18 year old artist, Billie Eilish sings a variety of music that ranges from electro pop to goth pop. In her album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Eilish’s songs encompass a dark undertone that highlight dark features in the world that are not often discussed. One song featured in this album is “Bad Guy“, which exemplifies a strong piece of poetry. The theme of this song is that in the world people pretend to be something they are not. For example, bad guys, don’t go around saying that they are bad, instead, they show how they are bad through their actions. This causes the listener to reflect on their actions and evaluate how they portray themselves vs who they actually are.
White shirt now red, my bloody nose Sleepin', you're on your tippy toes Creepin' around like no one knows
The song begins with the lines “white shirt now red, my bloody nose / Sleepin’ you’re on your tippy toes”, which give imagery to scene being portrayed. By starting off the song with blood being spilled, Eilish sets a dark undertone and dramatizes the lyrics. Even more, when the person is described as being on their “tippy toes” Eilish invokes a creepiness/nervousness to the song. This relates to the theme because in life, posers creep around and hope that nobody sees who they truly are.
There is also a meter in the lines above. The lines in the verse are each 8 syllables, which add rhythm to the the song and help with its flow. Many poems have meter and this is why the song can also be considered a poem.
Finally, the phrase, “chest always so puffed” drills the theme into the listener’s head with another image. A lot of men like to appear broad and fit because that is how society depicts how men “should” be. In this case, Eilish identifies the facade and pokes a hole in it. She knows that people often desire to come across in a way that will will ensure that they are accepted into society, and through her eccentric music she defies these standards.