“The Subway” is a sad ballad that traces the painful, lingering process of getting over a breakup, sung by Chappell Roan. Inspired by real-life moments seeing her ex on a New York subway, catching the scent of a familiar perfume, or spotting shadows in everyday places the song captures that raw, inescapable feeling when memories haunt you long after love is lost. Roan first debuted “The Subway” live over a year before its release, and it quickly became a fan favorite for its emotional honesty and cinematic storytelling. The single officially dropped on July 31, 2025, with a highly anticipated music video filmed in New York City to match the song’s personal narrative.
Lyrically, “The Subway” is an open diary of heartbreak and healing. It details how every little detail a green-haired stranger, a familiar perfume can unleash a wave of grief and longing, making “just another day” feel like an endless cycle of not being able to let go. The chorus mantra, “it’s not over ’til it’s over, it’s never over,” beautifully sums up the stubborn ache of unresolved feelings. Roan uses confession and humor, even threatening to move to Saskatchewan if the pain doesn’t pass, to show both her vulnerability and resilience.
The song’s message is universal: the road to moving on is messy, unpredictable, and rarely linear. “The Subway” doesn’t just mourn an old love it learns to accept that moving on is as much about small steps as it is about letting go. By the end, Roan counts down the days until her former lover is “just another girl on the subway,” signaling hope for eventual closure, even as the memories linger.
Lyrics: “The Subway” by Chappell Roan
I saw your green hair, beauty mark next to your mouth
There on the subway, I nearly had a breakdown
A few weeks later, somebody wore your perfume
It almost killed me, I had to leave the room
It’s just another day
And it’s not over ’til it’s over, oh, it’s never over
It’s just another day
And it’s not over ’til it’s over, it’s never over
’Til I don’t look for you on the staircase
Or wish you still thought we were soulmates
I’m still counting down all of the days
’Til you’re just another girl on the subway
Made you the villain, evil for just moving on
I see your shadow, see it even with the lights off
I made a promise, if in four months this feeling ain’t gone..
Well, f*ck this city, I’m movin’ to Saskatchewan
It’s just another day
And it’s not over ’til it’s over, oh, it’s never over
It’s just another day
And it’s not over ’til it’s over, it’s never over
’Til I can break routine during foreplay
And trust myself that I won’t say your name
Yeah, I’m still counting down all of the days
’Til you’re just another girl on the subway
She’s got, she’s got a way
She’s got a way, she’s got a way
She got, she got away
She got away, she got away
She’s got, she’s got a way
She’s got a way, she’s got a way
She got, she got away
She got away, she got away..x2
Meaning Explained
“The Subway” is about the hard, messy work of healing after a breakup. It tells the story of how the smallest sights or smells can bring old feelings roaring back, even when you think you’re ready to move on. The subway, with its random encounters and reminders, becomes a metaphor for the maze of memories and emotions after love ends. Roan uses lines like “I made you the villain, evil for just moving on” to confront her own role in the aftermath, acknowledging how easy it is to paint your ex as the bad guy simply to process pain. The repeated motif of “counting down the days” speaks to hope that, with time, even the sharpest memories will dull and her ex will become “just another girl on the subway.” The song resonates because it refuses to sugarcoat heartbreak, offering instead a true portrait of slow, uneven recovery and, finally, release.
