Neon Gravestones by Twenty One Pilots Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Struggle Against Glorifying Darkness
Lyrics
Well, I want you to follow me down to the bottom
Underneath the insane asylum
Keep your wits about you while you got ’em
‘Cause your wits are first to go while you’re problem-solving
And my problem?
We glorify those, even more, when they
My opinion
Our culture can treat a loss
Like it’s a win and right before we turn on them
We give them the highest of praise, and hang their banner from a ceiling
Communicating, further engraving
An earlier grave is an optional way
No
Neon gravestones try to call
(Neon gravestones try to call)
Neon gravestones try to call for my bones (neon gravestones try to call)
Call (For my bones)
Call, call, call
(Call, call)
Call
Call (call)
What’s my problem?
Don’t get it twisted
It’s with the people we praise who may have assisted
I could use the streams and extra conversations
I could give up, and boost up my reputation
I could go out with a bang
They would know my name
They would host and post a celebration
My opinion will not be lenient
My opinion, it’s real convenient
Our words are loud, but now I’m talking action
We don’t get enough love?
Well, they get a fraction
They say, “How could he go if he’s got everything?”
I’ll mourn for a kid, but won’t cry for a king
Neon gravestones try to call
(Neon gravestones try to call)
Neon gravestones try to call for my bones (neon gravestones try to call)
Call (For my bones)
Call, call, call
Promise me this (call, call)
If I lose to myself
You won’t mourn a day
And you’ll move onto someone else
Promise me this
If I lose to myself
You won’t mourn a day
And you’ll move onto someone else
Neon gravestones try to call
(Neon gravestones try to call)
Neon gravestones try to call for my bones
Neon gravestones try to call
(Neon gravestones try to call)
Neon gravestones try to call for my bones
But they won’t get them
No, they won’t get them
They won’t get them
But they won’t get them
Don’t get me wrong
The rise in awareness
Is beating a stigma that no longer scares us
But for sake of discussion
In spirit of fairness
Could we give this some room for a new point of view?
And, could it be true that some could be tempted
To use this mistake as a form of aggression?
A form of succession?
A form of a weapon?
Thinking “I’ll teach them”
Well, I’m refusing the lesson
It won’t resonate in our minds
I’m not disrespecting what was left behind
Just pleading that “it” does not get glorified
Maybe we swap out what it is that we hold so high
Find your grandparents or someone of age
Pay some respects for the path that they paved
To life, they were dedicated
Now, that should be celebrated
In a landscape often painted with the broad brushes of love and heartbreak, Twenty One Pilots opts for a finer point, delving into the murkier depths of societal attitudes toward death and fame. ‘Neon Gravestones’ is a potent critique of how modern culture idolizes the departed, turning tragedy into a twisted form of triumph. Frontman Tyler Joseph doesn’t just navigate these waters; he plunges into the whirlpool.
This track from their 2018 album ‘Trench’ offers a sobering reflection on the consequences of our collective obsession with posthumous recognition—a recognition that gleams like neon over the graves of the lost. Here, we dissect the powerful messages layered within the lyrics, exploring the song’s poignant narrative and the raw challenge it poses to listeners.
The Glorification Game: An Instigation of Controversy
Joseph beckons us to follow him ‘down to the bottom,’ a metaphorical dive into the societal depths where an uncomfortable truth lurks. The ‘insane asylum’ becomes an allegory for a world that has lost its mind, valuing fame even in the wake of death. This ‘game’ we play, Joseph argues, is dangerous, as we commend a loss like it’s a win, right up until the point when the praise turns sour.
With the line, ‘We glorify those, even more, when they,’ the sentence is left unfinished, letting the silence speak volumes. It’s a commentary on the premature adulation we bestow upon the deceased, an unsettling celebration Joseph implores us to scrutinize.
The Exchange of Streams for Screams: A Lure to the Spotlight
Joseph provocatively questions the trade-off between genuine struggles and the potential boost in notoriety, gleaned from both the struggles and, darkly, the cessation of life. ‘I could use the streams and extra conversations; I could give up, and boost up my reputation,’ he confesses, laying bare the morbid allure of martyrdom in an era where every aspect of life—and death—is a spectacle.
It’s a delicate dance over a chasm, illustrating the disturbing thought that one might leverage their own demise as currency in the economy of attention, only to amplify their legacy.
Dissecting the Hidden Message Behind the Call for Bones
The chorus holds the crux of the song, as the ‘neon gravestones try to call for my bones.’ Here neon symbolizes the garishness with which society marks tragedy—a beacon for morbidity that Joseph starkly denounces. He personifies the gravestones, giving them a siren’s call that entices towards a premature end for the allure of remembrance.
But in a resounding retort, Joseph asserts, ‘But they won’t get them,’ firmly denouncing the temptation to succumb to such a fate. It’s a potent reminder of the individual’s power to resist the pull toward darkness that society often romanticizes.
A Plea to the Listeners: Breaking the Cycle
‘Promise me this; If I lose to myself, You won’t mourn a day,’ Joseph implores, demanding of his audience not just passive listening, but an active vow. It’s an adamant refusal to be lionized in the event of his own demise—an attempt to break the cycle of glorification that often perpetuates itself after a high-profile loss.
This request serves as a testament to living life fully without succumbing to the pressures of legacy that often overshadow the value of existence itself. Joseph defies the commonly held virtue of legacy after death, instead promoting the significance of impact and relationship while alive.
Memorable Lines: The King, The Kid, and The Counterproposal
‘I’ll mourn for a kid, but won’t cry for a king,’ Joseph distinguishes between genuine sorrow for the unblossomed lives lost to mental illness and the dramatized mourning of celebrities. It calls into question the sincerity of our grief, challenging us to rethink who deserves our collective empathy in the narrative constructed around death.
He further proposes a shift in our values, ‘Find your grandparents or someone of age, Pay some respects for the path that they paved.’ This is Joseph’s counterproposal—rather than eulogize the ones that glowed briefly and burned out, we should celebrate those who committed to the full marathon of life, highlighting the need to cherish longevity and wisdom over fleeting brilliance.
