Miley Cyrus finds herself atop the Genius Top Songs chart this morning with “Used to Be Young,” a thoughtful, earnest ballad that serves as a non-apology for her wild and crazy youth. The song marks Cyrus’ first release since her chart-topping album Endless Summer Vacation, which landed in March and yielded the No. 1 hit “Flowers.”
“This song is about honoring who we’ve been, loving who we are and celebrating who we will become,” Cyrus said of “Used to Be Young” in a press release. “I feel proud when reflecting on my past and optimistic when thinking about the future. I am grateful to my loyal fans who make my dreams a reality daily. I am sincerely thankful for the stability of your steadfast support. This song is for you.”
Written by Cyrus, Michael Pollack, and Aldae, “Used to Be Young” opens with just piano and vocals. Miley—now 30 years old—reflects on her days as a controversy-courting former Disney star looking to forge her own identity. She’s not that twerking, sledgehammer-licking person anymore—not that her younger self deserved to be shamed for those things.
The truth is bulletproof, there’s no foolin’ you
I don’t dress the same
Me and who you say I was yesterday
Have gone our separate ways
Miley is now two years sober, as she recently told British Vogue, and she can see the downsides of the hard-partying lifestyle. Toward the end of the first verse, she seemingly references the 2006 Snow Patrol smash “Chasing Cars,” which was famously inspired by something that band’s lead singer, Gary Lightbody, heard from his father: “You’re like a dog chasing a car. You’ll never catch it and you just wouldn’t know what to do with it if you did.”
Left my living fast somewhere in the past
’Cause that’s for chasing cars
Turns out open bars lead to broken hearts
And goin’ way too far
On the chorus, Miley rightfully stops well short of saying she’s sorry. Yes, she made some mistakes, but she was a 20-something former child star trying to figure things out. It’s all part of the journey.
I know I used to be crazy
I know I used to be fun
You say I used to be wild
I say I used to be young
On the second verse, Miley resolves to stop worrying about things that are in the past and therefore unchangeable. Her dozens of tattoos evidently fall into this category, though in theory, they could be lasered off.
Take one, pour it out, it’s not worth cryin’ ’bout
The things you can’t erase
Like tattoos and regrets, words I never meant
And ones that got away
The final time through the chorus, Miley reveals those reckless days of yore were actually kind of rad. If nothing else, they taught her valuable lessons and got her to where she is now, a much better and healthier place.
I know I used to be crazy
Messed up, but, God, was it fun
I know I used to be wild
That’s ’cause I used to be young
Those wasted nights are not wasted
I remember every one
“Used to Be Young” arrives with a music video in which a teary-eyed Miley sings directly into the camera.
“It’s super emotional because I am kind of a mini-me of my mom and I could see her inside of the camera by using a technology where I could livestream with my mom from inside of the camera,” Miley said of the clip. “So, we could see each other and as she was dancing it just made me cry, it made me laugh, it brought up so many real emotions and I think it’s really letting people into true emotion, which I don’t feel we get to see very much these days.”
You can read all the lyrics to “Used to Be Young” on Genius now.
