Song Analysis Of The Song 'Heathens'

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Heathens Essay Analysis In Twenty One Pilots’ song “Heathens”, the band is trying to convey the message that being judgemental is a negative thing and can be dangerous. In the song, the artist describes his clique to a newcomer by calling them a group of “heathens” because of their serious mental and emotional issues. The chorus of the song refers to the unknown trials the individuals in the group of friends are facing. The group of friends also references the band’s fanbase. By the end of the song, the artist introduces the idea that the listener of the song could belong in the clique or “be one of” them. Twenty One Pilots uses a warning tone in the lyrics of the song to deter listeners from being judgemental and to encourage tolerance of …show more content…

For example the artist refers to the members in the group as psychopaths and murderers, “You’ll never know the psychopath sitting next to you/ You’ll never know the murderer sitting next to you” (lines 16&17) then refers to them in the chorus when the artist says “all my friends are heathens, take it slow”(line 19). By saying this, the artist is comparing the mentally ill group of friends to heathens. Twenty One Pilots continues to make this comparison in the first verse by saying, “Just because we check the guns at the door/Doesn’t mean our brains will change from hand grenades”. The artist uses these lines to further prove the point that these people are mentally unstable, then repeats that “all my friends are heathens” in the chorus, comparing the group of friends to heathens again. Metaphors and a warning tone combined in the song are used to fight judgemental behavior and to compare the mentally ill to heathens. The cautioning tone portrays the need to be careful when making judgements or saying things that could be hurtful. The metaphor in the song is used to express that the artist sees the mentally unstable group of friends as heathens. The figurative language used by Twenty One Pilots creates a unique theme in the band’s music, making it one of the most successful bands