25 Best Revenge Songs SZA, Taylor Swift & More They had it coming. There canât always be room for forgiveness. And when the time for revenge comes knocking at your door, Billboards got your soundtrack covered. Thereâs been a longstanding tradition in music of using songs to get even, whether by airing out private details in tell-all lyrics or fantasizing about everything from property damage to murder. In the ambiguous worlds of pop, hip-hop, rock nâ roll and country, keying cars, smashing windows and even homicide are fair game. Just look at SZAs Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper âKill Bill.â Based on its commercial success, itâs clear that millions agree thereâs nothing more cathartic than daydreaming about murdering not just your former boyfriend, but his new girl, too. Or, thereâs the Stevie Nicks method of penning a song so good, your ex â who just so happens to be your bandmate â has no choice but to perform it with you over and over as a constant reminder of everything he did wrong. Why move on when you can get the last laugh? Thatâs definitely the mindset of many women in country music, for whom songs about unleashing your inner crazy are basically rites of passage. Even Taylor Swift has continued this tradition â set by the likes of Reba McEntire, The Chicks, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert â in her post-country pop music but more on all of those ladies later. The point is, no matter the genre of music, and no matter the method of justice, songs about sweet revenge always hit the spot â that is, if an axe isnât an option. Keep reading to see Billboards top 25 favorites below. Billie Eilish, "Watch" If Eilishâs pop-punk masterpiece âHappier Than Everâ is red hot rage, then âWatchâ from her debut EP is cold, calculated, seething anger. And as far as revenge goes, it can be much more effective to whisper with a smile on your face than scream uncontrollably that, oh yeah, I set your car on fire. Best revenge lyric âIâll sit and watch your car burn with the fire that you started in me/ But you never came back to ask it out.â Listen here. Doja Cat, "Ain't Sh-t" Doja Cat sees your crimes against menâs cars and raises you this approach telling his mom on him. On this Planet Her standout, you can practically see the maniacal grin on the rapperâs face as she gleefully threatens to tattle on a man who just, well, ainât sât. Best revenge lyrics âIâm not gonâ key your car, Iâll call your fâking mom/ You should have paid my rent, go get a fâking job.â Listen here. Taylor Swift, "Vigilante Sh-t" Taylor Swift has oft visited the idea of revenge in her songs over the years, from 2006âs âPicture to Burnâ to 2021âs âNo Body No Crimeâ and everything in between â 2010âs âBetter Than Revenge,â 2014âs âBad Blood,â 2017âs âLook What You Made Me Do,â etc. In doing so, sheâs become a master at writing about the topic, as evidenced by Midnights fan-favorite âVigilante Sât.â On this Billie Eilish-coded track, she fantasizes about ratting enemies out to the FBI and taking it all in divorce settlements, all while wearing fiercely cutthroat eyeliner. Best revenge lyric âI donât start sât, but I can tell you how it ends/ Donât get sad, get even.â Listen here. The All-American Rejects, "Gives You Hell" The best revenge is always knowing that youâre doing way better in life than your ex. And knowing that your very presence is enough to piss them off? Icing on the cake. Best revenge lyric âWhen you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell/ When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell.â Listen here. Fleetwood Mac, "Silver Springs" Image Credit Courtesy Photo Nothing will ever, ever top the badassery of Stevie Nicks writing a song about getting long-term revenge on Lindsey Buckingham, who not only had to record it as her Fleetwood Mac bandmate, but had to perform it over and over again in concerts with a furious Nicks staring him down. Best revenge lyric âIâll follow you down âtil the sound of my voice will haunt you/Give me just a chance/ Youâll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you.â Listen above. Demi Lovato, "Sorry Not Sorry" âSorry Not Sorryâ is Demi Lovatoâs highest-charting Hot 100 hit to date for a reason. An ode to hot girl summer before that was even a thing, this track proves that sometimes, revenge can be a whole party in and of itself. Best revenge lyric âNow, Iâm out here lookinâ like revenge/ Feelinâ like a ten, the best Iâve ever been/ And, yeah, I know how bad it must hurt to see me like this/ But it gets worse.