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Manifest a ceiling When you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Searchin' for that feelin' Just like an "I love you" (Ooh, ooh) That isn't words (Ooh, ooh) Like a song he wrote that's never heard (Ah-ah-ah) Don't you sh… [Verse 2] When you get home You barely recognize the pictures They put in a frame [Pre-Chorus] 'Cause you shed your modesty Don't circle the track Take what you have And leave your skin on the floor [Chorus] Don't you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Manifest a ceiling When you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Searchin' for that feelin' Just like an "I love you" (Ooh, ooh) That isn't words (Ooh, ooh) Like a song he wrote (Ah-ah-ah) That's never heard [Verse 3] When I get home Boy, you better not be there You're long gone [Pre-Chorus] Shed your modesty Don't circle the track Just break the cycle in half And leave your skin on the floor [Chorus] Don't you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Manifest a ceiling When you shy away (Ah-ah-ah) Searchin' for that feelin' Just like an "I love you" (Ooh, ooh) That isn't words (Ooh, ooh) Like a song he wrote (Ah-ah-ah) That's never heard That's never heard (Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah) [Outro] An "I love you" That isn't words Like a song he wrote That's never heard Don't you shy away

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics
Tyler Joseph: "My brother said, ‘Hey, I just want you to show me, from the beginning, how you start a record. How do you start writing a song?’ So I had him over at the studio. A lot of times when I sit down to start, I’ll tap into my phone and I’ll have a bunch of voice memos of ideas that have hit me randomly. Sometimes it’s just a single word, sometimes it’s a melody. I started to build up the track from there, and it turned out that it was talking about wanting him to pursue his dream of chasing music. Most of my songs are very inward, but this is one of the few that I feel like the message is outward, coming from me. The only thing harder than figuring out what your purpose and identity is, is watching someone that you love trying to figure out theirs." —via Apple Music
all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website