by SMF·Published · Updated
In the lyrics of “Listen BeforeI Go”, Billie Eilish plays the role of someone apparently on the verge ofcommitting suicide.As such, she is appealing to the addressee of thetrack to “listen” to her final words ‘before she goes’.For the most part,she seems to be speaking to a specific person, who she basically accuses ofdeserting her in the past.And while her relationship to this person isnever clearly specified in this song, it is generally considered to beher lover.
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)};})();
You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Billie Eilish's Listen Before I Go at Lyrics.org.
The beginning of the track findsEilish on a rooftop, apparently about to jump off.Before doing so, sheinstructs the person trying to talk her down to leave her in the solitude thatshe has grown accustomed to as a result of that same person not being around.
Owing to this, in the choruses, she is entreating those who need something from her or desire to speak to her to do so promptly, because she is “leaving soon”.And her mind is not open to apologies from anyone as she has already reasoned to take her own life.
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)};})();
Likewise in the second verse, she doesn’t seem interested in words of encouragement in terms of preserving her life. Rather she tells the person who is seemingly trying to do so once again to leave her alone, as he or she has already done.Then Eilish climaxes the song by telling this individual to send a final message of her love to her friends.
Ultimately Billie does notintend for this song to be an advocacy of suicide.Rather it is to shinelight on the potentially-horrifying effects ofdepression.This is anissue she has reportedly dealt with in real life, and she wants this track toserve as an expression of what some of her listeners may be going through aswell as a medium by which she can become more connected to them.
Related posts:
- “Fingers Crossed” by Billie Eilish
- “My Future” by Billie Eilish
- “Your Power” by Billie Eilish
- “NDA” by Billie Eilish
- “Oxytocin” by Billie Eilish
- Who is Billie Eilish’s “Wish You Were Gay” about?
- What’s the Story behind “All The Good Girls Go To Hell”?
- How does “Xanny” relate to Billie Eilish’s Views on Drug Use?
- Is “Everything I Wanted” about Billie’s rise to fame and its challenges?
43 Responses
- Comments43
- Pingbacks0
Shelley says:
August 28, 2019 at 2:48 am
The lyrics say take me to the roof so she can see the sky when she takes her last breath, lips turning blue. Seems to me she must have taken pills to end her life
Reply
Abigail says:
October 9, 2019 at 6:17 pm
I think the “lips turning blue” part is talking about suffocation. I agree with the other people saying that she is going to jump off but I believe that the lyric “lips turning blue” is in there because she feels suffocated by her depressive thoughts.
Reply
Anonymous says:
August 7, 2021 at 3:36 am
I wanna see the world when I stop breathing
Turning blue
Tell me, love is endless, don’t be so pretentious
Leave me, like you do (like you do)Reply
Maddy says:
October 23, 2019 at 4:58 pm
It never says lips turning blue, just turning blue signifying suffocation.
Reply
Girl who wants to commit suicide says:
April 29, 2020 at 11:13 am
It does lips turning blue. You clearly didn’t listen to the song!
Reply
sarah says:
December 5, 2020 at 12:32 am
boi it just says turning blue
Reply
Anonymous says:
January 6, 2021 at 7:03 am
“take me too the roof top, i wanna see the world when i stop breathing turning blue”
Reply
Minji says:
March 15, 2021 at 10:51 pm
just search up the lyrics the 2 of you……-_-
Anonymous says:
May 22, 2021 at 3:54 am
“turning blue”
Reply
Anonymous says:
March 13, 2022 at 11:21 pm
Actually it only says turning blue
Reply
See AlsoThe meaning of Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For', explained by Eilish herselfMeaning of “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” by Billie Eilish - Song Meanings and Facts"The 30th" by Billie Eilish - Song Meanings and FactsBillie Eilish says her new single is about a dream where she killed herself
Ur Mom says:
March 1, 2022 at 4:25 pm
It doesn’t talk about the lips at all, especially if they turn blue. She just says, “I wanna see the world when I stop breathing, turning blue.” I should know. I’ve listened to this album hundreds of times, so I’m pretty sure I know what I’m talking about.
