{"id":4947,"date":"2026-08-17T14:33:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T18:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?p=4947"},"modified":"2026-08-17T14:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T18:34:00","slug":"the-meaning-behind-the-governors-waltz-by-phoebe-bridgers-and-a-haunting-episode-from-her-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/the-meaning-behind-the-governors-waltz-by-phoebe-bridgers-and-a-haunting-episode-from-her-past\/","title":{"rendered":"The Meaning Behind \u201cThe Governor\u2019s Waltz\u201d by Phoebe Bridgers and a Haunting Episode From Her Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cThe Governor\u2019s Waltz\u201d finds Phoebe Bridgers recalling a haunting episode from her past. Taken from her latest album, <em>Lost Weekend<\/em>, the folk lament feels more like a disoriented chapter. And it begins with an iconic scene from a horror masterpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cWendy, I\u2019m Home\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Phoebe Bridgers - The Governor\u2019s Waltz (Official Lyric Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FvKlcmPtp5I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bridgers recalls her negative experience performing at the Governor\u2019s Ball in 2021. Driving home just how horrific the experience was, Bridgers compares the memory to Shelley Duvall\u2019s role as Wendy Torrance in <em>The Shining<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AWKQSDRekBM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hiding in the bathroom from her deranged husband<\/a>, Jack Torrance, portrayed by Jack Nicholson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I was the belle of the Governor\u2019s Ball,<br>Hiding in the bathroom like Shelley Duvall.<br>You had a nosebleed, you were in my way,<br>And you didn\u2019t remind me of anything<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The story\u2019s timeline covers Bridgers\u2019s relationship with Paul Mescal. And in the chorus, the couple gives up physical intimacy. All is not well as the cycling guitar chords seem to foreshadow the relationship\u2019s downward spiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So let\u2019s see how long we can go without touching,<br>Why don\u2019t you sing me to sleep?<br>I know you\u2019ll never actually think about jumping,<br>But do it for me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second verse finds them listening to LCD Soundsystem\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/lcd-soundsystem\/dance-yrself-clean\">\u201cDance Yrself Clean\u201d<\/a> on New Year\u2019s Eve. You can hear a faint dance groove enter and quickly fade out as Bridgers falls emotionally into self-loathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Two kids in a trench coat living alone,<br>I was too happy to feel at home.<br>Dancing ourselves clean late New Year\u2019s Eve,<br>You deserved better, you wanted me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You\u2019re Next To Nothing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now they are no longer talking. Bridgers continues to attack herself as he\u2019s yet to realize that there\u2019s nothing left of the relationship but the shredded strands of a former bond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So let\u2019s see how long we can go without talking,<br>Watch me pretending to sleep.<br>I\u2019m next to you, you\u2019re next to nothing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, some listeners have speculated that the following verse is Bridgers dissing Gracie Abrams. But whoever takes her place in this story, Bridgers sings, being herself wasn\u2019t easy. So, \u201cDo it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Now, let\u2019s see how far I can run without stopping,<br>And she can pretend to be me.<br>Since she took my place in my bed on that stage,<br>I have not lost any sleep<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Photo by Todd Owyoung\/NBC via Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Phoebe Bridgers&#8217; \u201cThe Governor\u2019s Waltz\u201d feels like a disoriented chapter. And it begins with an iconic scene from a horror masterpiece.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":973477,"featured_media":4949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":316,"post_id":2139}}]},"savage_platform_role_ideator":[],"savage_platform_role_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_senior_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_photographer":[],"savage_platform_role_illustrator":[],"savage_platform_role_translator":[],"savage_platform_role_as-told-to":[],"savage_platform_role_reviewed-by":[],"savage_platform_disable_recirculation":false,"savage_platform_article_type":"news","savage_platform_vice_article_type":"article","savage_platform_article_intent":"","savage_platform_show_affiliate_disclaimer":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"wp_curate_deduplication":false,"wp_curate_unique_pinned_posts":false,"savage_platform_featured_image_caption":"Photo by Todd Owyoung\/NBC via Getty Images","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"savage_platform_subheadline":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[428,378],"byline":[316],"class_list":["post-4947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-indie-folk","tag-phoebe-bridgers"],"savage_platform_primary_term":{"category":{"term_name":"Features","term_id":12,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/category\/features\/"},"post_tag":{"term_name":"indie folk","term_id":428,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/tag\/indie-folk\/"}},"hide_from_homepage":false,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Meaning Behind \u201cThe Governor\u2019s Waltz\u201d by Phoebe Bridgers and a Haunting Episode From Her Past - Songfacts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Phoebe Bridgers&#039; \u201cThe Governor\u2019s Waltz\u201d feels like a disoriented chapter. 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