Haunted House
Natalia Zukerman Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You made me wretched
You made me feel stupid
You made me feel ugly
Without even trying

You made me want you
But you made feel nothing
Then you made me promise
When you knew I was lying

And this is what you wanted
Well this must be what you wanted
Like a house wants to be haunted
Is this what you wanted?

There is nobody here I'm all by myself
Just like that book that you kept on your shelf
You knew when you bought it
You would never read it
But you kept it around anyway

And this is what I wanted
Well this is what I wanted
Like a house wants to be haunted
Is this what I wanted?
Is this what i've been asking for?
Well it is too late to turn back now
But it is so dark I'm afraid here
And the wind is starting to

As legend would have it
If you get real quiet
You can see some things
As they used to be
And I see a house
It's got boarded up windows
It's got squeaky floorboards
And a note on the door
That just says

This is what we wanted
Well this is what we wanted
Now we're a house that's haunted




But that's what we wanted
Yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Natalia Zukerman's song "Haunted House" convey a sense of regret and disillusionment with a relationship that has left the singer feeling broken and empty. The first verse lists some of the negative emotions that the partner has caused: wretchedness, stupidity, and ugliness. The partner has the power to make the singer want them, but at the same time, they are able to make the singer feel nothing. The next line ("Then you made me promise when you knew I was lying") suggests that the partner is manipulative and enjoys exerting control over the singer.


The chorus asks the question, "Is this what you wanted?" likening the destructive relationship to a "haunted house." The singer seems to feel as though both they and the partner are responsible for creating this situation. In the second verse, the singer describes being alone, surrounded by items that have lost their meaning. The analogy to the book that is purchased but never read suggests that the singer and the partner have gone through the motions of a relationship without really connecting. The repetition of the question, "Is this what I wanted?" suggests that the singer is beginning to see that they have played a role in perpetuating the toxic relationship.


The final verse takes a turn towards the surreal as the singer describes seeing a boarded-up, abandoned house. The note on the door implies that someone has intentionally turned the house into a haunted attraction. The final chorus ("This is what we wanted... Now we're a house that's haunted") suggests that the singer and the partner have succeeded in creating a scary, destructive environment out of their relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

You made me wretched
You caused me to feel extreme sadness and misery


You made me feel stupid
You caused me to feel foolish and unintelligent


You made me feel ugly
You caused me to feel unattractive and undesirable


Without even trying
Your actions led to these negative feelings without any effort or intentional harm on your part


You made me want you
Your actions or behavior caused me to develop an attraction to you


But you made me feel nothing
Despite my initial attraction, you eventually caused me to feel no emotion or connection towards you


Then you made me promise
You convinced me to make a pledge or commitment


When you knew I was lying
You were aware that I was not telling the truth when I made the promise, yet you still encouraged me to do so


And this is what you wanted
You planned for these outcomes to occur and desired this result


Well this must be what you wanted
You intended to cause harm or negative effects through your actions, with a deliberate purpose


Like a house wants to be haunted
You intentionally desired to create a situation or environment with a negative, eerie or unsettling atmosphere, just like how a haunted house is created


Is this what you wanted?
You are questioning whether the caused outcomes and negative effects were your intended desire, and expressing disbelief and doubt


There is nobody here I'm all by myself
The singer is alone and isolated, with nobody around physically or emotionally


Just like that book that you kept on your shelf
This line is a metaphor for the singer's relationship with the person they are addressing. The person kept the singer around despite not truly desiring or caring about them, like how a book may collect dust on a shelf after being purchased but never actually read.


You knew when you bought it
The person knew what they were doing when they entered the relationship with the singer


You would never read it
The person never had any true intention of getting to know the artist, caring about them or investing anything into the relationship whatsoever


But you kept it around anyway
Despite this, the person kept the artist around, perhaps for their own benefit or amusement


Well this is what I wanted
The singer realizes that they, too, desired a negative relationship or outcome in some way, perhaps out of some false hope, insecurity or desire for love


Is this what i've been asking for?
The singer is wondering if this outcome is what they subconsciously desired, despite it being harmful or negative


Well it is too late to turn back now
The artist realizes they have reached a point of no return and they cannot undo the damage that has been done, or the decisions they have made.


But it is so dark I'm afraid here
The artist is scared and uncertain of their current situation, as they are metaphorically lost in the darkness of their negative relationship


As legend would have it
The phrase references a folktale or popular belief that serves as an analogy for the artist's situation


If you get real quiet
If you remain silent and still


You can see some things
You can begin to notice and understand certain things


As they used to be
As things were before they became negative or unpleasant


And I see a house
The singer envisions a house


It's got boarded up windows
The house is abandoned, neglected and boarded up


It's got squeaky floorboards
The house has details that suggest being desolate, run-down and creepy


And a note on the door
The door has a message that stands as a metaphor of a foretelling of an ominous presence


This is what we wanted
This line mirrors an earlier line, emphasizing the mutual responsibility for this negative outcome, and perhaps implying the desire to be haunted is what both parties truly wanted and needed for some reason


Now we're a house that's haunted
The metaphorical house in the previous lines is now being compared to the singer and their partner's relationship, now ruined, negative, and uncomfortable


But that's what we wanted
Despite the negativity, the artist is realizing that both they and their partner desired it at some level, consciously or not


Yeah
The final line is simply an expression of acceptance or resignation to the negative outcome or state of affairs




Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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