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Bells in Santa Fe
Halsey Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't call me by my name
All of this is temporary
Watch as I slip away
For your sake
All of this is temporary

Well, maybe I could hold you in the dark
You won't even notice me depart
Secondhand thread
In a second hand bed
With a second man's head
Leaving through the door without a word
You won't even notice, little bird
Better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead

So don't wait for me
Don't wait for me
Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Don't wait for me
Don't Wait for me
Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Jesus needed a three day weekend
To sort out all his bullshit, figure out the treason
I've been searching for a fortified defense
Four to five reasons
But, Jesus, you've got better lips than Judas
I could keep your bed warm, otherwise I'm useless
I don't really mean it, 'cause who the fuck would choose this?

Well, maybe I could hold you in the dark
You won't even notice me depart
Secondhand thread in a second hand bed
With a second man's head
Leaving through the door without a word
You won't even notice little bird
Better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead

So don't wait for me
Don't wait for me
Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Don't wait for me
Don't wait for me
Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Don't wait for me
Don't wait for me
Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Don't wait for me
Don't wait for me
Wait, ah

All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary

All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary

(In the dark)
(You wouldn't even notice me depart)
(Second hand thread in a second mans bed)
(With a second man's head)

All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary
All of this is

Overall Meaning

In Halsey's song Bells in Santa Fe, she sings about the fleeting nature of life and relationships. The chorus repeats the line "Don't wait for me, it's not a happy ending," indicating that the relationship she is in is not a healthy or fulfilling one. She also sings about feeling like a second choice, represented by the "secondhand thread in a secondhand bed with a second man's head," and wanting to leave without a word. The line "better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead" suggests that she would rather suffer in the afterlife than stay in a miserable relationship.


The second verse brings in religious references, comparing her relationship struggles to those of Jesus and Judas. She sings about searching for a defense for her actions, but ultimately feeling useless. The line "I could keep your bed warm, otherwise I'm useless" suggests that she feels like her worth is only in satisfying her partner sexually, but otherwise she is unimportant. The repetition of "all of this is temporary" throughout the song reinforces the idea that nothing lasts forever, and she is ready to move on to something else.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't call me by my name
I don't want to be reminded of who I am in this moment of temporary escape.


All of this is temporary
I know that this moment will come to an end, but I'm trying to find comfort in it anyways.


Watch as I slip away
I'm slipping away from my problems and my reality to take a moment to breathe.


For your sake
I'm doing this to escape the pain that I know I'm causing you, because I can't deal with it right now.


Well, maybe I could hold you in the dark
Despite my desire to escape, I still want to hold onto someone who makes me feel safe.


You won't even notice me depart
I'm leaving quietly and without a fuss so as not to cause further pain or disturbance.


Secondhand thread
My life and the love I have to offer feels secondhand and worn out.


In a second hand bed
I'm settling for something that feels familiar and comfortable, but not necessarily what I truly want or need.


With a second man's head
I'm using someone else's comfort and familiarity to escape my own problems and traumas.


Leaving through the door without a word
I'm leaving this escape quietly and without announcing my departure, leaving the other person behind without explanation.


You won't even notice, little bird
The other person won't even realize that I've left or that I'm gone.


Better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead
I feel like my best option is to leave this world behind and face whatever punishment comes next.


So don't wait for me
I don't want the other person holding onto the hope that I'll return, because I know that I won't.


It's not a happy ending
This escape won't lead to a happy ending, just temporary relief from my problems.


Jesus needed a three day weekend
Even Jesus had to take some time to himself to sort through his own struggles and pain.


To sort out all his bullshit, figure out the treason
Even the Son of God had his own demons and betrayals to sort through and understand.


I've been searching for a fortified defense
I'm searching for something that will make me feel strong and safe against my own struggles and pain.


Four to five reasons
I'm trying to come up with reasons why I'm feeling the way I am and why I need to escape.


But, Jesus, you've got better lips than Judas
I'm acknowledging that even amidst my own struggles, I can still find beauty and love in the world.


I could keep your bed warm, otherwise I'm useless
I know that I can still offer comfort and love to those I care about, even if I can't offer much else right now.


I don't really mean it, 'cause who the fuck would choose this?
I'm second-guessing my own words and questioning why I'm choosing to seek this temporary escape in the first place.


All of this is temporary
I'm again acknowledging that this moment of escape is fleeting and that I'll have to eventually return to my reality.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, John Cunningham

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@partiallyslayed777

Don’t call me by my name
All of this is temporary
Watch as I slip away
For your sake
All of this is temporary

Well maybe I could hold you in the dark
You won’t even notice me depart
Secondhand thread
In a secondhand bed
With a second man’s head

Leaving through the door without a word
You won’t even notice little bird

Better off dead, so I reckon I’m headed to hell instead

So don’t wait for me, don’t wait for me
Wait
It’s not a happy handing
Don’t wait for me, don’t wait for me
Wait
It’s not a happy ending

Jesus needed a three day weekend
To sort out all his bullshit
Figure out the treason
I’ve been searching for a fortified defense
Four to five reasons

But Jesus
You’ve got better lips than
Judas
I could keep your bed warm
Otherwise I’m useless
I don’t really mean it
Cause who the fuck would choose this?

Well maybe I could hold you in the dark
You won’t even notice me depart
Secondhand thread
In a secondhand bed
With a second man’s head

Leaving through the door without a word
You won’t even notice little bird
Better off dead, so I reckon I’m headed to hell instead

So don’t wait for me, don’t wait for me
Wait
It’s not a happy ending
Don’t wait for me, don’t wait
for me
Wait
It’s not a happy ending
Don’t wait for me, don’t wait for me
Wait
It’s not a happy ending
Don’t wait for me, don’t wait for me
Wait

All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary
All of this is temporary



All comments from YouTube:

@supershy444

"all of this is temporary" is so addicting

@katieg8392

I really wish I could tattoo melodies on my body

@ciceroa.7297

@Katie G YES!!!!!

@nichasweet

YEA

@gabriellahickey2425

its literally stuck in my head all day

@workoftheworldmedia6748

It’s a line from a Circa survive song! So good

25 More Replies...

@sabina0606

In the context of the album being about pregnancy and horror, and what we know of her past miscarriages, these lyrics definitely sound like they’re from the point of a view of a child who won’t make it to full term. Like “don’t name me, don’t get attached to me, you’re going to lose me,” and I’m just tearing up thinking about how badly she’s wanted this baby.
Secondhand thread = the curette in the Dilatation and Curettage procedure (it's a thin af instrument that recovers the remains of a miscarriage)
Secondhand bed = likely a bed in a clinic
Second man's head = the midwife or doctor

@scottlandon4149

Omg I hear it now…

@user-vd3me2og4d

OMG THANK U

@gemma2182

"dont wait for me, it's not a happy ending" 💔

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