"Box" (also known as "The Box") is a song written by Katy Perry, Glen Balla… Read Full Bio ↴"Box" (also known as "The Box") is a song written by Katy Perry, Glen Ballard, and Matt Thiessen initially for Perry's debut album under the "Katy Perry" name, "(A) Katy Perry", which was supposed to be released in 2005 but was scrapped. The song was then meant to be reused for Perry's second try at a debut album, "Fingerprints" in 2007, but this album was also scrapped. The song was later possibly also considered for Perry's released debut album, "One of the Boys" but was ultimately removed. A music video was filmed for the song and first premiered on YouTube. The video was shot in Los Angeles, California in the same hotel room as the video for "Long Shot".

Box
Katy Perry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was living in a small mind with no lifeline
And no messages can reach me from the outside
When I looked out over the horizon
Didn't notice the sun was setting or just rising

Then it hit me, maybe bit me
Then I knew, quite a few would not go with me
I didn't know exactly where I would be going

But I had to let this river in me flowing

What a ride
When you open your eyes
For the very first time
A real surprise

I started living outside of the box
Crossing over lines where I always used to stop
Living outside of the box
'Cause I'm not gonna be anybody that I'm not

I always knew this day would come
When I got off my back, found some motivation
I've been living on the other side
Come hell or high water every moment I'm alive

I was living on a fault line, the fault was all mine
And this unstable ground found me down half the time
But I had enough, I had to get up
I had to shrug it all off 'cause it's the same old stuff

Then it hit me, you won't permit me
To be an individual just doesn't fit me
But I decided that it's going to be living
Yeah, I decided I'm escaping from your prison

What a high
When you open your mind
For the very first time
A real surprise

I started living outside of the box
Crossing over lines where I always used to stop
Living outside of the box
'Cause I'm not gonna be anybody that I'm not

I always knew this day would come
When I got off my back, found some motivation
I've been living on the other side
Come hell or high water every moment I'm alive

So long conformity
And ambiguality is a new priority
All it takes, for heaven sakes
Is to figure out the face and learn to separate

I started living outside for the box
Taking my time when I always used to rush
Living outside of the box
'Cause I'm not gonna be anybody that I'm not

I always knew this day would come
When I broke down the walls for my liberation
I've been living on the other side
Come hell or high water every moment I'm alive

Oh, living outside of the box
Oh, living outside of the box
Oh, living outside

Ha ha ha
I always knew this day would come
When I got off my back, found some motivation

Oh, living outside of the box, of the box, of your life
Of everything that seems that nice

Overall Meaning

In Katy Perry's "Box," the singer reflects on her journey towards finding self-liberation. The song talks about how Katy had been living in a small mind with no lifeline, and she couldn't notice the messages from outside. She was not very aware of her surroundings, and she was not sure where she was going in life. However, when Katy opens her eyes, she realizes there is a whole world outside of the box, that she had been living within.

Having been confined inside the box for too long, Katy finally decides to break out of the constraints and limitations that have been holding her back. She is determined to break down the walls for her liberation and take her time to explore the world, unlike before when she used to rush through everything. Katy resolves to be nobody else than herself and live outside of the box, crossing over lines where she always used to stop.

Katy feels she has been living on the other side of life, contrary to what people believe and accept, but she has continued living through hell and high water, and every moment counts. She exhorts people to figure out the face and learn to separate and prioritize their ambitions. For Katy Perry, living outside the box means living life on her own terms without conforming to societal norms and expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

I was living in a small mind with no lifeline
I was trapped in my own thoughts and couldn't escape

And no messages can reach me from the outside
I was closed off to the outside world and not receiving any communication

When I looked out over the horizon
When I took a broader perspective on my life

Didn't notice the sun was setting or just rising
I was unaware of the passing of time or new beginnings

Then it hit me, maybe bit me
I had a realization that struck me hard

Then I knew, quite a few would not go with me
I realized that not everyone would support my choices

I didn't know exactly where I would be going
I was uncertain about the future

But I had to let this river in me flowing
I had to let my inner desires guide me

What a ride
It was an exhilarating experience

When you open your eyes
When you gain new perspective and awareness

For the very first time
As if seeing things for the first time

A real surprise
Unexpected but exciting

I started living outside of the box
I started breaking free from my limited thinking and behavior

Crossing over lines where I always used to stop
Pushing past my previous boundaries and limitations

'Cause I'm not gonna be anybody that I'm not
I refused to conform to the expectations of others

I always knew this day would come
I was always aware that I needed to make a change

When I got off my back, found some motivation
When I stopped being passive and found inspiration

I've been living on the other side
I had been living differently than before

Come hell or high water every moment I'm alive
I was determined to continue my new way of living no matter what challenges came my way

I was living on a fault line, the fault was all mine
I had been living with my own weaknesses and flaws

And this unstable ground found me down half the time
My insecurity and lack of confidence often held me back

But I had enough, I had to get up
I reached a breaking point and needed to take action

I had to shrug it all off 'cause it's the same old stuff
I had to let go of my past patterns and habits that kept bringing me down

Then it hit me, you won't permit me
I realized that others were not supportive of my choices

To be an individual just doesn't fit me
I couldn't keep conforming to please others

But I decided that it's going to be living
I made a choice to live my life the way I wanted to

Yeah, I decided I'm escaping from your prison
I was breaking free from the expectations and constraints of others

So long conformity
I was saying goodbye to following the crowd

And ambiguality is a new priority
I valued being clear about my intentions and goals

All it takes, for heaven sakes
It only requires a small effort

Is to figure out the face and learn to separate
I needed to identify my true desires and separate them from the influence of others

Taking my time when I always used to rush
I was more deliberate with my choices and actions

When I broke down the walls for my liberation
When I removed the barriers that previously held me back

Oh, living outside of the box
Embracing a new, unconventional way of living

Of everything that seems that nice
Challenging the status quo and taking risks

Contributed by Landon I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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PT4M

04LA Don't take it away

05Long Shot4:08

06Oh Love Let Me Sleep

07It's Okay to Believe3:19

08Sherlock Holmes

09Simple3:37

10Takes One to Know One3:04

11Wish You the Worst3:08

12The Better Half of Me3:13

13Weigh Me Down3:26

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Sebastian

32w

I was trapped in my own thoughts and couldn't escape

I was closed off to the outside world and not receiving any communication

When I took a broader perspective on my life

I was unaware of the passing of time or new beginnings

I had a realization that struck me hard

I realized that not everyone would support my choices

I was uncertain about the future

I had to let my inner desires guide me

It was an exhilarating experience

When you gain new perspective and awareness

As if seeing things for the first time

Unexpected but exciting

I started breaking free from my limited thinking and behavior

Pushing past my previous boundaries and limitations

I refused to conform to the expectations of others

I was always aware that I needed to make a change

When I stopped being passive and found inspiration

I had been living differently than before

I was determined to continue my new way of living no matter what challenges came my way

I had been living with my own weaknesses and flaws

My insecurity and lack of confidence often held me back

I reached a breaking point and needed to take action

I had to let go of my past patterns and habits that kept bringing me down

I realized that others were not supportive of my choices

I couldn't keep conforming to please others

I made a choice to live my life the way I wanted to

I was breaking free from the expectations and constraints of others

I was saying goodbye to following the crowd

I valued being clear about my intentions and goals

It only requires a small effort

I needed to identify my true desires and separate them from the influence of others

I was more deliberate with my choices and actions

When I removed the barriers that previously held me back

Embracing a new, unconventional way of living

Challenging the status quo and taking risks