All Your Exes

Album: Not in Chronological Order (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Julia Michaels wrote this song with her boyfriend, the Canadian singer-songwriter JP Saxe. It finds the singer resenting how her partner has had previous girlfriends.

    I wanna live in a world where all your exes are dead
    I wanna kill all the memories that you save in your head
    Be the only girl that's ever been in your bed


    Michaels wishes she could wipe out Saxe's past dating history and be the only girlfriend he's ever had.
  • Michaels told Apple Music the song originated with a conversation between her and Saxe while driving. Saxe suggested maybe one day in the future, they'll be able to talk about the people from their past that have shaped their present. Michaels dismissed his comment, claiming she couldn't care less about anyone he's ever dated. Saxe responded, "Well, baby, you can't just live in a world where all my exes are dead."

    Michaels retorted by sarcastically singing the first two lines of the song; they decided to go to the studio the next day and write the rest.
  • "All Your Exes" is the opening track on Michaels' debut album, Not in Chronological Order. Her relationship with Saxe inspired several of the other cuts on the record, including "Lie Like This."

    This happiness in love differs from Michaels' previous material where she tended to major on the complications of her romances. "I love that songs like this exist on the new album," she said. "These are songs that explore the upside of being in love as much as the depths of being hurt. It's a new experience for me, and I'm excited for fans to laugh and smile with me."
  • Michaels and Saxe started their relationship shortly after writing their hit single "If the World Was Ending." They have since written several other songs together, including her Not in Chronological Order track "Little Did I Know."
  • Michaels and Saxe wrote the song with The Monsters & Strangerz production team. The Miami duo produced eight of the 10 Not in Chronological Order tracks.
  • JP Saxe played the guitar on the track.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.