BADLANDS [halsey] // Lyric Analysis

1. Castle

VERSE 1:

"Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise /
Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised"

Halsey's pictures herself as a victim of the fame. Haters gossip about her personal and professional life, which simply comes out as noise to her, due to its non-constructive nature, journalist who lead gossip websites and create rumors about her personal life. Leading to nothing but noise, in both her mind and ears.

Meanwhile, she's tired of everyone taking pictures of her: not only the paparazzi, but even the fans.  Of all those flashes that follow her not only during her shows, but also during the day. Being the center of constant attention requires poise, something Halsey dislikes out of her desire to be normal at times, rather than appearing as a perfect being all the time.

"And now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it /
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it"

Note how "begging for a fist" around her neck corresponds to "choking" in the following line; this symbolic choke shows her vulnerable side juxtaposed with her massive pride. By "choking on my pride," Halsey acknowledges that she thinks highly of her dignity and holds a sense of propriety, but when it comes to her problems, she recognizes that this very same pride holds her back. Also, the picture she gives reminds of some abuse acts, such as domestic violence.

Halsey knows very well that complaining about   is futile – it won't change anything, and it won't make things much better. Though she recognizes it, she can't help her reaction.

PRE-CHORUS:

"Agnus dei /
Agnus dei /
Agnus dei /
Agnus dei"

From Latin, literally means 'Lamb of God.' In Christian Church an invocation beginning with the words "Lamb of God" forms a set part of the liturgy, it's a figure of a lamb bearing a cross or flag.

Halsey could be seeing herself as some sort of sacrifice, as a weak and innocent creature, that others are marching forward. "They wanna make me their queen" [line in the chorus] probably refers to the music industry or her management, who are trying to make her become some sort of an idol, but she knows she's just a sheep that they've simply decorated with their hopes and expectations and are using to their personal scopes.

CHORUS:

"I'm headed straight for the castle / They wanna make me their queen /
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean /

I'm headed straight for the castle / They've got this kingdom locked up /
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying / I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut"

The Badlands overthrows the demanding and impeding ideologies of male domination.

In an interview with Coup De Main, she explains how a patriarchal society places restrictions on the mentality of women and the way they're allowed to view themselves: "I think the old man is kind of just representative of a patriarch. When I first started out there were moments when I'd be wearing something and then I'd rock out on stage and think something like, 'Is this too revealing? Is this too blah blah blah?' Or, 'Should I not say this? Maybe I shouldn't curse.' And then I think I eventually just starting being like, 'Why the fuck do I care? Why do I care? If I'm not offending anyone's race or creed or beliefs to a level of political incorrectness, then why do I have to fucking please anyone? I have no-one to please.' I think that is kind of what that song signifies – my entry into the music industry, and the realization that I don't have to follow anyone's rules."

She's decided to take the power and lead this game with her own rules, without following any stereotypes or other people's thoughts.

VERSE 2:

"All of these people passing, saying that they're feeling abused /
If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised"

The  warns Halsey that her attempts to change the established system (in which she is inferior) will be in vain and will cause her great harm.

These lines are also emotionally motivated on a personal level. The walls represent the fortress Frangipane surrounds herself with in an attempt to shelter her heart. The walls serve as a similar warning, but rather directly from her to the person she's addressing. If she wants to break down this walls, she'll have to use all of her physical strength which against the stone will only receive bruises.

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what do you think about Badlands' first song of the album?

do you have any other interpretations to give?