100 Letters

## *Hopeless Fountain Kingdom* Chronology

"**100 Letters**" is a song performed by Halsey which is featured as the second track on her sophomore studio album *Hopeless Fountain Kingdom*. It was released on June 2, 2017 through Astralwerks Records.

## Background

On May 18, 2017, Halsey tweeted out a link via her Luna Aureum account that sent fans to the official HFK website. When fans clicked the "l" in the floating "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom" text, they were taken to a secret page with a letter. The page also played a minute-long snippet of "100 Letters".

In a twitter Q&A on June 3, 2017 Halsey said that "100 Letters" was the first full-length song she wrote for the album. She also stated that it's a nod to Shakespeare's prologues, e.g. that of 'Romeo & Juliet', where he often spoils the ending of the story before it even begings.: Coincidentally, album-mate "The Prologue" features the prologue of *Romeo & Juliet*.

"*I wrote "100 Letters" first which is funny 'cause it's the first real song on the album. But it was cool for me because it was kinda like this reflective moment: 'I don’t let him touch me anymore' – this like afterthought. It’s kind of like me singing the ending of the album in the beginning of the album kinda like how does in the prologue of* Romeo & Juliet *where he tells you 'Hey these guys die but listen tot he story anyway.' It's like me saying 'Hey we break up and I don’t give him anything but here's the album.'*"
—Halsey about the song

In an interview for the *Zach Sang Show* Halsey talked about her break-up with Lido who most likely inspired the song. She also more about the song and how it started the album's theme of being inspired by *Romeo & Juliet*:

"*In ["100 Letters"], I tell the story of the relationship from start to finish and I give away the ending, like the prologue. And then I went, 'Oh my God. I love 'Romeo & Juliet' because I feel like I'm living it.' I'm going through this relationship where I feel like a version of myself - and a version of himself - are dying for the sake of wanting to make our love work. And then that song was a success I've knocked that one out of the park in a day. [It] was great. And then I started trying to write other music and I realized, 'I don't know what to write about. I don't know who I am. I don't know what to say.' I was angry and I had a message on 'Badlands', and then in starting this new record and going through this breakup, I realized how much of my identity I had given to my partner. [...] Who am I when who I am is not defined by the gaze of another person.*"
—Halsey on the *Zach Sang Show*

## Cross-references

* The lines "King Midas put his hands on me again" and "But he can make me golden" are direct references to the line "I've got a boyfriend now and he's made of gold" from "Haunting". Both songs also reference "Empty Gold".
* The lyric "You wrote a hundred letters just for me" references the lyric "You're writing lines about me, romantic poetry" from "Is There Somewhere".
* The "Lie" lyric "I watch you devour, mistake me for bread" is a reference to "I'm not something to butter up and taste when you get bored".

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Well, King Midas put his hands on me again

He said one day I'd realize why I don't have any friends

I find myself alone at night unless I'm having sex

But he can make me golden if I just showed some respect

[Refrain]

But I don't let him touch me anymore

I said, "I'm not something to butter up and taste when you get bored

'Cause I have spent too many nights on dirty bathroom floors

To find some peace and quiet right behind a wooden door"

[Pre-Chorus]

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

[Chorus]

And now I can't stop thinking that I can't stop thinking

That I almost gave you everything

And now the whole thing's finished and I can't stop wishing

That I never gave you anything

[Verse 2]

You wrote a hundred letters just for me

And I find them in my closet in the pockets of my jeans

Now I'm constantly reminded of the time I was nineteen

Every single one's forgotten in a laundromat machine

[Refrain]

But I don't let him touch me anymore

I said, "I'm not something to butter up and taste when you get bored

'Cause I have spent too many nights on dirty bathroom floors

To find some peace and quiet right behind a wooden door"

[Pre-Chorus]

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

[Chorus]

And now I can't stop thinking that I can't stop thinking

That I almost gave you everything

And now the whole thing's finished and I can't stop wishing

That I never gave you anything

And I can't stop thinking that I can't stop thinking

That I almost gave you everything (I said, "It's too late")

And now the whole thing's finished and I can't stop wishing

That I never gave you anything

[Outro]

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

He said, "Please don't go away"

He said, "Please don't go away"

I said, "It's too late"

I said, "It's too late"

## References

1. ↑ *Twitter* - @lunaaureum - "Not a lot of time."
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Twitter* - @halsey - ".@EGhebs #hopelessfountainkingdom"
3. ↑ *YouTube* - "Halsey Talks Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, Machine Gun Kelly & Lauren Jauregui"
4. ↑ *Twitter* - @halsey -"Haunting: "I've got a boyfriend now and he's made of gold" 100 Letters: "king Midas put his hands on me again (...) he could make me golden."
5. ↑ *Twitter* - @halsey - "Lie" connection

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