I don’t know if this one has a right answer D. It’s definitely surface level what you were talking about,blood being thick and family bond. But the video suggests it’s about the coping mechanisms we come up with when we go through trauma. His mom dies, and he creates this invisible brother to process life with. Crazy the one he creates in his mind is the opposite of his own personality, almost as if to counterbalance himself. For Tyler‘s personal level, it might even speak to struggles with depression and staying alive (stay with me my blood). I could even see him talking about this from a faith standpoint, calling Jesus “my blood”. He talks about the lions den (a biblical reference), and almost reiterates the ideas of God never leaving our side no matter what is happening. All that said, you’re right! Fire song, video and meaning. Undeniable as usual.
Once Tyler dedicated this song to his niece (his sister got kids before him). The music video is a story in it's own (doesn't belong the lore). The boy imagined he had a brother, because his mother died and dad started drinking.
Great song, this video has so many layers. Yes I think he created his “ brother “ so cope with losing his mom, dad drinking, being bullied ect. But yes I feel it’s still about family. Tyler once said that he was at his cousins house when something like that happened. So that inspired the idea. Also Tyler was asked if he had to live in a video what one would he pick. He said my blood because he’s just playing music, as we saw at the party. He goes on to say how the other videos he’s usually dealing with much more, like the dema lore videos ect. Great choice
You almost had it, but the song itself can have many interpretations. Can be a blood relative, another person you love like a blood relative, a self-confidence anthem i.e. I will follow my dreams and not wallow in depression or dark thoughts, etc. My best interpretation of the video is the child's mother is passing away at the start, and he then creates an imaginary brother as a coping mechanism. Through the following montage, it appears he needs to battle this in his own mind as his father is seemingly drinking to deal with his pain and therefore you can imagine the relationship between the 2 is probably not great. While it is a coping mechanism to the pain, you can see it's NOT GREAT to be going through life this way, as the kid seems to be getting into fights, doing his own drinking, basically exhibiting self-destructive behavior. Too bad his imaginary brother wasn't some nerd haha.
There is no "almost having it" whatever he takes from this song and video is totally valid. Hate this weird gatekeeping side of the clique that has to have everything their own way
No gatekeeping here: he literally said "I thought I had it" and wanted comments to try and figure it out. I never try to tell people how THEY should interpret art, just sharing w.r.t. the popular/likely interpretation. This video is also literally recreating a famous movie twist so in this case specifically there waa an intentional angle they were going for.
I’m pretty sure when Tyler sings “stay with me, my blood. You don’t need to run” live, he points to his wrist which may represent self harm and the fact that your blood doesn’t need to run
This is another one that has multiple meanings, so you can’t go wrong. Tyler has said that he was thinking of his niece when he wrote it-so family for sure. But the video points to something else- and he wrote the treatment for the video. Having 2 sides to himself is a common theme in his songs of course. And he does reference self-harm in his lyrics and performances, so the idea of his actual blood running is also on the mark. I think the video was inspired by Fight Club. The guys have talked about that movie in interviews before. Tyler is a genius at keeping lyrics open to interpretation and wrapping them in earworm music!
Okay I was not planning on crying this early in the morning but here I am lol This video has a special place in my heart. Countless are the times when I had no one to pick me up other than myself. There have been times when I had to Morph into someone else like the song says because my life depended on it. My children are lucky to have me, and i will always be by their side no matter what, but not everyone runs with the same luck.
He developed a imaginary brother to help him after his mom passed away and an alcholholic absent father, you can see the imaginary brother helping him with his homework while the father drinks
Yeah, this video blew my mind when it got to the end too. But such a fire song. ✌🏻(Loving sharing your journey D.) * this can also harken back to an old song (Polarize, where he sings the refrain “I wanted to be a better brother, better son” ) you can find call backs to lots of his songs.
love how groovy this song is! tyler said he wrote this song after his sister had her first baby, who was the first grandchild on his side of the family, and he was feeling super proud and protective. he said the line about 'people posting up at the end of your driveway' was a story about his cousins. The more confident one mouthed off a rival football team and the quieter brother knew karate and defended him when the team turned up at their house looking for a fight. Tyler said he knows his hands are too soft to punch anyone so he added a bat to the story for him to defend his family 🤣 different to the story in the video but interesting to know how it originated.
This is one of my favorite songs of theirs. You have a special meaning to me because one of my closest Brothers isn't even blood but we were raised together and looked out for each other much like in the video. It hits home and I'll always love this song. That being said I haven't watched your reaction yet but I will as soon as I get out of class
I know this video is 2 months old-ish, but for the music video it is in fact that he never had a brother (7:43). His mom passed away when he was young, and it's only briefly shown but his dad was never really close to him after that and even turned to drinking to cope with his wife's death. And so, he probably imagined he had a brother in order to cope with that loneliness and loss.
I think this is their best kind of rock song. I think Tyler was learning to play more bass during this time of the journey. I can imagine he's shown how it's like be a loner and trying everything to make up an alliance with himself to be stronger in the tough times growing up. 💔
My thinking on the video is slightly different. Knowing Tyler is a fan of the movie Fight Club the imaginary person could be an alter-ego, like Tyler Durden was. But as usual it's probably 'yes and' rather than 'either or'.
Love watching the pieces connect as you go through their journey! My favorite thing about their music is it can have so many different meanings; there can be a line that’s lore-related and also not at the same time. Fascinating stuff. Trench is my fav album, can’t wait till you get to Bandito |-/
okay so when they hired the director, they were looking for "a fight club treatment". the brother-type isn't real. there's actually fourish scenes in here that are directly copied from fight club as an homage. that said, the brother type is real in ways that matter. the alter ego allows him to be who he needs to be in certain situations -- it humanizes and romanticizes blurryface as someone who can maybe help you get by in life, even if they didn't always have your best interests at heart. *edited to say: tyler says this song was written with the first blood of his blood in mind, his neice mia. that being said, he an his brother zack (who is VERY unpopular among the fanbase) are irish twins and tight as anything their whole lives, and when tyler posted this song on instagram for the first time he posted the first part of the logo (|-/) as just |- his brother zack responded with the corresponding / to finish the logo, beginning a precedent/setting an example between creator/fans.
This song can be interpreted in more than one way, and I have read a few over the years that made perfect sense. You did a good job reflecting on this song. For me, well, I usually don't listen to it, because it makes me cry (it did again). My brother died in a hit-and-run motorcycle crash. He was my big brother, my protector, my hero. I struggle with his loss every day. This song was amazing when I first heard it, but now it crushes me. Tyler is such an amazing song writer.
7:43 that’s it! He never had a brother. Maybe imaginary brother to get him though the tough times in his life. Total awesome twist at the end. I think there’s a parallel with the inner struggle between two sides if oneself as well.
It's interesting to see different reactions to this song, because someone else said from the first line (about everyone you thought you had deserting you) that it happened to him where he was going through rough times, tried to reach out to family and friends for help and they basically ghosted him. He had to pull himself through his troubled times and is his own support. Keeping your blood with you, meant that he didn't further hurt himself, to come out on top. If you've been through shit and had nobody there for you, you might see the song that way, with the "brother" being himself, supporting himself. If you've had support, you might interpret the song as your blood/family/friends being there with you in hard times.
You're good. You're interpretation is perfect for the lyrics. They, mostly Tyler, just like to mess with us giving us an alternative meaning in the video. I'm never what I like I'm double-sided And I just can't hide I kinda like it When I make you cry 'Cause I'm twisted up I'm twisted up Inside my mind.
