After singing in church during her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager. Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson under her birth name in 2001, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations and she subsequently began working with producers Glen Ballard, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin. After adopting the stage name 'Katy Perry' and being dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records, she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in April 2007.
Perry rose to fame in 2008 with her second album, One of the Boys, a pop rock record containing the controversial U.S number one song "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold". Three subsequent albums have topped the U.S. Billboard 200. The disco-influenced Teenage Dream (2010) spawned five chart-topping U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles–"California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" — a record tying her with Michael Jackson's "Bad". Its follow-up record Prism (2013) was inspired by her divorce, and incorporates pop and dance along with themes of self-reflection, everyday life, and relationships. With the music videos for its chart-topping songs "Roar" and "Dark Horse", Perry became the first artist to have multiple videos reach one billion views on Vevo. Her 2017 electropop album, 'Witness' featured a political subtext and a theme of liberation. Her sixth studio album 'Smile' followed in 2020.
Perry has nine U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one singles and has received various awards, including four Guinness World Records, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, a Brit Award, and a Juno Award. She has been included in the annual Forbes lists of highest-earning women in music from 2011 to 2019. Her estimated net worth as of 2016 is $125 million. Perry is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 18 million albums and 125 million singles worldwide. In film, she released an autobiographical documentary titled "Katy Perry: Part of Me" in 2012, and voiced Smurfette in the 2011 film The Smurfs and its sequel in 2013. Her Super Bowl halftime show performance is the most watched in history. Perry also began serving as a judge on American Idol in 2018.
Hackensack
Katy Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were in all my dreams
We sat together in period one
Fridays at 8:15
Now I see face in the strangest places
Movies and magazines
I saw you talkin' to Christopher Walken
On my TV screen
But I will wait for you
As long as I need to
And if you ever get back to Hackensack
I'll be here for you
I used to work in a record store
Now I work for my dad
Scraping the paint off of hard wood floors
The hours are pretty bad
Sometimes I wonder where you are
Probably in L.A.
That seems to be where everybody else ends up these days
But I will wait for you
As long as I need to
And if you ever get back to Hackensack
I'll be here for you
And I will wait for you
As long as I need to
And if you ever get back to Hackensack
I'll be here for you
If you ever get back to Hackensack
I'll be here for you
In the song "Hackensack," Katy Perry shares her feelings about a past lover she used to know in high school. The lyrics are full of nostalgia as she recalls the memories she shared with him, from sitting together in period one to imagining a future together. Perry expresses her sadness as she sees his face in movies and magazines, and even talking to celebrities like Christopher Walken. She wonders where he is now and assumes he has probably moved to L.A. like everyone else.
Despite the distance and time that has passed, Perry still holds onto hope that they will cross paths again. She promises to wait for him as long as she needs to, and she feels that if he ever returns to their hometown of Hackensack, she will be there for him. The song is a beautiful expression of the enduring power of love and the comfort of knowing that someone will always be there for you.
Overall, "Hackensack" is a sentimental song about lost love and the hope of a possible reunion. Through its lyrics, Perry reveals her deep longing for her past relationship, and the emotional connection she still feels towards her former lover. The song is a reminder that love can transcend time and distance, and the hope of a happy ending never truly fades away.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to know you when we were young
Back in the day, we were friends and had a deep connection.
You were in all my dreams
I constantly dreamt about you and thought about you regularly.
We sat together in period one
We had a specific class together and sat next to each other.
Fridays at 8:15
This class was on Fridays at 8:15 in the morning.
Now I see face in the strangest places
I randomly see your face pop up in unexpected places.
Movies and magazines
I even see your face in movies and magazines.
I saw you talkin' to Christopher Walken
I even saw you talking to a celebrity like Christoph Walken on TV.
On my TV screen
This happened while I was watching something on TV.
But I will wait for you
Despite not knowing where you are or what you're up to, I'll be patient and wait for you.
As long as I need to
I'll continue to wait for however long it takes.
And if you ever get back to Hackensack
If you decide to come back to our hometown of Hackensack,
I'll be here for you
I'll be here waiting for you and ready to reconnect.
I used to work in a record store
I used to have a job working in a record store.
Now I work for my dad
But now I work for my father in a less exciting job.
Scraping the paint off of hard wood floors
My current job involves boring and unglamorous tasks like scraping paint off of floors.
The hours are pretty bad
On top of that, the hours for this job aren't great either.
Sometimes I wonder where you are
I still think about you and wonder where you are and what you're doing.
Probably in L.A.
My guess is that you're likely in Los Angeles like so many other people are.
That seems to be where everybody else ends up these days
It's a popular place for people to go these days for various opportunities.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MONK THELONIOUS, THELONIOUS MONK
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 ...