On June 15, 2016, Twenty One Pilots tweeted a message in Morse code which read "takeitslow", a lyric taken from the song "Heathens". On the same day, the song initially leaked onto the Internet. The following day, June 16, it was revealed that the song will be featured on the motion picture soundtrack for the 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics antihero team Suicide Squad. The soundtrack was released on August 5, 2016.
Atlantic Records tried to find out who leaked the song, however, Reddit refused to give the IP address and was threatened a lawsuit, it was later revealed that the song was leaked by the band themselves or an Atlantic Records employee. The company's earlier plans were to advertise the song and create more revenue.
Heathens
Twenty One Pilots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people
That they loved one day stocked away
Just because we check the guns at the door
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades
You're lovin' on the psychopath sitting next to you
You're lovin' on the murderer sitting next to you
You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"
But after all I've said, please don't forget
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
We don't deal with outsiders very well
They say newcomers have a certain smell
Yeah, trust issues, not to mention
They say they can smell your intentions
You're lovin' on the freakshow sitting next to you
You'll have some weird people sitting next to you
You'll think, "How did I get here, sitting next to you?"
But after all I've said, please don't forget
(Watch it)
(Watch it)
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
(Watch it)
Wait for them to ask you who you know
(Watch it)
Please all my friends are heathens, take it slow
(Watch it)
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Why'd you come? You knew you should have stayed
I tried to warn you just to stay away
And now they're outside ready to bust
It looks like you might be one of us
The song Heathens by Twenty One Pilots is interpreted as a cautionary tale about the dangers of making sudden moves in unfamiliar territories. The first verse sets the tone for the song as the lead singer refers to his friends as heathens. The tone seems to be a jumbled mix of confusion and concern, as the lyrics warn against sudden movements and reveal the hidden abuses of being around abusers. The friends are also advised to take it slow and wait for an invitation to find out who the insiders are, as they don't know “the half of the abuse”. This implies the sense of danger that comes with moving too quickly in unfamiliar territories.
The second verse paints a picture of the room of people who have rooms of people they once loved, but who have now been abandoned or betrayed. Despite the outward attempts to keep guns at the door and contain the danger, there remains the possibility of blowing up (like hand grenades). The line “You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you” warns about the hidden dangers of associating with new people. The fact that the outsiders have a certain smell reveals the trust issues and how difficult it is for the insiders to trust anyone.
Overall, Heathens is a song about the dangers of taking sudden moves and the hidden dangers of new environments. It's a cautionary play that encourages the listener to watch where they tread.
Line by Line Meaning
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
All my friends are strange and possibly dangerous, so be cautious around them
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Don't try to introduce yourself - let your friend introduce you to the group
Please don't make any sudden moves
Don't do anything that might set off one of these unstable individuals
You don't know the half of the abuse
You have no idea what kind of emotional or physical abuse these people have experienced
Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people
You're among a group of people who are hiding themselves and their loved ones in these rooms
That they loved one day stocked away
They're hiding because they used to be able to love, but can't anymore
Just because we check the guns at the door
We may appear to be harmless, but that doesn't mean we won't harm ourselves or others
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades
We may have checked our weapons, but we're still highly volatile and unstable
You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you
One of us might be a complete psycho and you would never know it
You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you
Somebody in this room could be a killer and you wouldn't even suspect them
You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"
You might question how you got yourself into this potentially dangerous situation
But after all I've said, please don't forget
Despite all these warnings, please don't forget to trust your friend and tread carefully
We don't deal with outsiders very well
We don't trust people who are not like us and often push them away
They say newcomers have a certain smell
We can tell when someone is an outsider and it puts us on edge
Yeah, trust issues, not to mention
We have difficulty trusting anyone, for good reason
They say they can smell your intentions
We believe we can tell what someone wants just by being around them
You'll never know the freakshow sitting next to you
We've all got our quirks, but some of us are downright weird and you wouldn't even realize it
You'll have some weird people sitting next to you
The people in this room are not like the ones you're used to - they're different and possibly dangerous
Why'd you come? You knew you should have stayed
Why did you even bother coming into this room knowing the kind of people who are here?
I tried to warn you just to stay away
I knew what you were getting into and tried to protect you
And now they're outside ready to bust
The outsiders are coming and they're going to cause chaos and destruction
It looks like you might be one of us
You might not have realized it, but you don't belong with the outsiders - you fit in with us
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyler Joseph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geribluehair
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
Welcome to the room of people
Who have rooms of people that they loved one day
Docked away
Just because we check the guns at the door
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades
You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you
You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you
You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"
But after all, I've said, please don't forget
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
We don't deal with outsiders very well
They say newcomers have a certain smell
You have trust issues, not to mention
They say they can smell your intentions
You'll never know the freakshow sitting next to you
You'll have some weird people sitting next to you
You'll think "How did I get here, sitting next to you?"
But after all I've said, please don't forget
(Watch it)
(Watch it)
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
(Watch it)
Wait for them to ask you who you know
(Watch it)
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
(Watch it)
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Why'd you come? You knew you should have stayed
(It's blasphemy)
I tried to warn you just to stay away
(Away)
And now they're outside ready to bust
(To bust)
It looks like you might be one of us
@oliviapoopedherpants7341
“You’ll never know the murderer sitting next to you”
slowly moves away from cat
@randomroman8538
lol
@realvinestaff
Slowly rides chair away from my sister who is behind me
stop liking this it is old comment so old
@apimpnamedrunupputthemhand3207
Lmao
@user-iw5ib3lc2v
Bitcoin killed
@pusheenloverandtheholycomr3601
lol
@tricks9210
“You’ll never know the psychopath sitting next to you”
Me: Turning slowly and looking at my cat.
@s4hlj
Is it weird I was scrolling down while listening and the same exact time I started reading your comment, he sang that line..
@RaiLen0
🤣🤣🤣..
Update: sitting on my couch atm and the cat is looking at me lmfaoo.
@fantom242
Хорошо 😸