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Does anyone else feel like there's two (or more) sides to them? I think it's that. I think the older brother is his alter ego. There's the sad, quiet part of him, but then there's also the boisterous mischevious part of him. No one is ever one thing. People are far more complex than that. Plus the songs called "my blood" so maybe he doesn't want that other side to leave him, becasuse then all he'll be is a sad lonely person. Almost like he's pleading with himself not to lose that part of himself.
I have a theory ... My theory is ... the second boy is Clancy. But there’s more. Ill explain: In the cryptic letters it’s basically implied Tyler needs Clancy and help from others to escape Dema. He struggles with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and lots of insecurities (Dema and Trench). Well.. so does the boy in the video. He’s ‘friend/brother’ is there to help him. Clancy is the opposite of mental health issues. He’s a saviour. Clancy (the friend/brother) helps him throughout the video until you find out... Clancy and the boy wit insecurities are one in the same. To get help from Clancy you have to look within. Ask your friends and family for help, but ultimately you need to try to help yourself too. Everyone has a Clancy within ourselves, and he is brought out when he’s needed most (the boys mum passed away and he needed a friend - his dad got distant {seen drinking and depressed}) - the boy needed a friend so he personified his Clancy as an imaginary friend. Edit: I put escaping Dema and Trench when I only meant Dema. My apologies.
ThatyellowBanditø I only thought about it cuz someone said maybe Clancy is Tyler so I thought about it. Ik it’s probably not correct but I just thought if everyone has their own BlurryFace why not a clancy
Waittttttttt your wrong you know that the older brother “alter ego” is blurry face yeah and the Mc is Clancy. The reason I believe he is blurry face is because the alter ego has a vulture in his hands. It could also be the other way around and the alter ego being a whole different character because the vulture being dead signifying he is one who will end blurry face.
The King if anything The boy is BlurryFace as he’s depressed and insecure and like I said clancy is the ‘opposite’ of BlurryFace. So the alter ego is Clancy. Sticking up for him, helping him, being fun etc. Then it’s shown they are combined. This person has a BlurryFace and has a clancy. Just like Tyler
I saw in the yt comments of the video that the jocks represented his inner demons; once he was able to defeat them on his own, he didn't need the coping mechanism anymore, and that's why the brother disappears right after
I really enjoyed the first video, but this one does seem better put together and better explained. Definitely a good move on your part to do more research. I appreciate you.
It's not his "imaginary brother" guyssss, it's his alter-ego Idk if you knew it, but, when people suffered from a trauma in their life, (in this ocasion in his childhood) like lossing their mother, or familiar problems and they are very insecure and they can't handle the problems alone, they create another personality, like an alter-ego. It's something that the mind create like an emotional defense mechanism to get over from situations. In this case, you can see in the video that the alter-ego was everything that he wasn't, he was doing everything that he couldn't do alone. He was the opposite from his original personality, he was extrovert, more relaxed and messy.
My first thought was Dissociative Personality Disorder as well. The older brother was the "protector" personality that he created when his mother was dying. The whole video is a text book example of DPD, but obviously I respect other interpretations too. I don't think any of them fit quite as well though... 💁
So I finally got the chance to listen to the album and reading the lyrics to song this evening. After watching the video again, I think video is interpreting the chorus in “Morph”. “If I keep moving, they won't know I'll morph to someone else What they throw at me's too slow I'll morph to someone else I'm just a ghost I'll morph to someone else Defense mechanism mode” The brother is a ghost and is his defense mechanism to his depression.
when watching the video, my first thought was that the “brother” represented a form of depression or mental illness in the main character that was brought on by tragedy. the way that he protects the protagonist (tucking him into bed, hugging him, defending him, etc.) shows that oftentimes people with a mental illness like the main character can tend to depend on it, and can wonder what they would even do if they didn’t feel depressed or anxious, like it’s an important part of them (similar to the way tyler seemed to describe the blurryface character from the last era). on the other hand, the older brother also causes problems (harassing the cheerleaders, getting into fights with the jock characters, giving the protagonist a flask at one point, etc.) showing that depression and mental illness can cause people to isolate themselves or distance themselves from the people that could possibly help them. when the older brother disappeared, it could’ve represented the protagonist realizing that he needed help or that he was depending on his tragic past instead of working to move forward. it was such a beautiful video and i LOVE your theory as well. i love that tyler and josh create things that can have so many amazing different meanings and interpretations
Maybe this links to morph. Because of the lyrics "I'll morph to someone else" , maybe the older brother is the alter ego he'll 'morph' to and "defence mechanism mode" . He uses this alter ego to help cope with things.
I agree. And this is off topic, but it kind of goes along with that weird Fight Club/Ferris Beuhler’s day off theory too. Plus, we already know that Tyler linked different music and music videos together, like with the Heathens’ video and the rap to Nico and the Niners.
And in the video the younger brother is always in the shadow of the older one. Like-the things they do is always the older one's idea and the older brother leads the younger to do these stuff. So it also links to the part " i am just a ghost" He is just a ghost of his imaginary older brother because he's doing what his brother does and trying to be more like him
I agree. I don't think it is "very graphic", but it does contain a lot of triggers, and a representation of Tyler and Josh that some fans might be uncomfortable with.
i was so confused and annoyed by people saying it’s a direct link to the forest fic, i’ve never read it but i just think some fans try too hard to make connections to things that don’t really relate and i don’t think tyler would pander to the clique so much, it’s not really his style ?? i don’t know but that’s just me, great video ❤️
Yeah, I would say it isn't a close connection, although it does have some similarities (maybe it's an intentional nod, maybe it's a coincidence, who knows?), it isn't exactly the same, not in the slightest.
I saw it as the two sides of bipolar. One brother is manic and irrational, the other is depressed and reserved. When they come together as the same person at the end. I think it represents him acknowledging his mental disorder brought on by tragedy and trauma. Because his brother shows up as his mother dies representing the start of a bipolar based depression caused by trauma.
I think it is fantastic that you re-shot this video! I watched it the first time, and actually did read the Forest Fic. It wrecked me in a beautifully tragic way, but I agree it likely wasn't directly related to the Trench Album. Seriously, I love your commitment to making sure your videos are fully accuate and listening to your audience!!!
