"Heathens" is the thirtieth single released by AURORA and the fourth single from her album, The Gods We Can Touch. On December 3, 2021, the song was officially released worldwide.[2][3]
About the song[]
Aurora explained to Australian radio station Triple J[4] that the track is inspired by the classic tale from the Book of Genesis, she said:
"A long, long time ago, Eve took a bite of a forbidden apple hanging from the tree of evil and good. [...] In her act of doing so, she granted humans free will; I just think that is very beautiful, and I wanted to honour her and women like her, who little by little granted us freedom in this world. A freedom to live as we please, to explore and taste. I think life should be lived in all of its colours, and that is why we live like heathens."
Aurora later explained to Apple Music:
"The mother in this song, she offers love and room and a home to all the people that aren’t welcome elsewhere. That’s the spirit of the song. It’s very inspired by women, especially how many women have been punished and burned just for being women. It’s an ode to women."[5][6]
Adding to that when she spoke to Numero Tokyo:
"Human beings are beautiful because they have some missing parts and humanity. But especially we women have a history of being embarrassed in thinking, raising opinions, expressing our sexuality, everything. I think it's very strange that you have to stand up and seize the right you should have. 'Heathens' is a hymn not only to women, but to all those who have not been respected."[7]
In an interview with Aurora France, Aurora said: "Heathens is very hard to sing cause you have to sing the whole chorus in one breath."[8][9]
Lyrics[]
She bargains with the world
So everything she wants will come to her
With no greed inside her mind
She knows what she deserves
We fell from sky with grace
And landed in her soft and warm embrace
She gave her love, her gift of life
So we could live with her
That is why we live like heathens
Stealing from the trees of Eden
Living in the arms of freedom
And everything we touch is evil
That is why we live like heathens
The stone, the dirt, the dust
The unforgiving promise made to us
Unworthy of your light, your god, your touch
We're guided by the lust
We cry the fallen names
We cry for those you burned beneath the flame
We stand besides the good and brave
The broken and enslaved
That is why we live like heathens
Stealing from the trees of Eden
Living in the arms of freedom
And everything we touch is evil
That is why we live like heathens
Everything you touch
Will be hers
A mother with no heart
Will give love
Her love is yours
But only if you give
Your heart to her
That is why we live like heathens
Stealing from the trees of Eden
Living in the arms of freedom
And everything we touch is evil
That is why we live like heathens
That is why we live like heathens
That is why we live like heathens
Lyrics copied from the official lyrics video.[10]
Scrapped book lyrics[]
The following lyrics were written down in her book, The Gods We Can Touch.[11]
When you were born
He promised you away
And now the time has come
To give yourself to her
She'll sin for love
But only if
Lyric video[]
Audio[]
Trivia[]
- A slightly different version of this song appeared on alternative tracklist vinyls of The Gods We Can Touch, where it is sometimes listed as "Vinyl Version".[12]
- Differences in the "Vinyl Version" include different percussion and guitar.
- The song was first discovered in various song repertoires in early 2021.[13]
- When registered on ASCAP, the song credits were mistakenly mixed with those of "Heathen" by Sly and Robbie featuring Lutan Fyah.[14]
- The song's instrumental was leaked shortly after its release.[15]
- Physical releases of The Gods We Can Touch include printed lyrics that do not appear in the song.[16] These lyrics were also found in the video description on official YouTube videos for "Heathens", but were later removed there.[17] Four lines in- or before the song's bridge:
If I believe in you, the light you give
But I need free will
The part of life
You can't forgive
References[]
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0eA-Fp-p8&t=141s
- ↑ https://aurora.lnk.to/Heathens
- ↑ https://www.universal-music.de/aurora/musik/heathens-701068
- ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/aurora-new-single-heathens-mini-movie-the-gods-we-can-touch/13660738
- ↑ https://rentry.co/t4tei
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220419090913/https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-gods-we-can-touch/1589814809
- ↑ https://numero.jp/interview300/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CXG9zsDLp-e/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO1QTzF1uUc&t=1516s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIXDCSB_VU
- ↑ https://shop.aurora-music.com/collections/tgwct
- ↑ https://www.universalmusic.it/popular-music/album/the-gods-we-can-touch_34541412826/
- ↑ File:Heathens songfile.png
- ↑ File:Heathen ascap.png
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4lYcCJWDr8
- ↑ File:Heathens-lyrics-CD.album.jpg
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211205215539/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIXDCSB_VU
[]
| v • e The Gods We Can Touch | |
|---|---|
| Featured Tracks | |
| Vinyl Deluxe Tracks | |
| Producers | |
| Related | |
| v • e Singles | |
|---|---|
| 2012 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | |