This Is How We Do by Katy Perry Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Celebration of Carefree Indulgence
Lyrics
Coming up all lazy (this is how we do)
Slow cooking pancakes for my boy
Still up, still fresh as a daisy (oh, oh)
Playing ping pong all night long
Everything’s all neon and hazy (this is how we do)
Chanel this, Chanel that, hell yeah
All my girls vintage Chanel, baby (oh, oh)
It’s no big deal, it’s no big deal
It’s no big deal
This is no big deal
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do, do-do-do-do, this is how we do
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do, do-do-do-do, this is how we do (oh, oh)
Big hoops and maroon lips
My clique hopping in my Maserati (this is how we)
Santa Barbara chic at La Super Rica
Grabbing tacos, checking out hotties (oh, oh, oh)
Now we talking astrology, getting our nails did
All Japanese-y (this is how we do)
Day drinking at the Wildcats, sucking real bad at Mariah Carey-oke (oh, oh)
It’s no big deal, it’s no big deal (uh-uh)
It’s no big deal
This is no big deal
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do, do-do-do-do, this is how we do
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do (ayy), do-do-do-do (oh), this is how we do (yo)
This one goes out to the ladies at breakfast in last night’s dress
(It’s how we do, straight stunting like that, uh-huh) uh-huh, I see you
Yo, this goes out to all you kids
That still have their cars at the club valet and it’s Tuesday
(It’s how we do, straight stunting like that, uh-huh) yo
Shout out to all you kids buying bottle service with your rent money
(This how we do, straight) respect
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do, do-do-do-do, this is how we do
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do (ayy, hey), do-do-do-do (oh, oh)
This is how we do (woo)
This is how we do
This goes out to all you people going to bed with a ten
And waking up with a two (this is how we do)
(It’s how we do, straight stunting like that, uh-huh) ha, not me
This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back
Straight stuntin’, yeah, we do it like that
This is how we do (ayy, what?), Do-do-do-do (oh)
(It’s how we do, straight stunting like that)
Wait, no, no, no
(Do, oh, oh) bring the beat back
That’s right
This is how we do
Oh, oh
This is how we do
Oh, oh
Candy-colored visuals and infectious beats often hallmark Katy Perry’s music, yet it’s the layered lyrical embroidery that weaves the deeper fabric of her chart-toppers. ‘This Is How We Do’ stands as a technicolor tribute to the very essence of youthful revelry and the ostentatious lifestyle of the nouveau riche. It is an anthem for the carefree, an homage to the blithe spirit of a generation that worships at the altars of pleasure and instant gratification.
Peering into the world Katy Perry paints with ‘This Is How We Do,’ it’s easy to see a surface of flippancy – but listen closely, and the song becomes a cultural touchstone, a mirror to the attitudes and lifestyles of the zeitgeist. Each line of the song is not merely a catchphrase but a commentary on a societal segment’s way of life.
Pop Art for the Party Soul – A Dive Into Aesthetics
Perry’s verses are painted in broad, vibrant strokes of pop culture references and trademark KP kitsch. She talks about ‘slow-cooking pancakes’ and playing ‘ping pong all night long,’ conjuring images of endless leisure and nighttime antics splashed across a canvas of LA cool. The aesthetic of ‘This Is How We Do’ is a deliberate nod to the pop art movement – embodying its spirit with bold, vivid imagery that critiques while it celebrates consumerism and modern fun.
It’s a mosaic of modern life where the hazy, neon-lit LA backdrop serves as the epicenter of a specific cultural moment. The song revels in its own camp and paints a satirical picture of the millennial pursuit of fun and fashion, be it through ‘big hoops and maroon lips’ or thrifting for ‘vintage Chanel.’
The Catchphrase Mantra – ‘It’s No Big Deal’
Repeated like a mantra throughout the song, the phrase ‘It’s no big deal’ becomes emblematic of the generation’s nonchalance and detachment. The chorus trivializes the exhilarating yet superficial lifestyle it describes, suggesting that, in the grand scheme of things, these moments of grandeur are as ephemeral as the lifestyle they’re linked to.
In this sense, ‘no big deal’ serves as both a self-assured shrug off to critics of this flamboyant lifestyle and a deflection of any deeper introspection. Perry’s words are an invitation to indulge in the moment, free from the burden of consequence or depth—a call to a culture where even the outrageous has become the norm.
Millennial Indulgences and the Luxury of Nostalgia
Perry’s allusions to ‘maroon lips,’ ‘Maserati,’ ‘Santa Barbara chic,’ and ‘grabbing tacos’ sketch a tableau of eclectic luxury and accessible indulgence. It’s a curated blend of the past and the present, where nostalgia for a more ostentatious era comes to life in the habits of contemporary luxe life. The duality hints at a generation nostalgic for times they’ve not lived – romancing the idea of ‘old money’ while existing in the immediacy of the current technological and social milieu.
Her lyrical escapade through ‘day drinking at the Wildcats’ and ‘sucking real bad at Mariah Carey-oke’ reflect a charmed life peppered with deliberate messiness, suggesting that it’s in the imperfections and spontaneity that life’s greatest moments are born. Perry spotlights the beauty in mundane absurdities, venerating the boldness of living freely and the artistry in creating a lifestyle’s narrative.
Unveiling the Irony – The Hidden Meaning of Hedonism
While on the surface the song reads like a soundtrack to hedonistic pleasure, a deeper look reveals a layered satire. The track might be an ode to the excesses and frivolities of a certain lifestyle, but it’s also a look at the vacuity that can accompany it. ‘This Is How We Do’ is a bold statement on consumer culture and the performative aspects of social media, where lifestyles are often reduced to hashtags and ‘doing it for the ‘gram.’
Perry’s seemingly mindless shout-outs—to ‘ladies at breakfast in last night’s dress’ and ‘kids buying bottle service with your rent money’—are tongue-in-cheek acknowledgments of reckless abandon. The song pokes fun at the self-conscious performance that comes with a life lived for the gaze of others, even as it invites the listener to partake in the fun.
Memorable Lines and the Echoes of Cultural Relevance
In a song chock-full of catchy lines, certain phrases rise above to encapsulate the zeitgeist of a generation. ‘This one goes out to the ladies at breakfast in last night’s dress’ is a rallying cry for those who wear their escapades like badges of honor, championing the idea of unabashed enjoyment and the refusal to be shamed for it.
Even as the song revels in depictions of a fantastical, carefree life, these lines underscore an undercurrent of defiance—a celebration of freedom and a rejection of societal expectations. As Katy Perry croons about going ‘from a ten to a two,’ it’s clear that “This Is How We Do” is not just a pop song, it’s a cultural statement on the relentless pursuit of happiness within the chaos of the modern world.
