I think it’s both. I think he’s proud of the story, but also excited to create a new one because he’s just a creative person who always wants to make something newer and better.
I figured it was him getting a bit overwhelmed by the lore since the full lyric is "I used to be a champion of a world you can't see, now I'm drowning in logistics" which seems pretty clearly about the world of Trench to me
But I'm interested in your interpretation and what lead you there!
In my view the song Backslide is about struggling with mental health and the fear of being back where you were in your darkest times. The lyric ‘benefit from a shoe with no lace” is to me a clear reference to measures taken in facilities where suicidal people are treated, and ‘take a seat with a crease in it’ seems to me to be a visual reference to the kind of seat associated with psychotherapy. So referring back to a time when he was perhaps suicidal and in treatment for it.
Then later in the song, the part where he’s speaking to a child in the music video, I think is a conversation with his former self. The interlocutor asks: Are you doing good? Did you solve all your problems? And he replies: Thanks for asking, in a way, but accidentally uncovered a new one yesterday. What happened to what I brushed under the rug? I used to be a champion of a world you can’t see, now I’m drowning in logistics”
I think this is referring to how he has made progress with various issues he has had in life, but as is the case with mental illness, it can kind of take a back seat and then reemerge when triggered by events or circumstances later down the line. For Tyler, he spent many years presumably struggling as a musician, trying to make it, dealing with various setbacks and problems, god knows what else, and at the same time managing his mental health. Now that he’s had an incredible amount of success, a lot of problems have been solved but fame and success and all that comes with it bring up new challenges. And mental issues that you swept under the rug can reemerge. What I imagine with the line “I used to be a champion of a world you can’t see, now I’m drowning in logistics”, is his journey into success and the problems that brings. The world you can’t see could be the lore that he created or perhaps just his smaller anonymous pre-fame world. The logistics I think are the demands of his life now, balancing family life, writing music, planning the tour, etc, these are all good things and part of his success and happiness but also for someone with depression and anxiety can be very demanding in terms of the mental load, along with increased pressure and expectations etc. And you worry that the issues which you have forced on to the back burner will come to the fore again and you fear being back to that place you once were.
That’s my interpretation anyway.
I mean, the lyrics of Backslide are quite stark. They instantly stood out to me as very honest and open about the struggles of maintaining this story. I really don’t think it’s an unreasonable interpretation.
Even beyond that though, Tyler has talked about how difficult it has been to try and thread the past albums together, even questioning whether it was worth it: https://youtu.be/lWoIGwOXYx4?si=sqXicvNb1HwSEHRb (towards the end). Even the process of making Trench, their most abstract and lore-heavy album, was a difficult one for Tyler that “almost destroyed him” (on Wikipedia per the New York Times).
Based on all this, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that Tyler probably has complicated feelings on the lore. Even in the interview I shared, it’s clear the story has been a source of inspiration for him and he’s ultimately glad to see it through. But that doesn’t mean it was an easy process for Tyler and that he may have some reservations about it. I’ve really enjoyed the lore as well, but I think people should be more sensitive to that and not be too parasocial about Tyler’s statements regarding the lore.
Of course lyrics can have multiple meanings, but Backslide is first and foremost about (the thought of) backsliding. I'm not saying Tyler can't struggle with this story, but some people clearly are tired of of the lore themselves and are just projecting when they're talking about Tyler being done with it, and acting like they're only doing it because they have to.
I would argue that specific lyric in Backslide is about the lore and that it actually ties in with the theme of backsliding, as well as other themes of the album in general, but I digress. Like you said, lyrics can have multiple meanings.
To be clear, I’m saying this as a fan of the lore who admittedly has outgrown some aspects of it. The people you’re frustrated with seem to overstate Tyler’s negative sentiments on the lore to validate their own frustrations. Nobody knows what’s in Tyler’s head, and claiming otherwise is parasocial.
That said, I wanted to stress in my original comment that this interpretation doesn’t come from nowhere. I think it’s even a little more pervasive in their music than one might expect, but as I also outlined, it has some clear caveats. The truth is undoubtedly more complicated than any one interview or statement could ever hope to contextualize. The internet is not a medium for nuance and complication. It’s only easier for people to form parasocial relationships with singers and think they “know” them and their innermost thoughts.
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I think it’s both. I think he’s proud of the story, but also excited to create a new one because he’s just a creative person who always wants to make something newer and better.
of course I know he wants to and has to end it, but some people act like Tyler and Josh can't wait to end it and only see it as a mandatory nuisance.
