I am an early Millennial and I have been a major fan of Twenty One Pilots since one of my lifelong friends, also an early Millennial, turned me on to the band around 2018. At the time, he told me that they are now the most popular band in history. Interestingly, I see very little written about them outside of the fan community. Your article is, I think, the first I have seen.
I have a totally different theory about this song. I believe that "Car Radio" is talking about our atheistic society and how the connection with God has been stolen from us by a cabal. The "Car Radio" is our connection to God:
"And there's faith and there's sleep
We need to pick one please because
Faith is to be awake and to be awake is for us to think"
... Not exactly the lyrics that one would expect from the standard atheistic (or Satanic) modern performer who is pushing the narrative.
Also of note is the fact that their new album, "Clancy," ties together the narrative arc of several previous albums into a story that appears to me to be a metaphor for Gnostic Christianity.
Just my take ... The band is notoriously cryptic.
I was fortunate enough to see them live in 2019, right before the world turned truly upside-down. I have seen dozens of bands live -- big name rock performers -- but never anything like this. The energy, the enthusiasm, the total connection between performers and audience was second to none.
Lastly, I want to point out that many of their songs explicitly discuss, confront, and discourage suicidal ideation in favor of an embrace of life. Truly, their music has been inspirational to millions and, according to the comments on their videos, saved many, many lives. It isn't the standard industry fare, and the fact that it resonates so strongly with the younger generations gives me a lot of hope.
I have had zero shots and Car Radio makes perfect sense to me.
But I'm Australian and wake up to the sound of screaming in my head every morning because there is a fully-staffed giant empty covid quarantine camp up the road from me that no one is talking about. They're even keeping the lawn watered at the camp.
The police swarmed and beat people nearly to death for not wearing masks while smug socialites drank wine on their balconies and laughed, filming it for TikTok.
Someone I know was disappeared into maximum security prison for two weeks with no paperwork because he wasn't wearing a mask and mouthed off to the cops - his cellmate suicided. They also tried to enter my house without a warrant because my 'house was suspicious.' All legal under the state of emergency.
Wow, just watched Car Radio and no I don't think that it is meant to be satire. It is brilliant and dark but it is also incredibly agitated. I hope that there will be peace in the future for those who have been injured. Acknowledging that they have been injured in the first place is the first step in that direction and the covid disaster might at least help with that part of it. People are beginning to distrust all vaccines and that is only going to grow. But I do feel a deep sense of sadness for all the young people who have been impacted by this iatrogenic catastrophe who have no idea why this is happening to them. And if things can be out in the open perhaps some of that brilliance that some have managed to be high functioning can be applied to the problem of how to detox so many. And to detox our environment and let Nature's wisdom be our guiding light in our regeneration of the Earth's soils. I am writing this over a year after this post and still we wait for this to be out in the open for all to see. When will we wake up?
This aligns with the Bertrand Russell quote I'm sure you've heard before: "Diet, injections, and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the authorities consider desirable, and any serious criticism of the powers that be will become psychologically impossible."
The other big part of it is education and conditioning through the culture industry.
I just re-watched this video and Tyler does not make eye contact (except for a brief second) in the first half of the video, then he has the (collective) meltdown, and then at the end of the video he's calm again and makes eye contact with the camera. Interesting.
I'm completely unvaccinated, but I'm surprised at how much of the depth of this song and video I completely understood and related too. It's hard to explain; it is a dark energy. Truly bittersweet.
I'm 27.
I wonder if I relate and understand this because of a life of battling a drug addiction - clean now. But just a thought as to why this makes sense to an unvaxxed person.
My 34yo eldest grandson is on the autism spectrum. He still lives with his parents because he can't keep a job longer than 24 hrs. He is now on disability. It all seem to start when he was 9yo. He went from doing well in school to exhibiting Tourette's, chewing on his T-shirts and spitting. He was easily brought to anger that caused him to smash walls. I tried to get my daughter to get him tested & counseling but that took 20 years. Now he has a counselor & spends most of his time playing music he composes. Before CV19 hit, he attended music classes at the local community college. It turns out he has an uncle on his father's side who is on the spectrum but can function in society. I think my grandson's autism was triggered by too many vaccines!
Can anyone direct me to some good USA Substack authors doing skeptical statistical analysis on the pandemic/vaccines? I find my subscription list full of UK authors, though I live in the USA. I am not sure why. Do they just have more available data that we don't? Or did I just wander off in the wrong direction?
I have often wondered why those in charge who must by now know exactly what they are doing would still be so eager to bear the overwhelming societal costs of so many vaccine injuries.
On the other hand, f you wanted to create a legion of remorseless Auschwitz guards and executioners
Finally watched the video. Disturbing is the only word that comes to mind. Instead of making me feel good it made me feel uncomfortable. Then it started to make me feel psychotic. Then I felt angry and scared. I’ve never liked music that doesn’t make me feel good. I can feel bad just turning on the news. Why would I turn on music that makes me feel angry or uncomfortable in my own skin. Could it be the shots?? Gosh. I don’t know. I know my kids are not the kids I raised up. They all have many Health problems which is strange. Mental health and physical health. Environment certainly plays a role and yes I do believe the shots do too. No way anyone can prove it and they know it. So on it goes. My kids will be taking the boosters soon and I fear this will just exaggerate all the health problems they already have. I’m deeply sad as there is nothing I can do or say to change their minds. I’m vax free by the way and they hate it!
You've really blown me away with this article. I had not heard much of this band and I teach instrumental music to kids - often playing music from 'their' experience. They tend to be into most things current, and at 2013, they would find this a bit dated - but, I plan to ask my students if they've seen this video and what they think it is about - just out of curiosity.
The video seems eerily prophetic somehow. What will this generation make of life in this society? Will they demand something different? Are they even capable of understanding the world I grew up in (it was a little easier to stay connected to ourselves 'organically').
Just this morning, I was strangely calculating how many of my students are either on the spectrum, exhibit spectrum traits, show evidence of cognitive difficulty or suffer with depression.
I've seen it for years - the kids I started teaching in 1987 are not the same as we have now.
It is refreshing to see this discussion being openly had about the effects of medical interventions and other toxins (mainly in our food supply) on our biology. In my circles, if I were to comment openly about these things I would lose half of my students (some of which have MD's as parents). Awesome insight Toby, thanks!
I see: aloneness, isolation, and a total unknowing when it comes to emotion— how to relate to feeling.
Im over 35 snd couldn’t relate to this video at all. It seems fragmented, a bit scary (what with the mask, and all those people celebrating the guy wearing it); also scary in the unnatural on/off switch that turns the whole crowd on/off.
There’s also an element of darkness here thats disturbing. Lime the order of life has been interrupted.
I am an early Millennial and I have been a major fan of Twenty One Pilots since one of my lifelong friends, also an early Millennial, turned me on to the band around 2018. At the time, he told me that they are now the most popular band in history. Interestingly, I see very little written about them outside of the fan community. Your article is, I think, the first I have seen.
I have a totally different theory about this song. I believe that "Car Radio" is talking about our atheistic society and how the connection with God has been stolen from us by a cabal. The "Car Radio" is our connection to God:
"And there's faith and there's sleep
We need to pick one please because
Faith is to be awake and to be awake is for us to think"
... Not exactly the lyrics that one would expect from the standard atheistic (or Satanic) modern performer who is pushing the narrative.
Also of note is the fact that their new album, "Clancy," ties together the narrative arc of several previous albums into a story that appears to me to be a metaphor for Gnostic Christianity.
Just my take ... The band is notoriously cryptic.
I was fortunate enough to see them live in 2019, right before the world turned truly upside-down. I have seen dozens of bands live -- big name rock performers -- but never anything like this. The energy, the enthusiasm, the total connection between performers and audience was second to none.
Lastly, I want to point out that many of their songs explicitly discuss, confront, and discourage suicidal ideation in favor of an embrace of life. Truly, their music has been inspirational to millions and, according to the comments on their videos, saved many, many lives. It isn't the standard industry fare, and the fact that it resonates so strongly with the younger generations gives me a lot of hope.
Hi Toby
on the two year anniversary of your Car Radio article, I wrote this.
https://unbekoming.substack.com/p/music-and-lyrics
Once you hear it, you cannot unhear it.
I have had zero shots and Car Radio makes perfect sense to me.
But I'm Australian and wake up to the sound of screaming in my head every morning because there is a fully-staffed giant empty covid quarantine camp up the road from me that no one is talking about. They're even keeping the lawn watered at the camp.
The police swarmed and beat people nearly to death for not wearing masks while smug socialites drank wine on their balconies and laughed, filming it for TikTok.
Someone I know was disappeared into maximum security prison for two weeks with no paperwork because he wasn't wearing a mask and mouthed off to the cops - his cellmate suicided. They also tried to enter my house without a warrant because my 'house was suspicious.' All legal under the state of emergency.
It goes on and on 'but it was a good thing.'
I am Blurryface and I care what you think.
Is “silent disco” a remedy to their anxiety?
Wow, just watched Car Radio and no I don't think that it is meant to be satire. It is brilliant and dark but it is also incredibly agitated. I hope that there will be peace in the future for those who have been injured. Acknowledging that they have been injured in the first place is the first step in that direction and the covid disaster might at least help with that part of it. People are beginning to distrust all vaccines and that is only going to grow. But I do feel a deep sense of sadness for all the young people who have been impacted by this iatrogenic catastrophe who have no idea why this is happening to them. And if things can be out in the open perhaps some of that brilliance that some have managed to be high functioning can be applied to the problem of how to detox so many. And to detox our environment and let Nature's wisdom be our guiding light in our regeneration of the Earth's soils. I am writing this over a year after this post and still we wait for this to be out in the open for all to see. When will we wake up?
This aligns with the Bertrand Russell quote I'm sure you've heard before: "Diet, injections, and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the authorities consider desirable, and any serious criticism of the powers that be will become psychologically impossible."
The other big part of it is education and conditioning through the culture industry.
I just re-watched this video and Tyler does not make eye contact (except for a brief second) in the first half of the video, then he has the (collective) meltdown, and then at the end of the video he's calm again and makes eye contact with the camera. Interesting.
I'm completely unvaccinated, but I'm surprised at how much of the depth of this song and video I completely understood and related too. It's hard to explain; it is a dark energy. Truly bittersweet.
I'm 27.
I wonder if I relate and understand this because of a life of battling a drug addiction - clean now. But just a thought as to why this makes sense to an unvaxxed person.
This is what I call real deep thinking
Very inspiring article... If you are right, I wonder what would be like for vax free kids to live in that kind of world..
My 34yo eldest grandson is on the autism spectrum. He still lives with his parents because he can't keep a job longer than 24 hrs. He is now on disability. It all seem to start when he was 9yo. He went from doing well in school to exhibiting Tourette's, chewing on his T-shirts and spitting. He was easily brought to anger that caused him to smash walls. I tried to get my daughter to get him tested & counseling but that took 20 years. Now he has a counselor & spends most of his time playing music he composes. Before CV19 hit, he attended music classes at the local community college. It turns out he has an uncle on his father's side who is on the spectrum but can function in society. I think my grandson's autism was triggered by too many vaccines!
Can anyone direct me to some good USA Substack authors doing skeptical statistical analysis on the pandemic/vaccines? I find my subscription list full of UK authors, though I live in the USA. I am not sure why. Do they just have more available data that we don't? Or did I just wander off in the wrong direction?
UK data is better. These are the stacks to follow:
https://alexberenson.substack.com/
https://eugyppius.substack.com/
https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/
https://popularrationalism.substack.com/
https://stevekirsch.substack.com/
https://boriquagato.substack.com/
https://jessicar.substack.com/
I have often wondered why those in charge who must by now know exactly what they are doing would still be so eager to bear the overwhelming societal costs of so many vaccine injuries.
On the other hand, f you wanted to create a legion of remorseless Auschwitz guards and executioners
Finally watched the video. Disturbing is the only word that comes to mind. Instead of making me feel good it made me feel uncomfortable. Then it started to make me feel psychotic. Then I felt angry and scared. I’ve never liked music that doesn’t make me feel good. I can feel bad just turning on the news. Why would I turn on music that makes me feel angry or uncomfortable in my own skin. Could it be the shots?? Gosh. I don’t know. I know my kids are not the kids I raised up. They all have many Health problems which is strange. Mental health and physical health. Environment certainly plays a role and yes I do believe the shots do too. No way anyone can prove it and they know it. So on it goes. My kids will be taking the boosters soon and I fear this will just exaggerate all the health problems they already have. I’m deeply sad as there is nothing I can do or say to change their minds. I’m vax free by the way and they hate it!
You've really blown me away with this article. I had not heard much of this band and I teach instrumental music to kids - often playing music from 'their' experience. They tend to be into most things current, and at 2013, they would find this a bit dated - but, I plan to ask my students if they've seen this video and what they think it is about - just out of curiosity.
The video seems eerily prophetic somehow. What will this generation make of life in this society? Will they demand something different? Are they even capable of understanding the world I grew up in (it was a little easier to stay connected to ourselves 'organically').
Just this morning, I was strangely calculating how many of my students are either on the spectrum, exhibit spectrum traits, show evidence of cognitive difficulty or suffer with depression.
I've seen it for years - the kids I started teaching in 1987 are not the same as we have now.
It is refreshing to see this discussion being openly had about the effects of medical interventions and other toxins (mainly in our food supply) on our biology. In my circles, if I were to comment openly about these things I would lose half of my students (some of which have MD's as parents). Awesome insight Toby, thanks!
Thanks you so much for your kind message Derek! Please let us know what your students say about about the video!
I see: aloneness, isolation, and a total unknowing when it comes to emotion— how to relate to feeling.
Im over 35 snd couldn’t relate to this video at all. It seems fragmented, a bit scary (what with the mask, and all those people celebrating the guy wearing it); also scary in the unnatural on/off switch that turns the whole crowd on/off.
There’s also an element of darkness here thats disturbing. Lime the order of life has been interrupted.