all the good girls go to hell

Billie Eilish and her brother/producer Finneas have explicitly stated that "all the good girls go to hell" is a commentary on climate change and global warming. The song uses religious and satanic imagery as a metaphor to criticize humanity's inaction and ignorance towards the environmental crisis. The lyrics personify God and the Devil looking down on Earth, bewildered by the self-inflicted destruction caused by humans. The line 'Hills burn in California' is a direct reference to the increasing wildfires, while 'once the water starts to rise' alludes to melting ice caps and rising sea levels.

The chorus, 'All the good girls go to hell 'cause even God herself has enemies,' subverts traditional religious concepts. It suggests that in a world so damaged by human negligence, the conventional notions of good and evil, heaven and hell, become blurred. The 'good girls' can be interpreted as those who passively follow the rules without questioning the destructive systems in place. The song implies that when the environmental catastrophe becomes undeniable, even the divine will have to forge unlikely alliances ('She'll want the Devil on her team') to deal with the mess. The overarching message is a frustrated call to action, expressing disappointment in world leaders and society for failing to address the urgent threat of climate change.

The song begins with the narrator noting the loneliness of her 'Lucifer.' This figure is depicted as someone who passes time by committing petty crimes, unable to adhere to anything else. There's a sense of divine abandonment, with Saint Peter, the gatekeeper of heaven, being on 'vacation,' which serves as an open invitation for misconduct. The imagery of the 'pearly gates' looking more like a simple 'picket fence' demystifies and belittles the concept of heaven. The narrator has friends but is unable to bring them into this supposedly idyllic place.

A pre-chorus introduces a direct reference to a real-world disaster with the line, 'Hills burn in California.' This is framed as a warning that has been ignored, a moment for the narrator to turn a blind eye in return. The chorus presents a shocking, subversive idea: 'All the good girls go to Hell.' The justification for this is that even a female-personified God has enemies. It paints a picture of an impending apocalypse, where rising waters will obscure heaven from sight. In this scenario, God herself will need to ally with the Devil.

The second verse directly addresses a listener, highlighting their dependence on the narrator. The relationship is transactional, not one of genuine friendship, requiring 'some greenery' or payment. The figure of Peter is mentioned again, suggesting he should have been wiser. A sense of imminent collapse is conveyed with 'Your cover-up is caving in.' The song then takes a broader perspective, questioning the worthiness of humanity with the line, 'Man is such a fool, why are we saving him?' It points out humanity's self-destructive behavior, 'poisoning themselves now,' and then mockingly notes their pleas for help.

The song repeats the pre-chorus and chorus, reinforcing the themes of ignored warnings and the inevitable, ironic alliance between God and the Devil in the face of a world-ending catastrophe. The outro echoes the initial sentiment of a lonely Lucifer and introduces a new, cynical thought: with nothing left to save, the narrator's god will be indebted to her. The final lines reiterate that salvation is no longer an option, followed by a dismissive laugh.

"all the good girls go to hell" was written by Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, with Finneas also handling the production. The song was primarily recorded and produced in Finneas' small bedroom studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles. The creation process was spread out over a couple of years; Eilish revealed that the chorus was written as early as 2016, while the remaining parts of the song were composed and recorded in 2018.

The track was the fifth song on Eilish's groundbreaking debut studio album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, which was released on March 29, 2019. It was later released as the sixth single from the album on September 6, 2019. Finneas explained that the lyrical concept came from the idea of God and the Devil conversing about humanity's disappointing stewardship of the Earth, effectively making a commentary on climate change from a unique, metaphorical perspective. During a Verizon livestream in April 2020, Eilish confirmed this, stating, "The deeper meaning of the song is about global warming and climate strike and what's really important... This song is about the world and trying to save it, and people not believing that it needs to be saved."

The song's rhythmic structure is one of its defining features, built on what critics have called 'stuttering words' and 'dripping beats'. The tempo is moderately upbeat, but the syncopated rhythm in the bass and drums gives it a lurching, off-kilter feel that complements the lyrical themes of chaos and subversion. The piano part adds a jaunty, almost music-hall-like quality, which creates a stark contrast with the dark subject matter.

The rhyme scheme is not strictly consistent but often follows patterns within sections. For example, in the first verse, you can see end rhymes like 'crime'/'time' and a near rhyme in 'invitation'/'vacation.' The pre-chorus uses a clear AABB rhyme scheme with 'California'/'ignore ya' and 'warn ya'. The main chorus has a more complex rhyme scheme, with some analyses suggesting an AABB or tail rhyme structure, linking 'enemies' with 'team' and 'rise' with 'sight'. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the musical rhythm is key; Eilish often delivers her lines in a syncopated way that plays against the main beat, enhancing the song's unique, slightly unsettling groove.