Yes! Loved watching you be surprised at the twist! And you got it:) The more you think about it, the more it will click. If you go back and watch again knowing the ending, you'll see that the imaginary brother isn't just missing from the scenes, the actions are all being done by one person. There's so many layers to this. I agree with what's been commented thus far. I like to see this as creating that alter ego/coping mechanism to help us deal with things. And, like in the vid, they aren't always healthy coping skills. He got into trouble a good bit. Reminds me of Goner when Tyler sings I've got two faces, Blurry's the one I'm not, I need your help to take him out.... My fave line from this song is When you find yourself in the lion's den, I'll jump right in and pull my pin. I always think of the unconditional connection I have with my bff. We'd do anything for each other. We all need that. You'll hear later in this album that In Trench we're not alone. So true. 💛||-//💛
I think your reaction is perfect!!Most of us thought the same things... This video is inspired in the movie "Fight club" (Josh's favourite one)...buuut.. as always, It's art, man, you can make your own interpretation... For me there is more than one option... some related to the Dema lore and narrative... others, a completely different direction... but, again... this is the wonderful thing about art!! Hugs from Buenos Aires!!👽💀✨🎶💖
As always this can mean what ever resonates with you most. I see it from this perspective… you know that kid that is just seen as a trouble maker, antisocial etc this is a defence mechanism and acting out is their way of coping with inner problems. I see this video as showing those two sides of the person the boy who went through the trauma of losing mother & having an absent father. I just realised watching you react & thinking on this that my blood MV can be linked to Heathens ‘You don't know the half of the abuse’ Anyway that’s what I get. The song is definitely about being there for those that you consider blood…. Actual family or not. Josh and Tyler are not brothers but in so many ways they are even more than that. Favourite thing about trench? I was totally surprised by how much Tyler’s vocals changed up. It surprised me especially in this .. when I heard the high notes in my blood I was like woah!!
I’ll be honest with you I’ve always seen this song as my blood, my family, my husband, my kids those are the people that all fight for and even if I know they’re probably gonna regret something I’m gonna back them up and I’m gonna go with them into that lions denthe video I think he makes up the Brother because it shows how much we actually need our loved ones
You had the song right. The video just subverts expectations with the twist that the kid made up his brother. It's really sad that the kid is all alone so he has to pretend that he has someone there for him.
You are right about the song. The video is a separate message. The video is a standalone story. The kid couldn’t cope with the death of his mother so a new part of his personality came to light. Deep down he was the shy and reserved kid. But the pain and trauma he feels from his mom’s death creates this whole other persona that’s the “troublemaker”. It’s more of a comment on how trauma as a kid can cause mental health and behavior issue. And in the end he is sad and lonely.
So I also got thrown for a loop watching this video initially. I’m a newer fan. Liked them casually before and have now become obsessed. Anyway watching again for the second time with you, I have an idea. The quiet older brother… the clue is that the one left alone at the end is in the skeleton costume. He’s in the clique. Tyler is an older brother (so is Josh). Tyler knows the fans struggle. You’re going through tough times and maybe you’re alone. Your big brother is there quietly pulling for you, giving you strength, sometimes being the voice of reason. Also you totally nailed the vibe when he came out with the bat and you paused it. Tyler told a story in an interview about something very similar to that happening with his older cousins. The one who was quiet and reserved came out to fight for the brother who’d pissed some people off being rowdy. Love to watch you love twenty one pilots.
I love the bass line. It goes hard. But then Tyler funks it up and brings that falsetto. That he marries those two together so successfully. It's so Twenty One Pilots.
This is the only video they've done that doesn't feature Tyler and Josh as the main characters - everybody below is right that the younger bro made up the older bro to cope NBC Sunday Night Football also used to use this bass line on their broadcasts
1 love your channel and your reactions ❤ 2 the chorus always sounded like something Prince would do 3 my interpretation of the video is that his brother passed when he was young, but even though his body was gone, his blood was still with him. All the moments of anger and acting out were moments of pain and channeling his blood, his brother, the strength and support he felt even for a short time in their youth stayed with him. Our blood never leaves us, how we carry them is up to us ❤
