Dissect - S4E10 - "911 / Mr Lonely" by Tyler, the Creator

Episode Date: June 25, 2019

Limited Season 4 merchandise available at https://shop.dissectpodcast.com/store. Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “911/Mr Lonely”. Despite its upbeat tempo and danceability, “911/Mr Lonely” is in Tyler’s own words “the saddest song I’ve ever written.” Find out why through our line-by-line analysis. New episodes of Dissect release every Tuesday. Follow @dissectpodcast on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Spotify Studios, this is Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short, digestible episodes. I'm your host, Cole Kushna. Today we continue our serialized analysis of Flower Boy by Tyler the Creator. On our last episode, we dissected the album's ninth track, I Ain't Got Time. There we heard Tyler's emotional defense mechanism kick into overdrive as he re-entered his sports car and drove away from the vulnerability and loneliness expressed in both garden shed and boredom. Indeed, I ain't got time is all bragging bravado and egotism, but by the end of the track, Tyler's joyride escape is suddenly interrupted by a phone call. Hello.

Tyler picks up the phone, and immediately the album continues into its next song, the subject of her episode today, 911, Mr. Lonely. 9-1-1-1-Mister Lonely is written and produced by Tyler the creator. Additional writing credits are given to Frank Goshen and to Raymond Calhoun of the Gat Band for Tyler. interpulation of the song Outstanding. Structurally, 9-1-1-Mr. Lonely is divided into two parts. This division is implied in the song's title, as 911 and Mr. Lonely are separated by a slash mark. Things get interesting when we recognize that 911 Mr. Lonely is track 10 on Flowerboy, as the 10th track on all of Tyler's past albums have featured this divided song structure.

On Cherrybaum, track 10 is the song, Fucking Young slash Perfect. On Wolf, track 10 is actually three songs combined into one, titled Party as an Over slash Campfire slash Beamer. On Goblin, track 10 is entitled Fish slash Boppin Bitch. Even track 10 on his debut mixtape bastard is VCR slash wheels. It's not exactly clear why Tyler's chosen this divided song motif for the 10th track on his albums, and to my knowledge, Tyler's never been on record speaking about it. In the case of 911 Mr. Lonely, the two-and-one song structure seems to have been birthed from combining a number of song sketches into one, a process that took 25 tries to get right.

And 9-1-1, the version I came out is the 25th version. Wait, the 25th version of 9-1. You did 25 versions of it? The first version was over an interlude song that Tony-Toney-Tone had. I looped it, sang over that, like the hook that I put there, made 30 beats for it. And the versions aren't just different type of lyrics. It's literally like different beats, different melodies. Completely different vibe.

Upon casual listening, it's not obvious that 911 Mr. Lonely is a patchwork of song ideas, but upon scrutiny, specifically harmonic scrutiny, the pieces of the puzzle begin to reveal themselves. The song begins with a four-core progression in the key of B-flat minor. Nothing too out of the ordinary here harmonically speaking, though we might suspect this progression was inspired by Cross My Mind by Jill Scott, whom Tyler is a very. fan of. Wondering if you wear the same cologne, smell good on you.

Beneath this opening progression, we hear a simple drum pattern and later when the vocal hook is performed a bass line. Let's now hear the album version with Tyler's vocals, keeping in mind that 911 comes directly after Tyler picks up the phone at the end of I and Got Time. Tyler sings call me repeatedly before singing, How you doing, my name is lonely, nice to meet you. Here's my number, you can reach me." This seems to make reference to singer Charlie Wilson's 2005 song, Charlie Last Name Wilson. Got all these hot cars and hot cribs.

I ain't got nobody to share it with, baby. You know what I mean? Let's go. Hey girl! Charlie Wilson was a singer in the Gap band. As well here, the Gap band's outstanding is interpolated later in 9-1-1, so the connection to Wilson's solo work seems to be an intentional nod. We also remember that Tyler collaborated with Wilson on the song Fucking Young slash Perfect,

track 10 on Tyler's previous album Cherry Bomb. As we just heard, Tyler plays directly off the opening lyrics of Wilson's song Charlie last name Wilson. What's interesting is the brief introduction we heard just before Wilson starts singing. We hear a voice speaking to Charlie who says, You know we need to go out and do something, man. Got all these hot cars and hot cribs. Ain't got nobody to share it with. Of course, this aligns directly with the main theme presented throughout Flower Boy, as Tyler speaks often of his loneliness despite his sports cars and cribs, using these material things to distract himself from the emptiness he feels without a partner to share him with. Indeed, Tyler dons himself the title, Mr. Lonely, and as 911

continues, hands his quote-unquote number to an unnamed and perhaps hypothetical love interest. The song's hook repeats a single line, 911, Call Me Some Time. Like we've heard several times throughout the album, Tyler is directing his attention toward a hypothetical or idealized love interest we first heard about on Sometimes and See You Again. The number Tyler, aka Mr. Lonely, provides as 9-1-1. Of course, the number one calls in an emergency, when one needs help. While the meaning behind this will become more clear when we analyze the song's verses, the implication seems to be that Tyler's loneliness has left him in a state of emergency. Indeed, as the song continues into verse one. We find Tyler detailing his fame and success, but once again, revealing beneath

the surface of it all lies a haunting and sustained emptiness. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My thirst levels are infinity and beyond. Sipping on that limon, Aide, I need a Beyonce, KC straight, these shades of Celine Dion, Dian sucks you can't gas me up, shout out to Elon. Musk, yeah, I got a sold-out show, crawl while out, but don't matter because you're not front row. With 9-1-1's first verse, we get a dramatic shift to musical material and mood. The song's initial chord progression is replaced with an arpaigated, heavily affected guitar or keyboard. We also hear the bass take a more prominent role, with long-sustaining notes that shift the emphasis of the track to its low end.

And so in just a matter of moments, what had been a funk and soul-inspired hook is transformed into a dark driving hip-hop beat. What's cool is that this somewhat dramatic transformation occurs without the music. the beat itself changing. That is, the drum pattern stays exactly the same between these two contrasting parts. Let's have another listen, this time keeping our attention on the drum. Pretty cool, right? Keeping the drum pattern the same helps in creating continuity despite the two parts having completely different moods. Of course, Tyler's rapping vocals also contrasts with the sung passages that come before it. He injures a verse quoting Toy Story's buzzed light ear to express his loneliness and desperation, wrapping, my thirst levels are infinity and beyond. Thirst here is used as slang

for someone who deliberately fishes for attention or compliment. Tyler plays off this thirst reference as he continues, sip it on that lemonade, I need a Beyonce. This of course nods to Beyonce's 2016 album Lemonade, while reiterating Tyler's desire to find a partner. The verse continues, Can't See Straight, these shades are Celine Dion. It's upon this line that we realize a clever play on words Tyler is created around the first four letters of the alphabet, A, B, C, D. He rhymes Lemon Aid for A, need a B-on-say for B, can't C straight for C, and these shades are Celine Dion for D. On its surface, the latter line finds Tyler seemingly using shades or sunglasses as a symbol of fame. Celine is a popular brand of designer sunglasses, and singer Celine Dion is known for donning large shades.

But when we dig a little deeper, we find a few alternative and likely simultaneous meanings to this line. First, the line can't see straight may add to a number of slight allusions to Tyler's non-hetera orientation, something you'll talk less vaguely about by the song's end. Second, there seems to be a double meaning in the word shades. Use first to mean sunglasses. Tyler also uses it to mean throw shade or insult someone. It appears Tyler is slightly nudging us to acknowledge the subtle shade he's throwing at Celine Dion. as the next line after these shades are Celine Dionne

begins with the word sucks, so we hear the phrase Celine Dion sucks. Tyler actually has a history of trolling Celine Dion. In 2011, Tyler's album Goblin was set to release, and while the internet scrambled to get an early leaked copy, Tyler trolled the internet with his own fake download link, which upon downloading contained songs by Celine Dion. Tyler continues the verse,

