“listen before i go” is the twelfth track on the fourteen track album: “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO?”, and is written by both Billie Eilish and brother Finneas. It is perhaps the most dark-themed song on the entire album, singing from the perspective of an individual about to commit suicide but speaking to their lover beforehand.
Eilish has previously discussed her own struggles with depression, which caused some controversy and concern with her fans. Eilish spoke to Rob Markman from music publication GENIUS about her and her brother’s songwriting process, emphasizing that you don’t have to experience something to write about it or understand it. “You don’t have to go through anything to write about it, or you can go through everything and write about something else. It’s literally like telling a story, you can write about something you’ve done, you can write about something your friend’s done, or you want to do, or you used to do, or your mom’s done.” Eilish also spoke to PopBuzz about the order of the last three tracks on the album (with “listen before i go” being in the middle) and her intention for them to form a sentence: “listen before i go”, “i love you” and “goodbye” – the final track on the album. Eilish has also stated in an interview with Radio Energy that “listen before i go” is one of her favourite songs that she has ever written in her life. In terms of Eilish speaking about the sensitive subject and her meaning of the song. She performed the song live in her 1by1 tour in Toronto. “Basically it’s like, um it’s about, it’s just about depression, and what can come out of depression, which is not pretty good. […] When this comes out, I don’t want it to break you down, I want it to bring you to me and I don’t know, be like a mental hug, I guess. [… ] What I’m really trying to do is let my words be your words and stay ours.”
There is currently no music video for “listen before i go”, but the official audio video on Billie Eilish’s channel has over 6.6 million views and 100,000 likes.
Release Date: 29th March 2019
Songwriter/s: Billie Eilish, FINNEAS
Producer/s: FINNEAS
Label/s: Interscope Records, Darkroom Records
Chart Rankings: “listen before i go” is one of Eilish’s less popular songs, with it reaching #29 in Australia, #42 in Canada, #63 in the US and #71 in Sweden. Perhaps it’s lack of mainstream chart coverage is due to the sensitive and triggering themes of the song.
Olivia
October 16, 2019 at 3:01 pm
billie eilish is like my best song writer. and i love her music
Josie
September 9, 2020 at 5:27 pm
Yeah Billie Eilish is literally amazing and this song is absolutely beautiful (if you interpret it the right way)
Luther Johnson
December 16, 2019 at 5:01 am
I heard this song on Facebook from a little Video skit one of the comedians did and I liked it but it wasn’t till today when I listened to it a few hours ago that I actually listened to the words and not just the song as a whole. It made me want to look up the lyrics after I’d already figured out what it was talking about I’ve only halfway dealt with depression years ago and thought about committing suicide about 3 to 4 times but never did it and haven’t thought about since but even so it didn’t take me back to that it just made me feel more strongly about those who are still dealing with it and how I wish I could change they’re mind with just a snap of my finger but it’s not that simple
Jacqueline
March 17, 2020 at 6:02 am
Billie Eilish, is one of my role models.. Being a student and hearing that she has depression..like me.. i kinda guessed it, but it makes her just that much more relatable, like her song “idontwannabeyouanymore” when she says “I just wish you could feel what you say” it just puts out there that words can really tare someone down, and i know how bad that can make someone feel.. that’s why i think she was looking in the mirror and saying that she doesn’t want to be herself because not everyone understands what each person goes through, but they still cant bare see someone actually make it somewhere in life.. you know.? Billie has gotten me through a lot in life.. no matter if its through listening to her music or watching her interviews.. she just makes me feel like i can get through this bad patch in my life..and that there will be better days.. 🙂 ps i kinda felt cheesy writing this.. hehe.
Etalia
June 17, 2020 at 8:49 am
Billie eilish is my favorite artist she is very relatable and talks about the more concerning things in life like depression unlike some other artist that only speak about sex and relationships billie eillish portrays her self and some of what she goes through in her music some people say they dont like her because her music is bad for some of her fans that are 12 year older younger but they don’t understand that it actually helps some of us get through depression
Anonymous
September 24, 2020 at 12:28 am
I love listen before I go, I cried the first time I listened to it lmao
Maggie May Baird
October 5, 2020 at 5:48 pm
me: Billie why don’t you wash the dishes , Billie: sings while washing the dishes , Me: falls alseep and gets so relaxed
Unicorn
October 27, 2020 at 2:33 pm
This song just ended on my radio and I started to think, ‘Did Billie actually try to commit?’ So I searched it up and read on here that it was just a perspective. Thank god, bless the heavens. I’m pretty sure I watched a vanity fair interview video last year with Billie and she said she was feeling better and was no longer depressed. I need to meet her and learn how she overcame it. Most of my friends are either depressed, insane, or both.
bess
January 2, 2021 at 2:23 am
the lyrics of this song are truly beautiful and relatable
So
January 8, 2021 at 7:20 am
This song is so amazing
Gabriella
March 8, 2021 at 10:22 pm
As a person who has lived with depression and anxiety for almost 4 years of my life, and also struggle with self-harm. This song is like a mental hug. I have contemplated suicide about 5 or 6 times. I again struggle with it still but I also relate to her in every way possible. I am 13 and I went through this 3 years ago. And it’s a tough battle. But whoever you are, wherever you are, I know you will get through it. I know that you don’t know me, but I hope that things will get better for you. I am very happy now. I love who I am, I came out as LGBTQIA+ last year, I am much happier, and I have recovered. I have stopped self-harming (ish) and Ive been clean for a couple of weeks now.
I promise you. Things will get better. And in the end, it will all be worth it.
Peace, love, and pogo sticks (or whatever else…peace, love and bouncy balls),
Gabs :>
Charmaigne
May 4, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Thank You , Your Sincerety Touched my Heart, And Your Kind, Selflessly Intended Well Wishes help me so much.Ill keep On Keeping on
Skylar Maitland
March 11, 2021 at 6:54 am
I had always thought this song was about a person coming to the end of their battle with a terminal cancer. Maybe my interpretation was just way off.
Charmaigne
May 4, 2021 at 1:43 pm
Thank You,So much Kindness In Your Words,ya just helped me
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