making the bed

making the bed
General information
Artist	Olivia Rodrigo
Release date	September 8 2023
Recorded	2022
Genre	Bedroom pop
Length	3:19
Album	GUTS
Label	Geffen
Songwriter(s)	Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro
Producer(s)	Dan Nigro
GUTS chronology
"ballad of a homeschooled girl"
"making the bed"
"logical"
ㅤ⠀ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎‏‏‎Lyric video

"Making the Bed" (stylized in all lowercase) is the sixth track from Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore studio album, GUTS. It was released on September 8, 2023 through Geffen Records.

Background

After completing a set of gleeful and up-tempo songs for the album, Rodrigo and Nigro decided to create something more serious.

Rodrigo and Nigro wrote the song "Making the Bed" in New York, inspired by Rodrigo's belief that she was placing herself in situations or with people that did not bring her true happiness and peace, which reflected the album's general theme of taking self-responsibility and dealing with difficult relationships. She reflected on the self-doubt caused by her shifting priorities after becoming famous at the age of 19, feeling full of energy and enthusiasm but also being overwhelmed by the many fascinating people, exciting opportunities, and glamorous new experiences the industry offered her. Of more than 100 songs written for it, Rodrigo included the more rock-oriented tracks on the album because they drew a bigger reaction from her audiences during live shows.

Rodrigo announced the album title on June 26, 2023, and its lead single, "Vampire", was released four days later. On August 1, 2023, she revealed Guts's tracklist, which features "Making the Bed" as the sixth track. The song became available for digital download on the album, which was released on September 8, 2023. Its lyric video included an easter egg indicating that Rodrigo would tour in support of the album before one was officially announced. On September 29, Rodrigo performed it on a piano at the Bluebird Café. She reprised "Making the Bed" on a piano at the Grammy Museum on October 4, 2023. Rodrigo sang the song during a Tiny Desk concert in December 2023. It was included on the set list of her 2024 concert tour, the Guts World Tour. Lying on her back on a platform, Rodrigo sings "Making the Bed" with organ instrumentation and purple lights while people in the audience shine their cellphone lights. It is one of the few gentle songs in the set, which rock songs mostly dominate.

Critical reception

Some critics praised the lyricism of "Making the Bed" while others were less enthusiastic. The Guardian's Laura Snapes considered the song a standout on Guts. Likewise, Ruggieri named it one of the two best songs on the album and believed it succeeded due to Rodrigo's authenticity, without which it could have come across as "whiny". Gabriel Saulog of Billboard Philippines thought "Making the Bed" showcased the best songwriting among all the tracks and was one of the most serious compositions she had ever created. Punch Liwanag of the Manila Bulletin compared the songwriting to Swift and named it as a reflective track where Rodrigo delved into her inner thoughts. On the other hand, The Australian's Jules LeFevre believed "Making the Bed" was forgettable, and The Wall Street Journal's Mark Richardson said it was a tad overly sweet and sentimental. Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic considered it overly maudlin, generic, and one of the ballads where Rodrigo's straightforwardness can be vexing.

Music critics viewed Rodrigo taking accountability in the lyrics of "Making the Bed" positively. Sputnikmusic's Sowing and Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul highlighted it as an introspective song. Lucas Martins of Beats Per Minute believed the song was a rare instance on Guts where she contemplated her life in showbusiness, bringing a sense of realism that is less common in her other work. Writing for Variety, Chris Willman thought that "Making the Bed" potentially marked Rodrigo's most significant step toward a mature self-awareness on the album, as a track that shifted away from seeking retribution or placing blame and instead acknowledged that she is facing consequences of her own choices. Heather Phares of AllMusic opined that the song showcased an increase in her wisdom and injected a refreshing sense of self-awareness into the catharsis of "Drivers License".

Critics commented on the production and Rodrigo's vocal performance on "Making the Bed". DIY's Lisa Wright thought it was one of the few ballads on Guts that she did not manage to infuse with enough bold energy to seamlessly connect it with the more upbeat tracks. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times noted the emotionality in Rodrigo's voice, describing it as "trembling with regret". Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Poppie Platt believed the song did not reflect any sonic or thematic growth for Rodrigo and felt like a "mere overhang from her debut".

Sheffield ranked "Making the Bed" as Rodrigo's 14th-best song in September 2023 and picked his favorite lyric: "I tell someone I love them, just as a distraction/And they tell me that they love me like I’m some tourist attraction." Nylon included "And I'm playing the victim so well in my head/ But it's me who's been making the bed" in its list of Guts's most impeccable lyrics. Austin American-Statesman's Deborah Sengupta Stith declared "I got the things I wanted / It's just not what I imagined" one of her 10 favorite Rodrigo lines.

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issued for September 23, 2023. In Canada, the song entered at number 20 on the Canadian Hot 100 issued for the same date and was certified gold by Music Canada. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 19 on the Official Audio Streaming Chart and Billboard. "Making the Bed" received a silver certification in the United Kingdom from the British Phonographic Industry. In Australia, the song entered at number 18 and received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association. It debuted at number 13 in New Zealand. "Making the Bed" charted at number 16 on the Billboard Global 200. The song also reached national record charts at number 14 in Ireland, number 43 in Portugal, and number 46 in Greece. It received a gold certification in Brazil.

Theme

Olivia reflects on her dwindling satisfaction with fame and the state of her life in general, but concludes that she only has herself to blame.

Official versions

	Version	Released on	Release date	Producer(s)	Creation date	Length
	Final	GUTS	September 8, 2023	Dan Nigro	2022	3:19
Demos
	Demo	Unreleased	Unleaked	Nigro	2022	Unknown

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Want it, so I got it, did it, so it's done
Another thing I ruined I used to do for fun
Another piece of plastic I could just throw away
Another conversation with nothing good to say
I thought it, so I said it, took it 'cause I can
Another day pretendin' I'm older than I am
Another perfect moment that doesn't feel like mine
Another thing I forced to be a sign

[Chorus]
Well, sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am
Gettin' drunk at a club with my fair-weather friends
Push away all the people who know me the best
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
I'm so tired of bein' the girl that I am
Every good thing has turned into somethin' I dread
And I'm playin' the victim so well in my head
But it's me who's been makin' the bed

[Post-Chorus]
Me who's been makin' the bed
Pull the sheets over my head, yeah
Makin' the bed

[Verse 2]
And every night, I wake up from this one recurrin' dream
Where I'm drivin' through the city and the brakes go out on me
I can't stop at the red light, I can't swerve off the road
I read somewhere it's 'cause my life feels so out of control
And I tell someone I love them just as a distraction
They tell me that they love me like I'm some tourist attraction
They're changin' my machinery, and I just let it happen
I got the things I wanted, it's just not what I imagined

[Chorus]
Well, sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am
Gettin' drunk at a club with my fair-weather friends
Push away all the people who know me the best
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
I'm so tired of bein' the girl that I am
Every good thing has turned into somethin' I dread
And I'm playin' the victim so well in my head
But it's me who's been makin' the bed

[Post-Chorus]
Me who's been makin' the bed
Pull the sheets over my head, yeah
Makin' the bed

[Outro]
Sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am
Countin' all of the beautiful things I regret
But it's me who's been makin' the bed
Me who's been makin' the bed
Pull the sheets over my head
Makin' the bed, oh