Come on now, can we talk about it like we used to talk about
Hotel in the hills with a carousel
Farmhouse in the front a tractor in the lounge

Oh, oh, oh
Honey I need you 'round
I know, I know

Listen now, can we talk in love and walk the town
Be easy now, go hiking through the hills in a summer gown
Raise the kids, peace within and make our sound

Hear me now, I'm down on knees and praying
Though my faith is weak
Without you so please baby please give us a chance
Make amends and I will stand until the end
A million times a trillion more

Oh, oh, oh
Honey I need you 'round
I know, I know

Smile, baby don't cry
I will only fly with you by my side
Baby, I'm cornered now
Baby, don't push me out
Lately I walk in doubt
Maybe it's crashing down
Baby can you save it now

Oh, oh, oh
Honey I need you 'round
I know, I know
Oh, oh, oh
Honey I need you 'round
I know, I know

Baby, I'm cornered now
Baby, don't push me out
Lately I walk in doubt
Maybe it's crashing down
Baby, I'm cornered now
Baby, don't push me out
Lately I walk in doubt
Maybe it's crashing down

About This Song

"Half Mast" is a wistful electronic ballad that explores the fragility of romantic relationships and the desperate desire to return to simpler, more innocent times. The song centers on a narrator pleading with their partner to reconnect through honest communication and shared dreams of domestic bliss-complete with surreal imagery of hotels with carousels and tractors in living rooms that reflects the fantastical, almost childlike vision of love the couple once shared. Musically, the track showcases Empire of the Sun's signature blend of dreamy synth-pop and anthemic electronic production, with Luke Steele's falsetto vocals floating over lush, shimmering soundscapes that evoke both nostalgia and longing. The "half mast" metaphor suggests a relationship in distress-like a flag lowered in mourning-while the narrator's admission of being "down on knees and praying" reveals the spiritual desperation of someone watching love slip away. The song's production creates an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere that perfectly captures the bittersweet tension between holding onto romantic idealism and facing relationship reality. This emotional vulnerability, wrapped in Empire of the Sun's distinctive retro-futuristic sound, resonated with listeners who recognized the universal struggle of trying to recapture lost intimacy and the painful gap between love's initial promise and its eventual complications.

Comments (13)

  • Anonymous
    He's stuffed up his relationship and is begging her to come back so they can do all the things they used to. If only they could make amends he would be eternally happy. He's feeling vulnerable and cornered and is pleading with her not to push him out, as he walks around in suspense - maybe its crashing down?
  • Anonymous
    the lyrics are obvious. Can we really be happy without each other today in a globalized world? We are like the cells of a body; are the cells meant to perceive each other as separate? if so what happens to the common body (family) if this continues?
  • Anonymous
    He needs her to be around, shes wanting to bail and he wants her to stay. Its brilliant.
  • Anonymous
    Love the fucking got the album. It's so fucking great loves its. Half Mast is a must download! The song is great and very reasonable
  • Anonymous
    This song means a lot to me as I too am not sure what is going on in my relationship.Fantastic song!
  • Anonymous
    this song i can relate to as i understand what its like to feel like your mutually in love but you need that person to stay - you becaome like, addicted to them. I think thats what this song is about and even if we don't interprit the lyrics correctly, i think thatits just a really pretty song.
  • Anonymous
    This song is about getting anally probed by aliens while on vacation in the high hills of Escocha Sombra. The aliens keep kidnapping the guy in the song every night but on the last attempt the ship malfunctions and crashes, detonating in a huge blast of antimatter that wipes away the entire township of Escocha Sombra. It's a sad story really.You bunch of goobers. Stop trying to figure it out and just enjoy it :P- 6io
  • Anonymous
    I don't know if it's about her not wanting him. Maybe he left her, realized his enormous mistake, and begs for her to return but she's already moved on. Anyway, whatever. Amazing song by a great band!
  • Anonymous
    By the way is it not him wanting him back... No offense but he looks kinda.. gay.
  • Anonymous
    He's not gay. He's married and has a child. Happily. It's a good song about unrequited love.
  • Anonymous
    half mast. when someone important dies the nation's flag is put at half mast... perhaps the desire to be with this person is because they have died? maybe?
  • Anonymous
    Maybe like last comment said half mask = someone death/flag, but i think it`s more the relationship's is dying or dead n flag represents her leaving.he still desires what is no longer there (sounds like an agrument and she left) awesome song yes! but denile much? lol
  • Younowhoitis
    the girl has an abortion (which he finds in the snow)