â Listen here. Reba McEntire, "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia" Who said you canât seek revenge on someone elseâs behalf? Reba McEntire covering Vicki Lawrenceâs 1973 Hot 100-topper takes her brotherâs cheating wife into her own hands on this pinnacle of country music storytelling â but if youâre going to follow her lead, just make sure no one else ends up taking the fall for you. Best revenge lyric âThatâs one body thatâll never be found/ You see little sister donât miss when she aims her gun.â Listen here. Chicago Cast, "Cell Block Tango" Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz. âCell Block Tangoâ from Chicago the musical gives not one, not two, but six detailed tutorials on how to snuff out a low-life husband and win a ticket to prison â but for these jailbirds, the tradeoff was totally worth it. Best revenge lyric âHe only had himself to blame/ If youâd have been there/ If youâd have seen it/ I betcha you would have done the same.â Listen here. Lizzo, "Truth Hurts" Thereâs bloodthirsty, rage-driven revenge, and thereâs Lizzoâs brand of revenge being completely, infuriatingly unbothered. Need to get under your ex-manâs skin? Letting him know that youâve already found a new one on the Minnesota Vikings â plus several other contenders in his own friend group â is a great place to start. Best revenge lyric âSo you can tell your friends, Shoot your shot,â when you see âem/ Itâs OK, he already in my DMs.â Listen here. Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me A River" Even a river couldnât extinguish this major burn. Long believed to be written about Britney Spears, whom Justin Timberlake believed to have been unfaithful, this scathing 2002 hit is basically the sonic equivalent to a raised middle finger. Best revenge lyric âThe bridges were burned/ Now itâs your turn, to cry.â Listen here. Mariah Carey, "Obsessed" Mariah Carey had the best way of getting back at Eminem, who claimed he dated the Songbird Supreme in the 2000s. In response, she called him out for lying in a very obvious diss track dedicated to the real Slim Shady; dressed up as him in the music video; and undermined everything he had to say by posing one simple question why so obsessed? Best revenge lyric âOh finally found a girl that you couldnât impress/ Last man on the Earth still couldnât hit this.â Listen here. The Chicks, "Goodbye Earl" Image Credit Courtesy Photo âGoodbye Earlâ is the apex of revenge-murder songs. As the Chicks tell it, Earl simply needed to go nighty night forever after violently abusing his wife Wanda, who poisons him with the help of her best friend Mary Anne and a very special black-eyed peas recipe. Itâs okay, though no one missed him anyway. Best revenge lyric âWhy donât you lay down and sleep, Earl/ Ainât it dark wrapped up in that tarp, Earl?â Listen above. Maroon 5, "Wake Up Call" When passive aggressive subtweets just wonât satisfy your revenge needs, thereâs always the option of murder â metaphorically speaking, of course. On this 2007 Maroon 5 classic, Adam Levine confesses to finding his with another man. His solution? âI had to shoot him dead.â Overkill? Literally. Best revenge lyric âI answer questions, never maybe/ And Iâm not kind if you betray me/ So, who the hell are you to save me?â Listen here. Kelly Clarkson, "Since U Been Gone" Image Credit Courtesy Photo At times, revenge is best served in the form of a brag. Since its release, âSince U Been Goneâ has empowered the heartbroken of the world to find solace in knowing their exâs absence may actually have made their lives better â neener, neener, neener. Best revenge lyric âIâm so moving on, yeah, yeah/ Thanks to you, now I get what I want.â Listen above. Rihanna, "Take A Bow" There are moments when revenge must be closely calculated and actively sought out, and then there are moments when the opportunity literally comes knocking at your door. And when a blubbering ex shows up at Rihannaâs front stoop on this track, she rises to the occasion by absolutely decimating him in a three minute, 50 second roast session. No one does it like RiRi. Best revenge lyric âYou look so dumb right now/ Standinâ outside my house/ Tryinâ to apologize/ Youâre so ugly when you cry.