Chappell Roan‘s “The Subway” is a pop song that deals with the painful process of getting over a past relationship. It’s about the sudden jolt of seeing an ex in an unexpected place and the flood of emotions that come with it.
Below is a section-by-section breakdown of the lyrics in “The Subway.”
- Song: The Subway
- Artist: Chappell Roan
- Songwriters: Chappell Roan, Daniel Nigro
- Released: 2025
- Genre: Pop
“The Subway” Meaning: Line by Line
Verse 1: Seeing the Ex
I saw your green hair
Beauty mark next to your mouth
She sees her ex unexpectedly and instantly notices small, distinct details about her, like the color of her hair and a beauty mark.
These aren’t just physical descriptions. They are the exact things a person would notice when someone is on their mind constantly, showing how much she still thinks about this person.
There on the subway
I nearly had a breakdown
Seeing her ex on the subway is a huge shock. This public space is a place for ordinary, everyday travel, but for her, it becomes a site of intense pain.
The experience is so overwhelming that it almost causes her to fall apart right there in front of everyone.
A few weeks later
Somebody wore your perfume
The pain doesn’t stop with the initial sighting. A few weeks later, something as simple as a scent triggers the memory all over again.
Our sense of smell is very closely tied to memory, so encountering the perfume is like a sudden, unwanted reminder of her ex.
It almost killed me
I had to leave the room
The smell is so powerful it feels physically painful, almost suffocating. This is a common feeling after a breakup, where small things can feel huge and overwhelming.
She has to physically remove herself from the situation, showing she’s not yet strong enough to handle these reminders.
Chorus: The Routine of Heartbreak
It’s just another day and it’s not over
‘Til it’s over, it’s never over
She’s stuck in an endless loop of pain. Every day feels the same, a constant struggle to get through.
The phrase “it’s not over ’til it’s over” usually suggests a hopeful fight, but here it has a cynical, despairing tone. The pain isn’t going to end on its own.
Post-Chorus 1: A Wish for the Past
‘Til I don’t look for you on the staircase
Or wish you thought that we were still soulmates
She describes the daily habits that remind her of the breakup.
She finds herself constantly looking for her ex everywhere she goes, hoping to see her again.
She’s also holding on to the idea that they were soulmates, which makes everything worse.
But I’m still counting down all of the days
‘Til you’re just another girl on the subway
She knows she needs to move on, so she’s waiting for the day when seeing her ex is just a normal, neutral event, not a trigger for tears.
The “girl on the subway” represents a stranger, someone she has no personal history with. That’s her ultimate goal.
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Verse 2: The Villain and a Plan
Made you the villain
Evil for just moving on
She admits to a very human reaction: making her ex the bad guy for simply healing and moving on with her life.
It’s an unfair thing to do, but it’s a coping mechanism people use to deal with their pain.
I see your shadow
I see it even with the lights off
Her ex is a constant presence in her mind, even in her darkest moments or when she’s trying to forget.
The “shadow” is her ex’s lasting impact on her life. It’s a constant reminder that she is not alone, even when she is.
I made a promise
If in four months this feeling ain’t gone
She’s giving herself a deadline to get over the breakup.
This shows how desperate she is to move on and how much this whole process is affecting her life.
Well, fuck this city
I’m movin’ to Saskatchewan
If she hasn’t healed in four months, she’s going to move far away to a completely different place, a more remote location like Saskatchewan.
Her city itself has become too full of painful memories, and she needs a fresh start to truly heal.
Post-Chorus 2: A New Partner and Old Habits
‘Til I can break routine during foreplay
And trust myself that I won’t say your name
The routine in the relationship, including the sex, was very powerful.
She’s worried that her new relationships will suffer because of old habits, and she might even say her ex’s name with a new person.
Outro: The Escape
She’s got, she’s got a way
She’s got a way, she’s got a way
The “way” here can mean her unique charm or the way she carries herself, which still has a hold on her.
This, again, shows that she’s still very much captivated by her ex.
And she got, she got away
She got away, she got away
The small but significant change from “a way” to “away” completely changes the meaning. It is a direct statement that her ex is gone.
The person she loved is no longer in her life, and she is left to deal with the pain.
“The Subway” Song Meaning: A Difficult Road to Recovery
“The Subway” is a song about the slow, painful process of healing from a bad breakup. It’s a journey that doesn’t follow a straight line. Instead, it’s full of unexpected moments where the pain comes back in full force, whether it’s seeing an ex, smelling their perfume, or even just thinking about them. It shows how difficult it is to let go of old feelings and routines, even when you know you have to.
The song also touches on the desire to escape from those memories. Her promise to move to Saskatchewan shows the desperate need for a fresh start, to leave behind a city full of ghosts from a past love.
Ultimately, “The Subway” is about heartbreak and the struggle to finally get over someone.
Songs Like “The Subway”
1. “Green Light” by Lorde
“Green Light” captures the feeling of waiting for a sign to move on after a breakup. Like “The Subway,” this one is all about being stuck in the same place and waiting for that moment when you can finally move forward.
Related: Best Songs with Colors in the Title
2. “From the Dining Table” by Harry Styles
“From the Dining Table” shows how hard it is to accept someone has moved on when you haven’t. It’s about the pain of waiting for a call that never comes and the loneliness that follows.
3. “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers
“Motion Sickness” walks a fine line between anger and sadness. It’s about trying to move on from someone who left a complicated and lasting mark.
4. “Undressed” by Sombr
“Undressed” is about losing someone but still feeling connected in ways that won’t fade. The breakup happened, but the body and mind haven’t caught up yet.
Related: “Undressed” Song Meaning
Conclusion: Moving on is a Process
“The Subway” is a detailed look at how hard it is to heal from a breakup. The song highlights how small, everyday triggers, from a scent to a random sighting, can set back the healing process. It’s a reminder that getting over someone isn’t a quick or easy journey but a long and often messy process.
You can listen to “The Subway” on Spotify and Amazon.
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