I feel like this is the best one I have seen so far explaining the meaning of the song. It is almost like the guy is both the older brother and the younger and the older brother persona is how he feels free but the younger brother is the sadness he struggles with just like Blurryface
Very cool! I'm getting better at interpretation of the music videos and the songs because we came to a very similar conclusion of the video and a previous song explanation you posted! I think because your videos help me get my creative juices flowing! Keep up the great work!
I think that My Blood, and the video are about how the band protects us from being hurt or hurting ourselves but not by being with us physically and how we help the band members keep their confidence too as a fanbase. Hence the imaginary kid represents tyler and Josh's INFLUENCE on us to keep us encouraged and the lther child represents the kid, who has lost something important to them or just went through something dramatic (like a mother passing away). And becoming reliant on josh and tylers music and feeling like they're there for them. (The imaginary friend) and near the end when the imaginary kid is being attacked, and the real boi goes out it represents how the fanbase is also there for the band in hard times anyhow and will always stick around no matter how long they leave (possibly referencing hiatus). And when the imaginary kid dissapears in the last few sections it shows that the band does help keep us alive, but as I said earlier aren't actually there with us.
The best thing about tøp music is that it can theorized in so many ways. Going to try a Christian/spiritual approach, what if the "older brother" is actually the devil or blurryface? Looks like his mother just passed away so he's really low on himself right now that he's willing to listen to anyone who will give him time. Enter evil- yes it looks like this older entity is helping him out in the beginning but he's doing that to gain his trust. As we progress in the video, the other guy seems to stray the younger one into doing more things that could be viewed as negative in some ppl's eyes. The other guy wants to fight and he keeps telling the younger one to "stay with me" but in the mind of the younger brother/guy, he has this voice which is probably God saying "you don't need him" and basically saying here that if you trust me (God), I'll take care of you. I dunno, lol...just throwing a theory out there and the only reason I'm bringing this up bcuz my view, but Tyler has Christian/Religious elements in all of his songs so far. Thanks!
I like your interpretation of this, I personally see it as the older brother being anyone who truly supports you or the pilots music manifested into a person being there for you no matter what. Like when a loved one passes away people always say “they are watching over you and you are never alone” in that regard I kind maybe thought it was his mom trying to help him be more extroverted and happy through spirit. But I mostly think it’s about how Tyler and Josh will always be there to help the fans through music and no matter what you are going trough the music will be there as an outlet to let you know you aren’t alone and that people care
Great explanation, Clifford! The way I phrased it was that the "older brother" is the way the boy acts, or his bravado, and the "younger brother" is his inner feelings. In the end his bravado lets him down and his raw self comes out to take action. Then he's left with who he really is - his "two faces" reconciled to one person.
Thank you for letting us help to add captions! It may seem like a tiny little thing but it can mean a whole lot to deaf people as it makes your content so much more accessible. I'm not deaf myself but I do try to add captions to videos whenever possible, so thank you :)
I really appreciate all the effort you put into your videos and how you try to explain and interpret not only song lyrics, but also music videos. Thank you, you’re doing very great 😊
i love how i feel so relateable with the vid.I used to have an alter ego i often used or maybe my imaginary twin but it was pretty long time ago.Anyone else can relate?
What are your thought about MY BLOOD Official MV? Here's mine. That kid is prolly Clancy. That was just the introduction of how he got depressed and suddenly made up things (his mom sick and died and his dad suddenly become alcoholic) and Clancy wished he had a brother by his side to cope and to defend him. And that demand of a brother became an obsession that lead him to create his own reality *created this world to feel some control* (just like Donnie Darko and Tyler in Fight Club *coincidence? Think not*)and eventually will be on DEMA with his own bishop to deal with. Rescued by Tyler and Banditos (or his own version of Banditos)
I love the updated interpretation! One thing you forgot to mention is the masks the brothers wear are skeleton costumes - echoing old tøp concerts & the “Dead Come Alive” animation. Easter egg!! 😊
currently discussing what all the songs and videos from Trench mean with my mom. she’s VERY interested, and we’re probably going to learn about what Dema is next. She’s very invested in seeing them in concert this year!! I can hear her watching live performances in the next room rn
Loved your interpretation, I agree. Man, I think that since the song is about his brothers, the little boy helping him can be an example of what brothers do for one another, and so that Tyler and his brothers got each other's back. The story on the video is not Tyler's but like, a story someone out there in the world may have had or is actually having, so the message through it is that brothers help. But, also, how lonely can be for someone to deal with this. We see the boy creating a imaginary coping mecanism like u said, he was doing all those things alone(not sure if he done all of them, cause the scene of him drinking something from a bottle only shows up with the imaginary friend, but not in the final scenes when he is alone, wich can tell a little about his personality, quiet and responsible, someone who would like drink alcohol with a friend just a little to pass time and do dumb things. though he may have done, cause he seem a little drunk sometimes, in the scenes he is alone)
Yesterday, at their concert at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, MI., Tyler addressed the crowd and dedicated the song to his sister and niece who were at the show. He said he wrote it for his baby niece the first time he saw her.
Thank you for your inspiring videos. I was thinking of this being the meaning of it as well! We have all kinds of different parts to ourselves and we can interact with those other alternative characters that we have in our minds to get guidance from them to help us. We can imagine even a real other person as someone that we can interact with - write letters to them and even write a reply back from them pretending to be them. Honestly the best advice I’ve given to myself is when I’ve asked a question to myself as if I’m another person. It works!
It's a best friend relationship. Big Brother and Little Brother... Was a bad influence but grew to be stronger by learning through his older brother. My best friend died a few years ago and my best friend was sort of my father figure... so this brings back memories when we used to do shenanigans just like in the video... He's gone now... But I learned a lot through him
So what I really want to know is how the music video connects with the message of the song, because while I feel like they have similar themes, the messages are contradictory. As in, Tyler sings about his brother, but in the video his brother is imaginary and all that. I do like what the pop song proffesor said about the video's message being about how great brothers are, tho. I know that music videos dont have to have the exact same meaning as the song, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas to how the video might relate more specifically to Tyler (or does it?) And how the message of the song is reflected in the video.
the absolute fantastic in the song, Tyler is saying basically he will always help his brothers, with whatever they need, he has their backs. But in the video, he imagines maybe what it would have been like to grow up alone, and not have brothers around for support. He imagines a character who feels so alone that he creates an imaginary brother to help him.
the absolute fantastic so you know how it ties in? I’ll tell you. The song is written from the perspective of God-he’s telling Tyler he will go w him whenever he goes and not to run. The video reinforces that because the invisible brother goes w him wherever he goes and came to him in his greatest moment of need (when his mom died). It’s all very symbolic and you have to go really deep to get it but it’s there.
Thank you guys for the responses! What you've said definitely makes more sense, and I understand better now 👍. I knew there had to be a connection somehow :)
Gabrielle Rosson Gabrielle Rosson I like ur view of the video and think u may be on to something knowing that Tyler is a believer im just a bit doubtful that the older bro is God bcuz God wouldn't encourage the behavior that the older brother displays and God will never leave us so it doesn't make sense that the older brother is gone or leaves at the end if he was God. Your thoughts?
Instead of an invented imaginary friend to help himself cope through the rough times perhaps this is more a reference to his spirituality that "brother" that is always there, always looking out for him is that of his spiritual relationship with God. The use of "blood", light/dark references as well as "when you find yourself in a Lions den" ...brings up those themes along with Tyler's continual use of his faith in his music to suggest that it isn't a mental invention but perhaps it's his spirituality that keeps him safe. Not a passive friend that is useless but an active one that fights for him
Dan Muckley I thought so at first but God wounldnt encourage the behavior that the older bro does and God never leaves us and the older bro is gone or leaves at the end. Your thoughts?
I take it as no matter if you feel like you don't have anybody there with you...Tyler "will go with you"...is here with us. He will be here for us through our lonely and dark times. I love this video and your opinion though!
The whole video just reminds me of the lyrics to Polarize. “ Polarize is taking your disguises Separating them, splitting them up from wrong and right It's deciding where to die and deciding where to fight Deny, deny, denial”
There is an aspect of this I think you are missing. He didn't really lose his mom and he really does have brothers. I think in some ways this is almost a bit like "Its a wonderful life" wherein he takes this dark look at how life could have been so much worse without family around to have his back. "Stressed out" was literally him wagging his finger at his family for not believing in his dreams, but this is the other end of things where he shows how important family still is to him.
I hate when people say they hate their brother or my life sucks with a brother, but they never really imagine what life would be like without a brother, alone, and especially with a situation that was happening in this music video
I feel like it was representing two different parts of one person, one side being the side that is filled with insecurities and troubles, and the other side who is more careless and free. I don't fully know but it was an observation I had
It's obviously about his brother or about family. The video has a twist where the kid didn't have a brother. It can also symbolize the absence of a brother that you had. Personally, this reaches me because both of my brothers joined the Marine Corps in the same year. So a portion of my childhood was pretty much being an only child. Either way the song represents the dedication and loyalty of family. The song is called 'My Blood' for gods sake. I joined the Marines because of them and this makes that bond even stronger. Without a doubt if any of us are in trouble there's always going to be another Castro to back us up. So many verses are special to me. For example "Did they know I was grown with you?" means a lot to me. Saying 'hey if this guy was grown with me I'm with him no matter what'. It's about family and loyalty.
I've heard some people say that the mom died in childbirth. And because when the kid is alone after the older brother us gone he does some of the stuff that the imaginary older brother does (jump of the fence during the cheer practice, get beaten up by the jocks, hits the mail box). It would make sense that he was imagining his life if the kid was born and healthy.
Anyone else think this whole thing is ironic? The lyrics and video lead you to believe it's about a friend or a family member who is there for you when you need them the most. However, the reality of this was that the boy was his own savior. "When everyone you thought you knew, deserts your fight, I'll go with you". When everyone deserts you then who are you left with?? Yourself. The boy in the end was both the scared boy and also the strong and impulsive "friend". He saved himself and got through the death of his mother by himself. To me that resonates much deeper than just having a friend who is there for you in tough times. In tough times, be the strong version of you and save yourself. That's just my take out of this. Great band ❤
What I concocted after watching the video countless times: The boy has two sides, his depressed and broken side, and his more courageous and rebellious side. After loosing his mom and getting emotionally abandoned by his father, the more broken side of him shows up and controls his life, whilst the stronger side watches on the side, but not without giving him a helping hand and always having his back (and you can see that when he needs to be tucked in and encouraged to do his homework). As the boy grows up he finds a way to cope with the pain by letting his more rebellious side take the weal and control his actions (when he destroyed mail boxes and got into fights). By putting up this carefree and adventurous facade, he feels less vulnerable to the pain. However the side that endured so much heartache still lurked in the background (when he was in the party, yes he seemed like he was having fun, but emotionally he was standing in sidelines watching).
I feel his “brothers” dont just include his 2 actual brothers, but could also include josh as well. I mean if we’re following this trend in trench, it seems josh has time and time again been there for Tyler (at least in the music vids), and maybe this is Tyler’s way of saying he’s got josh’s back just as much as josh has Tyler’s. I feel it could also be something towards his sister as well, or even his wife (or just family). It is after all his blood, his kin, and it seems he would do anything to protect it. And I think you’re right, about the imaginary brother. Life is definitely better with a sibling (in my case my sister lol), but yes clearly it’s a sibling helping him get through the loss of his mother and have a way to deal with the stress. That part totally caught me off guard. Thank you so much for these explanation vids, I love analyzing music. I wish you were a professor at my school omg I would take your class multiple times just to talk about Twenty One Pilots!
The driveway part and probably some others was about a story Tyler heard when he was younger about his cousins and one was Loud and Obnoxious and The other one was Quiet and Kept to himself and the football players came up to the driveway and started yelling for the quiet one and the loud one came out and was getting beat up and little did they know the Quiet one was a black belt. Some part might be wrong but that’s basically what he had said about that :)
Could it also be that the older brother is real and the last part is him thinking about his life without his brother? Like, "Wouldn't it suck if I didn't have my brother in my life." I think it encourages us to value the bonds we have with our family because you never know how long you will get to be with them on this earth.
Yo I have a crazy idea about my blood's mv. They use skeleton suits which can directly connect to vessel. And in my blood, we hear the phrase stay alive with me which we can remember truce stay alive for me. The mv of truce is mostly piano without any beats from drums and some of the concert scenario "memories" which is tyler enjoying and josh playing his drums, we can directly relate this to the imaginary friend/brother of the protagonist. I think this is the strongest hint that josh isn't real in dema universe and even though tyler is aware that josh is not real, josh is also the reason why tyler is staying alive. It is just my idea.
