People on TikTok are only just realising what these Lily Allen lyrics actually mean

Although Lily Allen may now be a broadway star with a Dior brand deal and a new husband, she leaves behind a legacy of disenfranchised youth who once clung to every syllable of her poignant verbal takedowns. But don’t worry. We found them on TikTok.

Every 2000s baby who now has a septum piercing (and probably a turbulent relationship with their parents) likely found themselves while blasting “Smile” in the car, aged seven.

We never missed a beat for all 37 minutes and 12 seconds of Alright, Still, but there was never time to think too deeply about the nuance of Miss Allen’s lyrical genius. Now, her Gen-Z fanbase has taken to TikTok to share their awe at the inappropriate lines they once screamed at their dads.

We took the lyrics too literally when we were younger

The Fear is riddled with hidden meanings and sarcastic quips. They were sitting right under our noses when we were younger, but we were just too naive to sniff them out. Although TikTokers seem to like using the opening verse to manifest a life of wealth, those with a life-long Lily Allen obsession have grown to realise she was pointing out the downsides of relying solely on material wealth.

@sophiejade♬ original sound – DanahBananaa

Most of us missed Lily’s subtle attack on British tabloids. The lyric “I’ll look at the sun, and I’ll look in the mirror” is actually in reference to the famous Page Three. Not… Oh, I don’t know… The flaming ball of gas in the sky. What were we thinking?

Everyone’s 12th birthday party had the same playlist

TikTok is amazing for uncovering the sad truth that we’ve been living the same lives all along.

Childhood birthdays were twofold: either everyone begged their parents to eat at an oddly specific chain restaurant, or you opted for a disco party in your childhood bedroom (the middle class among us might’ve upgraded by renting the local town hall). If you preferred the latter, the playlist was of paramount importance.

@missmb113Lily just knows what’s up #obx #fyp #lilyallen #fyp #viral #harrystyles #oliviarodrigo♬ Not Fair – Lily Allen

So, which Lily Allen song always landed at the top of the list? It had to be Not Fair. The incessant drumbeat made it easy to do that weird half-jump-half-dance we always did.

Little did we know, the dirty looks some older family members might’ve thrown our way were likely due to their dismay in watching a pre-teen sing about a man who is terrible at sex…

The lyrics were literally: “You never make me scream.” Did we seriously think for one minute that was a piece of poetry relating to parental rage? I had a permanently sore throat for most of the 2010s as a direct result of screaming at my dad, so the line doesn’t even hold.

Now we analyse the lyrics in sociology lessons

The scariest part of all of this? TikTok has revealed an even more covert subculture of A-level sociologists that went full-circle from superfan to scholar. Surely sociology teachers would be bewildered if they saw such in-depth analysis taking place on an app.

The lyrical confusion this internet storm has created has led to some creators deciding it might be best to gate-keep Lily’s songs. What started as criticism towards capitalism and social expectations. But some claim they understand the meaning of the lyrics but can’t help still relating to it in a literal sense.

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