The song is a re-working of the leaked demo of "Keep The Trance" which was omitted from the Confessions on a Dance Floor studio album. It contains many identical lyrics, was co-written and produced by Mirwais Ahmadzaï and had a completely different structure; it is an up-tempo electronica/dance song differing greatly from "Hey You".
The song was made available to be downloaded in MP3 and WMA formats on MSN. Microsoft pledged to donate $0.25 per download to the Alliance for Climate Protection for the first million downloads of the track.
The free download was only available for one week, it is now available to buy from sites such as iTunes. No physical CD or other format was released. The Live Earth performance of the song was included on the Live Earth CD released in November 2007.
Hey You
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not so bad
There's still a chance for us
Hey, you, just be yourself
Don't be so shy
There's reasons why it's hard
Our celebration is going on tonight
Poets and prophets, what ending would we do'
This could be good, hey, you
Hey, you, open your heart
It's not so strange
You've got to change this time
Hey, you, remember this
None of it's real including the way you feel
Keep it together, you'll make it all right
Our celebration is going on tonight
Poets and prophets, what ending would we do'
This could be good, hey, you
Save your soul, little sister
Save your soul, little brother
Hey, you, save yourself
Don't rely on anyone else
First love yourself
Then you can love someone else
Then you can change someone else
Then you have saved someone else
But you must first love yourself
Then you can love someone else
Then you can change someone else
If you can change someone else
Then you have saved someone else
But you must first
Hey, you, there on the fence
You've got a choice
One day it will make sense
Hey, you, first love yourself
And if you can't
Try to love someone else
Keep it together, you'll make it alright
Our celebration is going on tonight
Poets and prophets, what ending would we do'
This could be good, hey you
First love yourself
Then you can love someone else
Then you can change someone else
Then you have saved someone else
But you must first love yourself
Then you can love someone else
Then you can change someone else
If you can change someone else
Then you have saved someone else
But you must first
In "Hey You," Madonna encourages listeners not to give up, and to be themselves despite the difficulties they may face. She reassures them that there is still a chance for a better future, and that they should keep it together and stay strong. Madonna also speaks to the individual's relationship with themselves, reminding them that they should love themselves first before loving someone else. She encourages listeners to change for the better and save themselves, while advocating for individual agency and self-reliance.
Overall, "Hey You" is a song with a positive message that advocates for self-empowerment and individual responsibility. The lyrics call on listeners to take control of their lives and strive towards self-improvement despite any obstacles they might face. Madonna's words are a reminder that change is always possible, but it needs to start with one's own efforts.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, you, don't you give up
Don't lose hope
It's not so bad
Things could be worse
There's still a chance for us
It's not too late for us
Hey, you, just be yourself
Be true to who you are
Don't be so shy
Don't be afraid to show your true self
There's reasons why it's hard
There are reasons why it's difficult to be yourself
Keep it together, you'll make it all right
Stay strong and you'll be okay
Our celebration is going on tonight
We're celebrating tonight
Poets and prophets, what ending would we do'
We need to decide what our future will be
This could be good, hey, you
Our future could be bright
Hey, you, open your heart
Be open to new experiences
It's not so strange
It's not unusual
You've got to change this time
It's time to make a change
Remember this
Don't forget
None of it's real including the way you feel
Don't believe everything you think or feel
Save your soul, little sister
Take care of yourself, sister
Save your soul, little brother
Take care of yourself, brother
Hey, you, save yourself
Take care of yourself
Don't rely on anyone else
Don't depend on others to take care of you
First love yourself
Put yourself first
Then you can love someone else
Only then can you truly love someone else
Then you can change someone else
You can inspire others to change
Then you have saved someone else
You can make a positive impact on others
But you must first love yourself
Self-love is essential
Hey, you, there on the fence
You're undecided
You've got a choice
You can choose your path
One day it will make sense
Things will become clear
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEOFFREY WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@immisael
Underrated Madonna's songs, and Hey You 😭
@RDrRD1989
Yeees....
@metalprincess9442
A beautiful song with a powerful visual message in true Madonna fashion.
@jaju984
It's a shame some fans can't appreciate what this song means in Madonna's career. The greatest honor she ever had: being the main act in Live Earth, after Queen in Live Aid and Mc Cartney (as The Beatles) in Live8, with a charity song that repressents the global event. Maybe the song that should be praised the most. But the greatest shame is not feeling such a wonderful song.
@albertogiovannirinconalfar462
I'm here for Billboard article that called her "The "Hey You" Singer"
@adhiantos
If you’re reading this in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can do this. Keep it together, we’ll make it alright! Stay safe, take care, wash your hands and be socially responsible.
@aristotlegoogle2490
!Same! we can do it stay safe we will survive!
@RDrRD1989
@Aristeo GutHer 👍🏾👍🏽👍🏿
@kellygood9606
❤️ Hope you stay safe too❤️
@zigababnik8780
Thank you for teaching humanity to wash hands (don't worry about your brains, your government has already done it for you :)