Sucks You Can't Gas Me Up, and then continues by shouting out Elon Musk, the CEO of the gasless electric car company Tesla. With the name Elon, Tyler adds a fifth and final letter to his alphabet letter wordplay. What's interesting is the way Tyler divides the full name, as Elon is the end of one line, while Musk begins the next line. This is similar to the way he divided Celine Dion sucks, with Dion ending one line, and sucks beginning the next. It's at this point we realize that both Elon and Dion rhyme, as well as Sucks and Musk,

all but confirming our suspicions of Tyler's sneak this on Celine Dion. As the verse continues, Tyler talks directly to his fictitious love interest while downplaying his success. He raps, Yeah, I got a sold-out show. Crowd wild out, but don't matter because you're not front row. I've been looking for a keeper. Listen to the speaker. If you fit description, hit me on my beeper.

And just as abrupt as the transition into this hip-hop-oriented verse, Tyler switches back to our more soul-inspired section, and we find ourselves in a new key signature of C-sharp minor. This section of 9-1-1, which we only hear once, is an interpolation of the song Outstanding by the Gap Band. Tyler's love of Outstanding is documented as far back as 2020. when he tweeted, quote, Outstanding by the Gat Band is a really good song, God damn. Tyler repurposes Outstanding's chord progression and melody, singing along with Anna of the North

and Steve Lacey, call me some time, please bang my line, you know I'll answer. The most interesting thing about this interpolation is the way Tyler gets back to the song's main hook. We're currently in the key of C-sharp minor, away is from the song's original key of B-flat minor. Tyler will need to modulate back to B-flat minor to perform the song's hook again, and any time a composer modulates from one key signature to another, there typically needs to be some kind of compositional strategy in place to get from one key to another smoothly, without jarring the listener. To move or modulate from C-sharp minor back to B-flat minor, Tyler plays a descending sequence of five minor-seventh chords in a row, beginning on D-sharp and moving down chromatically until he reaches

B-flat minor. D sharp, D natural, C sharp, C natural, B natural, and finally B flat. You may recall our conversations this season about stepwise motion. The technique in which a composer is able to use notes outside and established key signature by moving chromatically to the next closest neighboring note. Remember, we liken the slide movement of notes to turning a volume knob from 4 to 5, something you wouldn't really notice or find jarring, compared to turning a volume from 4 to 10, something that you definitely would notice and find jarring.

What Tyler is doing here with this descending progression of six chords utilizes stepwise motion, but rather than just one or two notes moving stepwise to notes outside the key signature, Tyler moves the entire chord, all four notes stepwise. The majority of the chords he plays are outside the key signature of C-sharp minor, but because Tyler is moving in half steps, these tiny intervals, we accept it. And before we know it, Tyler walks us all the way from D-sharp, down five notes to B-flat. Think about standing on top of a staircase and you want to get five stairs below you. Jumping five stairs wouldn't be a great way to get there. It's risky and requires a lot of your attention. Instead, you walk down each of the five steps individually.

Tyler does something similar here. Rather than jumping from the key signature of C-sharp to B-flat, He walks us there with that descending series of chords. This rapid series of chords also puts our ears in a state of temporary tonal instability. For a moment, we don't quite know where we are harmonically. So when Tyler finally lands back on the B-flat and stays in this key signature, we accept it as stable since what came before it was so unstable. So we find ourselves now back in the key signature of B-flat minor, where we hear a repetition of the song's hook.

But Tyler won't stay here long. The hook is immediately followed by yet another modulation and the entrance of Frank Ocean. Frank Ocean begins by imitating the chirping ring of a telephone. But with the next line, we also realize he's imitating the chirping of birds. He sings, woke up in the burbs with the birds, where you used to come and get me with the swerve. As he often does, Frank seems to be reminiscing about a former love. He then contrasts the past with the present, singing, These days you've got to find time, even the night line, work line, dial nine.

Frank appears to be saying that day or night, he's available to this person. Dial 9 alludes to 911, Tyler sings throughout the song, but also cleverly ties into work line. As often in large offices, one must dial nine before dialing an outside number. 911 continues with another verse, and again we find Tyler rapping about his loneliness. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing without you shotgun in the passenger. I'm the loneliest man alive, but I keep on dancing and throw him off. I'm going to run out of moves because I can go to the blues.

If you know when he DJs, tell him to call me at 9. One. Tyler here undermines his wealth, represented once again by his sports car. He continues the verse on the loneliest man alive, but I keep dancing to throw him off. Tyler here gives insight to his eccentric public persona, claiming his extroversion is used in part to mask the loneliness he feels within. What's clever about this line is that it actually acknowledges exactly what we're hearing here on 911 Mr. Lonely. It's a dance track and it feels joyous, but beneath this joy is melancholy, as its lyrics,

what he's actually saying is extremely dismal. And so the song itself is a real-time calculated expression of the juxtaposition between a fabricated external presentation of joy that hides an internal sadness and vulnerability, a sonic representation of exactly how Tyler feels about himself. Like Mr. Lonely, I was like, oh, dude, I want to write the saddest song I could possibly write and see people go crazy and, like, dance to it.

Yeah. It's that. And at the shows, that song is insane. and it's the saddest song I've ever wrote. Tyler brings the second verse to a close with the lines, I'm going to run out of moves because I can't groove to the blues. If you know any DJs, tell him to call me at 911. Here, Tyler plays off the Blues,

which is both a genre of music and an emotional state of melancholy. He states that he's going to run out of dance moves soon, which we take to mean that his loneliness is going to overwhelm him and erode the front he's been putting off for years. He then asked for a DJ or disc jockey, someone who could change the music to something more uplifting. Of course, this is a metaphor for a love interest, a partner that could extinguish Tyler's loneliness. We also note the clever double use of DJ, which is a common abbreviation or nickname for a male. After the end of this second verse,

we hear a telephone dead signal. This seems to connect to the song's opening moments in which Tyler picked up his ringing telephone as heard on the closing of I ain't got time. It would seem Tyler answered the phone in hopes of a love interest being on the other line, but we now realize a person hung up, either intentionally or as simply a wrong number. This segues directly into Mr. Lonely, part two of this two-part track. It's here that Tyler's critical self-evaluation comes to a head, as he articulates his loneliness unlike we've heard previously on the album. We'll dig into this lengthy verse right after the break. Welcome back to dissect. Before the break, we discussed 9-1-1. the first half of the two-part track 9-1-1 Mr. Lonely.

The second half is triggered by a dead signal tone, and we hear an abrupt shift to a new piano part accompanied by a choir of chanting male voices, which includes ASAP Rocky and schoolboy Q. I can't even lie, I've been lonely as fuck. A lonely ass-nob. I can't even lie. I've been lonely as fuck. I just imagine a nigger and a white beater.

on Valentine's Day, like in the hood. And like... Is he talking to his friends? I don't know who he's talking to, but it's a quick shot of that nigger. Like, but I can't even lie. I be lonely as fuck, niggas. Just being honest with his homies or something. And I was just like, man, I'll be really funny to chant.

But it's the perfect setup for when that song, like, comes on. Yeah. And it sets you up for like what's about to happen. It's honest. As Tyler ludes to hear, the opening anthem of Mr. Lonely sets us up for what's about to happen, which is an extended tumbling rap verse that finds Tyler looking inward to get to the bottom of his loneliness. Just like 9-1-1, these introspective lyrics are somewhat masked by the song's upbeat and now hip-hop-style drums. Also masked by these drums are the complex,

jazz-inspired harmonies Tyler lays on top of them. So I was like, okay, let me for this album specifically add all the chords I like, but do it in a way they could digest. So Mr. Lonely has some of the prettiest chords on the album. Yeah. But I kind of hit it behind the hard drums and the fast-paced rap. But if you really listen, it's really fucking pretty. Indeed, Tyler introduces yet another new chord progression here on Mr. Lonely. This is now the sixth original chord progression we've heard since the start of the song. And Tyler will actually introduce two more progressions by the end, making it by my estimation eight different and original chord progressions in a single song. Most hip-hop songs have one, maybe two chord progressions, and many don't have any at all.