Musically, "all the good girls go to hell" features a dynamic arrangement that juxtaposes different stylistic elements. It begins with a sparse, atmospheric intro before transitioning into what has been described as a 'jaunty, stuttering gem' powered by a playful bassline with G-funk influences, bright piano chords, and off-kilter synths. The track builds from a slow, almost funereal opening to a more upbeat, rhythmically propulsive chorus, creating a sense of surprise and subversion. Eilish's vocal delivery is characteristically soft and lilting, often described as a 'stuttering' flow that glides over the 'dripping beats'.

Lyrically, the song employs satire and irony to deliver its message. The central conceit of 'good girls' going to hell is a prime example of irony. It uses religious allegory, personifying God and referencing figures like Saint Peter and Lucifer to create a layered critique of societal apathy. The narrative voice shifts, at times sounding like a disillusioned observer and at others like the voice of God or the Devil themselves, using rhetorical questions like 'Man is such a fool, why are we saving him?' to challenge the listener directly. This creates a complex, character-driven narrative within the song, a technique Eilish often employs.

"all the good girls go to hell" achieved significant commercial success, debuting at number 46 on the US Billboard Hot 100 as part of Eilish's record-breaking debut week for a female artist. The song was certified platinum in the United States. Its music video, directed by Rich Lee, garnered widespread attention for its powerful visuals directly addressing the climate crisis, depicting Eilish as a fallen angel struggling in an oil slick and walking through flames. This video solidified the song's status as a protest anthem for a younger generation concerned with environmental issues.

Eilish used the song and its video to promote climate action, including the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit and Greta Thunberg's climate strikes. The song has been widely discussed and analyzed for its metaphorical critique of political inaction on climate change. It has been featured in various media, including the trailer for the 2019 film Saint Maud and the video game Just Dance 2021. Eilish frequently performed the song on her major tours, including the Coachella and Glastonbury festivals, further cementing its place as a key track in her discography and a notable piece of 21st-century environmental pop culture.

• Fallen Angel/Lucifer: The most prominent symbol is Eilish herself as a fallen angel, representing Lucifer. In the music video, she is shown with wings sprouting from her back, falling from the sky, and landing in a pool of black oil. This symbolizes not just a rejection of heaven, but also nature (the white wings) being corrupted by human-made pollution (the oil). Her subsequent walk through a burning landscape further connects this figure to the song's core theme of environmental destruction.
• God and The Devil: The lyrics create a dialogue between a female God and the Devil, who are both looking down on humanity's foolishness. This personification serves to highlight the scale of the climate crisis, suggesting it's a disaster of such epic proportions that it forces even celestial opposites to find common ground in their disappointment.
• Heaven and Hell: Traditional religious concepts of heaven and hell are subverted. The 'pearly gates' are dismissed as looking 'more like a picket fence,' and hell becomes the destination for the 'good girls.' This represents a loss of faith in established systems and the idea that moral futility reigns when humanity is 'poisoning themselves.'
• California Fires and Rising Waters: The lyrics 'Hills burn in California' and 'once the water starts to rise' are direct, literal references to wildfires and rising sea levels, grounding the song's abstract metaphors in tangible, real-world consequences of climate change.
• Peter on Vacation: The line 'Peter's on vacation' refers to Saint Peter, the guardian of heaven's gates. This metaphor suggests that the moral gatekeepers are absent or negligent, leaving an 'open invitation' for crime and chaos, mirroring the perceived inaction of world leaders on climate policy.

The most significant recurring lyrical motif is the phrase 'My Lucifer is lonely', which opens the song and is repeated in the post-chorus. This line establishes the song's rebellious, dark-tinged perspective from the very beginning. It personifies evil not as a terrifying force, but as a solitary figure, creating a sense of sympathy or alliance with the 'dark side' that frames the song's critique of a failing world.

The title phrase, 'All the good girls go to hell', is the central hook of the chorus and the song's main thesis. Its repetition drills home the song's core ironic message about the futility of conventional morality in a world heading for disaster. Another recurring motif is the direct mention of environmental collapse, specifically 'Hills burn in California'. This phrase appears in each pre-chorus, acting as a constant, sobering reminder of the real-world stakes behind the song's religious satire. The music video also has recurring visual motifs, such as the imagery of fire and Eilish's oil-covered wings, which visually reinforce the themes of pollution and destruction.