Here's What Ariana Grande's "Side to Side" Lyrics Really Mean (Warning: Profane)

The River ^ | 2-7-2017 | Webmaster

[brucedickinson]

When Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj teamed up, their resulting single Side to Side shot right to the top of the charts! And it's easy to see why; the song is catchy, it's sexy, and it's got an energetic, bouncing, funky beat that will have you bobbing along with the music even if you have no idea what the song is about. Plus, that VMA performance with the exercise bicycles was pretty neat.

Speaking of "what the song is talking about," it's not always easy to tell what's really going on in lyrics like these. The girls use their fair share of euphemism and metaphor, so you might not catch everything even if you listen closely.

So, with the help of annotations from genius.com, I've gone through and translated the lyrics to Side to Side so you can have a better understanding of the music.

[SMARTY]

Young people do NOT listen to what their parents or what any adults have to say.

That said however, they are incredibly impressionable and that's good and bad.

Parents and the other adults around young people must set the best example possible... since the kids won't listen, they need to be SHOWN.

The best lessons I got from my parents are as fresh in my mind today as the day I witnessed the example they set for me. It's hard to even remember what was said except maybe, ‘sit up straight’ or ‘brush your teeth’. But the actual example... that's still there and it's still powerful.

[teeman8r]

So you agree.

[Maverick68]

I’m still scratching my head over the thought of anyone taking their 8 year old child to see this hooker.

[DoodleBob]

I agree, that parenting nowadays is sad, broadly, vs yesteryear. Of course, I've seen 8year olds at Who, Rush, and Peter Frampton concerts and I bet some elements of society think that's as morally failing as the spectacle of an Arianna Grande concert. Go figya.

I agree, that I would never buy any of Ms. Grande's output nor would I recommend it to anyone. I would say the same for anything from Bruce Springsteen...it is not quality entertainment that elevates the soul to fulfill its Manifest Destiny.

I disagree with people who think all this is primarily the fault of the tart.