Reply
Kelley says:
September 7, 2019 at 4:54 am
No, she hasn’t taken any pills, she’s going to jump off of the roof. Duh
Reply
michelle says:
September 29, 2019 at 3:04 am
“take me to the roof top I wanna see the world when I stop breathing, turning blue.”
doesn’t sound likes she’s about to jump off, sounds like she’s going to end her life on the roof.. she wants a glimpse of the world, the sky one last time before she’s gone (dead/ or as the songs says “..when I stop breathing, turning blue”)
Reply
Marcus says:
October 5, 2019 at 4:02 am
I thought I heard at the end a woman scream and also I heard the police
Reply
Smojis says:
April 10, 2020 at 8:49 pm
Girl you are right that’s when she committed SUI and the woman was like “oh on she chow herself” and the amulance “police” came and was like 😭😢☹️
Reply
Eryn R. says:
November 24, 2019 at 10:19 pm
I think lips turning blue means suffocation so she might hang herself on the roof to ‘I want to see the world when i stop breathing, turning blue’
Reply
Claore says:
March 9, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Thats what I think too
Reply
Rachel says:
January 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm
I think that “turning blue” means that she is referencing back to the line “I wanna see the world when I stop breathing”. So, she wants to see the world as the sun rises, when the sky is turning blue. I don’t think it was referencing suffocation because she is going to jump from the roof, which can be further back by the lines “Sorry there’s no way out” followed by “but down”. It’s chilling yet beautiful.
Reply
Idk says:
June 22, 2022 at 3:23 am
I think you are right but also why didn’t she say turning blue after the line about the world
Reply
no says:
September 18, 2022 at 8:19 pm
I think she means that she’s being suffocated by her thoughts. I don’t think she’s talking about the sky.
Reply
Barbie says:
February 2, 2020 at 12:10 am
The song is really nice and sad. I cried severally listening to it. Always trying to find meaning to the words said in it. She’s already done what she wanna do so she’s telling US sorry but she cant change the consequences. She loves her friends and will miss them but she ain’t sorry for doing what she did. I pray all the I’ll minded find peace and rest of mind
Reply
Neptune Strange says:
February 16, 2020 at 12:30 pm
OK OK but the suffocation paired with the roof can mean that she is going to hang herself. Simple
Reply
Smojis says:
April 10, 2020 at 8:52 pm
But like she wants wants to see the world one last time and the chokes herself while she steps off of the roof
Reply
Kit says:
May 1, 2021 at 8:51 pm
Okay but if she goes to hang herself on a roof how would she do it because most roofs don’t have a roof, and its would be hard to hang yourself off the edge of a building.
Reply
Amber says:
March 24, 2020 at 9:56 pm
The song is about her jumping off the roof, at the end of the song you hear a thud which represents her reaching the ground. You can hear cop cars and people surrounding the roof, when she jumps there is a lady screaming. Turning blue would be suffocating in her thoughts. Duh 🤦♀️
Reply
Smojis says:
April 10, 2020 at 8:55 pm
Uhh chaboooiii girl I mean you are right but like when it says turning blue she must be sad about something so she jumps off and yes you do hear a thud and her last words are “sorry”
Reply
james says:
September 19, 2023 at 5:07 pm
right these people be making it more complicated than it is-_-
Reply
Poppy says:
April 21, 2020 at 10:48 am
The song is about her jumping off a roof and the part “lips turning blue” symbolises her suffocating in her own thoughts of the depression she was dealing with because when you are depressed most people keep their thoughts and pain to themselves so she isn’t able to get those thoughts out which is why she is suffocating in them. She does jump off the roof and the end which is why you see a women (walking past on the pavement maybe or herself screaming while falling) and the police sirens.