â Listen here. Shakira, "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" What do you do when the father of your children and partner of 12 years breaks up with you, then moves straight on with a girl half your age? If youâre Shakira, you drop one of the most blistering diss tracks of all time, airing out every single one of your grievances in unflinching detail. Best revenge lyric âLas mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan,â which translates to âWomen no longer cry, women get paid.â Listen here. Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" With a famously foreboding bass riff and vaguely ominous lyrics, Nancy Sinatraâs classic Hot 100 topper promises that karmic vengeance will be delivered no matter what â if not right away, then someday. And youâll never see it coming. Are you ready, boots? Start walking. Best revenge lyric âYou keep thinkinâ that youâll never get burnt/ I just found me a brand new box of matches/ And what he knows you ainât had time to learn.â Listen here. BeyoncĂ©, "Sorry" Although âIrreplaceableâ definitely deserves an honorable mention, âSorryâ takes listeners through a roller coaster of emotions that just canât be topped. In response to infidelity, Queen Bey seeks revenge by doing everything from flipping him the bird to staying out late and making him worry, telling him to âsuck my ballsâ and leaving him alone with nothing but a note to remember her by. Best revenge lyric âNow you gotta see me wilding, now Iâm the one thatâs lying/ And I donât feel bad about it, itâs exactly what you get/ Stop interrupting my grinding/ I ainât thinking âbout you.â Listen here. Jazmine Sullivan, "Bust Your Windows" Image Credit Courtesy Photo Vehicle vandalism is a recurring theme in this list. Why? As Jazmine Sullivan very clearly explains, the math is simple if you break my heart, then Iâll break your car. Best revenge lyric âEven though what you did to me was much worse/ I had to do something to make you hurt.â Listen above. CeeLo Green, "Forget You" Getting revenge can be as simple as two words. And, depending on how salty you are, CeeLo has two options âFâk Youâ and its clean version, âForget You.â Best revenge lyric âAnd although thereâs pain in my chest/ I still wish you the best with a Fâk you.'â Listen here. Alanis Morissette, "You Oughta Know" Long rumored to be a savage takedown of her ex, actor Dave Coulier, Alanis Morissette seeks her vengeance by making certain her target can never, ever, ever forget how he betrayed her. And given that the song topped the Alternative Airplay chart and enjoys regular radio play to this day, he definitely never will. Best revenge lyric âDid you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?/ I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner/ It was a slap in the face, how quickly I was replaced/ And are you thinking of me when you fâk her?â Listen here. Miranda Lambert, "Mama's Broken Heart" Are you willing to go as far as it takes to get revenge? Are you prepared to get messy? Are you willing to show people just how crazy you can be? If youâre a fan of this boot-stomping Lambert gem from 2013, your answers are probably yes, yes and hell yes. Best revenge lyric âCanât get revenge and keep a spotless reputation/ Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make.â Listen here. SZA, "Kill Bill" Image Credit Courtesy Photo SZA brought murderous revenge fantasy songs back into vogue in the 2020s, all thanks to her stunning SOS single âKill Bill,â the musicianâs first Hot 100 No. 1, on which she dreams of killing an ex who moves on way too fast for her liking. Best revenge lyric âI just killed my ex/ I still love him, though/ Rather be in hell than alone.â Listen above. Carly Simon, "You're So Vain" Carly Simonâs Hot 100 topper is a total stroke of genius from a revenge point of view. Not only does she get to insult her ex from top to bottom in this song, but that ex canât even call her out for it â because then, heâd just be proving her right. Best revenge lyric âI bet you think this song is about you/ Donât you donât you donât you?â Listen here. Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats" Image Credit Courtesy Photo âBefore He Cheatsâ is a cathartic listening experience that validates everyone whoâs ever been told, âDonât worry babe, weâre just friends.â Thank you, Carrie Underwood car-owning cheaters will forever fear Louisville Sluggers because of you. Best revenge lyric âI might have saved a little trouble for the next girl/ Cause the next time that he cheats/ Oh, you know it wonât be on me.â Listen above. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign UpGirl take me back 'cause I wanna stay. Save your tears for another. I realize that I'm much too late. And you deserve someone better. Save your tears for another day (ooh, yeah) Save your tears for another day (yeah) I don't know why I run away. I'll make you cry when I run away. Save your tears for another day, ooh, girl (ah)
