“Heathens,” the 2016 hit by Twenty One Pilots, is a dark, brooding, and deeply atmospheric track that serves as a cautious welcome to a dangerous and misunderstood community. At its core, the song’s meaning is a layered warning from an insider to a newcomer.
The singer, Tyler Joseph, advises this newcomer on how to navigate a volatile group of people, referred to as “heathens.” These individuals are not just dangerous; they are deeply traumatized, and their erratic behavior is a product of past “abuse.” The song has a powerful dual meaning. On one level, it is the theme for the 2016 film Suicide Squad, describing its cast of supervillains. On a much more personal level, it is a direct message from the band to its own fanbase, explaining the complex and intense relationship between the “old” fans and the “new” ones.
This track, produced by Mike Elizondo and Tyler Joseph, marked a pivotal moment for the duo. It was their first major release after the multi-platinum success of their album Blurryface and was commissioned for one of the most anticipated films of the year. The song’s genius lies in its ambiguity. It is a chilling exploration of what it means to be an outsider, a “freak,” or a “psychopath.” But it ends with a profound twist, suggesting that the person observing this “freak show” may, in fact, be one of them. It is a song about mental instability, the bonds of shared trauma, and the blurred line between the ‘normal’ world and the world of the outcasts.
The Suicide Squad Connection: A Literal Meaning
The most immediate and obvious interpretation of “Heathens” is through the lens of the film it was written for, Suicide Squad. The movie’s plot revolves around a government agent, Amanda Waller, assembling a team of the world’s most dangerous incarcerated supervillains (Task Force X) for high-risk missions in exchange for reduced sentences. The song is sung from the perspective of an insider, perhaps one of the villains themselves, or more likely, from a neutral observer like Rick Flag, who is tasked with managing them. The “newcomer” is the audience, or any new person being introduced to this world.
In this context, the song is a literal guide to surviving Belle Reve, the prison that holds these villains. The “heathens” are the inmates: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Croc, and the Joker. They are a collection of “psychopaths” and “murderers.” The warning to “take it slow” and not “make any sudden moves” is literal, physical advice. Any wrong move in a room full of trained killers could be fatal. The group is volatile, and their loyalties are non-existent.
The line about people who have “locked away” those they loved takes on a dark meaning here. These are characters who, in many cases, have killed family members or former lovers. They are emotionally and morally damaged. The instruction to “wait for them to ask you who you know” is about the prison yard’s complex social hierarchy. Your connections and affiliations are everything. You are being sized up the moment you walk in.
The song’s atmosphere perfectly matches the film’s gritty, dark aesthetic. It’s the sound of a dangerous, dysfunctional, and unpredictable new “family” being formed. The “abuse” mentioned is the literal and psychological trauma that created these villains. They are not just evil; they are products of extreme pain. This context provides a clear and compelling narrative for the song, but it is only the first layer of a much more personal story.
The Chorus Analysis: A Code of Conduct
The central message of the song is delivered in its repetitive, haunting chorus. It is a clear set of rules for survival. The singer begins by stating that all his companions are “heathens,” a word that implies they are uncivilized, ungodly, and outside the bounds of normal society. This is not just an insult; it’s a statement of fact, a tribal identity. He immediately advises the newcomer to “take it slow,” a warning that is repeated multiple times. This is the most important rule. There is no room for error.
This caution is expanded with the instruction to avoid any “sudden moves.” This line works on two levels. In the Suicide Squad context, it is a warning against physical aggression. But in a psychological context, it is a warning against sudden judgments, loud opinions, or inauthentic gestures. The group is paranoid and will interpret any abrupt action as a threat or a sign of disrespect.
The singer then explains the social dynamics. He tells the newcomer to “wait” until the group initiates contact and investigates their background. This shows it is an insular, closed-off community. They are not welcoming. New people are seen as threats until they are vetted. Your identity is determined by your connections. This is a world where reputation and tribal loyalty are the only currency.
The most critical part of this warning is the reason why such care is needed. The newcomer, the singer says, does not understand the “half of the abuse” this group has endured. This is the song’s emotional core. The “heathens” are not dangerous for the sake of it; they are a product of deep, defining trauma. Their volatility, their trust issues, and their “heathen” nature are all defense mechanisms built from a life of pain. The singer is, in effect, pleading for empathy, or at least caution, based on this hidden suffering.
