Implicit Demand For Proof
| Implicit Demand For Proof | |
|---|---|
| |
| Song by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Twenty One Pilots | |
| Tyler Joseph, Chris Salih, | |
| Tyler Joseph | |
| Second half of 2009 | |
| Tyler Joseph, Chris Salih | |
| Tyler Joseph, Chris Salih | |
| 29 December 2009 | |
| 4:52 | |
| 3/4 | |
| 160 | |
| C major | |
| 30 March, 2014 | |
| 31 October, 2014 | |
| 7 | |
   
| |
| Twenty One Pilots tracklist | |
Implicit Demand For Proof is the first song on the album Twenty One Pilots by Twenty One Pilots.
Background
Implicit Demand For Proof begins with a melodic piano piece which introduces the listener to the musical virtuosity of twenty one pilots.
The track evolves quickly into an angst-y piece that details Tyler Joseph’s struggle with his religious doubt, a theme the group would continue to explore further throughout their career.
Tyler goes as far as to bait God, or “implicitly demands” proof of His existence. He questions his power and His presence, even if it means God strikes Joseph down in the process for his blasphemy[1].
Versions
| Title | Releas | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit Demand
For Proof |
Twenty One Pilots | 4:52 | June - November
2009 |
29 Dec 2009 |
Lyrics
| Album version |
|---|
|
|
| Lyrics | Meaning |
|---|---|
| «I know You're not a liar and I know You could set fire this day
Go ahead and make me look away» |
Tyler believes that all of God’s promises
(everlasting life will be eventually fulfilled, but because of his doubt, he still wants physical proof of His existence. This is why he is asking for God to show himself and make it rain fire upon the Earth now, just as the Bible says it will during the final days in 2 Peter 3:10:“Make me look away,” could be a reference to Genesis 19, where God destroyed the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with a rain of fire. When God told Lot to leave with his family, they were told to not look directly at the cities burning, for little did they know, they would turn to salt if they peeked; Lot’s wife learned the hard way. A less literal analysis of this line is that God is making him look away from any proof, forcing him to solely rely on his faith. |
| «Strike me down, I am calling Your lightning down from Your dark hiding place
Go ahead and show me Your face» |
Tyler is taunting God, trying to draw Him out and make Him prove Himself. What Tyler doesn’t realize is that God isn’t hiding; Tyler simply hasn’t found Him of his own accord. He resorts to blasphemy, asking for his own self-destruction. What Tyler is asking for is comparable to what was described in either Job 36 or Job 37.
“Show me your face,” connects with the chorus and the previous demands for self destruction as well (“Strike me down”). It is quite likely an allusion to Exodus 33:20:Ironically, this line defies the meaning of an implicit demand. “Show me your face” is an explicit , or direct, demand, whereas an implicit demand would be indirect with only the implication of a demand. |
| «Reign down and destroy me
Reign down and destroy me Reign down (Reign down)» |
Tyler taunts God, vying for his attention or acknowledgement by saying, “Go ahead, destroy me, then at least I’ll know you’re real.” Recognizing that God does not owe him an answer (as seen in Job 38), he may also be asking for God to destroy him as an atonement for all of his doubting.
The word “reign” in these lines could have a double meaning, acting as a homophone for “rain.” Gods are usually seen as having control of the weather and the sky, bringing bad weather to punish people for things such as blasphemy. God is also known as the “King of kings,” and Tyler is asking God to actually “reign down” by doing something that only a king or a god could do to prove their existence. This could also be a nod to Radiohead’s 1997 song “Paranoid Android” where it says:
|
| «I mean no disrespect
I am simply very perplexed by Your ways» |
Sometimes following blindly in the words and ways of your superiors can be confusing and lead you to question their motives; not out of malice, but out of genuine curiosity. Nobody likes to be left in the dark.
More specifically, Tyler strives to understand God Himself more thoroughly. This is seen more blatantly in Tyler’s song “Blasphemy” from his 2008 solo project, No Phun Intended. He seems to possess some resentment towards God in this line, as many do after suffering some sort of trauma. He questions His methods, which is not acceptable behavior according to some Christian churches, but is common in those who feel hopeless. |
| «Why would you let us use your name?» | As many worshipers have expressed, Tyler is curious as to why God would create humans with the ability to sin. In biblical times, the true name of God was considered much too holy to be spoken aloud. This may also allude to the famous passage in the Book of Exodus in which speaking the Lord’s name in vain is made to be a crime:It’s appropriate to note here that Tyler never directly says “God” in his songs (save for “A Car, A Torch, A Death”), even though many clearly contain religious allusions. As this article suggests, it almost seems as if this is done to draw people in, then let them figure it out for themselves. |
«I know You're not a liar and I know You could set fire this day
Go ahead and make me look away»
Tyler believes that all of God’s promises (everlasting life will be eventually fulfilled, but because of his doubt, he still wants physical proof of His existence. This is why he is asking for God to show himself and make it rain fire upon the Earth now, just as the Bible says it will during the final days in 2 Peter 3:10:
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
“Make me look away,” could be a reference to Genesis 19, where God destroyed the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with a rain of fire. When God told Lot to leave with his family, they were told to not look directly at the cities burning, for little did they know, they would turn to salt if they peeked; Lot’s wife learned the hard way.
A less literal analysis of this line is that God is making him look away from any proof, forcing him to solely rely on his faith.