Current:Home > InvestThe Original Lyrics to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" Will Blow Your Mind-InfoLens
The Original Lyrics to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" Will Blow Your Mind
View Date:2024-12-23 11:15:36
Katy Perry's team was initially hot and cold about "Teenage Dream."
Bonnie McKee, who co-wrote the 2010 hit with the singer, revealed that the track went through a few different lyrical renditions before landing on the chorus known today.
"It was the most difficult to write," Bonnie explained during a May 6 episode of The DaddyMommy Show podcast. "We wrote like five different versions to it."
The songwriter—who's credited on the track alongside Katy, Max Martin and producers Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke—recalled the first version of the hook starting out with the lines: "You make me feel like I'm born again / All brand new, come on, Peter Pan."
Of course, that concept didn't stick. In fact, after deciding those lyrics were "too young" and "needed to be sexier," they went back to the drawing board and worked on a few more ideas, including one that was called "Try Me On."
"It was all kind of fashion references," Bonnie recounted. "Even though that's a really cute idea and worth writing, it felt a little bit camp, and the song was a little more earnest."
Ultimately, the singer-songwriter—who also co-wrote Katy's "California Gurls" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"—said she went through "several notebooks of different versions" before landing on the song's more "nostalgic and young" lyrics: "You make me feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream / The way you turn me on, I can't sleep."
"There was something about the word teenager," Bonnie remembered. "I was like, 'Teenager says so much,' but it was too many syllables. So, we changed it to 'teenage,' and then it turned into 'teenage dream.' I was like, 'This feels right. I solved the puzzle.'"
But even if she hadn't, the 40-year-old would have stayed in the studio with Katy for however long it took.
"That was kind of my 8 Mile moment because I was broke," Bonnie said. "My cell phone got turned off, I had no hot water, I had no car."
She added, "I was so lucky to be in that room."
Want to revisit more iconic Katy moments? Read on to see the "Firework" singer through the years...
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (4842)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Red Velvet, Please
- U.S. fast tracks air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine ahead of other countries
- Six protesters run onto 18th green and spray powder, delaying finish of Travelers Championship
- Yes, carrots are good for you. But there is one downside of overconsumption.
- Miami Marlins hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as manager
- U.S. fast tracks air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine ahead of other countries
- Swath of New England placed under tornado watch as region faces severe storms
- Auto dealer system updates to take 'several days' following CDK hack, ransom demand
- Jelly Roll goes to jail (for the best reason) ahead of Indianapolis concert
- Abortion access has won when it’s been on the ballot. That’s not an option for half the states
Ranking
- Traveling to Las Vegas? Here Are the Best Black Friday Hotel Deals
- COVID summer wave grows, especially in West, with new variant LB.1 on the rise
- Taylor Swift posts selfie with Prince William, kids and goes IG official with Travis Kelce
- Chicago’s iconic ‘Bean’ sculpture reopens to tourists after nearly a year of construction
- 1 monkey captured, 42 monkeys still on the loose after escaping research facility in SC
- New York’s Chronically Underfunded Parks Department Is Losing the Fight Against Invasive Species, Disrepair and Climate Change
- Colorado authorities search for suspect in shooting that left 1 dead, 2 critically injured
- Body camera video captures frantic moments, intense gunfire after fatal shooting of Minneapolis cop
Recommendation
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Good Try (Freestyle)
-
FDA gives green light to menthol flavored e-cigarettes for first time
-
Amazon to stop using plastic air pillows in packages
-
Nevada judge dismisses charges against 6 Republicans who falsely declared Trump the winner in 2020
-
California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China
-
Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Panthers vs. Oilers: Predictions, odds, how to watch
-
2 people were taken to a hospital after lightning struck a tree near a PGA Tour event in Connecticut
-
Kim Kardashian Reveals How Botox Has Impacted Acting Career