After multiple delays and disputes with her record label, Ferreira's debut studio album Night Time, My Time was released in October 2013, preceded by the lead single "You’re Not the One", and marked a departure from her former style, incorporating more experimental indie rock with synth-pop elements. The album received critical acclaim. That year, she ventured into the film industry after appearing in Eli Roth's The Green Inferno and garnered media attention after being arrested for drug possession. She was exposed to a mainstream audience as one of Miley Cyrus' main opening acts on her international Bangerz Tour in 2014. While appearing in films and other projects, she released the single "Downhill Lullaby" in March 2019.
Ferreira's earlier work incorporated elements of dance-pop, while her recent projects experiment with acoustic, new wave and primarily indie rock musical styles. Her lyrical content originally incorporated themes of rebellion and teenage romance, and has since evolved to discuss personal insecurities and more mature romantic themes. Outside her work in the entertainment industry, she has modeled for several brands and magazines, including serving as the spokeswoman for the hair care brand Redken in 2014.
17
Sky Ferreira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
She, she, she,
She came home late again tonight,
You could see it in her eyes,
Oh, whoa, we, we, we,
Don't know what to do with her,
She's from a different world,
And it's apparent now this girl is hiding,
Something in the way she gives a confident excuse,
There's no way they'd ever know shes been -
Sneaking out at night,
She's dancing at the night club,
Yeah, she got a fake ID,
They'll never know she's 17.
Oh, and she's drinking with her friends,
And they're all 21,
I wonder how much longer she can get away with -
Her dirty little secret.
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Mom and dad,
They don't seem to understand,
She's got so many older friends,
They pick her up every Wednesday night.
She breaks the rules,
She makes a fool of everyone,
She won't give up until she's done,
And it's apparent now this girl is missing,
Something in the way she gives a confident excuse,
There's no way they'd ever know shes been -
Sneaking out at night,
She's dancing at the night club,
Yeah, she got a fake ID,
They'll never know she's 17.
Oh, and she's drinking with her friends,
And they're all 21,
I wonder how much longer she can get away with -
Her dirty little secret.
She hides the pain behind the fun,
She said she doesn't need anyone at all,
They say she's living way too fast,
I wonder how long she can last before she falls -
To the ground.
Something in the way she pushes everyone away,
There's no way they'd ever know -
Sneaking out at night,
She's dancing at the night club,
Yeah, she got a fake ID,
They'll never know she's 17.
Oh, and she's drinking with her friends,
And they're all 21,
I wonder how much longer she can get away with -
Her dirty little secret.
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
Ba, ba, ba, di, da, da, da, da, da
In the song "17" by Sky Ferreira, the lyrics tell the story of a teenage girl who is living a double life. She comes home late at night and makes up confident excuses to her parents to cover up her activities. She is actually sneaking out to go to nightclubs with her older friends, using a fake ID to drink alcohol and dance. The girl is rebellious and doesn't follow the rules, even though her parents try to intervene and understand her behavior.
The lyrics reveal the girl's feelings of isolation and hiding, as she tries to balance her desire to have fun and be independent with the consequences of her actions. She pushes everyone away and doesn't seem to see the danger in her behavior, but the song hints at the possibility of her falling apart and getting caught.
Overall, the song captures the angst and confusion of adolescence, as well as the allure and risks of breaking the rules. It portrays a character who is both relatable and flawed, struggling to find her place in the world and deal with the expectations of society.
Line by Line Meaning
She came home late again tonight,
She arrived home late tonight, with a look in her eyes that suggests she's been up to something.
Don't know what to do with her,
We don't know how to handle her behavior.
She's from a different world,
She comes from a different background or environment.
Something in the way she gives a confident excuse,
Her excuses sound plausible, but there's something suspicious about them.
Sneaking out at night,
She's leaving the house secretly when everyone is asleep.
She's dancing at the night club,
She's going to a club to dance.
Yeah, she got a fake ID,
She has a fake identification card which makes her appear to be older than she really is.
They'll never know she's 17.
The people at the club think she's an adult, not a teenager.
She hides the pain behind the fun,
She's using fun activities to mask her emotional pain.
She said she doesn't need anyone at all,
She claims that she doesn't require anyone's help or support.
I wonder how long she can last before she falls -
To the ground.
I'm curious about how much longer she can maintain her high-risk lifestyle before it leads to her downfall.
There's no way they'd ever know -
No one around her suspects what she's really doing.
She breaks the rules,
She disregards the boundaries set by others.
She makes a fool of everyone,
She embarrasses those closest to her with her actions.
She won't give up until she's done,
She's determined to keep going until she achieves her goals or objectives.
And it's apparent now this girl is missing,
It's clear that something important is lacking from this girl's life or personality.
Oh, and she's drinking with her friends,
She's consuming alcoholic beverages along with her peers.
And they're all 21,
Her friends are legal adults who have reached the minimum drinking age.
Her dirty little secret.
This is her illicit activity that she's keeping hidden from others.
Contributed by Xavier E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jo B
This was such an inspiration to me when I was younger.
Now, I've got a criminology degree and see the girl in this video has probably been through abuse. She parties for escapism, but really, she needs kindness and support. She isn't free like I used to think.
L 🌟
im 24 now but i remember being 13 and listening to this song and just absolutely fantasizing about living this life lol… i love sky so much its so nice to see her releasing music again
Dena Marie DANCE
She is stunning here. I hate people saying shit like "I can't believe this is Sky." So her style has changed. She has found herself more it seems. This is kind of silly. Silly lyrics. I still really like it though. I especially like how her voice sounds when "Sneaking out at night she's sitting at the nightclub" She is wonderful here and she is wonderful now.
Moonbeeps
+Dena Marie i knew her being like this, the strange sky for me is how she is now
Dena Marie DANCE
+moonbeeps I have actually read a lot about her lately and I can see that this was not the real Sky. I still love this and "one" but my understanding is that they made her sing songs and do things that were just sooooo not her. She is just so talented and beautiful no matter what she does but I am glad she is able to do things SHE wants to do now. :)
Lauri Dumas
her voice sounds so much like Marina and the Diamonds in this song! i actually rlly love it
Your Girl Gigi
+Lauri Dumas and Marina has a song called Seventeen heheheheheh
Neuza
Not really
Adrian Martinez
Ironically the first time I heard either of them was two music videos from them back to back
Mati FM
I think this song is about herself... She got a tattoo at 14, dropped out of school at 15, moved to new york alone at 17...