Helicopter

Album: Halcyon Digest (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Deerhunter front man Bradford Cox has cited American novelist Dennis Cooper as an important lyrical influence. This heartbreaking song and its refrain of "Now they are through with me," was inspired by the writer's account of the shocking death of a teenage gay prostitute in Russia.
  • Cox explained to Q magazine November 2010 what draws him to Dennis Cooper's work: "When my dad heard Helicopter and I told him about the story that inspired it, he said it kept him up at night. I think most people can relate to the hopelessness of that song. Dennis Cooper's writings tend to haunt you most not when they are shocking or intense but when they have these moments of pastoral sadness that just radiate."
  • Cox explained the album title to Q: "It's supposed to be like a collection of short dispatches. The use of the word Halycon is misleading. It has a lot to do with the way people romanticize the past, even if it was horrific."

Comments: 1

  • Vadim from ParisTo anyone who looks up the disturbing story that inspired the song (that thing that kept the author's dad up at night): the short story is only fiction made up by author Dennis Cooper (a Marquis de Sade fan, by the way, which explains a lot). So, don't lose sleep at night because writers like to make up wicked stories.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.