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About

Genius Annotation

“Car Radio” is an introspective song that recalls an event lead singer Tyler Joseph experienced during college where his car radio was stolen. It led him to ponder where the mind takes people when all they are left with is silence.

Tyler describes this silence as something that can sometimes be seen as violent, an irony displayed musically as “Car Radio” moves from its brooding intro to the explosive climax heard during the bridge. Its energy level has made it both a band- and fan-favorite at twenty one pilots’ shows.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Song Translations
Genius Answer
What did ​twenty one pilots say about "Car Radio"?
Genius Answer

During an interview in which Tyler speaks candidly about the songs on Vessel, he says:

I would say it’s one of my favorites, but honestly my favorite song is always the one I’m working on…but what I like about it is that there’s really no structure to it that is similar to any other song I’ve heard before, in the sense that there’s no chorus. But it makes sense to me. I don’t really remember making decisions on what should happen in that song. It just kind of happened…I think the hardest part of songwriting is you start to second guess yourself. And I’ve learned that good songwriting is all about accidentally happening upon a new idea and having the sense to chase it and go after it. And I think “Car Radio” is a perfect example of that…


The verses are talking about a true story of me being late to class. I was in college trying to do that whole thing because that’s what you’re meant to do I guess, I dropped out after that…the point is, I was late to class and I forgot to lock my door and when I came back out everything had been gutted and stolen out my car. At the time financially I was not able to replace anything that was taken, the GPS, the radio, all my CD’s.

When I get in the car my first reaction is to put the radio on and for a while I wasn’t able to do that and finding out that once I removed that piece of me I realized that sometimes music can act as a distraction and can get in the way of where your mind wants to go.

–Tyler Joseph via Rock Sound:

Why does he shave his own hair in the video clip?
Genius Answer

This action is most likely meant to represent angst, caused by the fact that he’s sitting in silence, alone with his thoughts.

The video may not seem like it’s representing the song in a literal way. Instead, the video uses metaphors to describe what Tyler expresses in the lyrics; shaving his head is one of them.

What certifications did this track receive?
Is “Car Radio” a metaphor? If so, for what?
Is it just about someone that steels his car radio ?
What are the masks for it looks like they are going to rob someone
Why does Tyler go into the crowd with a mask on in the music video?
Credits
Written By
Synthesizer
Mixing Engineer
Recording Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recorded At
Rocket Carousel Studio (Los Angeles, CA)
Release Date
July 8, 2011
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