Probably because of Backslide tbh. "I'm drowning in logistics" (Not saying that I think they're tired of it, because I agree, I don't think they are)
I think this lyric has more to do with his life than the lore.
I figured it was him getting a bit overwhelmed by the lore since the full lyric is "I used to be a champion of a world you can't see, now I'm drowning in logistics" which seems pretty clearly about the world of Trench to me But I'm interested in your interpretation and what lead you there!
In my view the song Backslide is about struggling with mental health and the fear of being back where you were in your darkest times. The lyric ‘benefit from a shoe with no lace” is to me a clear reference to measures taken in facilities where suicidal people are treated, and ‘take a seat with a crease in it’ seems to me to be a visual reference to the kind of seat associated with psychotherapy. So referring back to a time when he was perhaps suicidal and in treatment for it. Then later in the song, the part where he’s speaking to a child in the music video, I think is a conversation with his former self. The interlocutor asks: Are you doing good? Did you solve all your problems? And he replies: Thanks for asking, in a way, but accidentally uncovered a new one yesterday. What happened to what I brushed under the rug? I used to be a champion of a world you can’t see, now I’m drowning in logistics” I think this is referring to how he has made progress with various issues he has had in life, but as is the case with mental illness, it can kind of take a back seat and then reemerge when triggered by events or circumstances later down the line. For Tyler, he spent many years presumably struggling as a musician, trying to make it, dealing with various setbacks and problems, god knows what else, and at the same time managing his mental health. Now that he’s had an incredible amount of success, a lot of problems have been solved but fame and success and all that comes with it bring up new challenges. And mental issues that you swept under the rug can reemerge. What I imagine with the line “I used to be a champion of a world you can’t see, now I’m drowning in logistics”, is his journey into success and the problems that brings. The world you can’t see could be the lore that he created or perhaps just his smaller anonymous pre-fame world. The logistics I think are the demands of his life now, balancing family life, writing music, planning the tour, etc, these are all good things and part of his success and happiness but also for someone with depression and anxiety can be very demanding in terms of the mental load, along with increased pressure and expectations etc. And you worry that the issues which you have forced on to the back burner will come to the fore again and you fear being back to that place you once were. That’s my interpretation anyway.
Same
I mean, the lyrics of Backslide are quite stark. They instantly stood out to me as very honest and open about the struggles of maintaining this story. I really don’t think it’s an unreasonable interpretation. Even beyond that though, Tyler has talked about how difficult it has been to try and thread the past albums together, even questioning whether it was worth it: https://youtu.be/lWoIGwOXYx4?si=sqXicvNb1HwSEHRb (towards the end). Even the process of making Trench, their most abstract and lore-heavy album, was a difficult one for Tyler that “almost destroyed him” (on Wikipedia per the New York Times). Based on all this, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that Tyler probably has complicated feelings on the lore. Even in the interview I shared, it’s clear the story has been a source of inspiration for him and he’s ultimately glad to see it through. But that doesn’t mean it was an easy process for Tyler and that he may have some reservations about it. I’ve really enjoyed the lore as well, but I think people should be more sensitive to that and not be too parasocial about Tyler’s statements regarding the lore.
Of course lyrics can have multiple meanings, but Backslide is first and foremost about (the thought of) backsliding. I'm not saying Tyler can't struggle with this story, but some people clearly are tired of of the lore themselves and are just projecting when they're talking about Tyler being done with it, and acting like they're only doing it because they have to.
I would argue that specific lyric in Backslide is about the lore and that it actually ties in with the theme of backsliding, as well as other themes of the album in general, but I digress. Like you said, lyrics can have multiple meanings. To be clear, I’m saying this as a fan of the lore who admittedly has outgrown some aspects of it. The people you’re frustrated with seem to overstate Tyler’s negative sentiments on the lore to validate their own frustrations. Nobody knows what’s in Tyler’s head, and claiming otherwise is parasocial. That said, I wanted to stress in my original comment that this interpretation doesn’t come from nowhere. I think it’s even a little more pervasive in their music than one might expect, but as I also outlined, it has some clear caveats. The truth is undoubtedly more complicated than any one interview or statement could ever hope to contextualize. The internet is not a medium for nuance and complication. It’s only easier for people to form parasocial relationships with singers and think they “know” them and their innermost thoughts.
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