“Bells in Santa Fe” by Halsey

Halsey’s “Bells in Santa Fe” utilizes some very heavy-handed wording which, due to reliance on poetic, ambiguous and religious symbolism can of course result in various interpretations. But there does seem to be an underlying thread throughout, at least theoretically. 

For instance, it can be put forth that the vocalist is addressing a romantic interest. And by and large what she is telling this person is that she’s a transient lover, indeed extremely so, to the point where she’ll be gone before he even knows it.

Jesus Christ Reference in “Bells in Santa Fe”

Then of course there are the Jesus references found in the second verse. Verily, by the looks of things (such as the cover art), “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” is a project that is heavily influenced and/or reliant on religious imagery. 

And the first thing that becomes obvious in the passage is that Halsey definitely isn’t deifying Jesus, i.e. placing him on a moral pedestal as he tends to be most commonly depicted. In fact as we have pointed out in the past, religious references are becoming increasingly common and even bolder in pop music. 

And at the end of the day, let’s just say that most of the trending pop artists don’t necessarily have traditional religious views. But that established, what the vocalist seems to be putting forth conclusively in the verse is that she’s somehow trapped in this whorish, if you will, lifestyle of transient sex.

The Addressee

And along those same lines above, concerning the aforementioned addressee, he appears as someone, once again a romantic interest. From the look of things, he wants to lock Halsey down long-term, i.e. make her his girlfriend. And seemingly that is why she has gone about depicting herself as so, as in letting this individual know that she’s not that type of woman.

Title of Song (“Bells in Santa Fe”)

And as for the title, considering that it’s not mentioned in the lyrics nor appears to be connected in any discernible way, perhaps we have to wait until more information about this song/album is released in the future to truly understand what it means. 

However, quickly going out on a limb, there is a popular train/railway known as the Santa Fe. So maybe what Halsey is saying – once again in taking a big risk in understanding the title – is that she’ll be out (of a romantic relationship) faster than a locomotive, symbolically speaking.

Credits and Release Date

This is the second song of the playlist of the project “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power”. The project in question is Halsey’s stuido album that came out on the 2th of August, 2021 by courtesy of Capitol Records. 

The tune was written by Halsey along with John Cunningham as well as the Nine Inch Nails’ Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor. And it is also Ross and Reznor who produced the track.

Did Halsey release “Bells in Santa Fe” as a Single?

No. Her “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” was supported by two official singles. They are as follows:

• “You Asked for This”
• “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God”