It's been over three years since the release of twenty one pilots' Blurryface, but their new album, Trench is worth every minute's wait. Trench showcases broad musical development but still holds tight to the twenty one pilots tradition of complex, confusing, and contemplative lyrics. Here are the best lyrics from each of the fourteen songs on the album:
1. Jumpsuit: "Spirits in my room, friend or foe?/Felt it in my youth, feel it when I'm old."
"Jumpsuit" gets Trench off to a firecracker start, and this lyrics encapsulates the action and duality of the track.
2. Levitate: "I know I shouldn't say this/But a curse from you is all that I would need right now, man."
"Levitate" advocates confrontation. This lyrics expresses a push for truth and proof, even if it comes at the cost of a curse.
3. Morph: "For 'if' is purely panic and 'when' is solemn sorrow/And one invades today while the other spies tomorrow."
For a twenty one pilots song, "Morph"'s message is less difficult to decipher, talking about death, dying itself, and what happens after. This lyric from the first verse introduces many of the concepts struggled with throughout the rest of the song.
4. My Blood: "Did they know I was grown with you?/If they're here to smoke, know I'll go with you."
"My Blood" shows the power of loyalty and friendship, and the kind of love that means you would fight, kill, and die to keep your friend safe.
5. Chlorine: "I've been tested like the ends of/A weathered flag that's by the sea."
"Chlorine" is musically one of the more upbeat songs on the album, in which Tyler Joseph sings about the challenges of songwriting. This lyric paints a clear visual of the creative process.
6. Smithereens: "For you, I'd go/Write a slick song just to show you the world."
"Smithereens" is the love song we've been waiting for. It's sweet with a double helping of twenty one pilots quirky. This moment in the song grounded and self-referential without being too cocky.
7. Neon Gravestones: "We give them the highest of praise, and hang their banner from a ceiling/Communicating, further engraving/An earlier grave is an optional way."
"Neon Gravestones," my personal favorite from the album, attacks society's romanticizing of suicide and the dangers of glorifying those who have committed suicide. Although the whole song is chock-full of thought-provoking lyrics, this one concisely sums up the issues with putting people on a pedestal after they commit suicide.
8. The Hype: "It might take some friends and a warmer shirt/But you don't get thick skin without getting burnt."
"The Hype" gives the listener some tough love, telling them to push through despite mental and physical difficulties.
9. Nico and the Niners: "What I say when I want to be enough/What a beautiful day for making a break for it."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M2gWRMj0Y4&feature=youtu.be
Within the narrative of Trench, this song serves as a rallying cry for the banditos, urging the listeners to break free and seek what help they need.
10. Cut My Lip: "Though I am bruised/Face of contusions/Know I'll keep moving."
The idea of pushing through adversity is a strong theme in Trench, and "Cut My Lip" offers some of the most upfront encouragement and inspiration on the album.
11. Bandito: "Either way it helps to hear these words bounce off of you/The softest echo could be enough for me to make it through."
In "Bandito," the protagonist that connects Trench learns to accept his responsibilities and comes to terms with the perils ahead of him. These lyrics express the feeling that finding connections with other people in the midst of loneliness can be the defining factor in whether or not you "make it."
12. Pet Cheetah: "[This clique] could make him afraid of his music/And be scared to death he could lose it."
This is one of the moments on the album that relates more directly to twenty one pilots itself than to the story of Trench. Here, Joseph vulnerably reveals his fears that twenty one pilots' new music might not live up to the expectations left by "Blurryface."
13. Legend: "You're a legend in my own mind/My middle name, my goodbye."
"Legend," is an ode to Joseph's grandfather. He was unable to finish the song before his grandfather died, so this song serves as an ode, eulogy, and goodbye.
14. Leave the City: "In time, I will leave the city/For now, I will stay alive."
While much of Trench is about victory, much is also about insecurity, an ongoing, and an uncertainty of tomorrow. "Leave the City" wraps up the album with the idea that sometimes you don't know. And until you do, if you ever do, you have to hold on, to live.
