Perry wrote the song with her longtime collaborator, the Canadian producer Greg Wells, along with the Boston Folk-Rock singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke. "That was so much fun," Brooke told Radio.com of her writing collaboration with Perry. "I had gotten word from friends over the years that she kept mentioning me in interviews as an influence and I thought, 'Well, that's wicked cool. How sweet is that?' I'm a huge Katy Perry fan. Finally a mutual friend at ASCAP hooked us up."
"We spent three days in the studio [and] that was the first song we wrote," Brooke continued. "I brought this kalimba, which is a tiny wooden thumb piano. I thought, 'I'm going to go meet Katy Perry, what can I bring that's a little unusual and would be fun for the session?'"
Brooke started jamming on the kalimba, which kicked off the writing session. "Greg heard the kalimba rhythmic thing and started building this really deep track around it and it just inspired all of us," she said. "It was like we were finishing each other's sentences in the room. When that happens you're pretty psyched. Once in a while it's like bad dating. Sometimes something happens and you're like, 'Oh God, when will this be over?' Luckily we were all inspired by each other."
"The song materialized and was pretty fun and immediate," she added. "I'm psyched my kalimba is still a very big part of the track."
"The main way it changed from our initial demo is that Katy added awesome unbelievable vocals, especially at the end," Brooke continued. "She started stacking vocals. I'm just a fan of that. That was very, very exciting. And that it made it on the record at all was cool."
Choose Your Battles
Katy Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep me walking on a wire
Don't know when you'll blow
So I tip toe through your triggered mine
You fight me but I'm on your side
Defeated, now retreating
Why you trying to make me your enemy
I just wanna be your lover
Oh, this is not a competition
So baby why the ammunition
I don't wanna be the last one standing
Choose your battles, babe
Then you win the war
Stop digging your own grave
There's so much to live for
Choose your battles, babe
'Cause I'm not fighting anymore
I am not fighting anymore
I try to pick off your red flags
But dancing up on broken glass
Your mind games hit like glue names
Your course just like the Kennedys
But you somehow get me on my knees, defeated
Not retreated
Why you trying to make me your enemy
All I really need is a little peace
I just wanna be your lover
Oh, this is not a competition
So baby why the ammunition
I don't wanna be the last one standing
Choose your battles, babe
Then you win the war
Stop digging your own grave
Within, so much to live for
Choose your battles, babe
'Cause I'm not fighting anymore, no
I am not fighting anymore
If you wanna go, then go
If you wanna stay then stay
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more, baby
I am not fighting anymore
If you wanna go, then go
If you wanna stay then stay
I don't wanna fight no more
Anyway, I am not fighting anymore
If you wanna go, then go
If you wanna stay then stay
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more, baby
If you wanna go, then go (choose your battle babe)
If you wanna stay then stay (then you win the war)
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more, baby (stop digging your own grave)
If you wanna go, then go (choose your battle babe)
If you wanna stay then stay (then you win the war)
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more, baby
The song "Choose Your Battles" by Katy Perry is a powerful plea for peace in a volatile relationship. Perry sings to her lover, who she refers to as her "hurt locker lover," meaning that being with him is like walking into a place full of danger and explosive emotions. She describes the chaos that comes with being with him, "Keep me walking on a wire/Don't know when you'll blow/So I tip toe through your triggered mine." Despite the anger and conflict, she still feels a desire to be with him, "I just wanna be your lover."
Perry then pleads with her lover to stop the fight, to "choose your battles." She recognizes that there is so much more to life than fighting, and that the constant conflict is tearing them apart. She says she's not fighting anymore, but is still willing to stay if he can choose to let go of the need to be right all the time. The song has a powerful message about choosing love over the need to always be right, to let go of the competition and to find peace in even the most difficult relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my hurt locker lover
You are the love that hurts me and I can't resist
Keep me walking on a wire
Our relationship is unstable and unpredictable
Don't know when you'll blow
I don't know when you'll lose control and get angry
So I tip toe through your triggered mine
I have to be very cautious around you not to provoke you
You fight me but I'm on your side
We fight, but I still support you
Defeated, now retreating
I gave up and backed off
Why you trying to make me your enemy
Why do you want to fight with me and see me as a foe
All I really need is a little peace
I just want to have a peaceful relationship
I just wanna be your lover
I just want to love you, not compete with you
Oh, this is not a competition
Our relationship is not a game or a contest
So baby why the ammunition
Why do you keep attacking me with your words and actions
I don't wanna be the last one standing
I don't want to win if it means hurting you or us
Choose your battles, babe
Pick what's worth fighting for and let go of the rest
Then you win the war
You'll come out victorious by choosing wisely
Stop digging your own grave
Don't sabotage our relationship by picking meaningless fights
There's so much to live for
We have so many reasons to be happy and stay together
'Cause I'm not fighting anymore
I'm tired of fighting and I'm done with it
I try to pick off your red flags
I try to avoid the signs that you're getting angry or upset
But dancing up on broken glass
I still risk getting hurt, as our relationship is fragile and risky
Your mind games hit like glue names
You play emotional mind games with me that are hard to shake off
Your course just like the Kennedys
Your behavior can be unpredictable and full of drama like the famous family
But you somehow get me on my knees, defeated
Despite the challenges, I still love you and feel powerless
Not retreated
I didn't run away, but chose to let go and stop fighting
If you wanna go, then go
If you want to end our relationship, then do it
If you wanna stay then stay
If you want to be with me, then let's work things out
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more, baby
I'm done with the fights and the drama, and I just want to love you in peace
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG WELLS, JONATHA BROOKE, KATY PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sebastian
on Box
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
John P Winder
on Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J)
Dark Horse ...