Nico And The Niners

This song introduces Twenty One Pilots lead singer Tyler Joseph's new alter ego, Clancy, following his Blurryface moniker on the duo's last album. He is trapped in the walled city of Dema, which is ruled by nine bishops who follow a fictional religion called Vialism. (Presumably, Nico is the name of one of these nine bishops). It also presents the "banditos," a rebel group who rescue people trapped in Dema. They urge Clancy to flee the evil walled city wearing a yellow jumpsuit that is used to avoid detection from the bishops. (They are unable to see the color yellow.) I'm heavy, my Jumpsuit is on steady I'm lighter when I'm lower, I'm higher when I'm heavy, oh ooh I'm so high, my Jumpsuit takes me so high I'm flying from a fire, from Nico and the Niners, oh The bishops are a metaphor for the anxieties, insecurities and negative thoughts that Tyler Joseph struggles with and wants to escape from. In a similar vein, Twenty One Pilots' Blurryface album was named after a character that represents all the things that he stresses about.

Tyler Joseph told Kerrang that the city of Dema represents what Twenty One Pilots were going through at the time of Trench's formation: the transitional phase between album cycles. "Ultimately," he explained, "it's the story of emotions that one would feel when they're between two places. And that can apply to a lot of people's lives – being between jobs, or schools, or seasons. And, I guess, that Trench represents that feeling in between two places. That's the broadest way to look at it. But as you zoom in, it can mean a lot of other things, too."