The band was asked their favorite movies in an interview. Tyler said Donnie Darko. Josh said Fight Club. I think there are elements of both in this video. I think the video addresses the idea of “dark part of my thoughts” - that’s what the older brother represents. It’s why we need each other. It’s why we need Clancy and the Banditos.
Great explanation but I also think that there's another message behind this mv, I strongly believe that the oldest brother doesnt really exist because just the young brother can save himself, even thought he was defeated he made it, the older brother is just a part of his personality that has never come out until the moment he really was in danger.
I was thinking that it's like an echo of the whole 'Josh isn't, real Tyler made him up' that plays in a lot of their old music videos, but with other people
NOTE: I've only watched the music video a couple of times and am not following all of TØP's symbollism. Going with what you said and also framing it in my perspective: I believe this older brother was created as a coping mechanism (like you said) to SURVIVE. This communicates the deep level of pain that the boy was feeling from the chaos in his life (death of mother, loneliness, neglect of distracted father, confusion, etc). This explains why the older brother (coping mechanism to survive) was introduced at this point in the story. The fantasy-bond and magical thinking of having an older brother responds directly to the pain the little boy was experiencing (nurture of a mother (tucked in bed), no longer alone (community), protection of a father (strength), no longer confused (leadership and guidance)). However, the older brother was not excused from the story shortly after the death of the mother. As the pain and hurt grew with the boy, so too did the surviving mechanism of an imaginary older brother grow to provide continual comfort. The older brother being a separate person is most appropriate, as the personality of the little boy that was represented by the older brother was not the 'true self' of the little boy. The older brother is the embodiment of the 'false self' of the little boy, the person created and necessitated out of situation to survive the pain. So in one sense the older brother IS the little boy (as this was the false self created to survive pain), but in another sense the older brother IS NOT the little boy (as the little boy was not able to be who he truly is in an environment without pain -- he had to create someone he was not to survive the pain). This creates more confusion for the boy, as he grew and developed, someone other than his natural self in a non-painful environment developed and became who he knew himself to be. I have a lot more to say and expand on, but it's nearly 1am and I'm typing on a phone.
Have you ever thought of doing videos on EDEN? He is a great artist with lots of depth and emotion. I highly suggest making a video on some of his songs from his album vertigo. Also I know there's lots of overlap with Eden fans and tøp fans
Ok so here is my theory... At the end of the levitate video tyler is being draged away by Dema/Blurry Face by the neck. I think this is still part of that (maybe like a dream). In the video the two main guys are not tyler and josh, but they are in the video. In the video they are in yellow; the color the banditos wear to kind of defeat/distract Dema/Blurryface. Also in the video the jocks are wearing red white and black like Dema. In the video when you see tyler and josh they are playing their music. I feel like that symbolizes both them distracting the jocks and helping the younger boy with his depression (simbolized by the older boy.) After he listens to the music and is influenced by it the he leaves seemingly happy (or happier) so when the jocks/Blurry Face end up following him he can fight back against the depressive thoughts. And that is why the older boy dissapears because he can fight the depressive thoughts and tendencies that he was so close to and influenced by.
Josh has mentioned that one of his favorite movies is Fight Club. If I'm being honest, the video comes off to be very reminiscent in the Narrator and Tyler Durdan relationship from the movie. The difference is...you could say the video has a more uplifting ending than what actually happened in Fight Club..?
🚨Songwriters, don't forget the How to Write Lyrics Like Twenty One Pilots Course!
how-to-write-lyrics-like-twenty-one-pilots.teachery.co/sign-up-now
➡️ Learn to be true to your ideas
➡️ Write raps like Tyler Joseph
➡️ Learn how to come up with non-cheesy ideas
➡️ Learn how to connect with listeners!
➡️ Beat writer's block and actually get your lyrics out there!
I do agree with you! I feel bad for the "little brother". :(
Does anyone else feel like there's two (or more) sides to them? I think it's that. I think the older brother is his alter ego. There's the sad, quiet part of him, but then there's also the boisterous mischevious part of him. No one is ever one thing. People are far more complex than that. Plus the songs called "my blood" so maybe he doesn't want that other side to leave him, becasuse then all he'll be is a sad lonely person. Almost like he's pleading with himself not to lose that part of himself.
Autumn Rose good theory
Maybe, maybe not
Thats what I thought of
Autumn Rose that’s what I was thinking!!!
Autumn Rose I see this wow
I have a theory ... My theory is ... the second boy is Clancy. But there’s more. Ill explain:
In the cryptic letters it’s basically implied Tyler needs Clancy and help from others to escape Dema. He struggles with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and lots of insecurities (Dema and Trench). Well.. so does the boy in the video. He’s ‘friend/brother’ is there to help him. Clancy is the opposite of mental health issues. He’s a saviour. Clancy (the friend/brother) helps him throughout the video until you find out... Clancy and the boy wit insecurities are one in the same. To get help from Clancy you have to look within. Ask your friends and family for help, but ultimately you need to try to help yourself too. Everyone has a Clancy within ourselves, and he is brought out when he’s needed most (the boys mum passed away and he needed a friend - his dad got distant {seen drinking and depressed}) - the boy needed a friend so he personified his Clancy as an imaginary friend.
Edit: I put escaping Dema and Trench when I only meant Dema. My apologies.
i thought about this too! great minds think alike amirite
Wow that’s such a good theory. I think it sounds good. Not sure if you are correct but it’s a solid theory
ThatyellowBanditø I only thought about it cuz someone said maybe Clancy is Tyler so I thought about it. Ik it’s probably not correct but I just thought if everyone has their own BlurryFace why not a clancy
Waittttttttt your wrong you know that the older brother “alter ego” is blurry face yeah and the Mc is Clancy. The reason I believe he is blurry face is because the alter ego has a vulture in his hands. It could also be the other way around and the alter ego being a whole different character because the vulture being dead signifying he is one who will end blurry face.
