Lizzo, blessed be her name, has been nominated for a million Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. And honestly, I’m not sure why we’re even bothering to go through with the voting process when she should clearly win them all, but whatever.
All of Lizzo’s songs are perfect bbs that deserve to be loved equally, but “Truth Hurts” dominated the charts all through 2019 for a reason. It’s a bop. And considering it’s about to sweep, the time has come to get into the lyrics—which, turns out, have been causing some ~drama~.
So...About the Lyrics Controversy
Okay, buckle up, because this whole thing is a LOT. Back in August 2019, Lizzo decided to trademark the phrase “100% that bitch,” which caused a buncha outrage after this 2017 tweet courtesy of @MinaLioness resurfaced:
Around the time news of these copyright efforts broke, Mina hit Twitter and accused Lizzo of ignoring her attempts to get credit:
And she also shared that the original inspiration for “100% that bitch” came from Demi Lovato tweeting that she’s “1% African.”
Fast-forward a couple of months to October, and producer/songwriter Justin Raisen claimed he deserved a percentage of Lizzo’s royalties and was “shut down every time.” At this point, Lizzo hopped on IG and made it clear that memes stemming from Mina’s tweet were the inspiration for her “100% that bitch” lyric, but the rest of the song was alllll her.
“Hey, y’all...as I’ve shared before, in 2017, while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me, a meme that made me feel like 100% that bitch….The men who now claim a piece of ‘Truth Hurts’ did not help me write any part of the song. They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it…I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme. The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with…not these men. Period.”
Meanwhile, Mina hit Twitter to say, “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m a credited writer for the number one song on Billboard.”
In other words, IT ALL WORKED OUT.
Sooo, What Do the Rest of the Lyrics Mean?
There are a few standout lines that the Goddess Also Known as Lizzo has taken time out of her busy day to explain:
“Why men great till they gotta be great?”
She broke this one down on Twitter, writing, “Men hold the highest seats of power on the planet. They’re constantly appointed greatness and yet cannot seem to do any good with it.”
“New man on the Minnesota Vikings”
As Genius notes, this is a reference to one of the Minnesota Vikings players sliding into Lizzo’s DMs, which she revealed during a chat with YouTuber Zachary Campbell, saying, “Meanwhile, this Minnesota Viking was in my DMs, we were chatting, we were texting, we went on a date.”
“Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay”
Aaand turns out, these were just filler lyrics, lol:
PSA: Here Are the Complete Lyrics
Feel free to break these out next time you’re singing along to Lizzo alone in your bathroom. No judgment, I’m right there with you.
Why men great till they gotta be great?
Woo!
I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch
Even when I’m crying crazy
Yeah, I got boy problems, that’s the human in me
Bling bling, then I solve ’em, that’s the goddess in me
You coulda had a bad bitch, noncommittal
Help you with your career just a little
You’re ’posed to hold me down, but you’re holding me back
And that’s the sound of me not calling you back
Why men great till they gotta be great? (till they gotta be great)
Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face (tell it straight to my face)
Best friend sat me down in the salon chair (down in the salon chair)
Shampoo press, get you out of my hair
Fresh photos with the bomb lighting (with the bomb lighting)
New man on the Minnesota Vikings (Minnesota Vikings)
Truth hurts, needed something more exciting (yee)
Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay (eh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
You tried to break my heart?
Oh, that breaks my heart
That you thought you ever had it
No, you ain’t from the start
Hey, I’m glad you’re back with your bitch
I mean, who would wanna hide this?
I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be your side chick
I put the sing in single
Ain’t worried ’bout a ring on my finger
So you can tell your friend “Shoot your shot” when you see him
It’s okay, he already in my DMs
Why men great till they gotta be great? (till they gotta be great)
Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face (tell it straight to my face)
Best friend sat me down in the salon chair (down in the salon chair)
Shampoo press, get you out of my hair
Fresh photos with the bomb lighting (with the bomb lighting)
New man on the Minnesota Vikings (Minnesota Vikings)
Truth hurts, needed something more exciting (yee)
Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay (eh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’ma hit you back in a minute (yeah, yeah)
I don’t play tag, bitch, I been it (one time)
We don’t fuck with lies (two times), we don’t do goodbyes (woo)
We just keep it pushing like ay-ay-ay
I’ma hit you back in a minute (yeah, yeah)
I don’t play tag, bitch, I been it (one time)
We don’t fuck with lies (two times), we don’t do goodbyes (woo)
We just keep it pushing like ay-ay-ay (woo)
Why men great till they gotta be great? (till they gotta be great)
Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face (tell it straight to my face)
Best friend sat me down in the salon chair (down in the salon chair)
Shampoo press, get you out of my hair
Fresh photos with the bomb lighting (with the bomb lighting)
New man on the Minnesota Vikings (Minnesota Vikings)
Truth hurts, needed something more exciting (yee)
Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay (eh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
With the bomb lighting
Minnesota Vikings
Yee, eh, yeah, yeah, yeah