Verse 1: The Internal Danger
The first verse takes the newcomer inside the “room” where these heathens are gathered. This is the song’s first test. The singer offers a cryptic, chilling description: this is a room filled with individuals who, in turn, have their own “rooms” of people—people they once loved but have since “locked away.” This is a powerful metaphor for extreme emotional trauma and betrayal. These are people who have been hurt so badly that they have metaphorically (or perhaps literally) “killed” the part of themselves that loves. They have walled off their emotions to survive.
The verse then introduces another crucial concept. Just because the group has been disarmed at the entrance—a literal checking of “guns at the door”—does not mean the danger is gone. The singer warns that their minds are still “hand grenades.” This is a brilliant piece of imagery. The threat is not external; it is internal. Their thoughts, their impulses, and their emotions are explosive. They are primed to detonate at any moment, with or without a physical weapon.
This creates an atmosphere of intense paranoia, which the singer then describes from the newcomer’s perspective. The newcomer will inevitably be sitting next to a “psychopath” or a “murderer.” These are not just labels; they are the literal identities of the people in this room. The newcomer’s shocked, internal monologue—”How did I get here?”—is a moment of terrifying realization.
The singer acknowledges this fear. He understands that the newcomer is terrified and questioning their reality. But even after revealing this horrifying truth, he circles back to his main point, pleading with the newcomer not to “forget” the rules of the chorus. The warning is more important than the fear. He is saying: Yes, it is that bad, so listen to me.
Verse 2: The Scent of the Newcomer
The second verse delves deeper into the group’s paranoid, tribal nature, focusing on their hostility toward outsiders. The singer states plainly that “we don’t deal with outsiders very well.” It’s an “us vs. them” mentality, a necessary survival tactic for a group that has been abused by the outside world. This xenophobia is so primal that it is described in animalistic terms.
The singer explains that “newcomers” are said to have a “certain smell.” This is the scent of the outside world, the scent of normality, the scent of someone who hasn’t shared their specific trauma. It is the “smell” of inauthenticity. This group has developed a hypersensitive ability to detect a person who does not belong.
This leads to a direct accusation. The singer tells the newcomer that they have “trust issues.” This is a clever line. On the one hand, the newcomer is right to have trust issues; the room is full of dangerous people. But the singer says it “not to mention” the fact that they (the heathens) can “smell” the newcomer’s “intentions.” The group’s paranoia is met with the newcomer’s own fear, creating a feedback loop of distrust.
The singer once again describes the scene from the newcomer’s point of view. They will be sitting next to a “freak show” and “weird people.” This is how the newcomer, and the outside world, would label this group. The singer embraces these labels. He is not defensive. He is confirming that this is what they are. The newcomer’s horrified “How did I get here?” is repeated, reinforcing their panic. And again, the singer concludes by reminding them not to “forget” the warning. The tension is building.
The Climax: You Are One of Us
The song’s bridge and outro represent the narrative’s climax and its stunning plot twist. The bridge repeats the core warnings—”take it slow,” “who you know”—but with a new layer of intensity. The background “watch it” ad-libs create a sense of rising panic. The danger is no longer abstract; it is immediate. The newcomer is failing the test.
The outro is where the song’s perspective shifts. The singer, who has been a protective guide, now turns on the newcomer. He scolds them, asking, “Why’d you come?” He reveals that he “tried to warn” them “just to stay away,” but the newcomer “knew” they should have. This implies the newcomer was not an innocent victim. They were a “tourist,” drawn to the danger for a thrill. They were warned, but their curiosity or arrogance made them ignore the advice.
The situation has now deteriorated. The singer reveals that “they” (the rest of the heathens) are “outside, ready to bust.” The newcomer’s inauthenticity has been detected. The “freak show” has been provoked. The newcomer has made a sudden move, and the “hand grenades” are about to go off. The protective bubble the singer had provided is now gone.
This leads to the song’s final, devastating line. The singer looks at the terrified newcomer, who is now being targeted by the group, and says, “It looks like you might be one of us.” This is a profound twist with multiple meanings. It could mean that the newcomer is about to be violently initiated and made into one of them. Or it could be a psychological revelation. The very fact that the newcomer was drawn to this darkness, this “freak show,” this room of “psychopaths,” proves they are not as “normal” as they thought. Their fascination with the “heathens” is a symptom of their own hidden “heathen” nature. In the end, the observer and the observed are the same.
