the grudge

the grudge
General information
Artist	Olivia Rodrigo
Release date	September 8, 2023
Recorded	2022
Genre	Bedroom pop • chamber pop
Length	3:10
Album	GUTS
Label	Geffen
Songwriter(s)	Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro
Producer(s)	Dan Nigro, Ryan Linvill
GUTS chronology
"love is embarrassing"
"the grudge"
"pretty isn't pretty"
ㅤ⠀ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎‏‏‎Lyric video

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

Background

The Grudge by Rodrigo depicts a manipulative relationship and emotional turmoil, reflecting Rodrigo's struggle with deceit and conflicting emotions. The melancholic piano melodies set a poignant mood, reminiscent of her chart-topper "Drivers License."

One day, while commuting to the studio, Rodrigo found inspiration in a lyric by the Smiths about the courage it takes to be kind, prompting her to write down the words "It takes strength to forgive, but I don't feel very strong" in her phone's Notes application. Eventually included in a song called "The Grudge", Rodrigo and Dan Nigro kept arguing about the melody that should accompany the line. After Nigro's changes to it for several weeks were met with disapproval from Rodrigo, they compromised and included two different choruses. The song was one of the few on Guts that Rodrigo cried while writing. Nigro produced every single track included on the album, which were the more rock-oriented songs, as Rodrigo felt they drew a bigger reaction from live audiences.

The album and its title were announced on June 26, 2023, and its lead single, "Vampire", was released four days later. Following fan speculation that the song was about Taylor Swift, Rodrigo stated that she was surprised and added: "I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about. I've never done that before in my career and probably won't." On August 1, 2023, she revealed Guts's tracklist, which featured "The Grudge" as the tenth track. The song became available for digital download on the album, which was released on September 8, 2023. Fans on Twitter theorized that its subject matter resembled the situation between Rodrigo and Swift, but Rodrigo stated that she did not "have beef with anyone" and only used the website to look at alien conspiracy theories. Rodrigo performed "The Grudge" at the Ace Hotel Los Angeles on October 9, 2023, in a concert exclusively for American Express cardholders.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I have nightmares each week 'bout that Friday in May
One phone call from you and my entire world was changed
Trust that you betrayed, confusion that still lingers
Took everything I loved and crushed it in between your fingers
And I doubt you ever think about the damage that you did
But I hold onto every detail like my life depends on it
My undying love, now, I hold it like a grudge
And I hear your voice every time that I think I'm not enough

[Chorus]
And I try to be tough, but I wanna scream
How could anybody do the things you did so easily?
And I say I don't care, I say that I'm fine
But you know I can't let it go, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried for so long
It takes strength to forgive, but I don't feel strong

[Verse 2]
The arguments that I've won against you in my head
In the shower, in the car, and in the mirror before bed
Yeah, I'm so tough when I'm alone, and I make you feel so guilty
And I fantasize about a time you're a little fuckin' sorry
And I try to understand why you would do this all to me
You must be insecure, you must be so unhappy
And I know, in my heart, hurt people hurt people
And we both drew blood, but, man, those cuts were never equal

[Chorus]
And I try to be tough, but I wanna scream
How could anybody do the things you did so easily?
And I say I don't care, I say that I'm fine
But you know I can't let it go, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried for so long
It takes strength to forgive, but I don't feel strong

[Bridge]
Ooh, do you think I deserved it all?
Ooh, your flowers filled with vitriol
You built me up to watch me fall
You have everything, and you still want more

[Chorus]
I try to be tough, I try to be mean
But even after all this, you're still everything to me
And I know you don't care, I guess that that's fine
But you know I can't let it go, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried for so long
It takes strength to forgive, but I'm not quite sure I'm there yet
It takes strength to forgive, but