The King if anything The boy is BlurryFace as he’s depressed and insecure and like I said clancy is the ‘opposite’ of BlurryFace. So the alter ego is Clancy. Sticking up for him, helping him, being fun etc. Then it’s shown they are combined. This person has a BlurryFace and has a clancy. Just like Tyler
I saw in the yt comments of the video that the jocks represented his inner demons; once he was able to defeat them on his own, he didn't need the coping mechanism anymore, and that's why the brother disappears right after
I really enjoyed the first video, but this one does seem better put together and better explained. Definitely a good move on your part to do more research. I appreciate you.
It's not his "imaginary brother" guyssss, it's his alter-ego
Idk if you knew it, but, when people suffered from a trauma in their life, (in this ocasion in his childhood) like lossing their mother, or familiar problems and they are very insecure and they can't handle the problems alone, they create another personality, like an alter-ego. It's something that the mind create like an emotional defense mechanism to get over from situations.
In this case, you can see in the video that the alter-ego was everything that he wasn't, he was doing everything that he couldn't do alone. He was the opposite from his original personality, he was extrovert, more relaxed and messy.
Good point here!
My first thought was Dissociative Personality Disorder as well. The older brother was the "protector" personality that he created when his mother was dying. The whole video is a text book example of DPD, but obviously I respect other interpretations too. I don't think any of them fit quite as well though... 💁
A defence mechanism mode
He lost his sister
Chris Graves morphed in to a extrovert
So I finally got the chance to listen to the album and reading the lyrics to song this evening. After watching the video again, I think video is interpreting the chorus in “Morph”.
“If I keep moving, they won't know
I'll morph to someone else
What they throw at me's too slow
I'll morph to someone else
I'm just a ghost
I'll morph to someone else
Defense mechanism mode”
The brother is a ghost and is his defense mechanism to his depression.
Andrew Kemplin Yes, it seems it relates to Morph
Yess it’s what it was thinking
My mind still doesn’t get this.
Yes.
Andrew Kemplin morph should have a music video and that should be the sequel to my blood lol
when watching the video, my first thought was that the “brother” represented a form of depression or mental illness in the main character that was brought on by tragedy. the way that he protects the protagonist (tucking him into bed, hugging him, defending him, etc.) shows that oftentimes people with a mental illness like the main character can tend to depend on it, and can wonder what they would even do if they didn’t feel depressed or anxious, like it’s an important part of them (similar to the way tyler seemed to describe the blurryface character from the last era). on the other hand, the older brother also causes problems (harassing the cheerleaders, getting into fights with the jock characters, giving the protagonist a flask at one point, etc.) showing that depression and mental illness can cause people to isolate themselves or distance themselves from the people that could possibly help them. when the older brother disappeared, it could’ve represented the protagonist realizing that he needed help or that he was depending on his tragic past instead of working to move forward. it was such a beautiful video and i LOVE your theory as well. i love that tyler and josh create things that can have so many amazing different meanings and interpretations
Big fan of this theory c:
Nice one
You are killing it with the uploads today wow
PSP: *makes tweet about tøp*
Tøp: *likes the tweet*
PSP: "This must be canon"
Me: Lesson Learned?
Professor: Ya...Never rush into things, specially when it comes to explain Tyler Joseph's poetries.
Maybe this links to morph. Because of the lyrics "I'll morph to someone else" , maybe the older brother is the alter ego he'll 'morph' to and "defence mechanism mode" . He uses this alter ego to help cope with things.
I agree. And this is off topic, but it kind of goes along with that weird Fight Club/Ferris Beuhler’s day off theory too. Plus, we already know that Tyler linked different music and music videos together, like with the Heathens’ video and the rap to Nico and the Niners.
And in the video the younger brother is always in the shadow of the older one. Like-the things they do is always the older one's idea and the older brother leads the younger to do these stuff. So it also links to the part " i am just a ghost" He is just a ghost of his imaginary older brother because he's doing what his brother does and trying to be more like him
I'll say it again, you can't dislike perfection
Never saw the first video, but I have to say this is the first time where a teacher of any sort has encouraged me to NOT read something.
lolololol ikr
Robdeltonie lol I’m crying😂😭😭
Yeah you shouldn't read that forest fanfic 😂😂😂
Him talking about the forest fic saying “it’s very very graphic” he has clearly not read other fanfics😂
I agree. I don't think it is "very graphic", but it does contain a lot of triggers, and a representation of Tyler and Josh that some fans might be uncomfortable with.
i was so confused and annoyed by people saying it’s a direct link to the forest fic, i’ve never read it but i just think some fans try too hard to make connections to things that don’t really relate and i don’t think tyler would pander to the clique so much, it’s not really his style ?? i don’t know but that’s just me, great video ❤️
Yeah, I would say it isn't a close connection, although it does have some similarities (maybe it's an intentional nod, maybe it's a coincidence, who knows?), it isn't exactly the same, not in the slightest.
I saw it as the two sides of bipolar. One brother is manic and irrational, the other is depressed and reserved. When they come together as the same person at the end. I think it represents him acknowledging his mental disorder brought on by tragedy and trauma. Because his brother shows up as his mother dies representing the start of a bipolar based depression caused by trauma.
Brandenmusic2 This seems like a good interpretation. Older brother does seem manic.
Brandenmusic2 i thought the same thing...
@@TokyoBlue587 Nah he's just more fun and not a prude like the other brother.
"I don't recommend you read the forest fanfic"
* goes and reads forest fanfic *
I think it is fantastic that you re-shot this video! I watched it the first time, and actually did read the Forest Fic. It wrecked me in a beautifully tragic way, but I agree it likely wasn't directly related to the Trench Album. Seriously, I love your commitment to making sure your videos are fully accuate and listening to your audience!!!
PSP: "Life's better with brothers"
Me: "PFFTTTT! UR WRONG"
I feel like this is the best one I have seen so far explaining the meaning of the song. It is almost like the guy is both the older brother and the younger and the older brother persona is how he feels free but the younger brother is the sadness he struggles with just like Blurryface
How do you not have 10 million subs?!?
Tbh i thought he had at least a million, he is so good he deserves it
He should have more subs than pewdiepie
ThatyellowBanditø ok that's too far
Darth Wakan twenty one pilots don’t even have ten million
Aj Garcia yeah but he makes more content than just 21 Pilots
Lol the forest fic story gave me chills in the end
Same
where can i read it?
