MAGGOTS FOR BRAINS LYRICS - OLIVIA RODRIGO | YOU SEEM PRETTY SAD FOR A GIRL SO IN LOVE

maggots for brains by Olivia Rodrigo is the fan-favourite track 4 from her third album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (June 12, 2026, Geffen Records). The jangle-pop/new-wave cut debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Global 200, and draws its inspiration from Sex and the City's Miranda Hobbes–Steve Brady romance. For more on her story, read our Olivia Rodrigo biography, and explore more from the album in Olivia Rodrigo's 'The Cure' and Olivia Rodrigo's 'Stupid Song'.

Image: Live Shows & Concerts! via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) — Olivia Rodrigo at Lollapalooza Argentina, 2025.

maggots for brains Song Credits

Song: maggots for brains
Singer: Olivia Rodrigo
Album: you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
Release Date: June 12, 2026
Label: Geffen Records
Writers: Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro, Amy Allen
Producer: Dan Nigro
Genre: Jangle pop / new wave / post-punk
Length: 4:00

maggots for brains Lyrics

[Verse 1]
My day was so mundane, I don't think I left the house
Drank a pot of coffee, tried to write, nothing came out
Somehow, it's the weekend, I'm still bored out of my skull
And I went to a party but only on principle
[Pre-Chorus]
Empty, look at me
[Chorus]
I'm a zombie in my body, I'm a train off of the track
I feel dirty, I feel rotten, and the colors are all flat
I'm a sad shell of a woman and I've got maggots for brains
But that's just the thing that happens when my
When my baby goes away
When my baby goes away
He goes away
[Verse 2]
Everything feels moldy like the fruit that's in my fridge
And everything that's funny, I wish I could tell to him
And sometimes, at a low point, I even wish for a tragedy
'Cause I know he'd come over and take real good care of me
[Pre-Chorus]
It's so weird (Oh), he's not here (Oh)
[Chorus]
I'm a zombie in my body, I'm a train off of the track
I feel dirty, I feel rotten, and the colors are all flat
I'm a sad shell of a woman and I've got maggots for brains
But that's just the thing that happens when my
When my baby goes away
When my baby goes away
He goes away, oh
[Bridge]
What can I do
But think of you?
But think of you?
What can I do
But think of you?
But think of you?
[Chorus]
I'm a zombie in my body, I'm a train off of the track
I feel dirty, I feel rotten, and the colors are all flat
I'm a sad shell of a woman and I've got maggots for brains
But that's just the thing that happens when my
When my baby goes away
[Post-Chorus / Outro]
What can I do (When my baby goes away)
But think of you?
But think of you? (Away, when my baby goes away)
What can I do (When my baby goes away)
But think of you?
But think of you? (Away)

maggots for brains Lyrics – FAQs

Is "maggots for brains" an official single?

No — it is track 4 of you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (June 12, 2026, Geffen Records). It became a fan favourite on streaming alone, and Rodrigo says it is the song she is most excited to perform on The Unraveled Tour; according to reports, a music video is also in the works.

What inspired "maggots for brains"?

Sex and the City — specifically the Miranda Hobbes–Steve Brady romance. Rodrigo said on The Tonight Show that Miranda's line "Steve, anytime something funny happens, I just want to tell you" made her want to write a song about it.

What does the title "maggots for brains" mean?

It is a grotesque metaphor for lovesickness: feeling like a rotting zombie, unable to think or function without her lover. She first teased the line "I'm a zombie in my body" on an embroidered shirt at Lollapalooza Chicago in August 2025.

How big was the song?

It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Global 200 with 37.6M worldwide first-week streams, hit No. 12 on the US Hot 100 and No. 10 on the UK Official Audio Streaming chart, and has crossed 137.8M+ Spotify streams — her 36th song to pass 100M.