Meaningful Music #2: Neon Gravestones by Twenty One Pilots

Many songs have been written over the years about struggles with depression or the grief that follows when someone has taken their own life. “Neon Gravestones” stands apart for how it critically evaluates the way our culture treats the subject of “self-deletion.” Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun of alternative rap duo, Twenty One Pilots, call out subtle deception with defiant resistance. 

The Problem

“And my problem?

We glorify those even more when they...”

“We” refers to the leaders of the culture, the influencers, whether that be celebrities or the media. Tyler and Josh are aware that they are highly influential, especially with youth, so they include themselves here. The problem is that, whether intentionally or not, the influencers have collectively glorified suicide. That word, or any of its synonyms, never appears in this song, and that is clearly intentional. As they want to emphasize , they are “just pleading that ‘it’ does not get glorified.”

“Neon gravestones” represent the glamorization of self-inflicted death. They appear beautiful and tempting, but they are a deception. 

“What's my problem?

Don't get it twisted

It's with the people we praise who may have assisted”

This song is not meant to be an indictment of those who have taken their own lives, but rather of those who have communicated that “an earlier grave is an optional way.” 

The Temptation 

“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”

As a famous musician, Tyler Joseph confesses that it is tempting to truly make a name for himself by taking his own life at the height of his fame. He could be “legendary,” like others before him who have gone that route. If he dies a natural death much later in life, it will go unnoticed by most, and only those who truly love him will care. 

“Promise me this

If I lose to myself

You won't mourn a day

And you'll move onto someone else”

Joseph urges us to not reward him if he should give in to the temptation. It is better that he should be forgotten. The phrase, “lose to myself” is meant to convey that giving in is failure. It is not heroic. It should not be celebrated. While it may be unrealistic to ask his fans to not mourn in such a situation, this can be seen as him wanting an easier way forward. The thought of millions of people mourning for him could feed his pride and be his own “neon gravestone.” If he knew that wouldn’t happen, perhaps he wouldn’t be so strongly tempted. 

Resistance 

“Neon gravestones try to call for my bones

But they won't get them

No, they won't get them”

Joseph is defiant against the cultural pressures. He has decided he will not let the enemy win!

“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”

The message communicated by cultural elites is dangerous, and the young are especially vulnerable. Joseph is taking a stand for himself, but also for his listeners, that they will not be deceived. By calling attention to this battle, and by choosing his side, he is empowering others to join him. Together, we will resist the temptation and fight for our own lives and the lives of others, because life itself is worth fighting for!

“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!”

How do we show our defiance? We celebrate life itself in the midst of a culture of death. We choose to live, and we give honor to those who have shown us how to do so. They are the ones we ought to look up to. If we exchange our defeated heroes for those who never stopped fighting, we can likewise learn to fight every temptation to give up and give in. 

Conclusion 

As one of the most influential artists for young people today, it is greatly encouraging that Twenty One Pilots are using their platform to promote positive, life-affirming messages. “Neon Gravestones” is just one of a growing catalog of meaningful songs they have written that are making a difference in people’s lives. More of this, please!

More Meaningful Music:

1. "The End of the Innocence" by Don Henley

Meaningful Music #1: The End of the Innocence by Don Henley

To inaugurate this series, I can think of no song more personally appropriate than “The End of the Innocence.” This is where my love for music was truly born. 

It was the summer of 1989. I just suffered my first panic attack after my parents convinced me to ride the “parachute ride” at Knotts Berry Farm in Southern California. That event would lead to countless episodes of crippling situational anxiety, which occur to this day. Soon after, I remember going clothes shopping for “back to school,” and hearing a beautiful song with an intriguing piano hook being played from the speakers of that department store. I didn’t comprehend the meaning at the time, but I could tell it was meaningful.

“Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by”

Growing up in what I will call a “moderately fundamentalist” home, rock music, even Christian rock, was a no-no. Flashback five years prior, my three older brothers and I took an interest in watching the music video show on our local TV station. I know it must’ve been 1984 because both Van Halen’s and The Pointer Sisters’  songs called “Jump” were in the rotation. We all seemed to enjoy it, but my Dad gave us a talk one day about how sinful it was to listen to those songs. Going forward, I carried my Dad’s conviction that this music was wicked and remember throwing a fit a few years later when I rode home from church one day with my oldest brothers while they listened to a secular pop rock station. But something changed that day in the department store. This wasn’t “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” This was moving. This wasn’t hedonistic or devil-worshiping. This was meaningful music!

“When happily ever after fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales”

While “The End of the Innocence” doesn’t really “rock,” it opened my mind to the possibility that there could be good songs in popular music. I had enjoyed what I grew up with, but this was the first time I had really loved music.

In retrospect, “The End…” was the perfect song to represent what was happening in this moment of my life. As children, we look up to our parents in a way that is unrealistic. We trust their every word. I believed my parents were right in all that they taught me. My parents were right that I was physically safe on the parachute ride. Unfortunately, they were wrong in assuring me that I would be OK. The myth of parental infallibility died that day, and the door was opened to question what I was told.

In Christian tradition, it is often believed that children become accountable for their sins around the age of 12 or 13, and I happened to be 12 when this all took place. The innocence of childhood had been shattered by the effects of a sin-fallen world as experienced through the evil of psychological trauma. In its place was the forming of my own identity, shaped by my upbringing, but differentiated. I was becoming my own person.

“But somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us”

As I reflect on this time in my life, I do not hold any resentment towards my parents. I could take the uncharitable route and blame them for mistakes they made. I could assume the worst intentions in those areas where we disagree. Or I can recognize that they wanted what is best for me, and made choices they believed were in my best interest. It is in my best interest to step outside my comfort zone. It’s tragic that I was traumatized by something most people would not be bothered by, and they could not have known that was a danger in my case. I also want my son to be brave and try things that are a little scary. 

As for the warnings against popular music, I can see the wisdom in that as well, even if I have taken a different approach. I cannot deny that much of popular music is corrupt, and the industry itself promotes all sorts of wickedness for profit. The same is true of the entertainment industry more broadly. The difference between myself and my parents is that the approach they would take towards movies and television, by judging each work individually and finding value in those that have good messages overall, I have also applied to music. Do I find value in an artist’s work, even if I don’t approve of every lyric they have written or everything they say or do away from their music? Often times, yes. It’s OK to judge each work on a case-by-case basis. I don’t have to endorse Don Henley’s politics or personal behavior to be able to say that this song has brought something beautiful into my life, and I am thankful for it!

While my love for “The End of the Innocence” didn’t translate to a love for all things Don Henley, I would very soon after discover “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins. That song would develop into a love for Phil’s music, and especially for Genesis, who would become my favorite band and influence my musical taste more than any other artist.