Songs for when you are an angry woman.
I won’t say I condone the actions in these songs, but I can’t help but respect the energy. Female country artists have long been known for killing men in their music — here are some more songs, not just country, for when you need the energy of murderous women.
“Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks
I cannot make this list without mentioning The Chicks, who could be considered the blueprint for this specific genre, and it helped establish them as fearless songwriters within the Country scene. “Goodbye Earl” is simply phenomenal and the influence it’s had on some of the other songs in this list cannot be ignored. The song sounds happy, with the country twang of the upbeat banjo in the background hilariously juxtaposing the murder The Chicks sing about. In the song, Earl wronged Wanda, and Mary “held Wanda’s hand as they worked out a plan // And it didn’t take ‘em long to decide // That Earl had to die, Goodbye Earl.”
“Volcano” by Maisie Peters
Peters’ EP You Signed Up for This has an impressive 4 murder threats in its 11 songs. It was hard to choose which one I thought was the most seething, but “Volcano” takes the cake. In it, Peters sings over a slowly picked guitar, and her voice sounds simultaneously devastated and angry as she sings about her heartbreak. As the song progresses, Peters’ voice builds from the teary intro to rage, with her threatening to throw her ex into a volcano: “and I hope death is sudden.” She furthers this murderous threat in the second verse, singing “I’ll cry you a river // then I’ll drown you in it.” I love that second line, how unapologetic and open it is. If anyone ever said that to me, I think I would be a changed person.
“Thumbs” by Lucy Dacus
This song has a bit of a different message than the others; instead of seeking vengeance on a past lover, Dacus writes of her want to murder her friend’s father. The feeling of having to sit and smile through a dinner with someone you hate is one I’m pretty sure everyone has experienced at one point or another, and one Dacus encapsulates in “Thumbs”. “I would kill him // quick and easy // I would kill him // if you let me.” She draws out every word in this song; based on the sound I would expect it to be a traditional heartbreak song, and that’s because at its heart it is. As Dacus’ heart breaks for her friend, she sings with emotion that leaves a more powerful hurt than most breakup songs.
“No Body, No Crime” by Taylor Swift
I am personally shocked that this is the first song in which Taylor Swift explicitly kills someone. “No Body, No Crime” feels directly inspired by “Goodbye Earl,” In the song, Swift murders the husband of a fictional Este Haim, after he kills Este herself. Swift again shows her mastery at storytelling with this song. She begins the first verse recounting how Este confided in her that Este is sure her husband is cheating on her. Then in the second verse, she relays Swift’s suspicions that Este’s husband killed her. Finally, in the bridge, Swift kills the husband, but the listener only knows this through context clues, as Swift never fully admits to the murder. “Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was fifteen // And I’ve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene // Good thing Este’s sister’s gonna swear she was with me.” This song brings Swift back to her country routes, with banjo and harmonica creating an eerie sound on the track.
“Two Black Cadillacs” by Carrie Underwood
This is the second song on the list that feels inspired by “Goodbye Earl.” Underwood has written a lot of songs about murder, but “Two Black Cadillacs” is undeniably her most famous. Sonically, it is a classic country-rock ballad, with powerful vocals and an acoustic guitar and strings to match. “It was the first and last time they saw each other face to face // They shared a crimson smile and just walked away // And left the secret at the grave.” What I appreciate about this lyric is that the women have no other interactions with each other. According to Underwood, they both show up at the same spot to murder the man, sharing nothing but an agreement to murder him. How did they know when to show up? How did they coordinate this with no talking? I have some questions, but nonetheless, I respect the mutual agreement of murder here.
“Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers
“Kyoto” is another change in pace, and more similar to “Thumbs” than any other song on this list. Bridgers wrote the song about her father, and she sings in the chorus “I’m gonna kill you // if you don’t beat me to it.” This line is an incredible burn, and the entire song is filled with casual remarks that would absolutely sting if written about you. The implication that her father’s life is in such disarray that he will end up dying before she even gets the chance to kill him is brutal. I love it. This song, sonically, might be Bridgers’ happiest, with her devastating lyrics contrasted with a steady beat, electric guitar, and upbeat horns.
“Eat Them” by Lady Pills
The anger in “Eat Them” isn’t directed towards a singular person, but to sexist men as a whole. If the patriarchy has you angry, this is the song to listen to. In “Eat Them,” Lady Pills is more screaming than singing, with the guitar in the background so distorted it almost sounds like it is screaming with her. “You don’t listen, you just want to look at me // It’s been going on too long, you and your misogyny // I don’t think it’s fine // I want to kill you.” You really cannot put it more plainly than that. Lady Pills goes on to sing about how she is going to eat all sexist men, and the unapologetic anger she has in the song makes it great for the moments of being fed up with the structure of the world.
Edited by Tobias Abelmann, editor of Lists
Cover art by Miriam Sills