What does March to the Sea mean?

Twenty One Pilots: March to the Sea Meaning

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Album cover for March to the Sea album cover

March to the Sea Lyrics

There's miles of land in front of us
And we're dying with every step we take
We're dying with every breath we make
And I'll fall in line

A stranger's back is all I see
He's only a few feet in front of me
And I'll look left and right...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    The
    click a star to vote
    Jun 23rd 2020 !⃝

    From my perspective - also knowing that Tyler Joseph is a Christian - this song is about life. Life, mainly focusing on all it's downs and the search for a meaning in a seemingly meaningless existence.

    Marching to the sea has become the norm, the way of life; everyone is part of the line, because we can't see another way to live our lives apart from doing what everyone else is doing, which in the end leads to 'the sea', or spiritual death.

    "No one looks up anymore" is saying that we've turned away from any sense of a higher meaning to life and try to live the way everyone else is, which is just an emotionless march until eventual death.

    The small spaceship which calls to "Follow Me instead" is God, the One Who offers Hope, the being Who the marchers all ignore because they feel that "this line's the only way." While it's much easier to follow this marching line toward our seemingly inevitable fate, any human who's experienced all the 'line' - or life - has to offer for them realises that it's not the answer, that it's all worthless; "I ask myself the question why".

    This Spaceship in the corner of our eye is the escape from the line. And even while "I don't want to march here anymore", we're all still human and will never fully be free of the line in this life "then you put me back in my place, so I might start another day".

    The walk is made easier knowing that we now have a purpose, but in the end we're still 'In a march to the sea."

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    Hojeba
    click a star to vote
    Dec 18th 2017 !⃝

    "There's miles of land in front of us. And we're dying with every step we take."

    (I believe this song is about depression, and the miles of land could be the never-ending feeling of it. Also, "dying with every step we take" could be every day you're staying in that state, the more you want to end it all.)

    "We're dying with every breath we make. And I'll fall in line."

    (Every time you breath in this state, it just brings you closer to "suffocating", I guess you could say. But, the person will still continue.)

    "A stranger's back is all I see. He's only a few feet in front of me."

    (All you see is this line, that there's no other option. It also points out that there are other people struggling, and maybe even closer to suffocating than you.)

    "And I'll look left and right sometimes. But I'll fall in line."

    (You might have question it sometimes, that there just might be another way, but you see nothing. So, you stay with the only option you can perceive.)

    "No one looks up anymore. 'Cause you might get a raindrop in your eye, and Heaven forbid they see you cry, as we fall in line."

    (No one thinks about there maybe being a better way, because they fear their hope will be crushed, and they don't want to feel that pain.)

    "And about this time of every year. The line will go to the ocean pier, and walk right off into the sea. And then we fall asleep."

    (In this line, there will always be people who "fall into the sea", or kill themselves, which this song is also trying to prevent. These people will "fall asleep", or, die, in the more harsh way of putting it.)

    "And as we near the end of land, and our ocean graves are just beyond the sand. I ask myself the question, why, I fall in line."

    (When the person's getting nearer to death, he's beginning to ask himself why he's going down the path in the first place, why it's worth it.)

    "Then out of the corner of my eye, I see a spaceship in the sky. And hear a voice inside my head: follow me instead. Follow me instead. Follow me."

    (When he's questioning why, he finally sees a hope.)

    "Then the wages of war will start, inside my head with my counterpart. And the emotionless marchers will chant the phrase: this line's the only way."

    (The sufferer will start to war with themselves, deciding which path to take. The line, or the spaceship? With both trying to draw them in, they will be forced to choose.)

    "And then I start down the sand. My eyes are focused on the end of land. But again the voice inside my head says, follow me instead."

    (He'll pick the line for a time, but again his attention is brought back to the spaceship.)

    "Take me up, seal the door. I don't want to march here anymore."

    (They're saying that they're done marching in the line,and that they want to be sealed up in their hope, in the spaceship.)

    "I realize that this line is dead. So I'll follow you instead."