It's on Wattpad
It's on AO3 by Solochaos
chills? bro i was in tears
Very cool! I'm getting better at interpretation of the music videos and the songs because we came to a very similar conclusion of the video and a previous song explanation you posted! I think because your videos help me get my creative juices flowing! Keep up the great work!
I think that My Blood, and the video are about how the band protects us from being hurt or hurting ourselves but not by being with us physically and how we help the band members keep their confidence too as a fanbase. Hence the imaginary kid represents tyler and Josh's INFLUENCE on us to keep us encouraged and the lther child represents the kid, who has lost something important to them or just went through something dramatic (like a mother passing away). And becoming reliant on josh and tylers music and feeling like they're there for them. (The imaginary friend) and near the end when the imaginary kid is being attacked, and the real boi goes out it represents how the fanbase is also there for the band in hard times anyhow and will always stick around no matter how long they leave (possibly referencing hiatus). And when the imaginary kid dissapears in the last few sections it shows that the band does help keep us alive, but as I said earlier aren't actually there with us.
The best thing about tøp music is that it can theorized in so many ways. Going to try a Christian/spiritual approach, what if the "older brother" is actually the devil or blurryface? Looks like his mother just passed away so he's really low on himself right now that he's willing to listen to anyone who will give him time. Enter evil- yes it looks like this older entity is helping him out in the beginning but he's doing that to gain his trust. As we progress in the video, the other guy seems to stray the younger one into doing more things that could be viewed as negative in some ppl's eyes. The other guy wants to fight and he keeps telling the younger one to "stay with me" but in the mind of the younger brother/guy, he has this voice which is probably God saying "you don't need him" and basically saying here that if you trust me (God), I'll take care of you. I dunno, lol...just throwing a theory out there and the only reason I'm bringing this up bcuz my view, but Tyler has Christian/Religious elements in all of his songs so far. Thanks!
I like your interpretation of this, I personally see it as the older brother being anyone who truly supports you or the pilots music manifested into a person being there for you no matter what. Like when a loved one passes away people always say “they are watching over you and you are never alone” in that regard I kind maybe thought it was his mom trying to help him be more extroverted and happy through spirit. But I mostly think it’s about how Tyler and Josh will always be there to help the fans through music and no matter what you are going trough the music will be there as an outlet to let you know you aren’t alone and that people care
Great explanation, Clifford! The way I phrased it was that the "older brother" is the way the boy acts, or his bravado, and the "younger brother" is his inner feelings. In the end his bravado lets him down and his raw self comes out to take action. Then he's left with who he really is - his "two faces" reconciled to one person.
Thank you for letting us help to add captions! It may seem like a tiny little thing but it can mean a whole lot to deaf people as it makes your content so much more accessible. I'm not deaf myself but I do try to add captions to videos whenever possible, so thank you :)
Thumbnail=my exact reaction to the music video
Personally it feels like a tribute to donny darko and fight club
Isaiah Elsworth The guys said once those were their favorite movies
I really appreciate all the effort you put into your videos and how you try to explain and interpret not only song lyrics, but also music videos. Thank you, you’re doing very great 😊
The PSP/TOPProfessor really putting all his time and effort into making sure his videos have the best possible explanations. We stan.
Wow this thumbnail is absolutely AMAZING
Who else cried for TRENCH
how can he be so calm about having his tweet liked by them? I would literally die
i love how i feel so relateable with the vid.I used to have an alter ego i often used or maybe my imaginary twin but it was pretty long time ago.Anyone else can relate?
What are your thought about MY BLOOD Official MV?
Here's mine. That kid is prolly Clancy. That was just the introduction of how he got depressed and suddenly made up things (his mom sick and died and his dad suddenly become alcoholic) and Clancy wished he had a brother by his side to cope and to defend him. And that demand of a brother became an obsession that lead him to create his own reality *created this world to feel some control* (just like Donnie Darko and Tyler in Fight Club *coincidence? Think not*)and eventually will be on DEMA with his own bishop to deal with. Rescued by Tyler and Banditos (or his own version of Banditos)
I love the updated interpretation! One thing you forgot to mention is the masks the brothers wear are skeleton costumes - echoing old tøp concerts & the “Dead Come Alive” animation. Easter egg!! 😊
currently discussing what all the songs and videos from Trench mean with my mom. she’s VERY interested, and we’re probably going to learn about what Dema is next. She’s very invested in seeing them in concert this year!! I can hear her watching live performances in the next room rn
I will come with my 7 8 & 12 year old family members and meet you GLADLY. Love your channel
Loved your interpretation, I agree. Man, I think that since the song is about his brothers, the little boy helping him can be an example of what brothers do for one another, and so that Tyler and his brothers got each other's back. The story on the video is not Tyler's but like, a story someone out there in the world may have had or is actually having, so the message through it is that brothers help. But, also, how lonely can be for someone to deal with this. We see the boy creating a imaginary coping mecanism like u said, he was doing all those things alone(not sure if he done all of them, cause the scene of him drinking something from a bottle only shows up with the imaginary friend, but not in the final scenes when he is alone, wich can tell a little about his personality, quiet and responsible, someone who would like drink alcohol with a friend just a little to pass time and do dumb things. though he may have done, cause he seem a little drunk sometimes, in the scenes he is alone)
Great explanation! Love it. Thanks for being so on top of everything!
Yesterday, at their concert at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, MI., Tyler addressed the crowd and dedicated the song to his sister and niece who were at the show. He said he wrote it for his baby niece the first time he saw her.
Thank you for your inspiring videos. I was thinking of this being the meaning of it as well! We have all kinds of different parts to ourselves and we can interact with those other alternative characters that we have in our minds to get guidance from them to help us. We can imagine even a real other person as someone that we can interact with - write letters to them and even write a reply back from them pretending to be them. Honestly the best advice I’ve given to myself is when I’ve asked a question to myself as if I’m another person. It works!
My first reaction I thought the older brother was his high ego side of the younger brother.
It's a best friend relationship. Big Brother and Little Brother... Was a bad influence but grew to be stronger by learning through his older brother. My best friend died a few years ago and my best friend was sort of my father figure... so this brings back memories when we used to do shenanigans just like in the video... He's gone now... But I learned a lot through him
thank you for re-uploading this!!
