What Is the Meaning Behind "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan?

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A deep dive into the lyrics and themes of this mega hit
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“Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan’s first single since her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess , became an instant hit when it was released on April 5, 2024. But what exactly is the meaning behind this pop anthem? If you’re interested in the answer to this question, you’re in the right place! We’ll take you on a deep dive into the lyrics of “Good Luck, Babe!”, including what Chappell herself has said about the meaning of the tune. We’ll also provide some recommendations for other music to check out if you’re a fan of “Good Luck, Babe!”, so keep reading!

“Good Luck, Babe!” Meaning

In “Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan sings about a tumultuous love affair with a closeted woman who hasn’t yet come to terms with her sexuality. Chappell wishes her lover “good luck” with her attempts to deny and avoid her feelings, but also points out that she won’t be able to run away from who she truly is forever.

Section 1 of 5:

What is “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan about?

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    In press materials about the song, Chappell wrote that she “needed to write a song about a common situationship within queer relationships—where someone is struggling with coming to terms with themselves.” [1]
    • “Good Luck, Babe!” captures this painful dynamic from the very first lines, when Chappell sings, “It’s fine, it’s cool / You can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth.” [2]
      • In these lyrics, Chappell tries to appear unbothered and chill about the fact that her lover is downplaying the seriousness of their relationship, but her pain shines through with her insistence that her lover must “know the truth” deep down.
    • This frustration also comes through in the pre-chorus: “I don’t wanna call it off / But you don’t wanna call it love / You only wanna be the one that I call ‘baby.’” [3]
      • In other words, Chappell’s feelings run so deep that she can’t end things. And, even though her lover refuses to admit that they’re in love, she won’t let Chappell go, either.
      • This leads to a difficult push-pull, with Chappell longing for her lover to accept her sexuality and admit the strength of their feelings for each other, and her lover continually running away from the reality of the situation.
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    In her newsletter, Chappell wrote that “Good Luck, Babe!” is “about wishing good luck to someone who is denying fate.” [4] In other words, Chappell’s lover can try to “kiss a hundred boys in bars” to “try to stop the feeling” of being in love with a woman, but eventually, she won’t be able to hide from who she truly is.
    • At the end of the chorus, Chappell also sings, “You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.”
    • In this line, she seems to be saying that there’s no way for her lover to actually escape her sexuality—she’d have to “stop the world” to get away from the truth. [5]
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    In the climactic bridge of the song, Chappell belts out heart-wrenching lyrics about the future her lover can expect if she refuses to acknowledge her sexuality. Chappell pictures her in a loveless marriage to a man, singing, “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night/ with your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife.” She also imagines her lover looking back on the situationship with sadness and regret: “And when you think about me, all of those years ago / You’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so.’”
    • In these lines, Chappell seems to be saying that her lover will never feel truly fulfilled if she denies her feelings for women, and even if she tries to settle down with a man, she’ll eventually be forced to confront the truth.
    • Note: Based on these lyrics, Chappell’s lover seems to be a closeted lesbian who is not attracted to men, which makes the idea of her settling down with a man tragic. [6] The lyrics don’t seem to be about a bisexual woman marrying a man—in that case, the woman could be sincerely in love with her husband, and it wouldn’t be an example of her hiding or denying her identity.
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Section 2 of 5:

The Making Of “Good Luck, Babe!”

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    In an interview with Rolling Stone, Chappell explained that she knew exactly what she wanted for the song, and that she “wrote it in three minutes.” Speaking about the feelings behind the tune, Chappell said, “I felt so much anger. I was so upset. It all came out, and I didn’t add anything when I wrote it all done. It was a perfect storm.” [7]
    • Justin Tranter also has writing credits on the song, along with Chappell’s longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, who also produced it. [8]
    • Chappell calls “Good Luck, Babe!” a “ big anthemic pop song” in her interview with Rolling Stone , and with its propulsive, 80’s-inspired synths and powerhouse vocals, it definitely lives up to this title. [9]
Section 3 of 5:

Other Music to Check Out if You Like “Good Luck, Babe!”