    (They realize that the line was not the place to be in the first place, and they choose to follow the spaceship.)

    "So then you put me back in my place. So I might start another day. And once again I will be, in a march to the sea."

    (The spaceship puts him back where he was supposed to be, so he can choose where to go next, instead of letting depression decide his fate.)

    --Thanks for reading that. I tried. These are all my beliefs.--

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 27th 2016 !⃝

    I think this whole song is about breaking from society and being yourself and falling out of line that doesn't fit with the culture. I believe that this song is about being different from everyone and everything else.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 14th 2021 !⃝

    I don’t know exactly but I believe it is about breaking away from something. Whether it’s the norm, depression, not believing in god, or just society and just going along to suicide or death thank you.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 11th 2020 !⃝

    This is a double entendre.

    It is a reference to Sherman's March to The Sea during the American civil war, which was a military campaign designed to frighten people to drop the confederacy. The men marched over 200 miles from Atlanta to Savannah. When he talks about how they will die once they get to the ocean, it could mean several things. He could be hinting to the fact that many men died on the trip, or to the fact that once it was over, there would still be more battles to be won, and the odds of them staying alive and well aren't in their favor.

    The other meaning is, of course, the philosophical metaphor for life. It seems that he uses this historical event to compare to the way he feels that people march along with society. How we can be so close to each other yet not know anything about each other. How we all fall in line of societal pressures, and how we all just blindly follow others. And how it ultimately leaves us with nothing to look forward to but death. The "spaceship" in the song is his way to get out of line. This spaceship could be many things as well. It could be music, it could be Josh, or Jenna, or a mixture of many things. Regardless, it represents his escape and how he has found a way to get out of the line leading to death.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 26th 2020 !⃝

    "There's miles of land in front of us
    And we're dying with every step we take
    We're dying with every breath we make
    And I'll fall in line"

    I think this song is about depression and people falling into the line of scuicide. the lines we're dying with every step and breath we take and make, can be interpreated as Taylor feels pain anyway. he follows the line everyone is taking.

    "A strangers back is all I see He's only a few feet in front of me and ill look left and right sometimes but ill fall in line"

    This part is where he begins to question this path slightly but he continues to follow others as he still thinks this is the right one.

    "No one looks up anymore 'cause you might get a raindrop in your eye and heaven forbid they see you cry as we fall in line"

    No one believes theres another way cause all there hope is gone and no one wants to go through the pain of knowing hope is gone so Taylor and the others he follows continue in the path of scuicide.

    "And about this time of every year the line will go to the ocean pier and walk right of into the sea as we fall asleep"

    as everyone's pain and sadness worsen over time it begins to be too much, and finally they're at the point where they'll take their lives.

    "and as we near the end of land and our ocean graves are just beyond the sand I ask myself the question why I fall in line"

    As taylor is close to scuicide he really begins to question this path everyone is taking. He begins to wonder is scuicide really the only option to ending his pain.

    "And then out of the corner of my eye I see a spaceship in the sky and hear a voice inside my head (follow me instead X2 follow me)"

    Taylor sees a spark of hope and his conscience tells him there is another way and to follow the path of natural death instead of scuicide.

    "Then the wages of war will start inside my head with my counterpart and the emotionless marchers will chant the phrase'this line's the ony way'"

    So he begins to question himself, part of Taylor still thinks scuicide is the right path while the other part believes it isnt and there's another way. But he also has the additional pressure of others believing scuicide is the only way as well.

    "And then I start down the sand my eyes are focused on then end of land but again the voice inside my head says follow me instead"

    Taylor jumps to the path that everyone says is the only one and continues with his plan to kill himself like everyone else, but again a part of him tells him this isnt the way and to choose a different path.

    "Take me up seal the door I dont want to march here anymore realize this line is dead so ill follow you instead so then you put me back in my place so i may start another day and once again ill be in a march to the sea"

    Taylor then stops and decides he's not going to kill himself as he sees there truly is another way. So he goes back to his life and lives another day but again he'll be in the heavy state of depression as some do, where they'll feel so much pain and decide scuicide is an option once again.