So what I really want to know is how the music video connects with the message of the song, because while I feel like they have similar themes, the messages are contradictory. As in, Tyler sings about his brother, but in the video his brother is imaginary and all that. I do like what the pop song proffesor said about the video's message being about how great brothers are, tho. I know that music videos dont have to have the exact same meaning as the song, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas to how the video might relate more specifically to Tyler (or does it?) And how the message of the song is reflected in the video.
the absolute fantastic in the song, Tyler is saying basically he will always help his brothers, with whatever they need, he has their backs. But in the video, he imagines maybe what it would have been like to grow up alone, and not have brothers around for support. He imagines a character who feels so alone that he creates an imaginary brother to help him.
the absolute fantastic so you know how it ties in? I’ll tell you. The song is written from the perspective of God-he’s telling Tyler he will go w him whenever he goes and not to run. The video reinforces that because the invisible brother goes w him wherever he goes and came to him in his greatest moment of need (when his mom died). It’s all very symbolic and you have to go really deep to get it but it’s there.
Thank you guys for the responses! What you've said definitely makes more sense, and I understand better now 👍. I knew there had to be a connection somehow :)
Gabrielle Rosson Gabrielle Rosson I like ur view of the video and think u may be on to something knowing that Tyler is a believer im just a bit doubtful that the older bro is God bcuz God wouldn't encourage the behavior that the older brother displays and God will never leave us so it doesn't make sense that the older brother is gone or leaves at the end if he was God. Your thoughts?
You're gonna be FAMOUS !!!!
Dude I can't thank you enough for existing in my life 💜
Instead of an invented imaginary friend to help himself cope through the rough times perhaps this is more a reference to his spirituality that "brother" that is always there, always looking out for him is that of his spiritual relationship with God. The use of "blood", light/dark references as well as "when you find yourself in a Lions den" ...brings up those themes along with Tyler's continual use of his faith in his music to suggest that it isn't a mental invention but perhaps it's his spirituality that keeps him safe. Not a passive friend that is useless but an active one that fights for him
Dan Muckley I thought so at first but God wounldnt encourage the behavior that the older bro does and God never leaves us and the older bro is gone or leaves at the end. Your thoughts?
I take it as no matter if you feel like you don't have anybody there with you...Tyler "will go with you"...is here with us. He will be here for us through our lonely and dark times. I love this video and your opinion though!
Thanks for the explanation! I really thought that this was about the forest fic but this video just cleared all of that up.
"I really don't want to talk about the forest fic right now"
lol gotta keep it family friendly 😂
Fight Club was the one of the first things that I came to mind when I saw the end of the video
im glad you re-made this video :)
“Partially inspired” that was like the whole point of the fight club movie
wait you have 100k subs?
That was a lot more then you had a few momths ago..
Been here since 3000 subs so that was a surprise
I had to hold back my tears because we were on a school trip and then went home and bawled my eyes out
The whole video just reminds me of the lyrics to Polarize.
“ Polarize is taking your disguises
Separating them, splitting them up from wrong and right
It's deciding where to die and deciding where to fight
Deny, deny, denial”
If I got a tweet liked by tøp, I would pass out in disbelief.
I go to sleep and you uploaded another 2 videos?! awesome
There is an aspect of this I think you are missing. He didn't really lose his mom and he really does have brothers. I think in some ways this is almost a bit like "Its a wonderful life" wherein he takes this dark look at how life could have been so much worse without family around to have his back. "Stressed out" was literally him wagging his finger at his family for not believing in his dreams, but this is the other end of things where he shows how important family still is to him.
I hate when people say they hate their brother or my life sucks with a brother, but they never really imagine what life would be like without a brother, alone, and especially with a situation that was happening in this music video
I feel like it was representing two different parts of one person, one side being the side that is filled with insecurities and troubles, and the other side who is more careless and free. I don't fully know but it was an observation I had
It's obviously about his brother or about family. The video has a twist where the kid didn't have a brother. It can also symbolize the absence of a brother that you had. Personally, this reaches me because both of my brothers joined the Marine Corps in the same year. So a portion of my childhood was pretty much being an only child. Either way the song represents the dedication and loyalty of family. The song is called 'My Blood' for gods sake. I joined the Marines because of them and this makes that bond even stronger. Without a doubt if any of us are in trouble there's always going to be another Castro to back us up. So many verses are special to me. For example "Did they know I was grown with you?" means a lot to me. Saying 'hey if this guy was grown with me I'm with him no matter what'. It's about family and loyalty.
I've heard some people say that the mom died in childbirth. And because when the kid is alone after the older brother us gone he does some of the stuff that the imaginary older brother does (jump of the fence during the cheer practice, get beaten up by the jocks, hits the mail box). It would make sense that he was imagining his life if the kid was born and healthy.
Yay it’s back!!
Anyone else think this whole thing is ironic? The lyrics and video lead you to believe it's about a friend or a family member who is there for you when you need them the most. However, the reality of this was that the boy was his own savior. "When everyone you thought you knew, deserts your fight, I'll go with you". When everyone deserts you then who are you left with?? Yourself. The boy in the end was both the scared boy and also the strong and impulsive "friend". He saved himself and got through the death of his mother by himself. To me that resonates much deeper than just having a friend who is there for you in tough times. In tough times, be the strong version of you and save yourself. That's just my take out of this. Great band ❤
What I concocted after watching the video countless times:
The boy has two sides, his depressed and broken side, and his more courageous and rebellious side.
After loosing his mom and getting emotionally abandoned by his father, the more broken side of him shows up and controls his life, whilst the stronger side watches on the side, but not without giving him a helping hand and always having his back (and you can see that when he needs to be tucked in and encouraged to do his homework).
As the boy grows up he finds a way to cope with the pain by letting his more rebellious side take the weal and control his actions (when he destroyed mail boxes and got into fights). By putting up this carefree and adventurous facade, he feels less vulnerable to the pain. However the side that endured so much heartache still lurked in the background (when he was in the party, yes he seemed like he was having fun, but emotionally he was standing in sidelines watching).
