The track made its live debut Lucy Dacus' show at the Moroccan Lounge on October 27th 2019 and was also played at Bridgers' Hallows Eve Eve bash on October 30, 2019.
"'I started it with my friend Christian Lee Hutson. It was actually one of the first times we ever hung out. We ended up just talking forever and kind of shitting out this melody that I really loved, literally hanging out for five hours and spending 10 minutes on music. It’s about a dead relationship, but it doesn’t get to have any victorious ending. It’s like you’re bored and sad and you don’t want drama, and you’re waking up every day just wanting to have shit be normal, but it’s not that great. He lives right by Children’s Hospital, so when we were writing the song, it was like constant ambulances, so that was a depressing background and made it in there. The other voice on it is Conor Oberst’s. I was kind of stressed about lyrics — I was looking for a last verse and he was like, “Dude, you’re always talking about the Dodger fan who got murdered. You should talk about that.” And I was like, “Jesus Christ. Alright.” The Better Oblivion record was such a learning experience for me, and I ended up getting so comfortable halfway through writing and recording it. By the time we finished a whole fucking record, I felt like I could show him a terrible idea and not be embarrassed — I knew that he would just help me. Same with boygenius: It’s like you’re so nervous going in to collaborating with new people and then by the time you’re done, you’re like, “Damn, it’d be easy to do that again.” Your best show is the last show of tour.'" - via Apple Music
Halloween
Phoebe Bridgers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sirens go all night
I used to joke that if they woke you up
Somebody better be dying
Sick of the questions I keep asking you
That make you live in the past
But I can count on you to tell me the truth
Baby, it's Halloween
And we can be anything
Oh, come on, man
We can be anything
Always surprised by what I'd do for love
Some things I'd never expect
They killed a fan down by the stadium
Was only visiting, they beat him to death
Baby, it's Halloween
And we can be anything
Oh, come on, man
We can be anything
Baby, it's Halloween
There's a last time for everything
Oh, come on, man
We can be anything
Whatever you want
I'll be whatever you want
Whatever you want
Be whatever you want
I'll be whatever you want
(Whatever you want)
I'll be whatever you want
(Whatever you want)
(Whatever you want)
The song "Halloween" by Phoebe Bridgers is a melancholic reminiscence on childhood memories and the bitter realities of growing up. The opening lines, "I hate living by the hospital, the sirens go all night. I used to joke that if they woke you up, somebody better be dying", reveal the dreary and oppressive environment in which the singer exists. Living near the hospital, the constant sound of sirens is a daily reminder of death and suffering. The singer's nihilistic outlook on life is evident in their sarcastic comment that if someone were to wake them up, it better be for a good reason like death. It highlights the extreme level of desensitization and insensitivity that comes with witnessing death and trauma repeatedly.
The singer is struggling to deal with their existential crisis, overwhelmed with questions about the past that trap them in a cycle of guilt and regret. The lines, "Sick of the questions I keep asking you, that make you live in the past, but I can count on you to tell me the truth, when you've been drinking and you're wearing a mask", explore the extent to which the singer relies on their partner or friend to distract them from their thoughts. They turn to alcohol and the anonymity and disassociation that comes with wearing a mask on Halloween to alleviate their pain, to forget their past, and to be whoever they want to be. Bridgers explores the idea that Halloween is an opportunity to escape the constraints of reality and become someone else, at least temporarily.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate living by the hospital
I dislike living near the hospital because of the constant and disturbing sirens that go off all night.
The sirens go all night
The sound of the sirens from the hospital lasts throughout the night, which is frustrating and annoying.
I used to joke that if they woke you up Somebody better be dying
In the past, I would make light of the hospital sirens by saying that they could only wake me up if someone was dying.
Sick of the questions I keep asking you That make you live in the past
I am tired of asking you questions that force you to constantly relive or discuss your past memories, making you uncomfortable.
But I can count on you to tell me the truth When you've been drinking and you're wearing a mask
I trust you to be honest with me when you have been drinking and are hiding behind a disguise.
Baby, it's Halloween And we can be anything Oh, come on, man We can be anything
It's Halloween, and the holiday's spirit allows us to transform into anything we want to be. I encourage you to join me in this freedom of choice.
Always surprised by what I'd do for love Some things I'd never expect They killed a fan down by the stadium Was only visiting, they beat him to death
I am amazed at what I am willing to do for love, but there are certain things I never anticipated doing. Recently, there was a hate crime in which an innocent visitor to the stadium was beaten to death.
Baby, it's Halloween And we can be anything Oh, come on, man We can be anything
It's Halloween again, and I invite you to experience the endless possibilities of what we can become.
Baby, it's Halloween There's a last time for everything Oh, come on, man We can be anything
Halloween may be the last time that we can experience this freedom to be anything, so I urge you not to waste the opportunity.
Whatever you want I'll be whatever you want Whatever you want Be whatever you want I'll be whatever you want (Whatever you want) I'll be whatever you want (Whatever you want) (Whatever you want)
I am willing to indulge your desires and dreams on this day of Halloween, and be whoever or whatever you want me to be.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Lee Hutson, Conor M. Oberst, Phoebe Bridgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Loty van Toulon
on Ask Me To
Well I am tired, f being sad
I feel it when I wake up
And it just stays bad
Hits me like a sickness
A steamroller
And it makes me wanna lay down
and get run over
But then I see you, always smiling
Makes me wanna touch you
and keep from dying
Chorus:
You’re a, brother to me
you’re my partner in crime
You’re the feeling I get
when I’m feeling fine
And part of me wants you,
but most of me needs you
so i wont fall, unless you ask me to
We talked for hours
Untill finally
the sleep takes over
the enphedomine
and in the darkness
I feel your fingers
they don’t touch me
but there’s a danger
You’re a, brother to me
you’re my partner in crime
You’re the feeling I get
when I’m feeling fine
And part of me wants you,
but most of me needs you
so i wont fall, unless you ask me
You’re a, brother to me
you’re my partner in crime
You’re the feeling I get
when I’m feeling fine
And part of me wants you,
but most of me needs you
so i wont fall, unless you ask me to