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.
Self Inflicted
Katy Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the crowd
And I got a bloody knee
Under my skin
A mark from wiping out
It brings back the memories
Every bone's been broken
And my heart is still wide open
I can't stop
Don't care if I lose
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
I'm going down in flames for you
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
One more thing I'm addicted too
With each scar there's a map
That tells a story
What a souvenir of Young
Love's like jumping out
An airplane riding a tidal
Wave on an ocean of emotion
My heart rips me wide open
I can't stop
Don't care if I lose
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
I'm going down in flames for you
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
One more thing I'm addicted too
And I cover up these scars
(We'll make it we'll make it
But we break it)
And I can't stop seeing stars
(Lets hope not die)
Whenever you're around
Around
I can't stop
Don't care if I lose
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
I'm going down in flames for you
Baby you are the weapon I choose
These wounds are self inflicted
One more thing I'm addicted too
I can't stop no I can't stop
No I can't stop
Oh I'm going out in flames
Oh I'm going down in flames
Oh
Baby you are the weapon I choose
Baby you are the weapon I choose
The song "Self Inflicted" by Katy Perry is about being in love with someone so much that it becomes all-consuming and self-destructive. Perry references the pain and scars from past relationships, comparing them to physical scars and marks. She uses the metaphor of jumping out of an airplane and riding a tidal wave of emotions to describe the intensity of being in love.
The lyrics "Every bone's been broken and my heart is still wide open" may suggest that Perry has been hurt before in relationships but she is still willing to throw herself into love without hesitation. She admits that her obsession with this person is causing her own destruction, but she cannot help being addicted to them.
The chorus repeats "Baby you are the weapon I choose, these wounds are self-inflicted." This line suggests that the pain and hurt that comes from loving this person is caused by Perry's own actions, as she willingly chooses to let this person hurt her.
Overall, "Self Inflicted" showcases the idea that sometimes love can be both beautiful and destructive at the same time. Perry's powerful vocals and emotional lyrics truly emphasize the intense nature of this kind of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when I dove
Into the crowd
And I got a bloody knee
I recall the time when I jumped into the midst of people and injured my knees due to the fall.
Under my skin
A mark from wiping out
It brings back the memories
A blemish on my skin from that fall reminds me of the time I got hurt.
Every bone's been broken
And my heart is still wide open
Despite my many injuries from taking risks, I'm still willing to try again and be vulnerable.
These wounds are self inflicted
I'm going down in flames for you
The damages I suffer are because of my own actions, and I don't care if it leads to failure since I'm doing it for you.
With each scar there's a map
That tells a story
-What a souvenir of Young
Love's like jumping out
Every scar has a story to tell, and each one is a remnant of the times I took risks in love.
An airplane riding a tidal
Wave on an ocean of emotion
My heart rips me wide open
Loving someone involves soaring high in passion and sometimes playing with danger, while my heart sometimes suffers from the intensity.
And I cover up these scars
(We'll make it we'll make it
But we break it)
And I can't stop seeing stars
(Lets hope not die)
Whenever you're around
Around
I try to hide my wounds and convince myself that everything will work out, but I still can't help feeling overwhelmed and captivated when I'm with you.
One more thing I'm addicted too
Apart from the risks I'm taking for you, I'm also addicted to my feelings for you.
I can't stop no I can't stop
No I can't stop
Oh I'm going out in flames
Oh I'm going down in flames
I'm unable to stop taking risks for you, even if it leads to my own hurt and failure.
Baby you are the weapon I choose
Baby, you are the weapon I choose
You are the person I willingly get hurt for and take risks for, and I choose you every time.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT MICHAEL CUTLER, ANNE PREVEN, 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 ...