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Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” has become one of those tracks you can’t avoid—in the best way. It’s a song that sticks with you, blending themes of passion, longing, and fantasy into a next-level infectious hook. With its rise in popularity, it’s sparked what feels like infinite interpretations, and today, I’m bringing my background in English literature and creative writing to dig deeper into its meaning. While these are just my own thoughts, I hope that looking at it through a literary lens can give us a more nuanced view of what’s really going on in the lyrics.

Using classic poetry to shed light on these themes might seem like a bit of a stretch, but I think it’s a good excuse to get creative with literary comparisons. After all, the themes in “Red Wine Supernova”—intense attraction, fantasy, and even emotional burnout—are timeless ideas poets have tackled for centuries. By connecting Roan’s lyrics with pieces by Robert Browning, Ted Hughes, and Ernest Dowson, we’ll explore how this modern song echoes these powerful, ageless emotions and see what the history of poetry and fiction can tell us about the “deeper” meaning here.

Chappell Roan Red Wine Supernova Lyrics

Chappell Roan Red Wine Supernova Meaning

In these lyrics, we’re looking at a mix of attraction, idealization, and a kind of infatuation that’s raw and a little reckless. The speaker is drawn to this person not just for who they are but for what they represent: mystery, freedom, and thrill. This isn’t just a straightforward love song; there’s complexity and contradiction here—fascination, but also a kind of inevitable disappointment. Just like in Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover” or Hughes’s “Lovesong,” there’s an edge of passion that feels like it’s going to consume both people involved.

Verse 1: “She was a Playboy, Brigitte Bardot / She showed me things I didn’t know”

The speaker starts by describing this person as a “Playboy” and compares her to Brigitte Bardot, a famous actress known for her rebellious spirit and strong presence. This isn’t a typical compliment; he’s describing someone wild and captivating. In “Porphyria’s Lover,” Browning’s speaker is also drawn to his lover in a way that’s more about her power over him. There’s a kind of obsession that makes him want to possess her completely. Here, too, the speaker is fascinated by this person’s free, mysterious qualities, but it’s unclear if he really understands her, or if he just wants to experience that excitement for himself.

“Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck”

This line brings in physical and almost dangerous imagery, showing that the relationship isn’t just sweet—it has an edge. The “canine teeth” suggest intensity, even a bit of animalistic connection, and it reminds me of Ted Hughes’s “Lovesong.” In that poem, Hughes explores a kind of love that’s fierce and instinctual, where the connection between lovers isn’t gentle but powerful and raw. Hughes talks about a relationship so intense it’s almost consuming, much like the thrill and risk the speaker describes here.

Chorus: “I just wanna get to know ya / Guess I didn’t quite think it through (nah-uh, girl) / Fell in love with the thought of you”

Now, the speaker starts reflecting on his feelings. He says he wants to “get to know” this person but realizes he “fell in love with the thought of” her. This line is key because it suggests that he’s attracted more to the idea of her than to who she really is.

There’s something similar in Dowson’s “Cynarae.” In that poem, Dowson writes about a speaker who is haunted by an idea of love, always feeling this longing for a past lover, Cynara, who he never fully understood or had. He’s so focused on his idealized memory that it affects all his future relationships. Here, too, our speaker might be caught up in an idea of this person that’s not grounded in reality, leading to disappointment.

“Now I’m choked up, face down, burnt out”

As we go deeper, we see the speaker feeling drained and exhausted. The excitement has turned into something heavy, something that leaves him “face down” and “burnt out.” This reminds me of the end of “Lovesong,” where Hughes shows how this intensity can weigh on someone, leaving them feeling trapped and spent.

Passion, when it’s all-consuming, can end up feeling overwhelming, and here, the speaker admits that all the thrill is now leaving him feeling “burnt out.”