I feel his “brothers” dont just include his 2 actual brothers, but could also include josh as well. I mean if we’re following this trend in trench, it seems josh has time and time again been there for Tyler (at least in the music vids), and maybe this is Tyler’s way of saying he’s got josh’s back just as much as josh has Tyler’s. I feel it could also be something towards his sister as well, or even his wife (or just family). It is after all his blood, his kin, and it seems he would do anything to protect it. And I think you’re right, about the imaginary brother. Life is definitely better with a sibling (in my case my sister lol), but yes clearly it’s a sibling helping him get through the loss of his mother and have a way to deal with the stress. That part totally caught me off guard. Thank you so much for these explanation vids, I love analyzing music. I wish you were a professor at my school omg I would take your class multiple times just to talk about Twenty One Pilots!
Thx for re uploading
The driveway part and probably some others was about a story Tyler heard when he was younger about his cousins and one was Loud and Obnoxious and The other one was Quiet and Kept to himself and the football players came up to the driveway and started yelling for the quiet one and the loud one came out and was getting beat up and little did they know the Quiet one was a black belt.
Some part might be wrong but that’s basically what he had said about that :)
during the music video the older brother is what he's doing but the younger brother is actually how he feels inside while doing these things.
Song is amazing meaning is touching....thanks for the video explanation
Could it also be that the older brother is real and the last part is him thinking about his life without his brother? Like, "Wouldn't it suck if I didn't have my brother in my life." I think it encourages us to value the bonds we have with our family because you never know how long you will get to be with them on this earth.
Yo I have a crazy idea about my blood's mv. They use skeleton suits which can directly connect to vessel. And in my blood, we hear the phrase stay alive with me which we can remember truce stay alive for me. The mv of truce is mostly piano without any beats from drums and some of the concert scenario "memories" which is tyler enjoying and josh playing his drums, we can directly relate this to the imaginary friend/brother of the protagonist. I think this is the strongest hint that josh isn't real in dema universe and even though tyler is aware that josh is not real, josh is also the reason why tyler is staying alive. It is just my idea.
The color scheme of the lights and Josh's haircut in the party match their RAB color scheme
I think ur right actually. I’ve heard a lot of people say Josh doesn’t exist in Dema
I think this video it's actually about the relationship between god and tyler.
That would explain a lot
I love that everyone has their own theory
The my blood video is also the death in the a car a torch a death story.
Glacial Viper can you explain?
The band was asked their favorite movies in an interview. Tyler said Donnie Darko. Josh said Fight Club. I think there are elements of both in this video. I think the video addresses the idea of “dark part of my thoughts” - that’s what the older brother represents. It’s why we need each other. It’s why we need Clancy and the Banditos.
Great explanation but I also think that there's another message behind this mv, I strongly believe that the oldest brother doesnt really exist because just the young brother can save himself, even thought he was defeated he made it, the older brother is just a part of his personality that has never come out until the moment he really was in danger.
Best vid ever... My Blood, no joke, this is me Fav
I was thinking that it's like an echo of the whole 'Josh isn't, real Tyler made him up' that plays in a lot of their old music videos, but with other people
NOTE: I've only watched the music video a couple of times and am not following all of TØP's symbollism. Going with what you said and also framing it in my perspective:
I believe this older brother was created as a coping mechanism (like you said) to SURVIVE. This communicates the deep level of pain that the boy was feeling from the chaos in his life (death of mother, loneliness, neglect of distracted father, confusion, etc). This explains why the older brother (coping mechanism to survive) was introduced at this point in the story. The fantasy-bond and magical thinking of having an older brother responds directly to the pain the little boy was experiencing (nurture of a mother (tucked in bed), no longer alone (community), protection of a father (strength), no longer confused (leadership and guidance)).
However, the older brother was not excused from the story shortly after the death of the mother. As the pain and hurt grew with the boy, so too did the surviving mechanism of an imaginary older brother grow to provide continual comfort.
The older brother being a separate person is most appropriate, as the personality of the little boy that was represented by the older brother was not the 'true self' of the little boy. The older brother is the embodiment of the 'false self' of the little boy, the person created and necessitated out of situation to survive the pain. So in one sense the older brother IS the little boy (as this was the false self created to survive pain), but in another sense the older brother IS NOT the little boy (as the little boy was not able to be who he truly is in an environment without pain -- he had to create someone he was not to survive the pain). This creates more confusion for the boy, as he grew and developed, someone other than his natural self in a non-painful environment developed and became who he knew himself to be. I have a lot more to say and expand on, but it's nearly 1am and I'm typing on a phone.
go on please
instead of reading the fan fic because its "too graphic" you can also watch a fan animatic based of of the forest fic. its really good!
The first time I saw this music video I thought the football players killed the older brother😂🤣 lol
Woah I got chills when you said that at 5:39
🔥🔥 Pop song professor spiting some hot fire on forest fanfic, damn son 🔥 🔥
I feel great about myself as I watched the original video. I’m a true pop song professor fan 🙌 but I love this one even more
Have you ever thought of doing videos on EDEN? He is a great artist with lots of depth and emotion. I highly suggest making a video on some of his songs from his album vertigo.
Also I know there's lots of overlap with Eden fans and tøp fans
I got on the livestream a third of the way through so I had no idea what was going on 😂 but it was good from what I saw lol
Ok so here is my theory... At the end of the levitate video tyler is being draged away by Dema/Blurry Face by the neck. I think this is still part of that (maybe like a dream). In the video the two main guys are not tyler and josh, but they are in the video. In the video they are in yellow; the color the banditos wear to kind of defeat/distract Dema/Blurryface. Also in the video the jocks are wearing red white and black like Dema. In the video when you see tyler and josh they are playing their music. I feel like that symbolizes both them distracting the jocks and helping the younger boy with his depression (simbolized by the older boy.) After he listens to the music and is influenced by it the he leaves seemingly happy (or happier) so when the jocks/Blurry Face end up following him he can fight back against the depressive thoughts. And that is why the older boy dissapears because he can fight the depressive thoughts and tendencies that he was so close to and influenced by.
"they put on masks so they won't recognize them" definitely some guns for hands mv vibes
Josh has mentioned that one of his favorite movies is Fight Club. If I'm being honest, the video comes off to be very reminiscent in the Narrator and Tyler Durdan relationship from the movie. The difference is...you could say the video has a more uplifting ending than what actually happened in Fight Club..?
Glad you included the Fight Club part :D
You’ve got a new subscriber 😊👍🏻
I was looking for this last night ;)
This video makes me realize that I should call my brother more often. I'm lucky to have a great older brother!