Olivia Rodrigo Grapples With Her Rise to Fame in "Making the Bed" Lyrics
It's Olivia Rodrigo's world, and we're just living in it. No, really— her second album, GUTS, is officially upon us and it's as amazing as we anticipated. With bops like "All-American Bitch" leading the charge on her Sour follow-up, it's no wonder the album is all anyone can talk about rn.
There are also beautiful ballads like "Vampire" and "Logical" that pull at your heartstrings upon the first listen. Another emotionally introspective track is "Making the Bed," in which Olivia reflects on her meteoric rise to fame and the lifestyle changes that came with it. A few years ago, she was simply a 17-year-old who got her driver's license and she's now attending the Met Gala and earning Grammys for her songwriting.
In conversation with Phoebe Bridgers for Interview Magazine, Olivia opened up about fame and how her writing process has changed since she dominated the charts with her debut. "I think you have to be wary about writing songs about fame. A lot of the time people don’t want to hear about that. But fame is more accessible than it has ever been," Olivia said. "Everyone is yearning for some sort of internet virality, and there’s so much social climbing and lust for fame in the world that doesn’t have anything to do with living in L.A. or New York. It’s just prevalent in our generation."
Little did we know, she'd comment on that exact concept through her "Making the Bed" lyrics. So, without further ~ado~, let's get into them and see what Miss Rodrigo has to say.
Lyrics provided by Genius
[Verse 1]
Want it, so I got it, did it, so it's done
Another thing I ruined I used to do for fun
Another piece of plastic I could just throw away
Another conversation with nothing good to say
I thought it, so I said it, took it 'cause I can
Another day pretendin' I'm older than I am
Another perfect moment that doesn't feel like mine
Another thing I forced to be a sign
Right out of the gate, Olivia reflects on how her life has changed in the first verse. "Another thing I ruined I used to do for fun" could potentially refer to her songwriting, which she used to openly share through Instagram posts.
Now she's been open about the pressure of being perceived (and, of course, raking in the benefits and awards like Grammys, VMAs, and AMAs). Such pressure could come from industry folks, her team, and other external sources, leading to "perfect moments" that don't feel like hers. She may act older than she actually is so people take her more seriously. Sigh.
[Chorus]
Well, sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am
Gettin' drunk at a club with my fair-weather friends
Push away all the people who know me the best
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
I'm so tired of bein' the girl that I am
Every good thing has turned into somethin' I dread
And I'm playin' the victim so well in my head
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
The chorus and the song's namesake tie back to the expression "you've made your bed, now lie in it," which means facing the consequences of your own actions. Liv says she's "tired of being the girl" she is, and everything she once loved has turned into things she no longer looks forward to— and she feels she's done it to herself.
[Post-Chorus]
Me who's been makin' the bed
Pull the sheets over my head, yeah
Makin' the bed
In the post-chorus, Olivia says she wants to pull the sheets over her head. Perhaps she feels like hiding and making all her problems go away, which is such a mood.
[Verse 2]
And every night, I wake up from this one recurrin' dream
Where I'm drivin' through the city and the brakes go out on me
I can't stop at the red light, I can't swerve off the road
I read somewhere it's 'cause my life feels so out of control
And I tell someone I love them just as a distraction
They tell me that they love me like I'm some tourist attraction
They're changin' my machinery and I just let it happen
I got the things I wanted, it's just not what I imagined
The second verse can quite literally be a call back to Olivia's smash debut single "Drivers License" as she details a recurring driving dream she has. She also exudes big "do it for the plot" energy when she says she tells someone she loves them to distract herself from other things that have made her spiral out of control.
[Chorus]
[Post-Chorus]
[Outro]
Sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am
Countin' all of the beautiful things I regret
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
Me who's been makin' the bed
Pull the sheets over my head
Makin' the bed, oh
The track closes out with Olivia counting all the "beautiful things" she regrets, be it her journey with fame or her personal relationships.
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