A Glossary Of Katy Perry's Cliches, Euphemisms And Idioms
Earlier this week, we broke down the life of Katy Perry from A to Z and now we are breaking down the lyrics of all the songs from her past three albums. From One Of The Boys to PRISM, we counted hundreds of cliches, euphemisms and idioms. The best are collected here for your easy reference so you never have to question what the lyrics in songs, such as "Roar" or "Wide Awake," means ever again.
An Airplane Riding A Tidal Wave On An Ocean Of Emotion. Gibberish about love.
An airplane riding a tidal wave on an ocean of emotion
--“Self Inflicted,” One Of The Boys
Birds And The Bees, The. The fabled story of sexual relations between two grown adults, here Perry and her mystery man who happens to taste like honey. Mmhmmm.
Some call it science we call it chemistry / This is the story of the birds and the bees
--“Hummingbird Heartbeat,” Teenage Dream
Birthday Suit. A suit made of air aka being naked.
So let me get you in your birthday suit
--“Birthday,” PRISM
Boat Rocking. Unwarranted trouble caused by speaking out or not politely agreeing. Something avoided by a suppressed Perry.
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess / So I sat quietly, agreed politely
--“Roar,” PRISM
Bring The Beat Back. At first listen, one would think Perry is making reference to the 1986 debut album from Steady B but she’s merely just dropping a phrase that nearly every rapper has said in reference to a musical drop in a song.
What? Wait. No, no, no / Bring the beat back, that's right
--“This Is How We Do,” PRISM
Cake. Something that Perry wants her man to eat (read: lady parts). It should not be confused with the thing Marie Antoinette suggested her peasants have when they ran out of bread.
So you can have your cake / Give you something good to celebrate
--“Birthday,” PRISM
Cloud Nine. A state of euphoria that Perry once was in but then fell out of. Similar to a contact high.
Falling from cloud nine / Crashing from the high
--“Wide Awake,” Teenage Dream
Creme De La Crop. Not to be confused with Crème de la crème; ‘Crop’ is the best there ever was.
If you want me, a cherry on top, the pick of the peck / The creme de la crop
--“If You Can Afford Me,” One Of The Boys
Dark Horse. Commonly thought of as unexpected candidate who becomes the one to beat. But in Perry’s case, her vagina coming for you.
Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse
--“Dark Horse,” PRISM
Different Beat. Something that Perry marches to. It’s not your beat, so back off.
I can feel a phoenix inside of me / As I march alone to a different beat
--“Who Am I Living For?,” Teenage Dream
Dirty Laundry. Fears, things of distress that Perry doesn’t want kept secret.
All your insecurities / All the dirty laundry
--“Unconditionally,” PRISM
Double Dog Dare. A second dare given by the darer after a daree refused the initial dare. In Perry’s case, an unprovoked, overly aggressive dare to prove she’s one of the boys.
‘Cause I can belch the alphabet / Just double dog dare me
--“One Of The Boys,” One Of The Boys
Double Rainbow. Someone who has a rare presence. But really, what does it mean?
'Cause a double rainbow is hard to find
--“Double Rainbow,” PRISM
Epic Fail. A total failure. In Perry’s world, anything related but not limited to getting black out drunk, ripping dresses, getting arrested, sleeping with strange men, skinny dipping, maxing out credit cards, getting kicked out of bars, or breaking the law.
Think I need a ginger ale / That was such an epic fail
--“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” Teenage Dream
Eye Of The Tiger. Not to be confused with the 1982 by Survivor. Here, Perry literally is a tiger. Rawr.
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire / Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
--“Roar,” PRISM
Firework. Someone that makes Perry’s heart go “oh, oh, oh.” Not to be confused with explosive pyrotechnics that actually go “boom.”
Baby, you're a firework / Come on, let your colors burst / Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
--“Firework,” Teenage Dream
Fish In The Water. The idea that there are plenty of more dateable men out there for Katy Perry. John Mayer take note.
You said there's / Tons of fish in the water / So the waters I will test
--“Thinking Of You,” One Of The Boys
Forever Young. A state of mentality set permanently in teenage years.
You and I, will be forever young
--“Teenage Dream,” Teenage Dream
Greener Grass. Normally a place thought to be more desirable than one’s current location but often is actually not the case. However, in Perry’s world, it truly is the better place to be.
I know a place / Where the grass is really greener
--“California Girls,” Teenage Dream
Indian Summer. A memory of a former lover who haunts her dreams even though she’s with another man. It also follows the typical weather patterns of sudden heat after winter’s first frost.
You're like an Indian summer / In the middle of winter
--“Thinking Of You,” One Of The Boys
Information Overload. The feeling when Perry wakes up from a (potential) blackout night of partying and drinking in Las Vegas and has no idea what’s happening. Also, a term popularized by the Alvin Toffler novel, Future Shock.
You got me into this / Information overload, situation lost control
--“Waking Up In Vegas,” One Of The Boys
Knocking On Wood. A literal temptation of fate as Perry hits a wooden boy to see if he will into a real man – similar to the story of Pinocchio but less violent.
I keep knocking on wood / Hoping there's / A real boy inside
--“Mannequin,” One Of The Boys
Light At The End Of The Road. A glimmer of hope or a beacon meant to direct Perry home.
Another night waiting for someone to take me home / Have you ever been so lost / Is there a light / At the end of the road
--“Lost,” One Of The Boys
Lotus. A vagina.
I feel my lotus bloom, come closer / I want your energy, I want your aura
--“Legendary Lovers,” PRISM
Lucky Star. A phrase made popular by Madonna’s ‘80s hit of the same name. It often refers to the person who shines the brightest in one’s heart.
This is transcendental / On another level / Boy, you're my lucky star
--“E.T.,” Teenage Dream
Mannequin. A wooden boy that shares similarities with Pinocchio.
You're just a mannequin
--“Mannequin,” One Of The Boys
Melted Popsicle. A sexual innuendo for a turned on man.
So hot / We'll melt your popsicle / Oooooh Oh Oooooh
--“California Girls,” Teenage Dream
Missing Puzzle Piece. A pivotal, lost piece in the game of love, usually a piece of Perry’s broken heart.
I finally found you / My missing puzzle piece / I’m complete
--“Teenage Dream,” Teenage Dream
One Way Ticket. The only direction this girl’s going.
That girl's a trip, a one way ticket
--“International Smile,” PRISM
Peacock. A penis.
I want to see your peacock
--“Peacock,” Teenage Dream
Perfect Storm. A combination of events that cause an amazing evening. Not to be confused with the 2000 disaster drama starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.
Are you ready for, ready for / A perfect storm, perfect storm
--“Dark Horse,” PRISM
Pick Of The Peck. The pride selection of Peter Piper’s picked peppers.
If you want me, a cherry on top, the pick of the peck / The creme de la crop
--“If You Can Afford Me,” One Of The Boys
Plastic Bag. An inanimate object used to carry air as it drifts through the wind, lost without direction or something to hold it down. #Depression.
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag / Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
--“Firework,” Teenage Dream
Porcelain. A toilet, something Perry is often face down in.
I'm out on my own again / Face down in the porcelain
--“Lost,” One Of The Boys
Road Less Traveled. Like any great writer and poet, Perry pays homage to Robert Frost in a lyric about building up the courage to walk the road that has been walked less by people. It should not be confused with the 2008 Battlestar Galatica episode, “The Road Less Traveled.”
I am ready for the road less traveled
--“Who Am I Living For?,” Teenage Dream
Sippin' Gin And Juice. An activity popularized in the mid-90s by Snoop Dogg that is now thought of as something cool people do in California.
There must be something in the water / Sippin' gin and juice
--“California Girls,” Teenage Dream
SOS. A distress text sent to mom and dad for more money, especially when in Las Vegas.
Send out an SOS / And get some cash out / We're gonna tear up the town
--“Waking Up In Vegas,” One Of The Boys
Sticks And Stones. Perry’s kiss off to Russell Brand following the news of their divorce. No, those puny objects will not hurt her. Bombs, maybe. But she’s a survivor. She’s not going to give up. She’s going to work harder.
Throw your sticks and your stones, throw your bombs and your blows
--“Part Of Me,” Teenage Dream
Sting Like A Bee. Perry proves she’s the Muhammad Ali of wronged girlfriends by earning her stripes for standing up to her man.
Now I’m floating like a butterfly / Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
--“Roar,” PRISM
Très Chic. Something that is stylish; Not chic but very chic.
So très chic, yeah, she's a classic
--“International Smile,” PRISM
Us Against The World. It’s Perry and her man united against the tyrannies of humanity and all of those who are against their love.
We'd keep all our promises / Be us against the world
--“The One That Got Away,” Teenage Dream
Walking On Air. A state of euphoria that puts one in a pleasant daze.
Tonight, tonight, tonight, I'm walking on air
--“Walking On Air,” PRISM
Writing On The Wall. Unlike the prophesy that foresaw the end of Belshazzar’s reign, Perry is seeing the battle within. It’s Katy versus Katy.
I can see the writing on the wall / I can't ignore this war / At the eh-end of it all
--“Who Am I Living For?,” Teenage Dream
If you want to dissect even more cliches on PRISM, Rich Juzwiak also compiled a huge list over at Gawker. Great minds!
[Photos: Getty; Lyrics: Katy Perry, et al]