Goldwing

Album: Happier Than Ever (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Billie Eilish gives out a warning to a young lady who is more innocent than her. The singer advises the "gold-winged angel" to stay clear of certain men who will charm and exploit her; they will then walk away, leaving the vulnerable girl torn apart.
  • In a Spotify lyric mode commentary, Eilish explained she wrote the song as "a metaphor for a young woman especially in the street or life that is pure, and I don't mean a virgin. I mean like a young, non-exploited, non-traumatized person. A metaphor for that being a gold-winged angel."
  • The song begins with a choral arrangement derived from Gustav Holst's 1907 piece "Hymn to Vena." This hymn to the Hindu king Vena hails the sun rising through the mist. It's from the third group of Hymns from The Rig Veda, the English composer's translation of choral hymns from a sacred Hindu text. It was a hymn that Eilish used to sing as a child in the Los Angeles Children's Chorus.
  • At 2:31, this is the shortest song on Happier Than Ever, Eilish's second album.
  • The song is partly inspired by Olivia Rodrigo. "It's not only about her," Eilish told the LA Times. "I was just thinking about her when I was writing it. She was coming up, and she was younger than me, and nobody had ever been younger than me."

    Eilish went on to recall how she worried for Rodrigo after she blew up in the music industry. "She came up in that acting world, and people are so weird. I don't know - I just felt very protective over her. And I feel that way to everyone," she said. "I just see myself in all these young girls. And it's the girls, man. Boys can handle themselves. They're dudes - they don't have to deal with it like we do. I just want to hold everybody in a little glass box and never let anything touch them."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."