House on a Hill

First off, I want to say this is one of my favorite songs by The Pretty Reckless, the sound and lyrics are just amazing with this song.

I think the song is about child stars, the pain of being one, society, fame and not wanting to end up like everyone else in your position.

Taylor Momsen was a child star, so it makes sense. The line "but the children are doing fine, I think about them all the time" makes me think of this. Because it seems logical that she'd think of the child stars of today, since she was one and maybe she's a caring person (Idk, never met the girl and will not assume anything). The line afterwards, "Until they drink the whine" is referring to when the star 'grows up', that's when they're no longer fine. A lot of them were ok, until adulthood set in. Growing up is inevitable, becoming an adult, but they never really were kids, so you're just giving adult children the right to vote and drink, since all they've done in their life is work.... so they abuse it while trying to break that image -the whine could also be the thing that breaks the child image.

And she's seen and/or heard of how other child stars of the past have ended up, it's really hard not to and when you have connections to them, it's even easier to hear it because you may be friends with them, worked with them, are friends with their friends, know someone who worked with them... etc. She grew up in the spotlight, like a lot of celebrities who have had a 'meltdown' or have troubles with the law or with drugs but haven't been caught or are alcoholics to deal with the pain. She knows what is coming for her and some of today's young stars.

The 'house on a hill' she keeps referring to could be many things, I think it's fame. The lights are cameras, which are very likely to be shoved in your face often when you're famous. Now, intention to kill is a metaphor, I'm not sure what she means though, but it's not literal. I don't think anyone means to kill child stars, but maybe it's a feeling. Like, it feels like the paparazzi is trying to 'kill' your spirit, soul, mental state, whatever and they eventually succeed. And they will live on, hence, 'living, living still'.

The bit about hate in the beginning is about haters and petty squabbles among others made public... celebrity drama basically. "Somewhere in the end of all this hate", yeah, celebrity drama. You know how the public loves hearing 'OMG, famous rich chick totes hates this chick cuz blah blah blah' or 'it's splitsville for so and so'... stuff like that. But it also refers to haters, people leaving hateful comments anywhere they can. Go on youtube, you'll see quite a bit of hate for The Pretty Reckless on their videos. They have haters, a lot of people do.

"I am not afraid, I won't burn out in this place, My intention is to fade and I will, I will" is her saying that she's not afraid of what may come, she will not be like the other child stars who lost their way. Unlike them, she will be ok until the day she dies, she'll remain as she is for the most part and she intends to fade out of the spotlight eventually, is what I get from this line.

"In this house on a hill, the dead are living still, their intention is to kill and they will, they will" Is about how the inhabitants, or grown up child stars, are dead inside. The living are the paparazzi and those still getting used to not having a personal life, but the 'dead' are people like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, who are used to this, grew up in this, and have lost themselves in it, either through drugs or mental illness or trying to grow up too fast. They don't make it easier, I think. Having examples of what a life of fame can do to you... can't be easy. So she wants to fade, so she doesn't end up like them.

The last two lines make me think it's about being a child star and the pain that comes with it even more than everything else, "Keep your children safe inside, out of pocket, out of mind" she doesn't want to see anymore child stars go through what she's going through -growing up and leaving her childhood roles behind and the pain, the lack of childhood and having to do this in public- so keep them out of the spotlight. Don't get the kids into modelling, don't put your kids in movies... let them have fun or at least don't make it their entire childhood. And the last "Until they drink the wine and they will, they will, they will", the fact that it comes directly after she tells you to keep your children away from fame, says a lot, that fame should be reserved for well-rounded adults who can handle it, not children.

I apologize for the lack of flow and jumping around the song, I know I didn't go in order, but I'm tired and forgot about a few points and added them in as I remembered. Also, this isn't the only interpretation possible, I know, and most of my basis is Taylor is young and was a child actress, this is stuff she knows and it seems to connect.