Miley Cyrus, 'Wrecking Ball' Song Meaning

Publish date: 2024-08-14

On 'Wrecking Ball,' her second single off 'Bangerz,' Miley Cyrus takes a sharp sonic and lyrical left turn from 'We Can't Stop,' and reminds how powerful of a voice she has.

The track is a heartfelt and introspective ballad that finds the singer emotionally naked and sacred as she looks at a relationship that's crumbling. The song lyrics reveal her musing and ruminating over what went wrong and engaging in a little coulda, should, woulda.

We could spend all day dissecting whether or not the song is about her relationship with fiancé Liam Hemsworth, but we'll take it at face value.

"I never meant to start a war / I just wanted you to let me in / And instead of using force / I guess I should've let you win."

That's a poignant line, demonstrating her vulnerability and her regret and doubt about how she did things. She wanted to break down a lover's walls, so she stormed her way through in strong and dominant fashion, instead of handling it with kid gloves or taking a more submissive role. But it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done.

"Don't you ever say I just walked away / I will always want you."

There is a real ache in her voice. She's also indicating that there was a lack of communication between them over what went wrong. It's also unfinished business for her. Clearly, this romance wrecked both of 'em.

"You wreck me."

Cyrus sings this line repeatedly, despite the fact that she was the one who came in like the titular wrecking ball. Sometimes two people can do some serious damage after sweeping one other off their respective feet.

"Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung"

That line suggests she ran headlong into this relationship, looking before she leapt. That's some dangerous business, but it's high risk behavior that comes with an equally high reward. Again, it's always better to regret what you have done as opposed to what you didn't do.

That's our interpretation of some key phrases in Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball.' PopCrushers, what do you think this song means? Do you share our reading of the meaning? Or do you think there are some other coded messages or a different story embedded within? Tell us your take in the comments below.

Watch the Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' Video

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