Top 10 Phoebe Bridgers Lyrics That Hit Us Too Hard
#10: “And I Can Feel Myself Becoming/Someone Only You Could Want”
“Emily I’m Sorry” (2023)
With her celebrated supergroup Boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers sings this heartfelt apology to a former flame. This particular gut-wrenching lyric from the chorus looks at the line between being right for someone, and being trapped. Many fans believe the song is about voice actress Emily Bannon, whom Phoebe was reportedly involved with, first alongside Bannon’s partner, producer Chris Nelson, and later alone, after Bannon and Nelson broke up. Either way, it’s clear from the lyrics that feelings from the relationship linger. This key line reflects on the complicated nuances and imperfections of love.
#9: “Can the Killer in Me/Tame the Fire in You?/Or Is There Nothin’ Left to Do for Us?”
“Killer” (2015)
Identifying herself as a “killer,” Bridgers digs into the toxic energy within. These closing lines of the chorus question whether a relationship is doomed from the outset. That question looms over the verses, never really answered. The singer-songwriter has described the song as being about feeling controlling, and hating it. It’s hard to admit our own darkest impulses. But whether we like it or not, many of us can relate to bringing our own toxic feelings to a relationship - and to wondering whether it’s just a dead end.
#8: “I Want to Believe/Instead I Look at the Sky and I Feel Nothing/You Know I Hate to Be Alone/I Want to Be Wrong”
“Chinese Satellite” (2020)
In what some call her saddest song, “Chinese Satellite” finds the artist searching for a greater meaning. This idea comes alive in the chorus as she gazes up at the sky. Instead of wishing on a shooting star, she wishes on a satellite - an image contrasting the fantastic with the mundane reality. In the next lines, she longs for the comfort of belief, but can’t make that leap. Bridgers has connected this track to her fascination with cults, with their convenient belief systems. Both relatable and heartbreaking, these lyrics about the eternal search for more will have you struggling to answer the same questions.
#7: “The Doctor Put Her Hands Over My Liver/She Told Me My Resentment’s Getting Smaller”
“Garden Song” (2020)
Phoebe Bridgers has said that the horror-themed imagery throughout this song comes from her own nightmares. The final verse brings out references to haunted gardens and anatomy. Blending fantasy into reality, she uses this line about a medical visit to talk about her emotional baggage. With the liver often identified as the seat of anger, she considers her feelings of resentment, and their place in her dreamlike journey. It’s all too easy to carry around bitter sentiments that hold us back - making this a line one we can connect to only too well.
#6: “Jesus Christ, I’m So Blue All the Time/And That’s Just How I Feel/Always Have and I Always Will”
“Funeral” (2017)
As you can guess from the title, this ranks among the darkest songs in Phoebe Bridgers’ catalog. “Funeral” is inspired by the death of a friend who overdosed. Struggling with grief, the singer considers her own feelings of depression - on one hand feeling sorry for herself, on the other realizing that someone has just lost their child. In the self-aware lines of the chorus, she sounds both exasperated at herself, and resigned to feeling this way. “Funeral” covers dark territory, but demands attention with these cathartic words.
#5: “And I Get This Feeling Whenever I Feel Good/It’ll Be the Last Time”
“ICU” (2020)
This “Punisher” track confronts a breakup with complete honesty. It’s arguably too real, considering that Bridgers wrote this song with Marshall Vore, her former partner and touring drummer. In this poignant lyric, she considers the fleeting nature of happiness - and how she wonders every time whether she’ll ever feel that way again. It’s both incredibly sad and a very human reaction to love, relationships, and life in general. You might cry at these lyrics, but you certainly won’t regret listening to this stellar composition.
#4: “You’re the Gun in My Lips That Will Blow My Brains Out”
“Waiting Room” (2016)
Written when she was just 16 years old, “Waiting Room” showcases the promise of Phoebe Bridgers’ songwriting talents. There’s also this line that stops you in your tracks. The songwriter has described the song as “emotionally raw” and about “pining for someone” - something that’s reflected in the violent imagery. Looking back, she’s seen the song as somewhat dramatic, since she went on to have a wonderful, three-year relationship with the person it’s about. But it’s that rawness that powerfully expresses those first feelings of unrequited love. Still, it’s also great to hear her being able to put those dark feelings at the time into a new perspective.
#3: “Stuck Your Tongue Down the Throat of Somebody/Who Loves You More/So I Will Wait for the Next Time You Love Me”
“Moon Song” (2020)
Here’s another “Punisher” track where the singer-songwriter pours her heart out in longing. It’s not easy to let your emotions out like this in such an unguarded way. But in Phoebe Bridgers’ hands, even mundane details - like a tongue down a throat! - can leave you feeling devastated. She’s described the lyrics as being about loving someone who hates themselves. Whether or not you’ve been in this kind of relationship before, the singer brings every audience member into this intimate world. “Moon Song” ultimately turns a one-sided relationship into an unforgettable story.
#2: “The End Is Here”
“I Know the End” (2020)
In this three-part suite, apocalyptic imagery builds into a cathartic conclusion. The song covers a lot of ground - accepting heartbreak; the trials of touring; and well, the end of the world. In a sunbaked American countryside, an ominous billboard seems to spell out the future. As the music builds, Phoebe Bridgers sings the billboard’s message over and over. The cacophonous final moments of the song sound like some kind of biblical event, ending in a ragged scream. “I Know the End” was released in the summer of 2020, and seemed to encapsulate the whole experience of that turbulent year.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“I’m Gonna Kill You/If You Don’t Beat Me to It,” “Kyoto” (2020)
The Lyrics Reflect Phoebe Bridgers’ Complicated Feelings About Her Father
“Had Nothing to Prove/‘Til You Came into My Life,” “Sidelines” (2022)
A Stirring Portrait of How Love Can Give You a New Lease on Life
“What If I Told You/I Feel Like I Know You?/But We Never Met” “Punisher” (2020)
Phoebe Imagines Meeting Her Musical Idol Elliott Smith, Who Tragically Took His Own Life
#1: “I Hate You for What You Did/And I Miss You like a Little Kid”
“Motion Sickness” (2017)
Singing about her former relationship with singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, Phoebe Bridgers might be as raw here as she’s ever been on record. The very first line cuts deep with its combination of stark emotions. She feels both longing and hatred as she works through her heartache. That brutal line is just the tip of the iceberg, as she delves deeper into the abusive nature of the relationship. Rarely does the opening of a track hit this hard or capture the mission statement of what’s to come. The song explores the messy feelings she was left with, and those opening lines sum it all up.
Did we forget one of Phoebe’s saddest lyrics? Let us know in the comments below.