The Second Meaning: A Message to the “Clique”
This entire, detailed narrative serves as a perfect, extended metaphor for the other, more personal meaning of the song: a message to the Twenty One Pilots fanbase, known as the “Skeleton Clique.” In 2015-2016, the band exploded from a cult following into a global phenomenon with Blurryface. This created a massive influx of new, mainstream fans. “Heathens” was their first major song after this explosion, and it can be read as a letter from Tyler Joseph, addressing the resulting tensions within the fanbase.
In this interpretation, the “heathens” are the “old fans,” the original Clique. They are the ones who were with the band for years, who felt misunderstood by the world, and who bonded deeply over the “abuse”—the themes of depression, anxiety, and mental health struggles that define the band’s earlier music. They are a “freak show” of “weird people” who found a “room” where they belonged.
The “newcomer” is the new, post-Blurryface fan. This person may have only heard the radio hits and is now, for the first time, exploring the band’s deeper, darker catalog and their intense community. Tyler Joseph, as the singer, is the insider warning this new fan.
The advice to “take it slow” is a plea for the new fans to be respectful. He is asking them not to be “tourists” in this community. The warning to not “make any sudden moves” is a request to not make loud, uninformed judgments. The line “wait for them to ask you who you know” is a direct reference to the Clique’s insular nature, where “old fans” would “vet” new ones.
The most powerful parallel is the “abuse.” Tyler warns the new fans, “you don’t know the half of the abuse.” This means the new listeners, who may just like the catchy beats, do not understand the deep emotional pain and the life-saving connection the “heathens” (old fans) have with this music. It’s a plea for empathy.
The xenophobia of the second verse (“we don’t deal with outsiders very well”) is a direct acknowledgment of the old fans’ gatekeeping. They can “smell” the “intentions” of a new fan—are they here for the “vibe” or do they truly connect with the message? The “trust issues” are real.
The final twist—”it looks like you might be one of us”—is the most hopeful part of this interpretation. It’s Tyler Joseph’s ultimate message. He is telling the new fan that the very fact they were drawn to this music, this community, means they, too, probably share that same “abuse.” They, too, are a “heathen” at heart. It is his way of breaking down the wall between “old” and “new” fans, suggesting that they are all part of the same tribe in the end.
The Sound of Paranoia
The song’s production is the key to its entire meaning. It is not an explosive rock anthem. It is a slow, methodical, and deeply unsettling track. The music sounds like the warning it describes. The beat is minimalist and sparse, dominated by a dark, cyclical bassline that creates a sense of dread. It feels like walking down a dark hallway.
Tyler Joseph’s vocal delivery is crucial. He sings most of the song in a restrained, almost-whispered, conspiratorial tone. He is the guide trying not to be overheard by the “heathens” in the room. The vocals are processed to sound slightly distant, adding to the cold, sterile atmosphere of a prison or an asylum.
The song famously lacks a traditional, explosive chorus. Instead, the chorus is quiet, eerie, and repetitive. It’s a mantra, not a celebration. This musical choice reinforces the “take it slow” message. The song itself never makes a “sudden move.” It just builds tension slowly, through subtle layers of piano and synthesizers, until it reaches the final, chilling outro. The sound is a perfect marriage of form and content, creating an immersive, paranoid experience for the listener.
Conclusion: We Are All “One of Us”
“Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots is a masterpiece of dual-meaning songwriting. It operates perfectly as a dark, narrative-driven theme for a Hollywood blockbuster about supervillains. The Suicide Squad context provides a literal, violent, and thrilling story that matches the music’s sense of dread. It’s a chilling tale of survival in a room full of killers.
But beneath that surface, it is a deeply personal and vulnerable song about the band’s own experience with fame. It is a brilliant piece of community management, a letter sent from the band to its own fans. It simultaneously validates the feelings of the “old” fans and pleads with them to be patient, while also warning the “new” fans to be respectful of the community they are joining.
In the end, the song’s greatest achievement is its final, unifying message. It is a song that explores the nature of “outsiders” and “freaks” and concludes that the line separating “us” from “them” is imaginary. The very act of judging the “heathen”—or being drawn to them—is proof of a shared darkness. It’s a profound statement that, in this “room” of the damaged and the struggling, we are all, in fact, one of them.