After the release of Haiz, Steinfeld began recording new music for an album project in January 2017 while filming Pitch Perfect 3. That year, Steinfeld released the singles "Most Girls" and "Let Me Go" that were intended to be a part of the album. In March 2018, Steinfeld confirmed that she was finishing her album and intended to release it in 2018. The following December, after the album wasn't released, Steinfeld confirmed that after finishing filming Dickinson in January 2019, she would be "finishing what started" with her music and releasing the album in 2019.
On March 26, 2020, it was reported that Steinfeld would release a two-part project in 2020 with the first part being released on May 1, 2020. Steinfeld later announced on April 24, 2020 that the project's first part's release was being pushed to May 8, 2020, due to her needing more time to perfect it. The project's first part was finished that month. On April 27, 2020, Steinfeld announced that the project's first part would be called Half Written Story as well as revealing its cover art and track list. The EP got its name from a lyrics in "Your Name Hurts" saying "we're a half-written story without any ending" and "this half-written story is horror at best".
I Love You's
Hailee Steinfeld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo, doo, doo, ah
Doo-bee-doo-bee
Where do I begin?
I'm sittin' here jaded
Yeah, I fell asleep with the makeup still on my skin
Wide awake again
I'm prayin' I make it
I step in the 12 but it's somewhere I've already been
Diamonds won't fool me 'cause I'm too far gone
Wish I could get back the air in my lungs
I've been so fucked up, it's bad for my heart
My heart
So
No more I love you's
It's too easy to say, yeah
No more I loves you's
Until I'm okay, yeah
I blamed it on the time zones
I blamed it on my eyes closed
I blamed it on the world like it owes me
So stop me before it's too late
No more I love you's
Until I'm okay
Oh, I faced my sins
And I wish it was easy
Now I fall asleep with the light on but still without you
So I'll make amends
And I buy myself flowers
And then when they die, I'll be happy that they got me through
Diamonds won't fool me 'cause I'm too far gone
Wish I could get back the air in my lungs
I've been so fucked up, it's bad for my heart
My heart
So
No more I love you's
It's too easy to say, yeah
No more I loves you's
Until I'm okay, yeah
I blamed it on the time zones
I blamed it on my eyes closed
I blamed it on the world like it owes me
So stop me before it's too late
No more I love you's
Until I'm okay
It's not on my lips and I love it
No weight on my chest, I'm above it
I'm takin' a moment to cut it out (oh)
I feel my conscience is callin'
Now there's no fear, no more runnin'
I don't want words that mean nothin', no
Oh, no more I love you's (no, no more I love you's)
It's too easy to say, yeah (know it's too easy to say)
No more I loves you's (no)
Until I'm okay (until I'm okay)
I blamed it on the time zones (oh)
I blamed it on my eyes closed (eyes closed)
I blamed it on the world like it owes me
So stop me before it's too late
No more I love you's (ooh, oh, no)
Until I'm okay (until I'm okay)
Hailee Steinfeld's song "Wrong Direction" is about self-awareness and accountability in relationships. The opening lines, “Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo, doo, doo, ah / Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo, doo, doo, ah / Doo-bee-doo-bee” serve as a musical introduction leading to the initial question “Where do I begin?” The singer then admits to feeling jaded and worn out from a previous relationship, and that she is struggling to move on. Yet, she recognizes that she is in a cycle, repeating the same mistakes and experiences. Vulnerably, she confesses that falling asleep with makeup is a constant reminder of the pain she has endured.
Hailee then mentions the "I love you" phrase, acknowledging that it's too easy to say it without truly meaning it. Thus, the singer has decided not to use the phrase until she is truly okay on her own. She adds that she looks down on her faults and blames external factors, realizing that she has to stop before it's too late. She faces her mistakes, buys herself flowers to celebrate the small victories, and aims to make amends. The lyric "I blamed it on the world like it owes me" reflects a realization that one cannot continue to blame factors unrelated to themselves for their behavior or toxic relationships. The song closes with a line, “No more I love you’s until I’m okay,” indicating that self-love is essential, and it will be put first.
Line by Line Meaning
Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo, doo, doo, ah
Introductory sounds that have no specific meaning
Where do I begin?
The singer is uncertain where to start
I'm sittin' here jaded
The singer is tired and disillusioned
Yeah, I fell asleep with the makeup still on my skin
The artist was too tired or preoccupied to remove their makeup
Wide awake again
The artist is unable to sleep
I'm prayin' I make it
The singer is hoping to overcome challenges ahead
I step in the 12 but it's somewhere I've already been
The singer is going through the motions of something already familiar, possibly facing the same problem over and over again
Diamonds won't fool me 'cause I'm too far gone
Luxurious or expensive items no longer appeal to the artist
Wish I could get back the air in my lungs
The artist longs to feel like themselves again
I've been so fucked up, it's bad for my heart
The way the artist has been living is taking a toll on their emotional well-being
No more I love you's
The singer does not want to express romantic feelings until they feel better
It's too easy to say, yeah
Saying 'I love you' has lost its value for the artist
Until I'm okay, yeah
The singer wants to focus on their own healing first
I blamed it on the time zones
The singer rationalized their problems by blaming external factors
I blamed it on my eyes closed
The singer avoided their issues by not facing them head-on
I blamed it on the world like it owes me
The artist felt entitled to better treatment from life
So stop me before it's too late
The artist wants someone to intervene and help them get better
Oh, I faced my sins
The singer has confronted their mistakes
And I wish it was easy
The process of self-improvement is difficult and the singer wishes it were simpler
Now I fall asleep with the light on but still without you
The artist struggles to sleep soundly or feel complete without someone else
So I'll make amends
The artist will make things right for past wrongs
And I buy myself flowers
The artist treats themselves to something nice
And then when they die, I'll be happy that they got me through
The singer will appreciate the positive effects the nice things they do for themselves will have, even after they are gone
It's not on my lips and I love it
The artist is content to not say 'I love you'
No weight on my chest, I'm above it
The singer feels lighter and freer without the burden of romantic expectation
I'm takin' a moment to cut it out (oh)
The singer is deliberately removing the romantic emotions from their thoughts and behavior
I feel my conscience is callin'
The singer feels a sense of moral obligation
Now there's no fear, no more runnin'
The artist is no longer afraid or avoiding their issues
I don't want words that mean nothin', no
The artist wants their words and actions to have genuine meaning
Until I'm okay
The singer's emotional and mental state must improve before they are willing to express love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Freeman, David Stewart, Jessica Agombar, Joseph Hughes, Sarah Griffiths
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind