Outkast Blow Internet's Mind With Real Meaning Behind 'Hey Ya!'

Skip to content

News Outkast Blow Internet’s Mind With Real Meaning Behind ‘Hey Ya!’ May 4, 2021

By Emmy Mack

Strap yourself in because Outkast have just splattered the internet’s brain with a truth bombshell, shining a light on the true meaning behind their booty-shaking noughties hit ‘Hey Ya!’

Jumping on board the latest meme trend, the hip-hop duo pointed out that the funky 2004 hip-hop jam’s lyrics are actually sad AF:

Alright alright alright alright alright we made one. pic.twitter.com/lSMmPTtgdD

— Outkast (@Outkast) May 3, 2021

If you’ve never taken the time to engage with the meaning behind the song before, Andre 3000 actually wrote it about modern day relationships and how messed up they are.

With lyrics like “If what they say is ‘nothing is forever’ then what makes, then…what makes love the exception?” and “why are we still in denial when we know we’re not happy here”, the hip-hop superstar muses on the trend of staying together in an unhappy relationship out of fear of being alone.

BUT WAIT pic.twitter.com/b9YvHQ7sg3

— gm (@_holyshift) May 4, 2021

“Y’all don’t want to here me, ya just want to dance” he even quips in the song’s bridge.

Consider us shaken like a polaroid picture.

In other Outkast-related memes, we back this one:

Wait.. I also made one pic.twitter.com/hltesGAyRI

— Naïm (@ANG3X6_) May 3, 2021

Let ‘Hey Ya!’ hit you different, below.

Emmy Mack Andre 3000Outkast

Share article

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Must Read

1

A Big K-Pop Festival Is Officially Coming to Australia in 2026 BREAKING: Melbourne About To Be Absolutely Swarmed by K-Pop Fans News 3 weeks ago

2

Garbage’s Shirley Manson Absolutely Lost It Over A Beach Ball At Good Things (And Uh… We May Have Been Involved) INSIDE GOOD THINGS #BEACHBALLGATE News 4 weeks ago

3

Here are the Set Times and Site Maps for Pitch Music & Arts Festival Organisers have revealed the full rundown of set times and site maps for this weekend’s Pitch Music & Arts Festival.… News 3 years ago

4

The Guardian’s Music Editor Just Trashed Sleep Token As ‘Worst Album Of The Year’ “It sounds like Maroon 5 if they had an iron deficiency.” News 1 week ago

5

Two Major Acts Pull Out of Good Things 2025, Festival Rallies With Replacements EVERYBODY STAY CALM News 1 month ago

6

Kendrick Lamar Setlist Features 10 GNX Songs for Grand National Tour A new setlist. Features 3 months ago

7

Faithless Announce 2026 Australian Tour – Their First Visit in 15 Years Get ready to lose sleep Australia! News 4 weeks ago

8

“The Australian Music Industry Is Parasitic”: Private Function Announce Their Break-Up "You only get more exploited the higher up they let you." News 1 week ago Related

Love Letter To A Record: Tasman Keith On OutKast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ I thank André 3000 for not being afraid to show emotion in hip-hop at a time when it was more… Features 7 years ago

A US University Is Offering An English Course On Outkast The course leader says there's a "restrictive definition of what literature is." News 9 years ago

Outkast’s ‘Ms. Jackson’ Is About Erykah Badu’s Mum And She’s Obsessed With The Song She even has a 'Ms. Jackson' numberplate. News 9 years ago

Big Boi: “There Won’t Be A New Outkast Album” Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, one half of legendary Atlanta hip-hop crew Outkast has quashed recent rumours that he and partner… News 12 years ago X