Heathens

The meaning of "Heathens" is multi-layered, operating as a message for the Suicide Squad film, a commentary on the Twenty One Pilots fanbase (the Skeleton Clique), and a broader statement on empathy and judgment. Primarily, the song is a cautionary tale about judging outsiders and the importance of approaching unfamiliar groups with caution and respect. The term "heathen" is used not in a religious sense, but to describe a person who is an outcast, a non-conformist, or someone perceived as morally different or lacking. Singer Tyler Joseph identifies himself and his friends as "heathens," embracing this label to signify a community of people who are dealing with mental health struggles, trauma, and a sense of not belonging.

One strong interpretation is that the song is a direct message from Joseph to the band's dedicated fanbase. As the band's popularity grew after their album Blurryface, many new fans began to join the Skeleton Clique. The lyrics "All my friends are heathens, take it slow / Wait for them to ask you who you know" can be seen as advice to these newcomers on how to integrate into a community that is protective and wary of outsiders. Conversely, it's also a plea to the established fans to be patient and not to judge the new "heathens" who may not yet understand the depth of the band's message or the community's unspoken rules. The line "You don't know the half of the abuse" suggests that many in the fanbase have dealt with significant personal struggles, and this shared pain is a core part of their bond.

Within the context of the Suicide Squad movie, the lyrics perfectly mirror the film's theme of a group of dangerous, mentally unstable supervillains forced to work together. Lines like "You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you" directly relate to the unpredictable nature of the film's characters. The song captures the tense, volatile atmosphere of the Belle Reve prison depicted in the movie.

A third layer of meaning involves Tyler Joseph's Christian faith. Some interpretations suggest the song is an appeal to fellow Christians to be less judgmental and more loving towards non-believers or those who are struggling. In this view, "Wait for them to ask you who you know" is a metaphor for not forcing one's faith on others but waiting for them to show interest, emphasizing building relationships over proselytizing.

The song serves as a cautious welcome and a stark warning to a newcomer entering a tight-knit, but fragile, community. The narrator begins by stating plainly, "All my friends are heathens, take it slow." This opening sets a recurring theme: this group is composed of outsiders, people who are misunderstood or considered morally different by mainstream society, and approaching them requires patience and care. The instruction to "wait for them to ask you who you know" suggests that acceptance is earned through shared connections and trust, not sudden declarations. There's an immediate sense of danger and unpredictability, a warning not to make any sudden moves because the newcomer is unaware of the deep-seated trauma and "abuse" that members of this group have endured.

The narrator then ushers the listener into this metaphorical "room of people," a community of individuals who carry the weight of past emotional wounds, having "docked away" people they once loved. This line hints at themes of loss, mental health struggles, and the emotional baggage that defines them. A powerful metaphor is used to describe their internal state: "Just because we check the guns at the door doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades." This illustrates that while they may appear calm or controlled on the surface, their minds are volatile and capable of explosive, self-destructive thoughts, highlighting a constant internal battle.

The warning becomes more direct and personal as the narrator describes the inherent risk of getting close. The group doesn't integrate outsiders easily, claiming that "newcomers have a certain smell" and that they can sense insincere intentions. This speaks to a collective paranoia born from past betrayals and the need to protect their vulnerable space. The narrator admits to having trust issues, reinforcing the group's defensive posture. The song's bridge intensifies this idea by pointing out the hidden darkness in those around you: "You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you, you'll never know the murderer sitting next to you." While likely metaphorical, these lines underscore the idea that everyone has a dark, unknown side—a "freak show"—that they conceal. It's a call for awareness and a challenge to the newcomer's potential naivety.

Towards the end, the narrator questions the newcomer's decision to enter this world, asking, "Why'd you come? You knew you should have stayed." It's presented as a final warning, a moment of blasphemy against the group's guarded nature. However, this confrontation leads to a surprising turn. As the figurative walls are about to be breached, the narrator observes the newcomer's resilience and understanding, concluding with a line of conditional acceptance: "It looks like you might be one of us." This suggests that by weathering the warnings, understanding the risks, and still choosing to stay, the newcomer has proven they share the same brokenness and, therefore, might just belong.

"Heathens" was written specifically for the soundtrack of the 2016 DC Comics film Suicide Squad. The song's creation began when the film's director, David Ayer, approached Twenty One Pilots to contribute a track. Tyler Joseph, the band's frontman and primary songwriter, met with Ayer, who showed him clips and shared ideas about the movie's tone. This was a new experience for Joseph, who was accustomed to writing songs for the band's albums without external approval. He wrote the song from the perspective of someone introducing the "Squad" to their friends, which created a natural link to the band's own fanbase and themes present in their album Blurryface.

The song was written by Tyler Joseph and co-produced by Joseph and Mike Elizondo. The recording process took place in 2016 at Elizondo's Can Am Studio, where they developed Joseph's initial Logic demo, overdubbing live drums, bass, and vocals. The production intentionally used a lot of distortion on vocals, drums, and bass to fit the dark and edgy atmosphere of the film.

The song was officially released on June 16, 2016, but it was leaked online a day earlier on Reddit by a user account apparently created for that purpose. In response to the leak, the band tweeted the phrase "takeitslow" in Morse code, a key lyric from the song. The music video, directed by Andrew Donoho, was released on June 21, 2016. It depicts Joseph and drummer Josh Dun performing in Belle Reve prison, interspersed with clips from Suicide Squad, winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.