    Hope this is good, this is just my thoughts I hope all of you who read this never believe that taking your life is an option I believe Taylor would agree as well. I love you fellow Twenty One Pilots fans:). Stay Home, Stay Safe 2020







  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 27th 2020 !⃝

    In my interpretation, it states that life is short and that through that life, we, mindlessly, follow the path of society without a single thought of why things are like this or why we are forced into our daily schedules and told to be a certain way. That’s just how it is. It portrays the inner struggle with succumbing to society's guidelines or being rendered an outcast for doing something differently.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 25th 2019 !⃝

    I believe that this song refers to Tyler's faith (as most people here do), but I think that it goes deeper than just himself, whether to follow God or not. I think that it refers to society, where some people are ridiculed for their religion. Think about it: how many mainstream artists confidently state their religion unless they are an activist of some sort as well? Tyler struggles with being confident as a Christian. I also believe this because of the lyrics of Clear (RAB), where he says: "I wish that I had two faces to prove which theory works. Yelling on the street corner, or cleverly masking your words. I take my face off at the door 'cause I don't know who they will take me for.", "Then my new father drained my dirty blood. I'm the son of all I've done" and "I will tell you what I can. But your mind will take a stand. I sing of a greater love. Let me know when you've had enough."

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 10th 2018 !⃝

    What Tyler means is that even though he might technically be following the same path as everyone else, they have no purpose, while he is following the voice (which may refer to either God or his convictions) and has a reason to march to the sea.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 22nd 2018 !⃝

    Everyone has conformed and become carbon copies of everyone else. Because of this they all follow the same paths until death (the sea). I think that when he's told, "follow me instead", thats one part of his mind that doesnt want bim to conform and become a mindless drone too. And after a little bit of a struggle, with the fear of not conforming, he gives in and decides to follow a different path. But, this new path turns out to be just another form of conformity because he isn't the first person to want to be different. And so by not conforming to one path he is inevitably conforming to another. This is why at the end of the song he is still marching, in line, to the sea.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 11th 2018 !⃝

    The line is mankind all walking to the end of their life, a life devoid of hope. The rest in the line only see the line. That is our life in sin, no hope, only death.
    The man in the spaceship is Christ, offering a different path, a path of hope. This goes to war in his mind. The complacency of knowing the path ahead is definite and visible, but this promise of hope, of this salvation has to be taken on faith (at least as long as he in line). Christ wants him to follow Him, not the people who only see death as the singular path. This song is a telling of the gospel, very well written.

  12. anonymous
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    Nov 20th 2017 !⃝

    "Race to the sea" Battles of Ypres, WWI

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Nov 16th 2017 !⃝

    I think it's about William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea from the Civil War. The lyrics, "as we fall in line" helps prove the case.

  14. anonymous
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    Jun 17th 2017 !⃝

    I think it means that the person is going to commit suicide because of a mental illness. The UFO is either God or his thoughts telling him not to do it, so he goes to the end if the line which means that instead of commiting suicide, he decides to join anither line which is life and the end of the life line is a natural death, like dying by age instead of suicide.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 15th 2017 !⃝

    I believe that the line to the sea is our journey to death and the voice in his head is his mental illness telling him to go down the other path (suicide). He struggles with people telling him "this ways the only way" a and that suicide is not the way and how he "doesnt want to march here anymore",but in the end he ends up getting back in line ultimately deciding thats not what god wants.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 10th 2017 !⃝

    I think it's some sort of dystopia scenario where nobody is brave enough to try something new. When Tyler Joseph realizes "that this line is dead", he sets out to change things.

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 12th 2017 !⃝

    I think it is a lot to do with his battle with mental illness. March to sea is suicide but follow me instead is his inner thoughts telling him not to do it..

  18. anonymous
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    May 8th 2017 !⃝

    The UFO is God and it symbolises how disconnected from God we have become. Faith has become "not dying"
    Tyler then get back on the real path even though he is still marching towards the sea (death) he is on the right path

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