Paramore’s “The News” Lyrics Meaning

Perhaps it’s safe to say that we all know at least one person who has at least attempted to stop watching the news. As these people see it, mainstream news agencies are such that they only report the most-harrowing of events. 

So consequentially, regularly giving your mind over them results in a permeating sense of depression. 

Hayley Williams gave a lengthy, elaborate explanation as to this song’s meaning. But as for the actual lyrics, what the type of character she is portraying is most notably someone who has not only seemingly decided to “turn off the news” but is also encouraging others to do likewise.

But going back to her explanation as well as all that’s being presented in this song, it isn’t really comprehensively that simple.

Hayley described this piece as being “the balance between apathy and the righteous rage that motivates you to action”. So earlier on, we find the vocalist rather depicting herself as a news watcher. And what’s being implied in that regard is that the reason she does so is because she’s naturally empathetic to the suffering of others, even if it is pertaining to “a war… on the other side of the planet”.

But at the same time, she’s also dealing with “a war right behind (her) eyes”. And Williams’ explanation would imply that what she’s referring to in that sense is there being enough problems to contend with at home also, not only in the perennially-troubled United States at large but also directly in her local ‘hood, even if it doesn’t rank amongst the most-dangerous places on Earth.

“Turn of the News”!

So on one hand, it can be taken that she’s grown apathetic by opting to “turn off the news”. But on the other, we find the vocalist doing what little she perceives she can – i.e. donating money and coming off as if she’s some type of social-media warrior – to make the world a better place. 

But Hayley goes on to insinuate that even after making such efforts, she’s basically left feeling as if she’s done nothing effective at all.

So by the time all is said and done, “The News” concludes with sort of a cliffhanger, or let’s say for the most part right back at where it begun. For instance, in the chorus, we find the phrase “turn on, turn off the news”, which reads as if it is contradicting itself. 

But what the singer seems to be getting at, conclusively, is that since we are concerned beings, it’s as if we can’t help but to watch or read the news. Yet at the same time, let’s say for those of us who are genuinely concerned about the plight of our fellow man, doing so tends to have this sort of enduringly-depressing effect.

Release of “The News”

Paramore released “The News” on the 8th of December, 2022. It happens to be the second single they released in the year 2022. The first of the said year is a song titled “This Is Why“. Both songs are singles from the band’s sixth studio album which also goes by the title “This Is Why”.

Credits

Hayley Williams and the following Paramore bandmates of hers wrote this song:

• Zac Farro
• Taylor York

Grammy-winning record producer, Carlos de la Garza holds the production credits for this song. Aside acting as its producer, he is also credited as one of the song’s backup vocalists.