Damn that new Miley Cyrus song that’s stuck in everyone’s head like the death-vice of a new catchy pop-music song. However, I recently had a revelation about that song that I would like to share. Tell me if I’m alone in misunderstanding the subtleties of the lyrics of Party in the USA.Here is the chorus of the song:
So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song
And the butterflies fly away
Noddin’ my head like yeah
Moving my hips like yeah
Now, I first heard that as “They’re playing MY song” as in, “Me, Miley Cyrus, MY song, the-song-I-sing-that-gets-played-on-the-radio-because-I’m-famous.”
Instead, the lyric is “They’re playing my SONG” as in, “The song I like, the-song-that-gets-me-excited-and-to-which-I-can-relate.”
Since I first heard that song months ago, until now, I thought the lyrics were really self-centered. As in: "Gee, Miley, not everyone has songs played on the radio like you do. I can’t relate to your ego-maniac lyrics. Like, I’m sad until my song comes on the radio. What kind of pop-star bubble are you living in? I mean, it’s nice to be famous but you should learn about the real world. Not everyone is a famous pop-star at 14 years old. Jeez."
But as of yesterday, I understand the lyrics as when I’m feeling down and nervous, hearing my favorite song on the radio helps me forget my worries as in: "Miley’s just like me. I get scared and nervous until I hear my favorite song on the radio. Then I nod my head like yeah and shake my hips like yeah. This song is totally relatable to my life and to the human condition writ large."
The other part of the lyrics that I now understand in this new context are:
And a Jay-Z song was on
And a Jay-Z song was on
And a Jay-Z song was on**
And later:
And a Britney song was on
And a Britney song was on
And a Britney song was on
Until yesterday, I understood that to mean, "these are the other famous people who are played on the radio in addition to my famous pop tunes." Now I understand it as, "these are some examples of the songs that I enjoy that make me move my hips like yeah."
Sheesh. Duh on me. Maybe I’m getting too old to understand these kids and their music. My apologies to Miley for misunderstanding her awesome and totally relatable lyrics. I will now make an effort to move my hips like yeah.
**(It did come out that Miley doesn't even listen to Jay-Z but whatever -- it's not like she claimed to have written the song. For the record, the song we love to hate was written by Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly and Jessica Cornish.)