Billie Eilish reveals the wild true story behind her ‘wish you were gay' lyrics

4 March 2019, 15:25

By Sam Prance

The meaning of Billie Eilish's new single 'wish you were gay'...

That Billie Eilish reign just won't let up. Ever since the rising star first released music back in 2016, she's been praised for her unique voice and forward-thinking approach to pop. And now the rest of the world is catching up. Billie's first EP don't smile at me has been streamed over one billion times on Spotify alone and her new single 'bury a friend' is her highest peaking hit in the US to date (Number 14).

Everything you need to know about Billie EIlish's new album

Billie is currently preparing to drop her highly anticipated debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (Mar 29) but has blessed fans with multiple teaser tracks in the run up to it. First she put out 'you should see me in a crown', then 'when the party's over', followed by 'bury a friend' and now 'wish you were gay'. Not only that but she's opened up about the meaning behind it.

What is the backstory behind 'wish you were gay'?

'wish you were gay' is a song about Billie being rejected by a boy and then wishing that they were gay to make the rejection feel less harsh. In the bridge she sings: "To spare my pride // To give your lack of interest an explanation // I'm not your type
// Maybe I'm not your preferred gender orientation". Opening about it on Instagram back in July 2018, Billie revealed what inspired it.

Talking to her fans, Billie said: "I wrote this song about a guy that really was not interested in me and it made me feel horrible so the song is called 'wish you were gay'. She then discussed it further by saying: "and that's so not meant to be offensive in any way. It literally means I wish he was gay so that he didn't like me for an actual reason."

Although ironically the boy Billie fancied turned out to be gay. "and guess what he just came out to me like a couple weeks ago". She then joked: "so I wrote the song and made him fuck a dude." and said: "I'm fucking proud bro except not really though because I was really into him, like so into him, he's so hot oh my god."

Listen to 'wish you were gay' in full here.

Billie Eilish - wish you were gay (Audio)

Stunning right? Nothing tugs our heartstrings more than a touching ode to unrequited love. 'wish you were gay' is the fourth track from WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Given the quality of all the tracks from the album so far, it looks like Billie is about to release one of the best records of the year.

We can't wait to hear it in full at the end of the month.

Billie Eilish - 'wish you were gay' lyrics

VERSE 1
Baby, I don't feel so good
Six words you never understood
I'll never let you go
Five words you never say
I laugh along like nothing's wrong
Four days has never felt so long
If three's a crowd and two is us
One slipped away

CHORUS
I just wanna make you feel okay
But all you do is look the other way
I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay
I just kinda wish you were gay

VERSE 2
Is there a reason we're not through?
Is there a twelfth step just for you?
Our conversations are in blue
Eleven heys
Ten fingers pulling out my hair
Nine times you never made it fair
I ate alone at seven; six minutes away

CHORUS
How am I supposed to make you feel okay?
When all you do is walk the other way?
I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay
I just kinda wish you were gay

BRIDGE
To spare my pride
To give your lack of interest an explanation
I'm not your type
Maybe I'm not your preferred gender orientation
I'm so selfish
But you make me feel helpless
And I can't stand another day
I can't stand another day

CHORUS
I just wanna make you feel okay
But all you do is look the other way
I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay
I just kinda wish you were gay
I just kinda wish you were gay