Billie Eilish’s “Everybody Dies” Lyrics Meaning

“Everybody Dies” is a philosophical song which, as its title implies, is premised on the vocalist’s musings concerning the inevitability of death. But even though the general topic may be death, there is a whole lot being said within. So the best approach would be to go straight down the line, verse-by-verse, to try to get a grasp of the most important points being relayed by Billie Eilish.

Verse 1

For instance, the first verse isn’t actually about death. Instead, she uses it to comment on a subject like mass dishonesty. And what she appears to be saying is that people tend to lie to each other in the name of making their own selves feel better.

Verse 2

Billie then uses the next verse to more directly address the topic of death. For example, she seems to put forth a scientific belief that has been circulating as of late, that in “a couple hundred years” or what have you, science may be able to discover a way to avoid death altogether. 

Moreover, Eilish questions the practicality of the desire to live an extremely long life. Or as she implies if one were to grow really, really old, then in the process he or she would witness all of their loved ones die and therefore be “alone” in the end. And that particular understanding sounds like it may have been inspired by Highlander or a similar piece of pop media centered on immortality, which often sport such subthemes.

Verse 3

The third verse seems to veer off the topic of death almost completely, at least at first, by implying that the vocalist sometimes deals with random depression. However she clarifies to some individual, presumably a former lover, that when she does get bummed out as such, it doesn’t have anything to do with him. 

Rather what is actually bothering her is she missing some lost aspect “about the world” that she can no longer “get back”. Such a statement is very ambiguous. Actually it is so ambiguous we can say that its exact meaning, within the context of this song, is open to interpretation. 

Afterwards, Billie does conclude the passage by going back to the main topic at hand. And what she seems to be saying in that regard this time around is that it is her childlike curiosity which has her ruminating on the subject in the first place.

Final Verse

And concerning death, in the final verse she lets the listener know that when their own time comes, they “might not want to go”. And under such circumstances, they should not be compelled to feign courage as opposed to showing how concerned they truly are. Indeed the fear of death is a common mentality, and as such those who possess should not feel ashamed.

But what really is “Everybody Dies” all about?

Well at this point, since it’s challenging to derive a thesis sentiment given the diversity of ideas highlighted above, we will resort to Eilish’s own explanation of this song. 

And as explained by the singer/songwriter herself, it is literally “about how everybody dies”.  Such a reality is one that we cannot alter, and accordingly thinking of such ‘horrifies’ a lot of people. But for Billie personally, she sometimes finds the thought of passing away “comforting”. 

Or put alternatively, she has already made peace with the idea that one day she has to go. And how such a thought process has manifested itself in her brain is by giving the young lady the realization that our time on the mortal plane is finite. By virtue of this one should make an effort to “enjoy your life” while the opportunity is actually present.

In Conclusion

So yes dear reader, according to the songstress herself “Everybody Dies” is actually intended to be a YOLO piece. But considering that this is Billie Eilish and all, there has to be that dark element, if you will, also.  So on the surface, this track is all about death.  But underneath it all, it is actually intended to be an affirmation of the importance of living an edifying life.

Facts about “Everybody Dies”

“Everybody Dies” is a song that was written by Billie and Finneas, with the tune also being produced by the latter. This is the same sibling song-composition team that was behind Eilish’s first album, “When We Al Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” (2019), which instantly established the vocalist as a music superstar.

Meanwhile this particular track is from her second full-length, which is 2021’s “Happier Than Ever”. And the song was released with the rest of the album on 30 July of that year.

This track is a product of Republic Records and Darkroom Records. And it was actually the CEO of the latter, one Justin Lubliner, who gave Billie Eilish her first big break.

Did Billie release this as a single?

No. In all, approximately 5 certified singles were produced by the Billie’s “Happier Than Ever” project. This tune wasn’t one of them. Below are all the project’s official singles:

• “NDA”
• “Lost Cause”
• “Your Power”
• “Therefore I Am”
• “My Future”