On October 9, 2024, Halsey revealed the inspiration for the track was Kate Bush.
Day 3 of counting down to The Great Impersonator, October 25th ⭐️ and today comes with an announcement.THE GREAT IMPERSONATOR #3: KATE BUSHTRACK 10: I NEVER LOVED YOU pic.twitter.com/kzzfxWGtc2— h (@halsey) October 9,...
[Verse 1]
They're cutting her up on the operating table, but it wasn't enough
The front desk pages, it's a call for the ages
They couldn't save her, they couldn't save her
The surgeon said, "She had a hole in her heart
But it wasn't her fault, it was there from the start"
Trying to love you through an open wound
'Cause everything I put inside there just fell right through
And I hold the parts together with some pressure and glue
And you're running in slow-mo to the hospital room
If you only knew
How bad it hurt me too
[Chorus]
So now you can take the money, you can get on a plane
To a beautiful island, build a house in my name
You can donate all the money to somebody in pain
And you can rest your head down and not feel any shame
I never loved you
I never loved you
I never loved you in vain
[Verse 2]
They're sewing me shut
Opening the doors and then removing their gloves
Taking the long way to the end of the hallway
They couldn't save her, they couldn't save her
You told the nurses that we argued a lot
And you're rambling on about the last time we fought
You drove off screaming on the night you were caught
You left me standing in the parking lot
I took off chasing you down Route 22
'Cause you never listen and I'm terrible too
You kept on driving far away from the issues
If you stopped, I would've kissed you
[Chorus]
So now you can take the money, you can get on a plane
To a beautiful island, build a house in my name
You can donate all the money to somebody in pain
And you can rest your head down and not feel any shame
I never loved you
I never loved you
I never loved you in vain
[Bridge]
Flash of light, heat of fire
Head on concrete and the screeching of tires
Sound of sirens, rush of pain
I almost thought I heard you call my name
[Chorus]
So now you can take the money, you can get on a plane
To a beautiful island, build a house in my name
You can donate all the money to somebody in pain
And you can rest your head down and not feel any shame
I never loved you
I never loved you
I never loved you in vain
I Never Loved You was written by Michael Uzowuru & Tyler Johnson & Halsey & Nick Lobel.
I Never Loved You was produced by Tyler Johnson & Michael Uzowuru.
Halsey released I Never Loved You on Thu Oct 10 2024.
In a promotional text message sent to Halsey’s subscriber list, she gave a brief explaining of the story that inspired the song’s lyrics:
A woman lies ill-fated in an Emergency Room. She’s holding on with all her might, in hopes her lover will show to say goodbye. He arrives, too late and defensive...
KATE BUSH
—via X
The title of the song is ‘I Never Loved You,’ which is very bratty, but then in the record you get this little bait-and-switch, which is kind of like, ‘I never loved you in vain,’ you know? The sentiment in the record actually is, I did love you. I was thinking a lot about Dolly and Whitney, I was t...
I’ve written so many breakup songs that I had to reinvent new ways to do it. How do I, as a mature adult with a child, write a breakup song that’s not just ‘Fuck you, you fucking loser?’
—via Rolling Stone UK