A Line-by-Line Analysis of Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop"
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco&w=560&h=315]
Miley Cyrus, daughter of notable country star and probable redneck Billy Ray Cyrus, has long been an object of media scrutiny. However, she has changed all of this with the release of her new video “We Can’t Stop.” This video sets Miley apart, as she takes on subject matters rarely heard in pop music such as partying, and hooking up with others. However, not all of us are smart and mature enough to understand Miley, because she’s really artsy and mature now and we just don’t understand her because she’s that fucking deep. So as someone who took an english class once[1], I’ll do the service of explaining this magnificent song elucidating its meaning to those not capable of understanding.[2]
It's our party we can do what we want (no drama)/ It's our party we can say what we want (like we don't care)
Translation: Look! I’m grown up! I party now! I’m cool! She starts with her innovation fast, already talking about a party. Any listener is sure to be titillated.
It's our party we can love who we want/ We can kiss who we want
Miley then continues upon this theme of her being older and mature, showing that she’s political by kind of endorsing gay marriage. Or just providing herself license to be slutty. Whichever.
We can sing what we want
No matter how bizarre her song is, she here points to her First Amendment rights to sing it. This is the same right that allows me to run around my house, grocery stores, and public parks yelling Kanye West lyrics.[3] Well, I hope it’s a right.
Red cups and sweaty bodies everywhere/ Hands in the air like we don't care
Miley wants to show that she can be just like us – drunk as fuck at a party. Alcohol is an adult person thing, right? This is a guaranteed way to ensure that her 12 year old fanbase will all be SUPER into her.
Cause we came to have so much fun now/ Bet somebody here might get some now
Miley wants to sex, because sexing is what grown-ups do.
If you're not ready to go home/Can I get a "Hell, no!"?/Cause we're gonna go all night/'til we see the sunlight, alright
Miley here wants to insist that she parties hard. Curfews and public images be damned, Miley is gonna go HAM. There’s nothing more beautiful than being drunk as fuck and watching the sun rise.
So la da di da di/We like to party/Dancing with Miley/Doing whatever we want/This is our house/This is our rules
Thomas Jefferson. Miley Cyrus. Whats the difference? I certainly don’t fucking know.[4] She’s just declaring her MOTHERFUCKING INDEPENDENCE. And much like the third president of the United States, the only thing she loves more than partying is freedom. JUST KIDDING – T-Jeffs didn’t love anything more than partying.
And we can't stop/ And we won't stop
The best way to explain this line is a quote from contemporary American poet Lil’ Jon: We running this bitch, ya’ll n****s ain’t shit.
Can't you see it's we who own the night?/Can't you see it's we who 'bout that life?
Hands down the best line from this song. Here Miley declares independence from reasonable grammar and sentence structure. The English fucking language can’t hold this bitch back! That’s how hard she parties!
And we can't stop/And we won't stop
She’s so independent she’s gonna say it all again up in this biznitch. Though she doesn’t seem to understand that inability and refusal to stop drinking can be a bad thing.
We run things, things don't run we/Don't take nothing from nobody/Yeah, yeah
As Fergie once said, a little party never hurt nobody! Miley’s kinda saying that. I think. Again, fuck the English language, she sings how she wants!
It's our party we can do what we want/It's our party we can say what we want/It's our party we can love who we want/We can kiss who we want/We can sing what we want
INDEPENDENCE INDEPENDENCE INDEPENDENCE!!!! KEG KEG KEG!!!!!!!!! An important part of being an adult is celebrating independence but shirking all responsibility that comes with it. We all know that Miley loves having the best of both worlds.
To my home girls here with the big butt/Shaking it like we at a strip club
Ass is important. She’s celebrating that. There’s no better way to demonstrate maturity than twerking.[5] And twerk she does, in the wonderful music video for this song (something so captivating and complex that it could, should, and probably will be a whole different article. Officially the second weirdest music video I’ve ever seen).[6]
Remember only God can judge ya
Miley here decides to get ‘real’ for a hot second and talk about morality. Because in the midst of twerking and partying, it’s always important to take a second to think about God.[7]
Forget the haters cause somebody loves ya
Miley declaring independence from those silly haters. Or offering sex to someone, as a mature adult. We may never know.
And everyone in line in the bathroom/Trying to get a line in the bathroom
WOMEN TAKE FOREVER TO PEE.
We all so turnt up here/Getting turnt up, yeah, yeah
Miley here surmises that using cool slang about being drunk and high makes her cool. Does it work? Jury’s out. Then again, the jury of a Miley Cyrus song is probably composed entirely of 12 year old girls who understand NONE of this.
So la da di da di/We like to party/Dancing with Miley/Doing whatever we want/This is our house/This is our rules/And we can't stop/And we won't stop/Can't you see it's we who own the night?/Can't you see it's we who 'bout that life?/And we can't stop/And we won't stop/We run things, things don't run we/Don't take nothing from nobody/Yeah, yeah
There’s a party in the USA, and its Miley’s fucking party. How do we know it’s in the USA? Well duh - Miley clearly loves freedom.
It's our party we can do what we want/It's our party we can say what we want/It's our party we can love who we want/We can kiss who we want/We can sing what we want/It's our party we can do what we want to/It's our house we can love who we want to/It's our song we can sing if we want to/It's my mouth I can say what I want to/Say yeah, yeah, yeah, ehh
Miley here complains about censorship of her super awesome partying activities and opinions from the mainstream media. Don’t you agree with her? Yeah, you do. You fucking agree with her. That’s right. Is she the next Susan B. Anthony? Only time will tell.
And we can't stop, yeah/And we won't stop, oh/Can't you see it's we who own the night?/Can't you see it's we who 'bout that life?/And we can't stop/And we won't stop/We run things, things don't run we/Don't take nothing from nobody/Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ehh
As this song comes to a close, we can reflect upon what we’ve learned. We know one thing for sure. Miley is really, really fucking mature and independent and shit. And she’s not afraid to let everybody know.
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[1] Just kidding. I suck at English.
[2] NOTE: My research for this article required me to watch the music video in a Starbucks where people could see me watch it. Please appreciate my bravery in doing so.
[3] I actually do this. YOU SEE THERE’S LEADERS, AND THERE’S FOLLOWERS. BUT I’D RATHER BE A DICK THAN A SWALLOWER
[4] Other than the fact that he might have partied even harder.
[5] I’m pretty serious about this. I twerk whenever its socially acceptable, and often when it isn’t socially acceptable.
[6] The weirdest being a Snoop Dogg music video that’s basically a porno. Bizarre…but not really suprising.
[7] Side note: Would Jesus have been good at twerking?