“Red wine supernova, falling into me”

This line brings in imagery of “red wine” and a “supernova,” suggesting passion and something cosmic. But a supernova is also something that burns brightly and then fades, showing that this excitement is temporary. Red wine often symbolizes indulgence, but it also suggests a bit of loss of control.

Hughes also captures this mix of intoxication and inevitability in “Lovesong.” He shows how desire can spiral, bringing moments of ecstasy but ultimately leading to something darker. Here, the speaker’s use of “supernova” hints that he knows this thrill won’t last forever, but he’s going along with it anyway.

“I don’t care that you’re a stoner”

Here, he’s saying that he’s willing to overlook things that might be warning signs or suggest they aren’t compatible. This line adds to the feeling that he’s throwing caution to the wind, accepting her as she is without thinking about the consequences.

In “Cynarae,” Dowson’s speaker also embraces moments of indulgence despite knowing they won’t satisfy him, as Cynara haunts him. Our speaker here might be following a similar path—embracing what’s in front of him even if it won’t bring real connection.

Moving to a Relatable, Humble Moment

“Back at my house / I’ve got a California king / Okay, maybe it’s a twin bed / And some roommates (don’t worry, we’re cool)”

This moment grounds the song in a more relatable reality. The speaker starts by trying to impress but quickly admits he doesn’t have much. This honesty reminds us of his vulnerability. It’s a funny line, but it also suggests he’s trying to impress her while knowing his reality doesn’t quite match the image he’s built up. It’s like he’s admitting that even his pursuit of her may be built on a shaky foundation.

Themes, Meanings, and Main Takeaways

At its core, “Red Wine Supernova” dives deep into the rush and intensity of infatuation, capturing that thrill of meeting someone who feels almost mythical. The song’s lyrics explore a whirlwind of attraction, tinged with both wonder and inevitable burnout, as the speaker admits he’s “burnt out” from this chase. This theme of intense attraction that leaves one feeling hollow connects directly to Ted Hughes’s “Lovesong.”

Hughes’s lovers are so caught up in each other’s presence that they lose themselves, clinging so tightly they drain one another. Similarly, “Red Wine Supernova”’s speaker is spellbound by this person’s energy and independence, but the lyrics hint at the emotional toll of idealizing someone. The line “red wine supernova” reflects this—like a supernova, their connection burns bright but won’t last, hinting at the emptiness that’s already creeping in.

This theme of longing for an idealized version of love is mirrored in “Cynarae” by Ernest Dowson. Dowson’s speaker is haunted by a lover, or rather, the idea of her, never quite moving on. He laments, “I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion,” suggesting he’s obsessed with a memory rather than a person. Similarly, the speaker in “Red Wine Supernova” realizes that he’s “in love with the thought” of his new romantic interest rather than the real person. This sense of being captivated by a fantasy that can’t fulfill him is key to the song’s emotional core.

Annie Schindel, one of the song’s co-writers, explained that “Red Wine Supernova” was crafted to be a “gay girl’s anthem” with all the fantasy and yearning that unrequited love often holds, capturing a mix of wonder and futility. Just like Dowson’s poem, Roan’s lyrics show the bittersweet feeling of longing for someone who’s more of an idea than a reality.

In Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover,” we find an even darker angle on this idea of obsessive love. Browning’s speaker feels so enchanted by his lover that he takes extreme measures to “keep” her exactly as he wants, hinting at a toxic side to idealized romance. Although “Red Wine Supernova” doesn’t cross into such intense territory, it mirrors this concept of wanting to preserve a fleeting, almost fantastical connection.

The speaker in Roan’s song doesn’t try to capture or control the person he’s infatuated with; instead, he accepts the thrill for what it is, even if it leaves him “face down, burnt out” in the end. These literary connections underline the song’s deeper takeaway: the thrill of idealized romance is tempting, but without authenticity, it may be destined to leave us feeling empty. Through these lyrics, Roan taps into the timeless, universal experience of longing for something—or someone—that’s perhaps only real in our minds.