Ride

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Ride
Song by Twenty One Pilots from the album Blurryface
ReleasedMay 11, 2015
FormatDigital
Length3:55
Time signature4/4
Tempo75
KeyF# major
ComposerTwenty One Pilots
LyricistTyler Joseph
WriterTyler Joseph
ProducerTyler Joseph, Josh Dun, Ricky Reed
LabelFueled by Ramen
Stream / Buy
Twenty One Pilots track listing
  1. Heavydirtysoul
  2. Stressed Out
  3. Ride
  4. Fairly Local
  5. Tear In My Heart
  6. Lane Boy
  7. The Judge
  8. Doubt
  9. Polarize
  10. We Don't Believe What's On TV
  11. Message Man
  12. Hometown
  13. Not Today
  14. Goner

Ride is the 3rd track on the album, Blurryface as well as the 3rd song on the collaborative EP, TOPxMM

Background

Ride” is about the journey of life. Throughout the song, Tyler’s lyrics indicate he feels like dying is easy, but finding someone or something to live for is life’s challenge, or “ride”. The song contains heavy reggae influences.

The song also contains callbacks to various twenty one pilot songs, including “Heavydirtysoul,” “Lane Boy,” and “Ode To Sleep”.[1]

Versions

Studio

Title Releas Length Recorded Released Notes
Ride Blurryface 3:55 2013 - 2015 11 May 2015
Ride (Demo) 3:34 2013 - 2015
Ride Remix Ft. MUTEMATH TOPxMM 3:49 Nov-Dec 2016 18 Dec 2016 Ride, along with other songs from the Blurryface Era were re-recorded for the TOPxMM EP

Live

Lyrics

Lyrics

Album version
[Verse 1]

I just wanna stay in the sun where I find

I know it's hard sometimes

Pieces of peace in the sun's peace of mind

I know it's hard sometimes

Yeah, I think about the end just way too much

But it's fun to fantasize

On my enemies who wouldn't wish who I was

But it's fun to fantasize

[Chorus]

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride

Takin' my time on my ride

[Verse 2]

"I'd die for you," that's easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them, a bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don't seem to see many bullets comin' through

See many bullets comin' through

Metaphorically, I'm the man

But literally, I don't know what I'd do

"I'd live for you," and that's hard to do

Even harder to say when you know it's not true

Even harder to write when you know that tonight

There were people back home who tried talking to you

But then you ignore them still

All these questions they're for real

Like "Who would you live for?" "Who would you die for?"

And "Would you ever kill?"

[Chorus]

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride

Takin' my time on my ride

[Bridge]

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

[Chorus]

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time

Takin' my time on my ride, woah-oh-oh (Woah, yeah)

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my—

[Outro]

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

I've been thinkin' too much

Help me

EP version
[Verse 1: Tyler Joseph]

I just wanna stay in the sun where I find

I know it's hard sometimes

Pieces of peace in the sun's peace of mind

I know it's hard sometimes

Yeah I think about the end just way too much

But it's fun to fantasize

On my enemies I wouldn't wish who I was

But it's fun to fantasize

[Chorus: Tyler Joseph]

Oh-oh-ohhh, oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride

Oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride

Taking my time on my ride

[Verse 2: Tyler Joseph]

"I'd die for you," that's easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them, a bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don't seem to see many bullets coming through

See many bullets coming through

Metaphorically I'm the man

But literally I don't know what I'd do

"I'd live for you," and that's hard to do

Even harder to say when you know it's not true

Even harder to write when you know that tonight

There were people back home who tried talking to you

But then you ignore them still

All these questions they’re for real

Like who would you live for? Who would you die for?

And would you ever kill?

[Chorus: Tyler Joseph]

Oh-oh-ohhh, oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride

Oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride

Taking my time on my ride

[Bridge: Tyler Joseph, Paul Meany, Paul Meany & Todd Gummerman]

Help me

Help me

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

Help me

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

Help me

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

Help me

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

I've been thinking too much

Help

[Outro: Tyler Joseph]

Oh-oh-ohhh, oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride, oh-oh-ohh

I'm falling so I'm taking my time (Yeah!)

Whoa-oh-oh (Ayyy!)

Taking my time on my ride woah, oh-oh

Oh-oh-ohhh, oh-oh-ohhh I'm falling

So I'm taking my time on my ride, oh-oh-ohh

I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my

Taking

Taking

Taking

I'm taking

Lyrics meaning

Lyrics

I just wanna stay in the sun where I find

I know it's hard sometimes

Pieces of peace in the sun's peace of mind

I know it's hard sometimes

Daylight can provide glimpses of comfort in a perpetual storm of confusion. Instead of having to face dark times and struggle with his doubt, Tyler would rather remain “in the sun” all the time; he would rather be perpetually happy and confident with himself. References to the sun’s warmth and light offering comfort appear in a few of their other songs, including “Drown,” “Taxi Cab,” and “Semi-Automatic.” The sun could be a metaphor for God’s son, Jesus, who called Himself the light. Jesus said in John 16:33:

In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

‭These tribulations could be what Tyler refers to when he sings, “I know it’s hard sometimes.

Tyler has also said in the past that night is when all his insecurities truly affect him, so this line is him begging for night never to come.

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride, oh-woah-woah, I'm fallin'

So I'm takin' my time on my ride

Takin' my time on my ride

The “ride” is a metaphor for his life, much like how life is often referred to as a journey, while “falling” refers to the negative thoughts in both verses. In most of twenty one pilots' songs, “falling” usually means to fall away from faith or be consumed by doubt:

I don’t wanna fall, fall away

—“Fall Away”

I won’t fall in love with falling.

—“Air Catcher”

“Taking my time on my ride” is about life. Tyler knows death is coming for him, so he might as well live while he can and enjoy the life he has.

"I'd die for you," that's easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them, a bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don't seem to see many bullets comin' through

See many bullets comin' through

Metaphorically, I'm the man

But literally, I don't know what I'd do

In reality, having a chance to literally take a bullet for someone is quite improbable. So Tyler looks at it in a different way. Instead of dying for you, he’s going to live for you, which is harder because you have to live for someone with actions, not just words.

Taking a bullet is a metaphor for giving up some part of his comfort or happiness in order to ensure that of the people on his “list”. In the last line he clarifies that, although he can say he will be there, he doesn’t know what will happen, if a situation like that actually came up. It’s simply too extreme to imagine.

[1]

all meanings of the lyrics are taken from the Genius website

Sources