Helen of Troy
Lorde Lyrics
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You've heard it all before
One minute, I was killing 'em all
And the next, a brown suit wouldn't let me perform, ah
Typical
So I took a happy face and it's coming on like a charm
I don't wanna get lost, I wanna worship the sun
I'm in my own little golden age
But it's such a pill when they don't appreciate
So when you smoke that cigarette
Or when you talk shit 'bout an old friend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith, ah
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
They're banging on the door
Everyone, please make way
For the girl who looks like she flew in from outer space
Yesterday
I think I'll wait it out
My little thing is keeping 'em keen
They could be drinking with you, but they'll be looking at me
This whole time, I've been playing it coy
The city's falling for me just like I'm Helen of Troy, ah
So when you're broke, can't get ahead
Or when you take it out on your boyfriend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
Let's hear it for the girls (let's hear it for the girls)
(Living in the modern world) living in the modern world
In Lorde's song "Helen of Troy," she starts off by acknowledging how fame can be fickle, and how one moment it seems like everyone loves you and the next you're not even allowed to perform. She then goes on to express her desire to bask in her own greatness and to worship the sun. Lorde then touches on how difficult it can be to deal with the pressures of life, but encourages listeners to cut themselves some slack and have faith. She finishes the song by celebrating the modern woman and all of the challenges she faces.
Throughout the song, Lorde references the myth of Helen of Troy, a woman whose beauty was so great that it caused a war. By comparing herself to Helen, Lorde is commenting on how society often puts undue pressure on women to be perfect and how that pressure can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse.
One interesting fact about the song is that Lorde wrote it after experiencing a panic attack on a flight. She revealed in an interview that the lyrics about worshipping the sun were inspired by her desire to be grounded and connected to something larger than herself. Another interesting fact is that the song features a sample from Roy Orbison's "You Got It."
Overall, "Helen of Troy" is a powerful and insightful track that showcases Lorde's talents as both a songwriter and a performer.
Chords: The chords for this song are not currently available online.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey
The song is starting
You've heard it all before
Things have been said and done before and nothing is new
One minute, I was killing 'em all
There was a time when everyone was impressed by my talents and abilities
And the next, a brown suit wouldn't let me perform, ah
Suddenly, someone in authority stopped me from doing something I wanted to do
Typical
This is a common occurrence
So I took a happy face and it's coming on like a charm
I put on a cheerful demeanor to make up for my disappointment and it's working well
I don't wanna get lost, I wanna worship the sun
I don't want to forget what's important to me and want to stay positive and hopeful
If you want, you can come
You can join me if you wish to
I'm in my own little golden age
I feel like I'm doing great in my own world
But it's such a pill when they don't appreciate
It's difficult when others don't recognize or acknowledge my achievements
So when you smoke that cigarette
When you indulge in unhealthy habits
Or when you talk shit 'bout an old friend
When you gossip or badmouth someone you used to know
I know it's hard, but do your best
I understand it's not easy, but try your hardest
Give yourself a break, have a little faith, ah
Take some time off and believe in yourself
Let's hear it for the girls
Let's applaud and support women
Living in the modern world
In the present time
They're banging on the door
They're trying to get noticed and break through
Everyone, please make way
Give them space and let them through
For the girl who looks like she flew in from outer space
For the girl who is unique and stands out
Yesterday
Even though it was just yesterday
I think I'll wait it out
I'll be patient and wait for my turn
My little thing is keeping 'em keen
My small gesture or action is keeping others interested and engaged
They could be drinking with you, but they'll be looking at me
They could be socializing with you, but they are paying attention to me instead
This whole time, I've been playing it coy
This whole time, I've been acting modest or shy about my abilities
The city's falling for me just like I'm Helen of Troy, ah
The city is captivated by me like they were by Helen of Troy from Greek mythology
So when you're broke, can't get ahead
When you're struggling financially or can't make progress
Or when you take it out on your boyfriend
Or when you blame your boyfriend for your problems
I know it's hard, but do your best
I acknowledge how tough it is, but try your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Take a break and believe in yourself
Let's hear it for the girls
Let's give praise to women
Living in the modern world
Existing in contemporary society
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Take some time for yourself and trust in your abilities
Let's hear it for the girls
Let's celebrate and appreciate women
(let's hear it for the girls)
A repetition of the previous line
(Living in the modern world)
A repetition of the previous line
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ella Marija Lani Yelich O'Connor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicholas
"Helen of Troy"
Lorde (From 'Solar Power (Deluxe Edition)')
[Intro]
Hey, hey
[Verse 1]
You've heard it all before
One minute, I was killing 'em all
And the next, a brown suit wouldn't let me perform, ah
Typical
So I took a happy face and it's coming on like a charm
I don't wanna get lost, I wanna worship the sun
If you want, you can come
[Pre-Chorus]
I'm in my own little golden age
But it's such a pill when they don't appreciate
[Chorus]
So when you smoke that cigarette
Or when you talk shit 'bout an old friend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith, ah
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modеrn world
[Verse 2]
The banging on the door
“Everyonе please make way
For the girl who looks like she flew in from outer space
Yesterday, eh”
I think I'll wait it out
My little thing is keeping 'em keen
They could be drinking with you, but they'll be looking at me
This whole time, I've been playing it coy
The city's falling for me just like I'm Helen of Troy, ah
[Chorus]
So when you're broke, can't get ahead
Or when you take it out on your boyfriend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
[Outro]
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
Let's hear it for the girls (Let's hear it for the girls)
Living in the modern world (Living in the modern world)
Ximena Moreno
lyrics
Hey, hey
You've heard it all before
One minute, I was killing 'em all
And the next, a brown suit wouldn't let me perform, ah
Typical
So I took a happy face and it's coming on like a charm
I don't wanna get lost, I wanna worship the sun
If you want, you can come
I'm in my own little golden age
But it's such a pill when they don't appreciate
So when you smoke that cigarette
Or when you talk shit 'bout an old friend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith, ah
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
The banging on the door
Everyone please make way
For the girl who looks like she flew in from outer space
Yesterday, eh
I think I'll wait it out
My little thing is keeping 'em keen
They could be drinking with you, but they'll be looking at me
This whole time, I've been playing it coy
The city's falling for me just like I'm helen of troy, ah
So when you're broke, can't get ahead
Or when you take it out on your boyfriend
I know it's hard, but do your best
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
Give yourself a break, have a little faith
Let's hear it for the girls
Living in the modern world
Let's hear it for the girls (let's hear it for the girls)
Living in the modern world (living in the modern world)
fusionfallmaster
"I’m in my own little golden age, but it’s such a pill when they don’t appreciate" It's like she predicted how the critics were going to receive her album. Love it!
Matthew Carlos
EXACTLY 😭😭😭
Zagi
And she doesn’t even care 👑
Mikayla McFadden
Yeah like I don't get it. Artists can't grow???? David Bowie was the same way with his work. I am so happy Lorde is experimenting and continuing with her amazing lyricism
LaserNikiXCX
The studio where she recorded Pure Heroine is also called Golden Age
G Siya
She's also making fun of herself
Delta
This is a really clever song. It's kind of about how fairly well-off people (including herself) like to pretend their lives are hard and challenging when they have it pretty easy. Lorde said in her email that she wrote it kind of quickly for a laugh, which I can see - it's basically light-hearted satire. One of my favorites from the album honestly.
Nicolas Odendaal
Lorde is the queen of self-satire just listen to her very first album...
G Siya
The whole album is her writing and being like 😈
Ned Kelly
@G Siya Like what?