Katy Perry's 'Firework' has a surprising hidden meaning
Her 2010 song was a big hit!
Katy Perry has been in the pop music industry since 2008 when she burst onto the scene with her hit 'I Kissed a Girl', but she's also known for other huge hits including 'Hot n Cold', 'California Gurls', 'Teenage Dream' and her 2010 tune 'Firework'.
Now in a recently re-surfaced interview, the dark meaning behind the song has been revealed. Back in 2010, the year that the song was released, Billboard.com interviewed Katy, where she opened up about 'Firework'.
"Basically I have this very morbid idea..." she explained: "When I pass, I want to be put into a firework and shot across the sky over the Santa Barbara Ocean as my last hurrah.
"I want to be a firework, both living and dead. My boyfriend showed me a paragraph out of Jack Kerouac’s book ‘On the Road,’ about people that are buzzing and fizzing and full of life and never say a commonplace thing. They shoot across the sky like a firework and make people go, ‘Ahhh.’ I guess that making people go ‘ahhh’ is kind of like my motto."
At the time of its release, Katy said she thought of it as her defining single, adding: "It’s a song where I think my purpose to some people might change when they hear it."
A&R executive Anokutem, who worked closely with Katy also added: "It’s the best vocal performance I’ve ever heard from Katy."
In 2022, more than a decade after its release, Katy also revealed that we've been singing the lyrics to her Top 5 hit wrong all this time! In an episode of American Idol, where Katy shares the judging panel with Lionel Richie and country artist Luke Bryan, she explained that it's not 'up, up, up', it's 'awe, awe, awe', and it's not 'fireworks' it's firework.
Katy shared a clip from the TV show to her Instagram account along with an excerpt from a novel called 'On The Road', written by American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac, which read: 'the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!".'
So there we have it!
You can hear songs by Katy Perry on heat radio.
Now take a look at some popular misheard lyrics:
Mark Ronson - 'Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars'
We hear: "I'm too hot, I could drag you out of retirement"
Mark Ronson - 'Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars'
He sings: "I'm too hot, make a dragon wanna retire man".
Rihanna - 'Stay ft. Mikky Ekko'
We hear: "I won't chew the steak"
Rihanna - 'Stay ft. Mikky Ekko'
She sings: "I want you to stay".
Leona Lewis – 'Bleeding Love'
We hear: "You call me your banana"
Leona Lewis – 'Bleeding Love'
She sings: "You cut me open and I".
Coldplay – 'Paradise'
We hear: "Pair of… Pair of… Pair of tights"
Coldplay – 'Paradise'
They sing: "Para… Para… Paradise".
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - 'Fancy'
We hear: "Can't you taste this scone?"
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - 'Fancy'
She sings: "Can't you taste this gold?"
Taylor Swift - 'Blank Space'
We hear: "Got a list of Starbucks lovers"
Taylor Swift - 'Blank Space'
She sings: "Long list of ex-lovers".
Shawn Mendes - 'Stitches'
We hear: "Chicken falling onto my knees"
Shawn Mendes - 'Stitches'
He sings: "Shaking, falling onto my knees".
Bruno Mars – 'Grenade'
We hear: "Throw my head on a plate for you"
Bruno Mars – 'Grenade'
He sings: "Throw my hand on a blade for you".
Alicia Keys – 'Empire State of Mind'
We hear: "Concrete jungle, weird dream tomato"
Alicia Keys – 'Empire State of Mind'
She sings: "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of".
Bon Jovi – 'Livin' on a Prayer'
We hear: "Doesn't make a difference if we're naked or not"
Bon Jovi – 'Livin' on a Prayer'
They sing "Doesn't make a difference if we make it or not".
Calvin Harris - 'Feels featuring Katy Perry'
We hear: "Everyone wants to catch fish"
Calvin Harris - 'Feels featuring Katy Perry'
They sing: "Don't be afraid to catch feels"
Charlie Puth - 'Attention'
We heard: "Running round runnin' round throwing that turtle on my neck"
Charlie Puth - 'Attention'
He sings: "You've been runnin' round, runnin' round, runnin' round throwin' that dirt all on my name"
Rita Ora - 'Hot Right Now'
We hear: "I know you're only in it 'cos it's half price now."
Rita Ora - 'Hot Right Now'
She sings: "I know you're only in it 'cos it's hot right now."
Adele - 'Chasing Pavements'
We hear: "Or should I just keep chasing penguins."
Adele - 'Chasing Pavements'
She sings, "Or should I just keep chasing pavements."
Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry and Ella Henderson - '0800 Heaven'
We hear: "If heaven had a clothes line."
Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry and Ella Henderson - '0800 Heaven'
She sings: "If heaven had a phone line."
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