Don't Save Me

Single by HAIM

## *Days Are Gone* Chronology

"**Don't Save Me**" is a song by American pop rock band HAIM. It was released on November 8th 2012 through Polydor Records as the second single and serves as the seventh track to the band's debut studio album, *Days Are Gone*.

On December 23th, 2012, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 74. On January 6th, 2013, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 51, climbing to number 32 the following week. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 as Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record' on October 16th, 2012.

## Background

"Don't Save Me" was written by Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim, with production handled by James Ford, whom they produced the track alongside. Lyrically, "Don't Save Me" talks about a failing relationship and how it’s one-sided-ness has become a huge factor in the equation.

In an interview with *Genius*, all three sisters said:

> **Alana**: Don't Save Me was kind of like a, it was like a big deal for us because we had only released Forever and, um, when we released the Forever EP we put it out for basically our friends. Like, we didn't think anything of it. We weren't like trying to do crazy things we just wanted to show people that we could actually record after being a band for 6 years and never releasing anything.
>
>

> **Este**: Yeah. I think we just wanted a residency. That was like, that was our goal.
>
>

> **Alana**: Yeah that was like the big-
>
>

> **Danielle**: In LA there's like-
>
>

> **Este**: Because you know the Monday nights residencies in LA. Like, every venue basically on the Eastside opens its doors for free and there's like one band that plays the whole month and then they have like openers. So we would always do like, we would be like the openers for people that had the residencies. So we would be like "One day. One day we'll have our own."
>
>

If you would like to view to full *Genius* interview, click *here*.

## Composition

Musically, "Don't Save Me" is set in the key of G Major with a tempo of 140 BPM, a Camelot of 9B, and a total length of 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Never thought that I would grow so old of seeing the gold

Still I never want it to go

I would hold it up to my cold heart

Feel the way it used to start up

Take me back, take, take, take me back

To the way that I was before

Hungry for what was to come

Now I'm longing for the way I was

**[Refrain]**

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will, oh-oh

**[Pre-Chorus]**

Take me back

Give it up, give it up to me

'Cause I can't go on

If your love isn't strong

See, I want it all

Give me, give me all your love

If you can't hold on

Then, baby

**[Chorus]**

Baby, don't save me now

No (If your love isn't strong)

Baby, don't save me now

No, no

**[Verse 2]**

All my life I wasn't trying to get on a highway

I was wondering which way to go

Spending all of my damn time (Damn time)

Leaving all the weight behind

Take me back, take, take, take me back

To the song, how'd it used to go-oh?

Screaming for what was to come

Now I'm dreaming 'bout the way I was

**[Refrain]**

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will save me

You say, you say you will, oh-oh

**[Pre-Chorus]**

Take me back

Give it up, give it up to me

'Cause I can't go on

If your love isn't strong

See, I want it all

Give me, give me all your love

If you can't hold on

Then, baby

**[Chorus]**

Baby, don't save me now

No (If your love isn't strong)

Baby, don't save me now

No, no

**[Bridge]**

And if I have to beg for your love

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

Tell me, tell me

Oh, would it ever be enough?

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

T-t-tell me

And if I have to beg for your love

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

Tell me, tell me

Oh, would it ever be enough?

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

**[Interlude]**

So, baby, don't save me

No, baby, don't save me

**[Chorus]**

Baby, don't save me now (Again, and again)

No, no (If your love isn't strong)

Baby, don't save me now (Again, and again)

No, no (If your love isn't strong)

Baby, don't save me now (Again, and again)

No, no (If your love isn't strong)

Baby, don't save me now (Again, and again)

No, no (If your love isn't strong)

**[Outro]**

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

Don't save me

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

Don't save me

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

(Again, and again, and again, and a—)

## Music video

### Background

On November 26th 2012, 18 days after the song was released, the music video for "Don't Save Me" was uploaded to YouTube. Not much else is known about the background of the music video.

### Credits

Director: *Austin Peters*
Director of Photography: *Martim Vian*
Editor: *Taylor Ward*
Producer: *Ross Levine*
Executive Producer: *Sasha Nixon*
Production Manager: *Bree Herzog*
Production Designer: *Maxwell Orgell*
Stylist: *Annette Lamothe-Ramos*
Hair: *Candice Birns*
Make-Up: *Will Lemon*

## Other videos

If you would like to view the video gallery for "Don't Save Me", click *here*.

## References

1. ↑ https://genius.com/Haim-haim-on-dont-save-me-annotated
2. ↑ https://tunebat.com/Info/Don-t-Save-Me-HAIM/6Je5Vjd8VXVpQYcOiav5KU
3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqIush2nTA
4. ↑ https://vimeo.com/54251084