Soto 1

Perla Soto

Professor Batty

English 102

12 December 2018

Conquering my demons: Happy Place vs. Sea of Tears

Is there a perfect place that we can go to when negative thoughts lurk around? There are

moments in our lives where we find ourselves consumed by questionable thoughts. Those

thoughts could be positive or negative. The positive thoughts make us smile and the not so

positive ones put our minds in dark places. Some people turn to sports, others turn to religion,

and many turn to music. The song I have chosen to analyze is ​Ode to Sleep​ by Twenty One Pilots

which is about a battle between light and darkness. It is a song that has dark verses and synth

instrumentation that switches back and forth. Both the lyrics and instrumentals are

representations between the happy places and the depressing stages of the artist’s life (Tyler

Joseph). The singer tries to tell us that his mind has wandered into dark territory. In this journey

there are constant troubles with begging to someone/something that may or may not be there.

Although, we do not hear him talking about someone specific he is in a fight between himself

and a higher being because he speaks of voices he must tune out and the one he calls out to gives

no answers. Tyler begins the song by sharing his current place and where his mental and

emotional state is headed.

The first verse of the song puts us on a voyage that is emerged in a sea of emotions. It

commences with a slightly high-pitched synth that is gradually building up; providing us with
 Soto 2

tension and suspense. The synth is layered with a wobble bass, some high-hat cymbals, and

piano keys which as a whole add to the eerie anticipation. Thirty-eight seconds into the intro we

are greeted by Tyler’s rapping. The initial lyrics we are presented with, “I wake up fine and

dandy, / but then by the time I find it handy to rip my heart apart / and start planning my crash

landing ” (1-2) show us that Tyler starts his day feeling optimistic. Through the use of imagery

he creates a picture for the listener by saying that he will rip out his heart. By the action of

ripping out his heart he will not have to feel the emotional pain that is being put into him. This is

an indication that there are conflicting feelings and the positivity is gone. The starting point is

high, where everything seems fine when suddenly something within him changes and it all

crashes down. In this stage he finds himself pleading to someone. There is a question where

Tyler uses symbolism which is directed to the Almighty, about whether a depressed life is a free

life. Accompanied with the negative thoughts is also guilt because he is doubtful in receiving any

answers. One way of controlling or suppressing the many thoughts clouding his mind is by

writing it all out as he says, “some see a pen, I see a harpoon” (12).

We have slowly sailed to the pre-chorus part of this emotional ocean. In section of the

pre-chorus and the chorus the upbeat moods which include a joyful-like tempo and singing are a

form of personification. This is a representation of how the overall song replicates light and

darkness. The instrumentals and voice are being used to describe the mood that Tyler is in at

those moments without it having to be said directly to the listener. In addition, the relaxed tone

of his voice and the tempo in this part are the polar opposite of the first verse. Here we are shown

the starting point of the depressing moments. At night is when Tyler’s most dark thoughts come

to play. Those thoughts keep him awake. He claims to hear voices yelling at him; yelling things
 Soto 3

like “you are gone.” Those voices he hears could be his inner self telling him that he is not

himself or he could be reaching a state of depression where he has completely lost all motivation

in his life. During the mornings, he is positive that he is able to keep the negative thoughts away.

Even with the loss of inspiration he tries to push past all of the thoughts and feelings by finding a

place of warmth and comfort. For instance, when he says, “I’ll set my soul on fire”(13) maybe

he is trying to feel something more than just an empty void.

While being stuck in depression people tend to lose enticement for all things in their lives

and somehow they act as if everything is fine. To the world they are perceived as smiling, joyful

beings and appear to have it all together. As we come to the second verse of the song we once

again are enlightened with the dark tone of the synth, bass, and drums. In this chunk of the song

Tyler is back to rapping. The fast rapping makes it feel as if he is desperately trying to get

something off his chest. The second verse uses imagery and metaphor to convey several

scenarios. For example, the first lines Tyler sings, “On the eve of the day that’s forgotten and

fake”(1). These specific lines are used to represent a significant time where his feelings were

triggered, but nobody saw the reality of the matter. I feel that he could also be talking about the

sadness happening so often that it’s normal for him so he forgets what it’s like to not feel this

way. The example of imagery is displayed through the use of trees, clouds, and masks which is

when he sings, “As the trees, they await, and the clouds anticipate / The start of the day when we

put on our face / A mask that portrays that we don’t need grace”(15-16). Furthermore, the trees

and clouds could mean the people in his life who are not aware of his sincere condition. Tyler

puts on a mask and hides himself from the people around him and claims that every single thing

is “dandy”.
 Soto 4

As we arrive at the last few lines of the second verse Tyler is once more pleading to

someone that will hear him. I take it that he is now in an place of wanting to be liberated from his

melancholic state. Throughout the song we see the changes Tyler undergoes between being

happy and being sad. As a result, he is asking to be forgiven for whatever it is he has done to

deserve this imprisonment of never ending sadness. Also, to me it seems that he is singing about

talking to a higher being because he doesn’t directly say who he’s referring to. What drives me to

that idea is his use of “forgiveness” and when he states, “I’m afraid to tell you who I adore /

Won’t tell you who I’m singing towards / Metaphorically, I am a whore, / and that’s denial

number four” (20-21). I suppose that he does not directly say who this being is because he wants

to keep the intimate connection away from the rest of the world. Lastly, when he calls himself a

whore, I think that ties in with the feeling of guilt. He feels guilty seeing as he is calling out to

someone and when he receives a response he keeps it to himself. If you slightly look at the

situation from a religious point of view one could say that he is making music for the money

rather than to glorify the Almighty; this could be another contributing factor to the depression.

At last, we are able to reach ashore after a long crusade of attempting to decipher lyrics in a

sea of tears. When listened to for the first time this song just sounds weird and cheerful.

However, when listening to it a second time, a third time, and a fourth time that point of view

changes; especially when the lyrics are taken into consideration. The sadness felt by the artist is

represented through fast rapping, dark tones and synths while his content moments are

showcased with less tense vocals that are backed by an upbeat tempo. The genuity of dark

feelings is concealed by metaphoric lyrics and rhythm changes. The song uses personification,

metaphor, imagery, and symbolism which were used to help break down the lyrics and
 Soto 5

instrumentals. Through the use of literary devices we learned that the artist has indeed endured a

decent amount of depression and his way of dealing with it was by speaking with a higher being.

No one should have to assume that their true feelings have to be stowed away and never heard

of. We all go through unpleasant moments in life so why not be there for another soul who is

crying out for help?

 Soto 6

Works Cited

​ ueled By Ramen, 2012. ​Spotify,

Twenty One Pilots. “Ode To Sleep.” ​Vessel, F
https://open.spotify.com/album/2r2r78NE05YjyHyVbVgqFn​.
 Soto 7

Appendix A
1 I wake up fine and dandy,
2 But then by the time I find it handy
To rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing
3 Like an old man's hair receding
4 I'm pleading, "Please, oh please!" on my knees repeatedly asking
Why it's got to be like this, Is this living free?
5 I don't wanna be the one
Be the one who has the sun's blood on my hands, I'll tell the moon
6 Take this weapon, forged in darkness
Some see a pen, I see a harpoon
[Pre-Chorus]
7 I'll stay awake cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight
8 Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling
9 I must have kicked them out, I must have kicked them out
10 I swear I heard demons yelling
Those crazy words they were spelling
11 They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone
[Chorus]
12 But I tell 'em, why won't you let me go
Do I threaten all your plans? I'm insignificant
13 Please tell 'em, you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire, what have I become?
I'll tell 'em
[Verse 2]
14 On the eve of a day that's forgotten and fake
15 As the trees, they await, and clouds anticipate
16 The start of a day when we put on our face
A mask that portrays that we don't need grace
17 On the eve of a day that is bigger than us
But we open our eyes, cause we're told that we must
18 And the trees wave their arms and the clouds try to plead
Desperately yelling, "There's something we need!"
19 I'm not free, I asked forgiveness three times
Same amount that I denied, I three-time MVP'd this crime
20 I'm afraid to tell you who I adore
 Soto 8

Won't tell you who I'm singing towards

21 Metaphorically, I'm a whore, and that's denial number four
[Pre-Chorus]
22 I'll stay awake cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight
23 Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling
24 I must have kicked them out, I must have kicked them out
25 I swear I heard demons yell​ing
Those crazy words they were spelling
26 They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone
[Chorus]
27 But I tell 'em, why won't you let​ me go
Do I threaten all your plans? I'm insignificant
28 Please tell 'em, you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire, what have I become?
[Outro]
29​ ​I'll tell 'em, you have no plans for me, I will set my soul on fire
What have I become? I'll tell 'em, I'll tell 'em, I'll tell 'em
I'll tell 'em, please tell 'em, you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire, what have I become? I'm sorry