My Blood
My Blood represents t0p’s ability to create a sense of belonging and community for their listeners. Not unlike many of their other songs the lyrics can be interpreted in several different ways. Indeed the beauty of twenty one pilots is that the true meaning of most of their music in totality from albums to live performances lies within the beholder.
Do you need a loved one to go with you? Do you need to go with yourself? Do you need to go with God? One thing is certain: you may be able to get through the vicissitudes of life alone, but it’s a hell of a lot easier if you have some willing and loving company.
Tyler has recounted that part of the inspiration for this song was a real life experience in which he quipped that if he were to have to defend someone he loved he would need a bat. But the song is much more significant and expansive than a one-liner, as adorable as Tyler is. My Blood is a snug blanket on a chilly night, but it’s also the sleeve of your hoodie soaking up tears before they run down your chin. It warms the soul, uplifts the spirit, and gives the emotionally dampened a reason to levitate.
Josh’s performance is otherworldly. One of the myriad reasons Josh works in such perfect symbiosis with Tyler is that he drums with the same fearless movement changes and syncopation that the duo infuse into the instrumentation and vocalizations. Josh’s drumming is essential. With all due respect to the original drummer of t0p’s first iteration who did a spirited job on the self-titled album, I often imagine how much more the overall sound of the record would be enhanced by Josh’s take on those songs.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Palahniuk-esque music video. Its own interpretation of this song is moving and evocative.
We are twenty one pilots, and so are they.
t0pthoughts 