#City Walls Theory

7 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

spring flare
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Hear me out.

So, I saw this in a reddit post from 8yrs ago when I was looking up the meaning for "entertain my faith":
"His(Tyler) dad was the principle at my school (a christian school) and around the time vessel came out his father gave us a message about God and such. But in the message he told us the song was about holding onto God and his christian roots. Entertain my faith means he wants God to please him by proving He is real and showing him his power." - reddit user

After seing this post something clicked in my head.

I think: "its a breach" is a breach of trust between Tyler and God.
"I wonder where you are, I wanted you to show me" is him seaching for a connection with God/Jesus.
"The way around those city walls, a way on through" is a reference to the Kingdom of Heaven and the gates and being welcomed in.
"Abandonded by the Sun" or "Son" is a reference to Jesus(Son of God), which he feels abandoned by.

Then, add the reference back to "entertain my faith" and how Tyler is looking for God to show himself, the lryic of "this is the last time I address my soul" really makes the breach of trust(in his eyes) more apparent and shows how hurt he is trying to navigate his head/life by himself. He feels abandoned by God/Jesus.

To me this is Tylers struggle with his own faith.

Since I listened to City Walls thru this lense, it makes perfect sense. Eitherway, its such a masterpiece how he can tell 2 stories at once.

Let me know y'alls thoughts.

opaque current
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I think you’re 100% right, and I think Drag Path (and to a lesser extent also Downstairs) is the resolution to this Breach in trust (which maybe is why it’s not technically on the album entitled Breach)

Ending with You Found Me

shut flame
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i think that this is definetly the message of the song...
since we know 'entertain my faith' is used by tyler in reference to his relationship with God, having used it in city walls can only really mean one thing

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another thing to note though,
"this is the last time that i'll try, address my soul"
seems to me like tyler is calling out to God to address his soul, and assuming he wrote this as a current reflection of his feelings, is still searching for God, and this is the last time he's going to search

it's a little sad actually

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i feel like the chorus of the song has a sense of finality to it as well, being in past tense.
if he's singing to / about God then:
"i wonder where you are" -- i still haven't found you
"i wanted you to show me the way around these city walls" it's past tense. there was a time when he hoped God would show him around the "city walls" (whatever that's a metaphor for) but that is no longer the case. because clancy's a bishop, or because clancy's given up, or something to do with tyler's personal life or spiritual side, i don't really know.

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disregaurding the mv, city walls really feels like a song of defeat

opaque current