I was on my way to one of the most life-changing events of my life when a discussion suddenly emerged as the song “The Governor’s Waltz” by Phoebe Bridgers started playing on the aux. The life-changing event was the Phoebe Bridgers concert in Philadelphia for her “Lost Tour,” a tour for her new album, “Lost Weekend.” In a car with seats for six people, five of us were hardcore Phoebe fans—some might say fans of one of the best singer-songwriters of our generation.
The discussion centered around the newly controversial lyrics of “The Governor’s Waltz,” which fans have interpreted as pointing to Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal’s relationship, which began publicly attracting attention in 2024. The controversy gets even deeper when we remember that Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal were reportedly engaged. As Phoebe states in the song “Lost Weekend,” she was “supposed to be married, but… called it off.” Phoebe and Mescal reportedly went their separate ways in late 2022.
Something interesting to consider is the fact that Phoebe Bridgers and Bo Burnham were romantically linked only a few months after the reported separation. Regardless of whether these rumors are true or not, many speculations have surrounded Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal’s relationship over the years. However, none of these rumors necessarily tell us what “The Governor’s Waltz” is actually about. Despite all of this, I’ll do my best to keep an objective stance while always defending Phoebe (my close personal friend).
Lyrical Analysis
Delving into the song’s lyrics, Phoebe sings, “and she can pretend to be me, since she took my place in my bed on that stage,” arguably the two most-discussed lines on the album. The first line has been interpreted as Phoebe “dissing” Gracie for supposedly taking her place in the relationship, now serving as Mescal’s partner, which Phoebe once was.
The latter line needs some background. Gracie Abrams posted a picture in 2017 of her space-themed bedsheets from her childhood bedroom, to which Phoebe Bridgers replied, “I HAVE THE SAME SHEETS.” Seven years later, Gracie went on “The Secret of Us” Tour with those same bedsheets as props onstage, recreating elements of her childhood bedroom. Because of this connection, it has been presumed that Phoebe is referring to this specific instance, suggesting that Gracie not only took her romantic position but also her “place on the stage.”
The connection is certainly interesting, but can we really determine the intention behind the lyric based on a single Instagram comment that was probably just a wholesome moment between two artists who admired each other? The fact that the bedsheets appeared onstage makes the connection to the lyric more convincing, but it still does not necessarily tell us whether Phoebe intended the reference as an insult.
A Different Take
While Phoebe Bridgers’ allusion to the bed onstage seems very definitive of Gracie Abrams’ tour, how do we know it was meant as criticism? Personally, I believe that the original interpretation of these lines feels somewhat out of character for Phoebe, who often writes about her mental health or her admiration for the people in her life.
What if this line is actually about admiration? Something crucial to the original analysis that is often left out are the next two lines: “I have not lost any sleep, being myself wasn’t easy, do it for me.” If the lyrics are referring to Gracie Abrams, we have to look at the whole picture. The phrase “I have not lost any sleep” could suggest that Phoebe is not troubled by Gracie taking her place. While losing sleep is commonly associated with anxiety, saying that you have not lost any sleep can also suggest indifference or emotional distance.
The second line, “being myself wasn’t easy, do it for me,” can also be addressed through this interpretation. Why would Phoebe say “do it for me” if she were simply publicly shaming Gracie for dating her ex-fiancé? This does not prove that Phoebe is not criticizing Gracie, but it complicates the straightforward interpretation that the song is simply an attack.
At the concert, Phoebe said that as she has grown older, her songs have become less metaphorical and more truthful. If that is true, the lyrics may have more to do with her own experience than with a public feud. “Lost Weekend” deals heavily with grief and dissociation, and the line “being myself wasn’t easy” could refer to how difficult it was for Phoebe to experience herself during such a public and eventful period of her life. In that reading, “do it for me” could be directed toward the person who is now, in some way, taking on the role she once occupied.
It is also worth considering the larger tendency of pop culture to frame female artists as rivals, particularly when a romantic relationship is involved. From Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo to other highly publicized comparisons between female artists, women are frequently placed against each other even when there is little evidence of an actual feud. It is possible that the interpretation of “The Governor’s Waltz” is being influenced by that same tendency.
Ultimately, Phoebe’s lyrics are ambiguous, and there is no way for listeners to know exactly what they mean without Phoebe addressing them herself. The Gracie Abrams interpretation is certainly possible, especially considering the connection between the bedsheets and the stage, but that does not automatically establish that the lyric is meant as an attack.
Maybe the most interesting distinction is between identifying who a lyric might reference and understanding why the artist wrote it. “The Governor’s Waltz” may very well reference Gracie Abrams, but that does not necessarily mean Phoebe is criticizing her, especially looking at the emerging “rivalry” of female artists in the music scene. Looking at the lyrics as a whole leaves room for interpretations involving grief, identity, admiration, and emotional distance. Rather than letting the surrounding rumors decide what the song means, it might be worth allowing the lyrics to remain ambiguous—such ambiguity being part of what makes Phoebe’s songwriting so interesting in the first place.
Sophomore Francesca Rayo is the Managing Editor. Her email is frayogue@fandm.edu.