[Intro]M-M-Maybach Music[Verse 1 Rick Ross]Pray for the days when the failure was a phaseOr hate was the case but they tell you to your faceThe top came down so I never hit the brakesThe bitches came out, so we the niggas they would chaseEnvy was the norm, we the children in the cornBlack male, pickin' cotton, hustles came in different formsStarted with the pies, real ones lost livesSuch a dirty game, now my hand sanitizedI bucklĐ”d down in a PorscheButtoned up, Tom FordHead stay on a swivĐ”l, they want your boy in a morgueBut fuck 'em, I want a warButt fuckin' 'em, slow, rawPertaining only to women, my lady know I'm a lord, LordForgive me for all my wrongsKillin' niggas for sneakers and shit that's said in a songPuttin' homies in check instead of puttin' 'em onI'm always put to the test, real ones finishing strong[Verse 2 The Game]Fresh up out the gutter, nigga, yeahAnd I can never be them other niggasI don't come through blood niggas, a semi not on meExchange words and shots with like ten of my homiesAnd no matter what I do, I'm not good enoughDrive-bys, blood splattered on my shoe, I'm not hood enoughBut why cry?I Waka Flocka Flame, hit your block upThug life, it's in my veins, go dig Pac upI'm where Pac was, only difference, got my Glock up'Cause I been shot up, it's time to balance out my chakrasI'm not the same motherfucker that I used to beI'm acousticallyYou niggas gon' get used to meI'm tired of niggas usin' me, abusin' meUsually, I make a call, get the windows knocked out your motherfuckin' eulogyImagine niggas shootin' me, yeah, Compton was like a zoo to meI'm a lion, king of my jungle, that's why it ain't no gettin' through to meFor my first album, early 2000s, I was with the fooleryOutside the L'Ermitage, could've got Fab for all his jewelryAin't even really know how to rap yetI was just a Click Clack vet'Go find my nigga AR and ask him, if you wanna fact checkY'all heard it first Y'all heard it firstI ain't even told Fab yetThis might affect our friendship, niggaI ain't even ask yetI ain't even have half of an Aftermath checkAll in Brooklyn with you and Clue on the corner with my rag justHangin' in the wind, with the stainless in the BenzBrainless when it spins, and I aim it for all my friendsThat go for Ross tooI brought a gun and some chalk tooFor openin' up doors, it cost a Maybach just to walk throughAnd on my dark days, I walk inside a dark boothSpeak what's on my mind but they ain't ready for the hard truthYou can't call yourself king when I taught youBrought you a classic for you and all your niggas to spark toI ought to, nah, fuck it'Cause even Nikki Giovanni had James Baldwin to talk toSo I get high, then I swan dive in a shark poolWith the same red bandana, "Start From Scratch" part twoNas got the part, so I went and got the part tooSnoop went and pulled the rag out, shit, I went and bought that car tooThat shit was hard tooRun up on it while my son inside it, the .40'll spin your ass around like a barstoolLet Jesus take the wheel, I step on the gasI wanted a million like Aaliyah, I wish that she never crashedAnd I only made it this far 'cause I always knew the taskUnderstood my greatness and over stood all the mathI don't need your love or the credit, I always got cashAnd even now, my 2020 vision is somewhere in the pastWho the next rapper murdered? Every month, a nigga passBut me, I'm still alive, I guess they saved the best for lastHow to Format LyricsType out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorusLyrics should be broken down into individual linesUse section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], italics lyric and bold lyric to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song partIf you donât understand a lyric, use [?]To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum
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