Garden Song (Phoebe Bridgers song)

"Garden Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. It was released through Dead Oceans on February 26, 2020, as the lead single from Bridgers' second studio album, Punisher (2020).

"Garden Song"
Single by Phoebe Bridgers
from the album Punisher
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2020 (2020-02-26)
StudioSound City (Los Angeles, California)[1]
GenreFolk rock
Length3:40
LabelDead Oceans
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Phoebe Bridgers singles chronology
"Enough For Now"
(2020)		 "Garden Song"
(2020)		 "Kyoto"
(2020)
Music video
"Garden Song" on YouTube

Composition and lyrical interpretation

A folk rock ballad,[2] "Garden Song" was produced by Bridgers herself alongside Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska.[1] The song features a "wave of shimmery synths" and "delicate, crushing vocals", with its lyrics depicting "a scene from a fairytale, one that includes a house resting on a hill with thousands of roses (and probably a few ghosts)".[3] It has been described as "lush and wet" as well as "steeped in melancholy" as Bridgers "unravels past memories that anticipated growing up".[4][5]

Bridgers stated that the song was about "manifesting things the more you think about stuff" as well as "[her] own growth".[6] The songwriting was stated to be "dreamlike and mundane", containing the lyrics: "The doctor put her hands over my liver / She told me my resentment's getting smaller".[4] It also references her native Pasadena, California.[4]

Music video

The music video for the song was released on the same day as the single, and it was directed by Bridgers' younger brother, Jackson.[7] It depicts Bridgers "kicking back in her bedroom, ripping on a bong and hanging out with fuzzy creatures", with an appearance by comedian Tig Notaro.[3][8]

Critical reception

Writing for Consequence of Sound, Dan Weiss praised the complexity of the songwriting.[9] Deeming the song "an understated rumination on lost time and complicated nostalgia", Quinn Moreland of Pitchfork praised its "slight arrangement" and Bridgers' "humor and storytelling idiosyncrasies".[10] Pitchfork and The New York Times listed "Garden Song" as the ninth and sixteenth best song of 2020, respectively.[11][12]

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[13] 42

References
  1. Russell, Scott (February 26, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Shares "Garden Song," Her First New Solo Single Since 2017". Paste. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. DeVille, Chris (February 26, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers – "Garden Song"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  3. Martoccio, Angie (February 28, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers, 'Garden Song': Song You Need to Know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  4. Petrusich, Amanda (May 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers's Frank, Anxious Music". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  5. Touros, Cyrena (February 26, 2020). "Hear Phoebe Bridgers' First Solo Release In Almost Three Years, 'Garden Song'". NPR. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  6. Leas, Ryan (June 18, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers 'Punisher' Interview: The Story Behind Every Song". Stereogum. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  7. Moore, Sam (February 26, 2020). "Watch the trippy video for Phoebe Bridgers' new single 'Garden Song'". NME. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. Martoccio, Angie (February 26, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Rips a Bong in 'Garden Song' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. Weiss, Dan (February 28, 2020). "Song of the Week: Phoebe Bridgers – Garden Song". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  10. Moreland, Quinn (February 26, 2020). ""Garden Song" by Phoebe Bridgers Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. "The 100 Best Songs of 2020". Pitchfork. December 7, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  12. Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 7, 2020). "Best Songs of 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  13. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
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