Kill Hannah frontman, Mat Devine, discusses the experience and meaning behind his song, “Falling In Love (Will Kill You).” The song, written by Devine, also features former My Chemical Romance singer, Gerard Way. Check out all the details on the song below.
How did you write the song?
I wrote this song on an acoustic guitar. As basic and typical as that sounds, it’s actually very unusual and alien to me. I suck at guitar. I usually get so immersed in the production of a song, programming, synths, computers, etc. that that the writing process is never as simple as “just pick up a guitar and play chords” –so this was kind of a novelty.
In the beginning it didn’t feel like “me.” It felt like I was mimicking a dusty old Elvis song or something country or folk inspired— it wasn’t until I made the lyrics super depressing that I felt that it was a song that could be sung in my voice.
It was a cool breakthrough actually, and now I always keep acoustic guitars around.
How did the song come about?
It wasn’t until we began recording the album that I thought the song would be a good duet. I was searching my mind for what girl would be the right fit… Then it was the producer Davey and Gerard [Way] who had the vision for it to be a guy-on-guy duet.
I was texting Gerard, catching up, and asking if he’d come by the session, maybe to lay down a tiny guest vocal track on another song, anything at all. I never in my life expected that he’d be willing to sing a full duet. That was such a gift.
The session was so cool, so smooth, and everyone who was in the room that day would agree, that the second G started singing, it was just monumental.
There are only a few times in my career when I feel like the universe smiled down on me and reimbursed me for all the thousands and thousands of hours my band-mates and I spent eating shit, and this was one of those times. It makes everything worth it.
What is the song about?
The song is about how powerful, beautiful, and deadly love is. It’s me basically asking whether the risk of ruin is worth the reward—and it is, it’s what life is for.
Lyrics
I’m okay
But I went to see the doctor yesterday
To tell him how my heart is going crazy
It feels like I got hit by a train
What is happening?
He said, “Listen, you fool, you’re falling in love again.”
FALLING IN LOVE
FALLING IN LOVE
FALLING IN LOVE WILL KILL YOU
2x
Love will kill you.
I’m okay
But I had to see the shrink again today
To tell her how my head is going crazy
But things get all mixed up inside my brain
So what is happening?
And she said, “Shut up, you fool, you’re falling in love again”
CHORUS 2
FALLING IN LOVE
FALLING IN LOVE
FALLING IN LOVE WILL KILL YOU
Love will kill you.
I collapsed into your arms
“It’ll kill you”
I collapsed into your arms
“It’ll kill you”
I COLLAPSED INTO YOUR ARMS
