The Prologue
Halsey Lyrics
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In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage
The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
I am a child of a money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
"The Prologue" is the introduction song to Halsey's second studio album, "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom." The song contains a spoken-word performance of the prologue to William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet." The prologue sets the stage for the tragic love story and establishes the feud between the two leading families in Verona. However, Halsey uses this iconic piece of literature to make broader social commentary on the themes of love, politics, and power.
The lyrics in the second half of the song introduce Halsey's personal experiences and struggles as a child of the contemporary political climate. She describes her country as "money hungry" and "prideful," which creates a culture where people have "hands so bloody" but are still attracted to its sweetness, like "tastes like honey." Halsey expresses her difficulty in separating herself from her country despite its imperfections and atrocities.
Overall, "The Prologue" sets the stage for the album's exploration of toxic love and power dynamics, as well as societal issues surrounding nationalism and patriotism. Halsey uses Shakespearean language to create a timeless feel and convey the ongoing relevance of these themes.
Line by Line Meaning
Two households, both alike in dignity
Two families, equally respected in their status
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
The story takes place in the beautiful city of Verona
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
An old feud leads to new conflicts
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
The violence of war stains even the hands of those deemed civilized
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
The two opposing families give birth to the tragic lovers
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
The ill-fated lovers choose to end their lives
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Their heartbreaking and unfortunate endings
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
Their deaths quell the conflict between their warring families
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
Their doomed love story filled with terror and anguish
And the continuance of their parents' rage
And the ongoing anger of their parents
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Which could only be resolved by the end of their children's lives
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage
Their story is now the subject of our two-hour play
The which if you with patient ears attend
If you pay attention carefully
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
Anything that is unclear or confusing, we will work to clarify
I am a child of a money hungry, prideful country
The singer introduces themselves as belonging to a nation characterized by greed and arrogance
Grass is green and it's always sunny
The artist describes the idealized nature of their homeland
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
The apparent sweetness of their success belies the violence and corruption that underlie it
I'm finding it hard to leave
Despite the flaws of their country, the singer has difficulty leaving and moving on from it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ASHLEY FRANGIPANE, CHRIS BRAIDE, PEDER LOSNEGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@desoxirribonucleico8896
[Intro]
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
[Verse]
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
@WS748
[Intro]
Dos hogares, ambos por igual en dignidad
En la feria de Verona, donde ponemos nuestra escena
De un antiguo resentimiento a un nuevo motín
Donde la sangre civil hace las manos civiles sucias
De adelante los lomos fatales de estos dos enemigos
Un par de amantes de la cruz de la estrella toma su vida;
Cuyos desbaratados derrotas lamentables
Hacer con su muerte enterrar la lucha de sus padres
El paso temeroso de su amor de la marca de la muerte
Y la continuación de la furia de sus padres
Que, pero el fin de sus hijos, nada podría eliminar
Es ahora el tráfico de dos horas de nuestro escenario;
El que si con los oídos del paciente atender
Lo que aquí faltará, nuestro trabajo se esforzará por reparar
[Verso]
Soy un hijo de un
Dinero hambriento, país orgulloso
La hierba es verde y siempre está soleada
Manos tan sangrientas, sabe a miel
Me cuesta salir
Soy un hijo de un
Dinero hambriento, país orgulloso
La hierba es verde y siempre está soleada
Manos tan sangrientas, sabe a miel
Me cuesta salir
@albertinaripanu7423
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage
The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
I am a child of a money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
@phandomzhow2872
Lyrics 🎶
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean,
From forth the fatal loins on these two foes,
A pair of star crossed' lovers take their life;;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows,
Do it with their death and parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death marked love,
And the continuance of their parents rage,
Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,
Is now two hours traffic of our stage;;
The which if you with patient ears attend what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
"Chorus?"
I'm a child of a
Money hungry prideful country,
Grass is green and is always sunny,
Hands so bloody tastes like honey,
I'm finding it hard to leave
x2
(:
@robonyan_yt
'lyrics'
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
I am a child of a money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
@sarahlaurent2239
The amount of money I would pay for an audiobook of R&J read by Halsey is mildly ridiculous
@bubblebubble7494
She should do that would bei great merch
@desoxirribonucleico8896
[Intro]
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
[Verse]
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
@vanshikavekaria6482
Effy Stonem once again you're amazing
@rabab_9604
Effy Stonem انتي راهيبة 😍😍😍
@hugsfromdad
Effy Stonem I did NOT do this justice when I read this during my class play. oh my gosh I wish this song existed back then
@saigopinath3697
YES YES thats so true it def sounds like the 1975!!
@mackc4735
Effy Stonem nice username
@mennaomar6588
❤️❤️❤️
@opalb1034
SO SO SO happy she uploaded the whole album on YouTube for all of us. I couldn't buy the album and was so sad that I wouldn't be able to hear it for a while and then BAM, she uploads the album! LOVE YOU HALSEY ❤️