Reply
Lexie says:
May 2, 2020 at 11:06 pm
honestly this is my fav song because i’ve been there and done that. when she says “I wanna see the world stop breathing, turnin blue”, she means that she is suffocating in her thoughts of depression and suicide, and believes that suicide is the only way out. This is a sad song, but it is also helpful in a way. in the end you do hear a thud and sirens and a woman screaming and that’s because she jumped off the roof in her suicide attempt. I almost died from my suicide attempt, so I can relate to this song pretty well. she is also leaving a message for someone to tell her friends that she loves them and that she will miss them a lot, but she’s not sorry for committing suicide. just know that suicide is not the answer…
Reply
Lexie says:
May 2, 2020 at 11:08 pm
“i wanna see the world when i stop breathing, turnin blue”
_my bad_Reply
Elly says:
November 19, 2020 at 11:41 pm
Im so sorry u were so close. I almost committed suicide and now when ever i hear this song i cry but it is my fav cause i can relate so well. Not even my mom knows tho so idk what to do ever when i think about it. I have these thoughts almost every day so i am alway depressed
Reply
Anonymous says:
November 23, 2020 at 2:06 am
Yeah,
My loses on is my absence of faith in God, maybe they were never there, for me seeing the sky one last time is seeing my past when I had faith, I suppose I am dead now, yet aliveReply
Saucepan says:
May 22, 2020 at 1:11 am
OK PEOPLE, I’ve read the comments and you’re all being respectful and actually making speculation about the song rather than insulting it, but I know there’s going to be that one person who thinks the music is too depressing. Yes it has deeper meanings linking back to depression and some other very heavy topics, but if you read the article and listen to the song you’ll see that it’s mostly about what depression can do to innocent young lives and you should try and help people that you know are depressed and do what you can, because if you don’t, they may try to end their own lives.Also, if you’re reading this and you are feeling depressed, PLEASE SEEK HELP. There are people who care about you. Your life is worth so much more and there is a lot you can do to contribute to the world. YOU ARE NOT USELESS. YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL AMAZING PERSON. You are worth people’s time. People care for you and you could do a lot. Please don’t take your own life. I hate to see people, especially those so young, who think they’re so lost that they need to end it all. You aren’t a lost cause. YOU ARE WORTH IT. I hope you have a beautiful day/night. I care about you all, even if I don’t know you, you are still people and we need to stop focusing on pettier things when there are issues like depression and young people taking their own lives. <3
Reply
Elly says:
November 19, 2020 at 11:43 pm
That is so helpful ima screen shot this and read it to myself every day I almost committed suicide and now I have depression
Reply
Anonymous says:
November 23, 2020 at 2:10 am
Thank you
Reply
minji says:
March 16, 2021 at 5:45 am
Oml thank you for that saucepan!!! 😊😊🥰
Reply
Anonymous says:
May 17, 2022 at 2:05 am
I tried to commit but I couldn’t betray the ones I love because I’m sad.
Reply
Jasmine says:
March 17, 2021 at 9:43 pm
For the past three years i’ve been gone through so much losing my loved one to my shattered dreams everything i wanted was destroyed every night crying my heart out. Distancing from everyone else that lone feeling for the past three year atleast once in a week i think of suicide just living this life for my parents they just dont know about the agony and the despair i am going through always hoping that something things will be alright but i m fed up with this life and dont know what to do next
Reply
Tween SmartAlec says:
April 1, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Meaning : Billie is not sorry for what she is about to do , she is saying you can suck up to me now but when i needed you , where were you ? she is finally saying she is not okay , and whats wrong with her , and saying deja vu can mean well .Déjà vu describes that uncanny sensation you’ve already experienced something, even when you know you never have. Experts generally agree this phenomenon probably relates to memory in some way. So, if you have déjà vu, you might have experienced a similar event before. You just can’t remember it . as we all know she has lots of depressing songs and brings situations up and very hard topics to talk about . I am 11 years old and I know all of this , you guys need to find the meaning in it for yourself . a sorry cannot help her now . I love billie eiliish so much and have found out more meanings , and what they mean for me , I love you so so so so sso much BILLIIIIEEEEE
Reply
Anonymous says:
February 16, 2022 at 1:14 am
This is what a year long head ache does to you.
Reply
BillieEilishFan13 says:
March 1, 2022 at 9:28 am
Hi guys! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE BILLIE EILISH SO SO MUCH!! I hope I can meet her one day and I’ll there by her side if she needs comfort or a hug. 🙂
Reply
Nini. says:
May 18, 2023 at 12:49 am
I want this song played when I end it tbh.
Reply
urmom says:
October 8, 2023 at 9:58 pm
honestly wanna have this playing at my funeral 🙂
Reply
