Helena Beat

Album: Torches (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the second single by American indie pop group Foster the People, from the band's debut studio album Torches. The anthemic song is about the come down youngsters get, when after partying hard and getting totally wasted, they arrive back home and think: Now What?

    Their bass player Cubbie Fink explained at the Lollapalooza festival that the song is about: "The facade in Hollywood that there's all these young, beautiful people partying in this drug culture and getting lost in it. They're searching for the fountain of youth."
  • Frontman Mark Foster told MTV News this song is his favorite from the band's live set. "I get to run around with a guitar and bang on drums," he laughed. "So, you know, it's good."
  • The Ace Norton directed video is set in a post-apocalyptic world and finds the band members being kidnapped by some deranged kids. Foster described it to MTV News as "Lord of the Flies meets Mad Max." The video goes with the "Fountain of Youth" theme in the lyrics.
  • The title doesn't show up in the lyrics, but it's pronounced "Hell-A-Na Beat."
  • According to an interview with The Music Network, Mark Foster titled the track after an ex who was "partying a lot." He went on to explain that the lyrics embody the attitude of Hollywood's drug culture scene. "They're the young, hot, up and coming, powerful people that are gonna run the world," he said. "But they're just going out and doing drugs every night. "They're saying it with this big smile of their face like 'I'm great, everything's great,' 'but don't you see that you're completely out of your mind on drugs right now that you can't even stand?' Their whole life is f--ked."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.