House of Gold (Twenty One Pilots song)

After expanding their audience with a series of videos directed by their friend Mark Eshleman, Twenty One Pilots grew and captured the attention of the major record labels. In 2012, once they signed to the Atlantic subsidiary label Fueled by Ramen, the band released their Three Songs EP and began working with record producer Greg Wells on their debut studio album, Vessel. A mixture of songs from their previous EPs in addition to new tracks, Vessel was released in January 2013 and featured "House of Gold" as one of its singles. Using the Hawaiian instrument, the ukulele, lead singer Tyler Joseph wrote "House of Gold" for his mother and dedicated the song to her. Alongside being a folky, ukulele-driven tribute, its songwriting demonstrates a traditional form of Americana, featuring lyrics that toy with poignant questions. Moreover, as a lighthearted ode to Joseph's mother, "House of Gold" endures a theme rooted in his family values, as highlighted in the album artwork for Vessel, which featured the grandfathers of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. == Composition ==

"House of Gold" is an alternative folk song that lasts for a duration of two minutes and forty-three seconds. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc, the song is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 116 beats per minute. Bearing a simple yet effective delivery, it pays homage to the patience and unbridled love of a parent. The song expresses loving lyrics which take on a pessimistic yet positive viewpoint. They play with poignant questions: "She asked me, 'Son, when I grow old, will you buy me a house of gold? / And when your father turns to stone, will you take care of me?" == Release and promotion ==

"House of Gold" originally appeared as a free download on the band's website in 2011, along with an official music video directed by Reel Bear Media. In addition to several songs from the band's sophomore album Regional at Best (2011), the song was augmented, included and re-released in 2013 on the track-listing of their major-label debut studio album Vessel on the record label Fueled by Ramen. ==Critical reception==

"House of Gold" received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics. Rock Sound Magazine deemed "House of Gold" as the band's "latest banger." Comparing Joseph's vocal stylings to that of the band Bright Eyes, AllMusics Fred Thomas described "House of Gold" as "uncharacteristically folky." Sejal Popat of The Cut stated, "'House of Gold' offers a sweet acoustic respite from the emotionally raw tracks preceding it." Jason Pettigrew for Alternative Press claimed, "This song is crucial to the band's creative resilience because it's more Grand Ole Opry than wild dance party. The boys’ dip into an Americana vibe that made industry wags think they had the next Mumford & Sons on their hands." Likewise, Sam Law, from the same publication, summarized "House of Gold" saying, "A folky, ukulele-led tribute to Tyler's mother, it showcases their mastery of a far more traditional form of Americana as lyrics toy with the most poignant of questions: 'She asked me, 'Son, when I grow old, will you buy me a house of gold? / And when your father turns to stone, will you take care of me?' A heartfelt statement of mother-son love." Sharing similar sentiments, Harper Beattie of Atwood Magazine wrote, "ukulele folk track 'House of Gold' is a lighthearted ode to Joseph's mother – persisting a theme of Joseph's entrenched family values... It was these elements, including the defiance of seemingly all rules of radio and mainstream aesthetics, that made Vessel a fan-favorite persisting among the Top 40 charts to this day." ==Commercial performance==

The single became fairly successful on rock and alternative-radio, becoming one of the band's early hits from their 2013 album Vessel. "House of Gold" became the second single by Twenty One Pilots to reach Alternative Songs top 10, following "Holding on to You". On July 7, 2017, "House of Gold" was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of one million paid digital downloads. ==Music video==

The single's accompanying music video was directed by Warren Kommers, and features extensive cinematography, a peculiar storyline and the usage of green screen effects. On October 4, 2013, the music video for "House of Gold" was released. Reception Rachel Campell for Alternative Press ranked the video for "House of Gold" as the best music video by Twenty One Pilots. == Live performances ==

Twenty One Pilots performed "House of Gold" at TSB Area in Wellington, New Zealand before 3,000 fans during the first concert on the Oceania leg of their Emotional Roadshow World Tour. The duo performed "House of Gold" during an appearance at the Fuse News Waffle House at Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 14, 2013. Lead singer Tyler Joseph began the live performance with a dedication to his mom. == Covers ==

A once-off supergroup composed of musicians Chris Martin, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers and E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan formed in October 2016 to cover songs from Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys during a benefit concert in Malibu, California for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, had covered the song during one of their concerts. On August 17, 2017, Coldplay performed a short snippet of the song during a concert at Soldier Field. == Track listing ==

• Tyler Joseph – vocals, ukulele, piano, keyboard, synthesizers, programming • Josh Dun – drums, percussion, tambourine ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==