The Hills

Lyrics meaning of The Hills by The Weeknd, and what the song is about

The culture shock The Weeknd faced after relocating from Toronto to Los Angeles to film Beauty Behind The Madness is one of the themes of the song.

The Hills Have Eyes, a 1977 Wes Craven horror movie, is referenced in the song's title and lyrics.

Producer Illangelo stated "I'm very optimistic and positive with anything I put my energy towards, so for me, Abel's success now is what I imagined it always should have been. 'The Hills' was an opportunity for us to go back to the classical, original the Weeknd moments of our first mixtapes that I co–produced and mixed in their entirety, and then bringing that into a new context, with a pop arrangement and chords in a faster tempo. It's the perfect marriage of that".

The Weeknd claimed to have recorded 67 versions of the song: "I premiered [a demo] at a South by Southwest [party in 2015] as part of the rollout of "Beauty Behind the Madness." I played it over the speakers, I was like "Let’s play it, just for fun, to get fans excited." That version was called "Mood Music" — [longtime friend and creative director] La Mar [Taylor] recorded it on his phone, it was a snippet, just half the song. It was posted on Soundcloud and it got the most views SoundCloud had ever seen or something — a sh—y phone recording. So then the whole world has that version — but the version I’m still working on in the studio doesn’t sound like that version, even though it’s the same song. I lost my mind making that record because there are noises in the [SoundCloud] version that I tried to replicate in the studio — somebody in the crowd screaming right before the drop, that wasn’t there before, so I had to put a fake scream in the song! That’s what I deal with when I make music."

"The Hills" was a huge critical and financial success, making appearances on several year-end lists and reaching the top spot in a number of countries.

The Hills lyrics by The Weeknd

Yeah

Yeah

Yeah

Your man on the road, he doin' promo

You said, "Keep our business on the low-low"

I'm just tryna get you out the friend zone

'Cause you look even better than the photos

I can't find your house, send me the info

Driving through the gated residential

Found out I was coming, sent your friends home

Keep on tryna hide it, but your friends know

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time that I'll be by your side

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time I'd ever call you mine

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, babe

I'ma let you know and keep it simple

Tryna keep it up don't seem so simple

I just fucked two bitches 'fore I saw you

And you gon' have to do it at my tempo

Always tryna send me off to rehab

Drugs started feeling like it's decaf

I'm just tryna live life for the moment

And all these motherfuckers want a relapse

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time that I'll be by your side

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time I'd ever call you mine

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, babe

Hills have eyes, the hills have eyes

Who are you to judge? Who are you to judge?

Hide your lies, girl, hide your lies (Hide your lies, oh, baby)

Only you to trust, only you

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time that I'll be by your side

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah

I only call you when it's half past five

The only time I'd ever call you mine

I only love it when you touch me, not feel me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me

When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, babe

What about love? What about love?

[Translated in Amharic:

"እወዲሃለወ

የኔ ቆንጆ

እወዲሃለወ

የኔ ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር

የኔ ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር ፍቅር"]

[English transliteration:

"Ewedihalehu

Yene konjo,

Ewedihalehu

Yene fikir, fikir, fikir, fikir

Yene fikir, fikir, fikir, fikir"]

[English Translation:

"I love you

My beautiful one

I love you

My love, love, love, love, love

My love, love, love, love, love"]