In pop or rock music, you'll typically find two, three, sometimes four chord progressions in a song, but eight? Eight original chord progressions and multiple modulations in a single song is extremely, extremely rare. And the cool thing, the reason why Tyler's able to pull this off is the fact that it all happens without our really knowing it. The song is so, as Tyler put it, digestible. It's so smoothly constructed, we don't really notice all the changing parts. It seems and stitching aren't for the most part visible. In the wrong hands, a song with this many different parts and mood swings could very easily feel clunky, mismanaged, and all over the place. But here on 911 Mr. Lonely, it just sounds like the natural organic progression of the song,

which really speaks to Tyler's skill as an arranger and composer. And so now we turn our attention to the words Tyler places over this new, deceptively pretty series of chords. As the song title suggests, Tyler would continue to expound upon his loneliness. And even though we've heard multiple references to loneliness on this song and throughout the entire album, Tyler mostly does this in passing. That is, he's yet to really meditate on it with any real deep analysis. All that is about to change as Tyler attempts to get to the root of his loneliness on this extended rap verse. Tyler, but I disagree.

I say the loudest in the room. It's probably the loneliest one in the room. Attention seek a public speaker. Oh my God, that boy there's so fucking moment. Writers writing songs about these people who do not exist. He's such a fucking phone. One thing I know is that I want him to win so bad, but I'm not Chicago. Harder's low.

It's real low. It's so low. You can't lift me up. I'm like a lotto. From the start, it's been road dark. It's been so dark. I guess that you could call it charboard. I'm playing like Hasbro.

I'm really sorry. Call me auto. Crash to McCle. Tyler begins the verse. They say the loudest in the room is weak. That's what they assume, but I disagree. This seems to make reference to the 2007 film American Gangster starring Denzel Washington. You understand? You're too loud. You're making too much noise. Look at me. The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room. I tell you that.

The implication of this phrase is that only weak, insecure people feel the need to be the center of attention or put on a charade of strength in the company of others. They're trying to convince others and themselves of something they're not. Real confidence and true sense. strength don't feel this need because they're generally comfortable with who they are. Tyler, who has a reputation of being loud and obnoxious, sees himself in this phrase, but disagrees with the root cause. He counters, rapping, I say the loudest in the room is probably the loneliest in the room, and then in the background we hear him say, that's me. Just like his line about dancing to throw him off, Tyler's extraversion is a red herring, a diversion to mask his deep-seated loneliness. As such, he's able to analyze this mask as something outside of himself, continuing now in third person,

attention seeker, public speaker, oh my God, that boy there is so fucking lonely, writing songs about these people who do not exist, he's such a fucking phony. As we've heard throughout Flower Boy, Tyler has been fantasizing about a partner, most explicitly on the song See You Again. Tyler feels this imaginary love interest is a sign of desperation and phoniness. This also marks the first time on Flower Boy in which Tyler becomes self-referfer. about the album, its narrative, and emotions he's shared. This kind of real-time self-referencing increases as the album continues and will ultimately come to a head on the song November. Mr. Lonely

continues with Tyler comparing his gloomy emotional state to a sports car, rapping, Heart is low, it's real low, it's so low, you can't lift me up, I'm like Gallardo. A Galardo is a model of Lamborghini that has extremely low ground clearance, sitting just 4.5 inches off the ground. Tyler continues cracking a nervous joke about his dark emotional state, comparing it to a char-broiled or overcooked piece of meat. He then says, I'm playing like Hasbro, Hasbro being the brand that makes toys and board games children play.

Next comes the extremely clever line, I'm really sorry, call me Arto. On its surface, this line makes reference to the board game sorry that Hasbro produces, of course tying into the previous Hasbro line. He says, Call me Arto, in reference to Finnish professional skateboarder Arto Sari, last name spelled S-A-A-A-R-I, but pronounced sorry like the Hasbro game. Another layer of complexity is added when we recognize Artosari rode for flip skateboards,

the company that produced the classic skateboard movie titled Sari, in which Artosari starred. Finally, we realized that well-known artists, theme park, and toy designer Arto Monaco once worked for Hasbro as a toy designer, giving additional nuance to the Arto reference. And so, by my estimation, the line I'm Really Sorry Call Me Arto is a quadruple on Tondra, simultaneously referencing Sari the board game made by Hasbro, the skateboarder Artosari, the skateboard film Sorry in which Artosari starred, and Hasbro Toy Designer Arto Monaco. Tyler continues to flex his lyrical muscle as this extended verse continues. I'm really sorry and called me Alto.

Crash to McClare and bought me a Tesla. I know you sick of me talking about cause. But what the fuck else do you off for me? Only thing keeping me company, purchase things till I'm annoyed. These items just filling the floor. Been filling it for so long. I don't even know if it's shit I enjoy. Current bad door as an ad door.

My partner is a shat dough. I need love. Do you got some alcohol? Fuck out, I can find some of them all wrong. But that never comes like a bisectomy. What if I done? I got the talent that facing the funds for myself long ago, but I haven't found some one. Mirror mirror on the wall.

The loneliest of them all. You but act stupid. Do you got another number I could call? Never had a pet. I never had a pet. through this extended verse, Tyler once again gets self-referential. He raps, Crash the McLaren, bought me a Tesla, I know you're sick of me talking about cars, but what the fuck else do you want for me? That is the only thing keeping me company. Purchase some things until I'm annoyed. These

items is filling a void. Been filling it for so long, I don't even know if it's shit I enjoy. We haven't heard Tyler speak so introspectively about his obsession with cars since the album's opening track forward. It was there that Tyler first introduced the sports, car as a symbol of his material goods filling a deeper void within him. But we also remember that Forward is Flower Boy's preface and that the true narrative doesn't start until the album's second track. Since then, we've heard the car symbolism appear and reappear in different contexts and guises, but never with as much insight as when it was first introduced on Forward. Tyler's character hadn't fully realized the extent to which his obsession with cars and possessions represented

a larger issue in the structure of his being. But as were nearing the conclusion, of the album, all of Tyler's introspection finally has him articulating the root cause of his materialism. He's purchasing to, quote, fill the void, his boredom, loneliness, and lack of meaning leave him with, all of which he feels stems from the absence of love in his life. He elaborates on this in the lines that follow. Current battle as an adult, my partner is a shadow. I need love. Do you got some I can borrow. Next he reveals the procrastination that staggered his search for love, rhyming, fuck it, I can find some tomorrow, but that never comes. Like a vasectomy, what have I done? This riffs off the idiom, tomorrow never comes, a phrase that plays off present and future tenses.

While in the present, we put things off until tomorrow, but when we actually experience this quote-unquote tomorrow, it's our present, so tomorrow never really comes since all we experience is right now. This makes procrastinating a vicious, endless cycle. A cycle Tyler now finds himself in as he's put off the confrontation of his loneliness, instead focusing on petty material purchases. Since the song Garden Shed, which revealed Tyler's concealed attraction to men, we know the reason Tyler's having a hard time confronting his loneliness is because it would force him to confront his sexuality more broadly, to accept his orientation first to himself, and then share those feelings with others. Of course, this can be extremely difficult in some circumstances,

so it's no wonder why Tyler has procrastinated so long. no wonder why he now finds himself so alone. As a verse reaches its conclusion, Tyler attempts to get to the bottom of this dynamic, this interplay between his sexuality and his loneliness. If you got another number I could call, never had a pet, I never had a pet.

There's more fish in the sea, but I never had a goatfish to begin with. I never had a dog, so I never been good with bitches because I never threw a ball fetch. I never had a pet. That's where it stems from my bed. Treat me like direct deposit,

checking on me some time. Ask me how I'm wrong. really doing so I never have to press that nine one one Tyler wraps I've never had a pet there's more fish in the sea but I never had a goldfish to begin with typically one tells someone there's more fish in the sea to console them about a lost love because Tyler's never had a pet of course a metaphor for never having a relationship the cliche doesn't apply to him it doesn't matter how many fish are in the sea Tyler's been surrounded by fish forever and still has never been able to catch one He extends this metaphor to provide more insight and introspection, saying,

I never had a dog, so I've never been good with bitches, because I never threw a ball, fetch. Not being good with bitches is, of course, a coded way of saying he's never been good with girls. Not playing fetch or throwing a ball describes his disinterest in stereotypically masculine sports boys play. Both his disinterest in girls and sports again alludes to Tyler's non-hetero orientation. We know this to be at the root of his loneliness, So it's fitting that here at the end of the verse, Tyler is articulating the connection between the two. Finally, Tyler concludes this lengthy verse with a plea. Treat me like direct deposit.

Check in on me sometime. Ask me how I'm really doing, so I never have to press that 911. With the latter reference to 911, Tyler brings Mr. Lonely full circle. It would seem that Tyler fears that if he doesn't find love soon, his loneliness will develop into a serious emotional emergency. Conclusions. 9-1-1-M-E-Lonely is a dynamic display of Tyler the creator's skill as an arranger, composer, and lyricist. In just over four minutes, Tyler synthesizes an array of chord progressions, tonal modulations, musical moods, instrumentation changes, and vocal features to create a dynamic backdrop for his propoundment on loneliness.

Despite its up-tempo, danceable musical environment, 911, Mr. Lonely is Tyler's desperate plea for love, for companionship, As we noted, this dichotomy of joyous music and melancholic lyrics is a sonic depiction of how Tyler feels in real life. He's a goofy extrovert, hiding real heartache behind his smiling face. Indeed, 911 Mr. Lonely is in Tyler's own words, the saddest song he's ever written. In terms of the album's narrative, 911 Mr. Lonely begins as a misconnection. Tyler answers the phone perhaps hopeful that he's receiving a call from his fantasy partner. Of course, midway through the track, Tyler receives a dead signal tone. This triggers Tyler's most introspective analysis of his anxiety, loneliness, and

materialism since the album's opening track forward. Tyler identifies that his habitual purchasing of material goods is used to fill the void caused by the lack of meaning in his life. A void Tyler believes could and should be filled with love. And since the revelation that was garden shed, we suspected that Tyler's inability to find a partner was in large part caused by his inability to articulate his sexuality to himself and to others. Since that critical turning point, we've wondered how Tyler would proceed if the revelation would begin to absolve his loneliness and anxiety. So far, we've heard no such thing. In fact,

Tyler seems to be spiraling more and more into his anxiety-written state of mind. This is marked first by the isolation expressed on boredom, the failed attempt at driving away from his anxiety through the egotism of I ain't got time, and now the devastating forlorn expression of lonesomeness of 911 Mr. Lonely. After a brief interlude, Tyler's spiraling descent will continue until we reach rock bottom. Of course, this is the song November, the critical junk. show of Flower Boy's narrative arc, a song will examine note by note line by line. Next time on Dysect. Dysect is written and produced by me, original theme music by Birocratic, song

recreations by Andrew Atwood, audio editing by Eric Bass and me. If you enjoy Dysect, please help me spread the word by telling a friend, family member, or co-worker about the show. Follow Dysect Pod playlist on Spotify, where you can find music playlist curated by yours truly. Also, be sure to say hi at Dissect Podcast on Twitter and Instagram and join our newsletter at dissectpodcast.com. Okay, thanks everyone. I'll talk to you next week.