Released: May 17, 2019

Songwriter: Trevor Horn Sergio Galoyan Martin Kierszenbaum Елена Кипер (Elena Kiper) ​benny blanco Cashmere Cat Happy Perez Halsey

Producer: Happy Perez Cashmere Cat ​benny blanco

[Intro]
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep
If I shall die before I wake
I pray the Lord, my soul to take

[Chorus]
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize

[Verse 1]
I've tasted blood and it is sweet
I've had the rug pulled beneath my feet
I've trusted lies and trusted men
Broke down and put myself back together again
Stared in the mirror and punched it to shatters
Collected the pieces and picked out a dagger
I've pinched my skin in between my two fingers
And wished I could cut some parts off with some scissors

[Pre-Chorus]
"Come on, little lady, give us a smile"
No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about
I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for
A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing

[Chorus]
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize

[Post-Chorus]
I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night
That I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night

[Verse 2]
No, I won't smile, but I'll show you my teeth
And I'ma let you speak if you just let me breathe
I've been polite, but won't be caught dead
Lettin' a man tell me what I should do with my bed
Keep my exes in check in my basement
'Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you're complacent
I could play nice or I could be a bully
I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be

[Pre-Chorus]
"Come on, little lady, give us a smile"
No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about
I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for
A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing

[Chorus]
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize

[Bridge]
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware
But I'd rather be a real nightmare, than die unaware, yeah
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware
But I'm glad to be a real nightmare, so save me your prayers

[Chorus]
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize

[Post-Chorus]
I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night
That I'm no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night

Halsey

Halsey is the stage name of New Jersey singer Ashley Nicolette Frangipane. It is an anagram of her first name and reference to the Halsey Street subway stop and street in Brooklyn where she used to live. The bio on her website

I am Halsey. I will never be anything but honest. I write songs about sex and being sad."

Halsey was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 17. This has greatly influenced her creative process from the start of her career. Songs like “Control” and “Gasoline” explicitly delve into her psychological and emotional battles. Manic, Halsey’s third album and arguably her rawest and most emotionally vulnerable, was written in a fully manic state rather than a depressive one.