For Good

The song's lyrics concern how both Elphaba and Glinda have been changed by their friendship with each other. Glinda begins by saying that, while she doesn't know if it is true that people come into each other's lives for a reason, "I know I'm who I am today because I knew you." Similarly, Elphaba tells Glinda that "whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend." Elphaba also asks Glinda to forgive her for anything she might have done wrong, to which Glinda replies that "there's blame to share", but both agree that "none of it seems to matter anymore". They conclude the song by declaring that their friendship has changed both of them "for good" before embracing for the final time.

Vulture ranked the song as the third-best from the Wicked score, describing it as "not particularly inventive", "comically heavy-handed", and almost overtaken by "flowery schmaltz", while ultimately concluding that the earned emotion that the show has built through the duo's relationship can "excuse all manner of lyrical sins". Playbill ranked it the seventh-best Stephen Schwartz song, deeming it less flashy than other Wicked songs, unique, powerful, meaningful and an insight into how relationships make people grow. Jenny Singer of The Forward wrote that it "belongs to an exclusive category: songs that have become staples at graduations, retirement celebrations and funerals".

English actress Cynthia Erivo and American singer and actress Ariana Grande performed a rendition of "For Good" as Elphaba and Glinda respectively in Wicked: For Good (2025), the second of Universal Pictures' two-part film adaptation of Wicked, which was released on November 21, 2025. Their version of the song was released on the same day as part of the soundtrack album Wicked: For Good, The Soundtrack (2025) by Republic Records and Verve Records.

Erivo and Grande performed "For Good" with Menzel and Chenoweth for the television special Wicked: One Wonderful Night, which aired on November 6, 2025. Schwartz wrote new lyrics for the bridge, and also provided piano accompaniment for the four vocalists. The performance was filmed at the Gershwin Theatre, the home of the Wicked Broadway production. On August 16, 2026, "For Good" was performed by Erivo and Grande during the Eternal Sunshine Tour at the O₂ Arena in London.

Track listing

7-inch vinyl

1. "For Good", 6:17
2. "For Good" (instrumental), 6:17

Digital EP

1. "For Good", 6:17
2. "For Good" (edit), 3:17
3. "For Good" (live from the Gershwin Theatre) (with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth), 4:31
4. "For Good" (sing-along), 6:17

Charts

Release history

• Internet personalities Sam Tsui and Nick Pitera recorded a cover that has been uploaded to their respective YouTube channels.
• Portions of the original version of the song were used at the ending of the September 4, 2013 repeat episode of the game show Wheel of Fortune, as a tribute to director Mark Corwin, who died on July 25, 2013.