When Billie Eilish dropped the music video for all the good girls go to hell back in September 2019, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. You probably remember the visuals. Dark. Gritty. Creepy.
She's got these massive, 25-foot wings. She falls from the sky like a rejected angel. Then she lands in a literal pit of black oil. It looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie, which, let’s be real, is kind of her signature move.
But here is the thing: a huge chunk of the audience completely missed the point. While some people were busy calling it "satanic" or "anti-religious," Billie and her brother Finneas were actually trying to talk about something much scarier than the devil.
They were talking about us. And how we’re killing the planet.
The "Satanic" Misconception
If you look at the lyrics to all the good girls go to hell, it's easy to see why people got confused. You’ve got lines like "My Lucifer is lonely" and "Peter’s on vacation, an open invitation." On the surface, it sounds like a rebellion against Sunday school.
Honestly, the religious imagery is just a costume.
Finneas O'Connell, who produced the track, eventually cleared the air in an interview with Vulture. He explained that the song is written from the perspective of God and the Devil looking down at Earth. They aren't fighting over souls. They're both just incredibly disappointed in humans for trashing the place.
Basically, the "good girls" going to hell isn't about morality in a biblical sense. It’s a metaphor for the fact that even if you follow all the rules, we’re all heading for a climate disaster if things don't change.
The song isn't a recruitment video for the underworld. It's a satirical jab at human apathy.
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That Oil Pit Was Real (And Gross)
Let's talk about the music video, because that’s where the message gets really loud. Directed by Rich Lee, the visual follows a winged Billie as she trudges through a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.
She isn't just covered in black paint for the aesthetic. That black slime represents oil spills and pollution.
Billie actually suffered for those shots. Her stylist, Samantha Burkhart, later shared on Instagram that the 25-foot wings were saturated in this heavy, black "snot-like" slime. They weighed much more than Billie herself.
Imagine hanging off a crane, dragging massive, sticky wings through the heat of a California set for hours.
"Sh*t felt like I was stepping into a pool of black snot," Billie posted on her Instagram stories at the time. You can even see her holding onto a rope in some behind-the-scenes clips just to keep her balance because the liquid was so thick.
This wasn't just "playing dress-up." It was a physical performance intended to mimic the way wildlife gets trapped and suffocated by oil spills.
Decoding the Lyrics: More Than Just Catchy Beats
The song is a "jaunty, music-hall" track, as the New York Times put it. It’s got that signature Finneas bassline and those stuttering beats. But the lyrics are actually pretty grim when you look at the 2018–2019 context.
- "Hills burn in California": This wasn't just a vibe. While they were writing and recording, California was literally on fire. The Woolsey and Camp Fires were devastating the state.
- "Once the water starts to rise": A direct nod to rising sea levels caused by melting ice caps.
- "Man is such a fool": This line is the core of the song. It’s the "God and Devil" perspective Finneas mentioned—both deities agreeing that humans are the architects of their own destruction.
Billie actually wrote the chorus for all the good girls go to hell all the way back in 2016. The rest came together in 2018. It shows that this wasn't some trend she hopped on; it was a concern she had long before she was a global superstar.
Why the Timing Mattered
The video didn't drop on a random Wednesday for no reason.
It was released just weeks before the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. Billie used the launch to urge her millions of followers to join the Global Climate Strike led by Greta Thunberg.
She was very vocal about the fact that "the clock is ticking."
Most pop stars at that level stay away from "political" topics because they don't want to lose fans. Billie did the opposite. She leaned into the controversy of the religious imagery to bait people into paying attention to the environmental message.
It was a brilliant, if slightly dark, marketing move.
Takeaways for the Listener
If you’re still spinning this track in 2026, it’s worth looking past the "creepy girl" trope. The song is a call to action wrapped in a pop beat.
Watch for the symbolism: Next time you see the video, notice how the fire eventually catches up to her. It’s not a "cool" fire; it’s an all-consuming one.
Look up the strikes: Billie’s original message included links to Greenpeace and the UN. Those organizations are still the primary drivers for the policy changes she was singing about.
Listen for the satire: When she says "Peter's on vacation," she's saying that the authority figures we expect to save us aren't coming. It's up to the "good girls" (and everyone else) to deal with the mess.
The best way to appreciate the track now is to acknowledge its grit. It isn't a polished protest song with a happy ending. It’s a messy, oily, flaming look at a world that is running out of time.
If you want to dive deeper into the technical side, check out the production breakdown of the When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? album. Seeing how Finneas layered those "dripping" beats really changes how you hear the "oil" theme in the music itself.