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  1. 1
    “Casual” by Chappell Roan If you’re a fan of “Good Luck, Babe!,” you’ll probably enjoy Chappell’s other work. Out of all the songs on her debut album, “Casual” may be the most similar to “Good Luck, Babe!”, since it also deals with the frustrating dynamic of being in a situationship with someone who refuses to acknowledge the feelings involved.
    • For example, in the chorus, Chappell lists things that reveal how serious the relationship actually is, while ironically asking her lover if things are casual: “Two weeks, and your mom invites me to her house in Long Beach / is it casual now?” [10]
  2. 2
    “Anything But Me” by MUNA For fans of Chappell Roan and gay pop in general, MUNA’s music should be essential listening. Specifically, the song “Anything But Me” has a lot of similarities to “Good Luck, Babe!” with its 80’s synth-type sound and pop anthem energy. The lyrics also deal with a lot of similar themes, such as wishing an ex-lover well (with an undercurrent of frustration): “You say that you need relief / Well I hope you get everything you need / everything but me.”
    • If you enjoy “Anything But Me,” you may also like MUNA’s tracks “Pink Light,” “Stayaway,” and “Silk Chiffon.”
  3. 3
    “Sad to Breathe” by the Japanese House Like “Good Luck, Babe!”, “Sad to Breathe” recounts the heartbreaking details of a doomed relationship, set to a surprisingly bright and dance-y instrumental backdrop. After a slower, stripped back intro, the song jumps into an infectious beat full of 80’s synths, which is super reminiscent of “Good Luck, Babe’s” sound.
    • Other songs by the Japanese House to check out include “Something Has to Change,” and “Boyhood."
  4. 4
    “Edge of the Earth” by The Beaches In “Edge of the Earth,” Canadian band The Beaches recounts the ups and downs of a tumultuous sapphic relationship, just like Chappel Roan does in “Good Luck, Babe!” The song establishes this frustrating and intoxicating dynamic right from the opening lines: “She’s a fire sign / and I don’t really know what that means / I’m a cold night, and I wanna be close to the heat / I don’t want to get burned / I don’t want love like that.” [11]
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Section 4 of 5:

The Rise (and Rise) of Chappell Roan

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    Chappell’s road to success was long and windy— she actually got dropped from her first recording contract and contemplated quitting music. Thankfully, she persevered and eventually found a home at her collaborator Dan Nigro’s label. [12] In September of 2023, Chappell released her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess , and in the following months tracks like “HOT TO GO,” “Casual,” and “Femininomenon” started going viral on social media.
    • Chappell was catapulted to a new level of popularity when she released “Good Luck, Babe!” in April of 2024, and the song became her first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [13]
    • In the summer of 2024, Chappell performed for huge crowds at festivals, even breaking attendance records for her set at Lollapalooza in Chicago. [14]
    • Chappell also performed a set for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, which went viral and further solidified her status as a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter.
Section 5 of 5:

Fun Facts about Chappell Roan

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    She chose the name as an homage to her grandfather, who was named Dennis K. Chapell, and his favorite song, which was “The Strawberry Roan” by Curley Fletcher. With this stage name, Chappell also adopted a larger-than-life stage persona, heavily inspired by her love of drag fashion and culture. [15]
    • Chappell’s birth name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, but she’s mentioned that she does not like it when fans call her by this name and prefers to be called her stage name. [16]
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    Chappell opened for Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts tour, and she also lends background vocals for Rodrigo’s tracks “Lacy,” “Obsessed,” and “Can’t Catch Me Now.” [17]
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    Due to her album being called The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess , some have wondered if Chappell is actually from the midwest. The answer to this question is yes–Chappell was raised in Willard, Missouri. [18]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-chappell-roans-new-song-good-luck-babe/
      2. ↑ https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/chappellroan/goodluckbabe.html
      3. ↑ https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/chappellroan/goodluckbabe.html
      4. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-interview-1234998731/
      5. ↑ https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/chappellroan/goodluckbabe.html
      6. ↑ https://atwoodmagazine.com/crglb-chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-song-review/
      7. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-interview-1234998731/
      8. ↑ https://genius.com/Chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-lyrics
      9. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-interview-1234998731/
      1. ↑ https://genius.com/Chappell-roan-casual-lyrics
      2. ↑ https://genius.com/The-beaches-edge-of-the-earth-lyrics
      3. ↑ https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a61618494/chappell-roan/
      4. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/artist/chappell-roan/
      5. ↑ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-08-07/lollapalooza-chappell-roan-performance-breaks-festival-record
      6. ↑ https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a61618494/chappell-roan/
      7. ↑ https://www.vogue.com/article/please-be-normal-to-chappell-roan
      8. ↑ https://people.com/chappell-roan-sang-background-vocals-for-olivia-rodrigo-8675251#:~:text=Chappell%20Roan%20(left)%20and%20Olivia%20Rodrigo
      9. ↑ https://www.biography.com/musicians/a61100342/how-did-chappell-roan-get-famous

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