Elliot's Song For Rue Highlights Their Complicated Relationship

The "Euphoria" season two finale was a rollercoaster ride of emotion, full of intensity, drama, and cliffhangers. The eighth and final episode of the season touched on the season's messy relationships and the overall fate of the characters while still leaving some plot lines open to the imagination. While the fallout of Lexi's play unfolds and Fezco and Ashtray deal with a sudden police raid, other characters, like Rue and Elliot, remain bystanders of the chaos.

Elliot (Dominic Fike) was mostly absent from "Euphoria" following his involvement in Rue's tumultuous intervention, but he made a meaningful appearance in the finale in a tender scene alone with Rue. During the scene, Elliot sings Rue a song he wrote, which brings her to tears — but what does it mean?

Elliot and Rue's Complicated Relationship, Explained

Elliot and Rue's relationship is a complicated one. The two meet in the first episode of season two at the big New Year's Eve party and bond over their shared love of drugs. Throughout the season, as Rue's substance use problem continues to spiral, Elliot enables it as he struggles with substance use himself. The relationship is unhealthy for both of them, as they both fuel each other's worst problems. This takes a turn, however, when Elliot tells Jules that Rue has not been clean, and the two ultimately tell Rue's mom about her drug use through an intervention.

Feeling betrayed by Elliot, who in part enabled her hard spiral into drug use again, Rue angrily cuts him out of her life and leaves their relationship broken. The intervention does have a positive outcome for Rue in the end, however. Through a gruelling process of withdrawal, she gets clean.

In the season finale, Rue spots Elliot in the audience of Lexi's play, which triggers a memory for her of when she went to visit Elliot. Rue reveals to him the impact the intervention had on her. She starts by telling him to "go f*ck himself" for snitching on her, but she ultimately reconciles with him, crediting him for playing a role in saving her life. Rue tells Elliot that she forgives him for how everything transpired, saying, "I have a lot of 'I'm sorry's to do, but not a lot of 'I forgive you's.' So thank you for that." It's unclear, however, if she knows Elliot and Jules hooked up and is counting it among the reasons she's forgiving him. In any case, Elliot then asks Rue, "Can I play you something?" and plays Rue a song she wrote for her.

What Does "Elliot's Song" from "Euphoria" Mean?

Elliot's song, which fans have dubbed "Little Star" or "I Hope It Was Worth It in the End," digs deep into his relationship with Rue. In part, he sings, "You and my guitar, I think you may be my only friend. I gave it all, to see you shine again. I hope it was worth it in the end."

Through these lyrics, Elliot seemingly reveals his feelings toward Rue and his role in her life, which revolved heavily around their use of drugs. After seeing Rue fall deeper into her struggle with drugs, he essentially "gave her away" and "gave it all" in aiding with her intervention, which he knew would end their friendship, but ultimately save her in the end.

Elliot also sings, "Us against the world, just a couple sinners makin' fun of hell. If I keep you here, I'll only be doing it for myself." This lyric speaks to the fact that Elliot could be selfish and hold onto his relationship with Rue by continuing to enable her drug problem, but that would be hurtful to her, someone he does genuinely care about. In the end, Elliot snitches on Rue in hopes that she'll get clean, knowing that whether she does or not, he'll be losing a friend. But as he sings in the song, he's hoping it's worth it in the end.

After he finishes his song, Elliot asks Rue if they can still be friends, but she responds, "You know you're the one who said we weren't any good for each other," and he ultimately agrees.

Did Dominic Fike Write "Elliot's Song"?

Elliot's song was actually written by none other than Labrinth, the show's composer, and as Zendaya. Labrinth talked of collaborating with Zendaya and Dominc Fike in a behind the scenes featurette for the finale, saying, "Me and Zendaya were actually sitting in each other's kind of spiritual energy and space, and we're getting to inspire each other to make something fresh... Dominic came in and jumped in on the score pieces we were working on, and played some guitar, 'cause he's a great guitarist…The cast are not just acting, they are a part of the music now, and I think that makes it even more special."

"Elliot's Song" Lyrics

The song's lyrics in their entirety go:

I've got no place, buildin' you a rocket up to outer space.
I watch you fade, keepin' the lights on in this forsaken place.
Little star, feels like you fell right on my head.
Gave you away to the wind, I hope it was worth it in the end.
You and my guitar, I think you may be my only friend.
I gave it all, to see you shine again. I hope it was worth it in the end.
Us against the world, just a couple sinners makin' fun of hell.
If I keep you here, I'll only be doing it for myself.
Little star, feels like you feel right on my head.
Gave you away to the wind, I hope it was worth it in the end. Yeah I hope so.
Think you may be my only friend, I gave it all to see you shine again.
I hope it was worth it in the end.
I know this pain is broken, so I leave my door wide open.
Been some time since we've spoken, one day we'll meet again.
Some distance when you're older, you'll come laying on my shoulder,
Tell me that storm is over, that day we meet again.
Feels like you fell right on my head, gave you away to the wind.
I hope it was worth it in the end.
You and my guitar, think you may be my only friend.
I gave you away, I hope it was worth it in the end.

What Will Happen With Rue and Elliot in Season 3?

The status of Rue and Elliot's relationship seems to be pretty clear: while they like each other, they aren't healthy together, and cannot be friends. Still, when their eyes meet from across the auditorium at Lexi's play, it may be a sign that their story isn't quite over. Their relationship could be one of several plot lines explored in season three, but we'll have to wait to see where their paths lead moving forward.