Heathens by Twenty One Pilots

Album: Suicide Squad (2016)

Charted: 5 2

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Twenty One Pilots have a very close-knit fan base called the Skeleton Clique. Frontman Tyler Joseph gives a warning here to the Skeleton Clique not to pass judgment on the "heathen" outsiders joining in as a result of the duo's increased popularity.
The eerie song was released as the lead single from the official soundtrack for the Suicide Squad movie, a film centred around DC Comics' classic supervillains.
The video shows the Twenty One Pilots duo of Tyler Joseph on bass guitar and Josh Dun on drums, rocking the high-security penitentiary that's packed with the Suicide Squad cast.

It turns out the pair wanted to pay tribute to one of the most famous prison concerts of all. "We were trying to give a very subtle nod to Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison performance," Twenty One Pilots stylist Amanda Valentine told Billboard magazine. "You can barely just make out the bolo tie."
Twenty One Pilots wrote this specifically for the Suicide Squad film. Tyler Joseph told Radio.com: "I met with David Ayer, the director, and he kind of showed me some ideas, and some clips [from the film]. I'd never really written a song for a movie before, so it was a new experience. Especially the part where you show the movie company the idea, and you get a 'Yes' or 'No' back. Like, whether or not you're good enough. For us, we make a song, and if we like it, it goes on a record. So I was a little worried about that part. I kind of prepared myself for it to be a 'no.'"

"We made sure that we wrote a song that would make sense for our band; it was a Twenty One Pilots song. I wasn't going to waste my time," Joseph continued. "So, they said yes, and they dug it. It seemed to fit with the theme of the movie, and also what we go for."
This won for Best Rock Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.

Comments: 3

Bridget from CoOh my. I relate to the lyrics a little bit. I've been bullied as a kid, and though I still trust a lot of people, even small things obviously leading to other things tend to make me think people hate me. Especially in the last week of February, my crush acted strange, and I thought he hated me, but he was just busy and tired :). I am a teenager now, and I still feel like I'm in 6th grade
Sopheap from The Top, IlI thought it was about an asylum. I remember when it came out,p. Mom left me alone in the car and I danced until she came back
Siahara Shyne Carter∆ from United StatesThis is quite cool Only Twenty-one pilots voice is low But They are my jam! Yeah I hear this on Suicide Squad Movie

I love the lyrics I keep listening to this even now its 2020!
Very BadAss MUSIC ;-)

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Live ForeverOasis

The Oasis song "Live Forever" was written in response to "I Hate Myself And I Want To Die" by Nirvana. "Kids don't need to hear that nonsense," said Noel Gallagher.

Put Your Records OnCorinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae's 2006 hit "Put Your Records On" borrows the opening line ("Three little birds sat on my window") from the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds." Both songs have the same message: Don't worry, because every little thing's going to be alright.

When I'm 64The Beatles

In The Beatles' "When I'm 64," Paul McCartney asks a woman if she'll still be there for him when he's 64. In 2006, he got his answer when shortly before his 64th birthday, he and Heather Mills separated.

Try AgainAaliyah

Until December 5, 1998, a song had to be issued as a single to make the Hot 100. Aaliyah's "Try Again" was the first tune to top the chart based on airplay alone, without any sales figures being included.

I Remember EverythingZach Bryan

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves had both gone through divorces when they wrote and recorded the wrenching duet "I Remember Everything." It was the first #1 Hot 100 hit for each of them.

Bad RomanceLady Gaga

Lady Gaga is a big fan of horror movies; listen for the names of these three Alfred Hitchcock films in the lyrics to "Bad Romance": Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window.