Billie Eilish’s everything i wanted: The Dark Side of a Dream

If you have ever thought fame was a golden ticket to happiness, then Billie Eilish’s song everything i wanted will snap you out of that fantasy faster than you can say “Grammy.”

Released in November 2019, this haunting track doesn’t paint fame as a fairy tale — it’s more like a ghost story, filled with the shadows of isolation and the unnerving pressures that success can bring.

A Dream or a Nightmare?

The song kicks off with a deceptively simple line: “I had a dream.” But this isn’t the kind of dream that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Instead, Billie finds herself in a scenario where she gets “everything I wanted” — only to realise it comes with shadows she didn’t see coming.

As Billie recounted, the inspiration sprang from an actual nightmare in which she imagined herself leaping off the Golden Gate Bridge, unnoticed by the crowd around her.

That raw fear of invisibility at the height of fame? That’s the backbone of everything i wanted.

The Emotional Depth of the everything i wanted Lyrics

The song is about Billie Eilish recalling a nightmare she experienced where she committed suicide, no one noticed and all her friends and fans turned their backs on her.

The lyrics showcase Billie’s strong relationship with her brother Finneas, as he’s the one she goes to for support when dealing with these types of problems.

With lines like “I tried to scream, but my head was underwater,” the song plunges into dark waters, quite literally in its music video.

This underwater imagery captures the suffocating pressure and silence that can come with fame.

While “I had a dream” paints the initial glamour, the lyrics quickly unravel that illusion.

Here, Billie speaks to the isolation of being a public figure — where everyone wants something, but no one really sees you.

And that brings us to the heart of the song: the relationship with her brother and collaborator, Finneas.

In the chorus, Finneas reassures Billie, singing, “As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you.”

This line lifts the song from despair to a declaration of loyalty, transforming the track into a modern-day sibling anthem.

The Powerful Symbolism of the Music Video

In the music video, directed by Billie herself, she and Finneas share a quiet drive that ends with their car submerged, symbolising the slow dive into isolation fame can sometimes bring.

It’s eerie, powerful, and beautifully tragic, with the visual echoing the song’s themes of darkness and dependence on those we trust most.

Why everything i wanted Strikes a Chord

The track went on to top charts globally, resonating far beyond the celebrity sphere.

Billie’s vulnerable music narrative shows us that dreams don’t always glitter and that sometimes reaching the top can feel like hitting rock bottom.

With her unflinching approach to mental health, fame, and the strange illusion of happiness that success often brings, Billie Eilish’s everything i wanted taps into something profoundly human.

everything i wanted was Billie Eilish’s first single released after her debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

A year before the track’s release, an eight-second instrumental clip of everything i wanted could be heard in the background of one of Eilish’s Instagram stories.

everything i wanted explores the tension between reaching for dreams and wrestling with inner conflict, exploring the emotional weight that comes with getting what you once longed for.

It sheds light on the isolation and pressure that can follow success, highlighting how the path to fulfilment often brings a desire for true connection and the journey toward self-acceptance.

Why is everything i wanted still so popular?

The song’s exploration of the darker side of fame, mental health struggles, and the importance of human connections are issues that remain relevant and relatable to listeners, even years after its release.

As Billie Eilish has continued to grow as a major pop culture figure, there is an enduring interest in her discography, including her earlier hits like everything i wanted. Her devoted fanbase continues to discover and rediscover her music.

The emotions and experiences Billie Eilish captures in the lyrics are timeless. And the striking music video have given the song a lasting impact.

In recent years, there has been a growing societal focus on destigmatising discussions around mental health. everything i wanted taps into these important conversations, making the song even more relatable as people continue to explore these themes.

In the end, everything i wanted is Billie Eilish’s reminder that sometimes, even when have everything you wanted, it’s the people who stick around that matter most.

Billie Eilish everything i wanted Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I had a dream
I got everything I wanted
Not what you’d think
And if I’m bein’ honest
It might’ve been a nightmare
To anyone who might care
Thought I could fly (Fly)
So I stepped off the Golden, mm
Nobody cried (Cried, cried, cried, cried)
Nobody even noticed
I saw them standing right there
Kinda thought they might care (Might care, might care)

[Pre-Chorus]
I had a dream
I got everything I wanted
But when I wake up, I see
You with me

[Chorus]
And you say, “As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you
Don’t wanna lie here, but you can learn to
If I could change the way that you see yourself
You wouldn’t wonder why you hear
‘They don’t deserve you'”