“The Lighthouse” by Halsey

As we have pointed out in the recent past, songs that rely on religious symbolism are – by the very historical nature of said symbols, characters or what have you – open to various interpretations. For instance, when you refer to entities such as “the Devil” and “God”, these are figures whom virtually everyone is familiar with in concept but may view or understand differently. 

And out of all the tracks found on If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, this is perhaps the one whose narrative is most reliant on such references, not to mention allusions to Ancient Greek mythology also.

But considering that such terminology is in fact universal and becoming increasingly utilized by the likes of common pop musicians, we can also ascertain what Halsey may be generally speaking to. For instance, when such entertainers contemporarily reference “the Devil”, often it is not as this character has been traditionally understood as being the embodiment of evil. 

In fact as depicted in “The Lighthouse”, he is actually sort of a mentor of the narrator, one who teaches her, in his own way, how to become strong and independent.

The Title (“The Lighthouse”)

Indeed the title of this piece is based on a metaphor of Halsey ‘still being stranded on the shoreline in the middle of the deep end’. Again, that’s a statement that clearly isn’t meant to be taken literally. And what it points to is the notion of her being alone, i.e. someone who was forced to fend for herself since “a tender age”. 

Also, we can postulate that what she is speaking of most specifically romantic/social independence/solitude, i.e. not needing a man. In fact based on the second verse, we can say that this song is akin to the likes of “Girl Is a Gun“, i.e. the vocalist asserting that she doesn’t need a man to ‘save’ her or anything like that.

In Conclusion

So at the end of the day, this is perhaps as close to an overt female empowerment tune that we’ve come across on “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.

That is not to say that it is intended to be so. Indeed the vocalist never goes as far as to actually present herself as a personification of womankind. But it is based on a common premise in that regard, i.e. the singer having to fend for herself in the field of romance. 

And conclusively, as with other parts of the album, Halsey seems to be putting forth that she is strong enough to survive without a male partner.

Facts about “The Lighthouse”

The public issuance of “The Lighthouse” took place on 27 August 2021. It is one of the tracks found on the initial release of “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” project. And this project is the second album Halsey has put out under Capitol Records.

This is an album in which Halsey worked heavily alongside Nine Inch Nails’ members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Both musicians are credited as producers and co-writers of “The Lighthouse”. 

And the other co-writer of this song, besides Halsey herself, is another musician whose name can be found throughout the project, John Cunningham.

To note in late 2020, Halsey did come out with a poem entitled Lighthouse. It was part of a collection of poetry she wrote called I Would Leave If I Could. Said piece generated a few headlines since the speculation was/is that the poem, which depicts the narrator as the victim of an abusive partner, was about fellow musician G-Eazy, perhaps the songstress’s most famous ex-boyfriend to date. 

However “The Lighthouse” doesn’t necessarily appear to be directed related to Lighthouse, though some terminology between the two is similar.