☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about letting go of a past relationship and personal changes.
- Cyrus reflects on a past relationship that went from 'paradise' to 'paralyzed' and admits that she will miss certain aspects, but it's time to let go.
- She expresses her longing for stability and her desire to distance herself from an unhealthy lifestyle, and she states that she is no longer willing to fight in the relationship.
- The song lyrics emphasize the changes that both partners have gone through in the relationship, acknowledging that they are no longer the same people they once were and confirming their partner's statement that 'everything changed'.
- The song lyrics include a metaphor for a peaceful separation after a breakup and returning to their respective lives.
Interpretation
The lyrics to 'Slide Away' by
Miley Cyrus are about changes and letting go of a past relationship.
In the lyrics 'Once upon a time it was paradise / Once upon a time I was paralysed / Think I'm gonna miss these harbour lights / But it's time to let it go', Cyrus reflects on a past relationship that was once wonderful ('paradise'), but led to a state of stagnation ('paralysed'). She admits that she will miss certain aspects ('harbour lights'), but knows that it's time to let go ('it's time to let it go').
In the lines 'I want my house in the hills / Don't want the whiskey and pills / I don't give up easily / But I don't think I'm down', she expresses her desire for stability and a healthy lifestyle, away from 'whiskey and pills'. She doesn't give up easily, but she is no longer willing to fight in the relationship.
'Move on, we're not 17 / I'm not who I used to be / You say that everything changed / You're right, we're grown now' emphasizes the change she and her partner have gone through. They are no longer the teenagers ('we're not 17') they once were and she has changed as a person ('I'm not who I used to be'). Her partner says that everything has changed and she agrees that they are now grown adults ('we're grown now').
'So won't you slide away / Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights' is a metaphor for moving on and returning to their own worlds after the breakup. It expresses the desire for both parties to peacefully separate and 'slide away' into their respective lives.