The rhyme scheme in "Heathens" is relatively simple and effective, contributing to its direct and memorable quality. The chorus primarily uses a pattern of near-rhymes and assonance, as seen in "slow" and "know." The verses often follow an AABB or AAABB structure. For example, in the first verse, "day" and "away" create a perfect rhyme, while the following lines use repetition for emphasis rather than rhyme. A notable technique is the repetition of the same phrase multiple times, such as "sitting next to you," which adds emphasis similar to a speechwriter's technique.

The song's rhythm is one of its most defining characteristics. It is set in a 4/4 time signature with a moderate tempo of around 90 beats per minute. The underlying groove is a 16th-note shuffle, which gives the song a slightly swung, uneasy feel that avoids being straightforwardly aggressive. This rhythmic foundation, carried by the bass and drums, creates a sense of cautious movement, perfectly mirroring the lyrical instruction to "take it slow." The interplay between the steady, ominous musical rhythm and the more varied, conversational cadence of Tyler Joseph's vocal delivery creates a compelling tension that drives the song forward.

Musically, "Heathens" employs a dark, atmospheric style that blends genres. It is built on a mid-tempo, 16th-note shuffle rhythm that feels unsettling. The song's structure relies heavily on a simple, repeating piano and synth progression (C–Am–E in the chorus), which creates a hypnotic, earworm quality. The arrangement begins sparsely with piano and vocals, gradually building by adding a heavy bassline, programmed drums, and layered synths, creating a sense of growing tension. A key musical feature is the use of the E major chord in a song centered around E minor, creating a distinctive and slightly dissonant feel that some analysts describe as using modes like E Mixolydian b6 or E Harmonic Minor. Tyler Joseph's vocal delivery is crucial; he shifts from a soft, almost crooning style in the verses to a more intense, rapping cadence, enhancing the song's dynamic shifts. The production is notable for its heavy use of distortion and reverb, particularly on the vocals and instruments, which contributes to the track's eerie and gritty sonic landscape.

Lyrically, the song uses a direct, second-person narrative voice ("You don't know the half of the abuse"), which makes the warnings feel personal and confrontational. The repetition of the central phrase "All my friends are heathens, take it slow" acts as a recurring motif and a central thesis. Joseph also employs vivid, sometimes violent, imagery and metaphors, such as comparing brains to "hand grenades" and a person to a "freak show," to convey the song's themes of mental fragility and hidden darkness. The use of rhetorical questions ("Why'd you come?") directly engages the listener, pulling them deeper into the song's narrative dilemma.

"Heathens" became a massive commercial success and a significant cultural touchstone for Twenty One Pilots. Released as the lead single for the Suicide Squad soundtrack, the song's popularity was intrinsically linked to the film's marketing. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, tying with "Stressed Out" as the duo's highest-charting single. The song's success made Twenty One Pilots the third rock act in history, after The Beatles and Elvis Presley, to have two simultaneous top-five singles in the Hot 100. "Heathens" received three Grammy Award nominations and won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.

The song has been certified Diamond in the U.S. for selling over 10 million units, making it one of the band's signature tracks. Its widespread popularity introduced Twenty One Pilots to a broader global audience beyond their established fanbase. The track has been covered by several artists, including the heavy metal band Halestorm and rapper Vic Mensa. Its use in the end credits of Suicide Squad cemented its association with the film and the wider DC Comics universe. "Heathens" is often praised as one of the best parts of the otherwise critically divisive film.

"Heathens" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that create its cautious and layered narrative. The central metaphor is the concept of "heathens" itself, which symbolizes a community of outcasts, the misunderstood, and those battling internal demons. This community could be the band's fanbase, the characters in Suicide Squad, or anyone who feels alienated from mainstream society.

• "Checking guns at the door doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades": This is a powerful metaphor for mental health. The "guns" represent outward behavior, which can be controlled or concealed. However, the "hand grenades" symbolize volatile, potentially explosive internal thoughts and emotional instability that remain dangerously present, even when external appearances are calm.
• The "Room of People": This symbolizes a protected, insular community. It's a space for those who have "docked away" loved ones, suggesting a shared history of loss and emotional pain that binds them together and makes them wary of newcomers.
• "Newcomers have a certain smell / They can smell your intentions": This imagery represents the intuitive, almost primal, suspicion the group holds towards outsiders. It's not a literal smell but a metaphorical one, signifying the group's ability to detect insincerity or threatening motives, a defense mechanism born from trust issues.
• "Psychopath" and "Murderer": These terms are used metaphorically to represent the hidden darkness and extreme potential within every person. Joseph isn't literally saying his friends are murderers, but that you can never truly know the depths of another person's psyche or the struggles they conceal—the "freak show sitting next to you."

The most significant recurring motif in "Heathens" is the lyrical phrase "All my friends are heathens, take it slow." This line opens the song and is repeated in every chorus, functioning as the song's central thesis and a constant warning. Its repetition drills the core message into the listener: this group is different and requires a careful approach. It is both a declaration of identity and a piece of advice.

Another recurring phrase is "Wait for them to ask you who you know," which reinforces the theme of earning trust within an insular community. It's a motif that speaks to the idea of initiation and proving one's legitimacy before being accepted.

The line "You'll never know the [psychopath/murderer/freak show] sitting next to you" is a recurring structural element in the bridge. The variation from "psychopath" to "murderer" to "freak show" escalates the sense of hidden danger and internal chaos, hammering home the idea that appearances are deceiving and that deep, dark struggles can exist just beneath the surface.

Musically, the simple three-chord progression (C-Am-E) of the piano and synth is a recurring motif that provides the song's haunting and recognizable backbone. This constant, almost looping, musical phrase creates the song's hypnotic and ominous atmosphere.