"This was a guitar riff that Lincoln had written while we were still touring on the last record. It was a really cool chord progression, but we felt that it needed a little more movement. Lincoln and I got to the writing space a little early one day, and we were sitting on a porch swing, just conversing about what to do. We decided to double-time the guitar; it would be 16th notes.
We went to where the band was practicing, and everybody kind of fell into it. The vocal melody happened over time, though. I really got into Christmas music for some strange reason. I just think that the chord arrangements and vocal melodies in Christmas music are pure genius. So that’s where I went with the vocal melody for ‘Halo’ – it’s inspired by listening to Christmas music.
I wanted to write about something that you struggle with and battle to get away from, but I wanted to make it sound like it’s about a relationship, even though it’s not. It’s about these vices that plague us. In the chorus, it says, ‘I lost my halo’ – I was thinking about that point in life where you feel you’re innocent… I don’t even know if you recognize it as innocent – you just don’t see your shortcomings. And then you fall on your face in a big way, and you realize that you look foolish.
There have been some things that I’ve done in the past couple of years that I’m not proud of at all. The song is about those things that continuously come back to haunt you."
Matt Shultz via MusicRadar (September 2013)
Halo
Cage the Elephant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You find a way to reel me back in, ah
Tell me that you love me
Hold me tight so we can always be friends, ah
I swear
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, ah
Every time I get away
You find a way to pull me back in, ah
Why does it take so long?
Why does it feel so wrong?
Why does it take so long?
You knew I couldn't help myself
I had to lay low
Got so high, couldn't help myself
I lost my halo
Took me by the hand and said
"Remember all the good times we had?" Ah
I remember how you took my favorite knife
And slipped it under my skin, ah
I swear
I said it before, and I'll say it again, ah
Every time I get away
You find a way back under my skin
Why does it take so long?
Why does it feel so wrong?
You knew I couldn't help myself
I had to lay low
Got so high, couldn't help myself
I lost my halo
All my life with a skeleton
I had to let go
Got so high, couldn't help myself
I lost my halo
I lost my halo
I lost my halo
The lyrics to Cage the Elephant's song Halo express the struggles of a toxic relationship. The singer is constantly trying to break away from their partner, but is always reeled back in. The partner tells them they love them, offers physical affection, and insists that they can still be friends. However, the singer knows that the situation never ends well and wonders why it takes so long to break free. They feel wronged and realize they have lost their sense of self and their moral compass.
The lines "Took me by the hand and said, 'Remember all the good times we had?'" reveal that the partner is using nostalgia and manipulation to reel the singer back in. They also reflect the concept of the "honeymoon phase" in many relationships – when everything seems perfect, but ultimately fades away. The line "I lost my halo" could have multiple meanings. It could reference the idea of someone being an "angel" in a relationship, but also the overall idea that their innocence and purity is now gone due to their involvement in such a toxic dynamic.
Overall, the lyrics of Halo by Cage the Elephant explore the difficult and complicated emotions that come with struggling to break away from a toxic relationship. It reflects on love, manipulation, nostalgia, and the difficulty of breaking free from harmful patterns.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I get away
No matter how hard I try, no matter how far I go, you come back to me.
You find a way to reel me back in, ah
You always have a way of making me feel like I need you.
Tell me that you love me
You use your love to control me.
Hold me tight so we can always be friends, ah
You always try to be close to me even though it's not healthy for either of us.
I swear
I promise that I'll try to escape again.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, ah
I keep reminding myself that I can't keep doing this.
You find a way to pull me back in, ah
No matter how much I try, you always make me come back.
Why does it take so long?
Why can't I escape this toxic relationship?
Why does it feel so wrong?
Why does being with you always feel like a mistake?
You knew I couldn't help myself
You know I'm weak and that I can't resist you.
I had to lay low
I had to avoid you to try and get over you.
Got so high, couldn't help myself
I tried to distract myself with drugs and alcohol.
I lost my halo
I lost my sense of morality and fell from grace.
Took me by the hand and said
You approached me and reminded me of the good times we had.
"Remember all the good times we had?" Ah
You tried to make me feel nostalgic to control me.
I remember how you took my favorite knife
I remember how you have hurt me before.
And slipped it under my skin, ah
And how you have taken advantage of my vulnerability.
All my life with a skeleton
All my life, I've been suffering silently in this relationship.
I had to let go
I had to let go of you, and the idea of us being together.
I lost my halo
I lost the essence of who I am and what I stand for.
I lost my halo
I lost the essence of who I am and what I stand for.
I lost my halo
I lost the essence of who I am and what I stand for.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Matthew Ray Shultz, Donald Bradley Shultz, Jared Lloyd Champion, Daniel Andrew Tichenor, Lincoln Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind