The End
Producers
Every couple of years now, a doctor says I'm sick
Pulls out a brand new bag of tricks, and then they lay it on me
And at first, it was my brain, then a skeleton in pain
And I don't like to complain, but I'm saying sorry
[Pre-Chorus]
When I met you, I thought I was damaged goods
Had a fucked-up childhood
And there's poison in my brain and in my blood
[Chorus]
If you knew it was the end of the world
Could you love me like a child?
Could you hold me in the dark?
If you knew it was the end of the world
Would you like to stay a while?
Would you leave when it gets hard?
[Verse 2]
So I ran into the clinic and I asked to see the man
With his white coat and his stethoscope like a snake around his hand
And I told him I'm not bitter 'cause I finally found a lover
Who's better for my liver, and now I'll finally recover
[Pre-Chorus]
When I met him, I thought I was damaged goods
From a real bad neighborhood
So we wrestled in the mud
And I told him he could stay right where he stood
But I don't know if he should
'Cause once my God destroys the flesh, then there's the flood
If you knew it was the end of the world
Could you love me like a child?
Could you hold me in the dark?
If you knew it was the end of the world
Would you like to stay a while?
Maybe we could build an ark
[Bridge]
We could sail on broken driftwood through the sopping wet terrain
And count the buildings and the bodies getting swallowed by the rain
And in the water, there's the doctor who didn't listen to my claim
What a shame, he's circling a drain
[Outro]
When I met you, I said I would never die
But the joke was always mine 'cause I'm racing against time
And I know it's not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at 8?
'Cause my treatment starts today
About
The first promotional single from Halsey’s fifth album, The Great Impersonator, is a sad acoustic song. Halsey has been very open about her struggles with bipolar disorder, endometriosis, and other illnesses. They know it isn’t the end of the world, but wants to be loved and held like it is.
The release of the song was paired with a social media post about recent health struggles and a donation to both Lupus Research Alliance and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
On October 20, 2024, Halsey confirmed that Joni Mitchell, her favorite lyricist of all time, inspired the track.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Just wanted to say a special thank you to everyone on here who has found “The End” resonates with them. It’s like screaming in an empty room sometimes. I came back to tumblr when it all went down, because I think something special happens here. Like when someone sits at the edge of the couch and through your tears you say “please don’t watch me cry, but please don’t leave either.” This is the quiet space in between screaming observation and lethargic loneliness. It’s shared solitude. The platform gave me everything once upon a time, so many years ago. It felt right to return in my weakest moment. It was here that I could tell small fragmented truths about what I was going through, in my own baroque way. Thanks for keeping my secret until I was ready.
—via Tumblr
- 2.Ego
- 3.Dog Years
- 5.Panic Attack
- 6.The End
- 9.Hometown
- 11.Darwinism
- 13.Arsonist
- 15.Hurt Feelings
- 16.Lucky
