“Flowers” might not be the only song on Endless Summer Vacation that references Miley Cyrus' former marriage, and 10-year relationship, to Liam Hemsworth. It seems like “Jaded” could be about the ending of their romance, too.
But whereas “Flowers” is a celebration of independence and single life, “Jaded,” as the title suggests, is more somber and conflicted. The grunge-y rock ballad finds Cyrus, after having time to think about a former relationship from a distance, looking back with a more mature lens. “I know it was wrong, but never said I was sorry / Now I've had time to think it over / We're much older and the bone's too big to bury,” she sings in the first verse.
She sings from a vulnerable place, showing remorse, taking accountability, and empathizing with a former partner while also feeling hurt herself. That's clear in both the pre-chorus and chorus with lines like, “Oh, isn't it a shame that it ended like that? / Said goodbye forever, but you never unpacked / We went to Hell, but we never came back,” and “You're lonely now and I hate it / I'm sorry that you're jaded.”
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Cyrus and Hemsworth met in 2009 and, after dating on and off for years, married in 2018. They divorced in 2019. Cyrus noted that even after the split, she still cares for Hemsworth. “I really do and did love him very, very, very much and still do, always will,” she said in an interview with Howard Stern in 2020. After news broke that Hemsworth filed for divorce, a source told People, “She didn’t expect it and is a bit disappointed, but she is still doing well and has obviously moved on as well.” Cyrus also sang of conflicted feelings about the breakup in “Flowers” with the line, “I didn't wanna leave you.”
But “Jaded” isn't just about revisiting the past; it's also about the uneasiness of moving forward, especially when it comes to meeting someone new. “I won't lie, it won't be easy / When somebody new is on your body,” she sings in the bridge. Post-Hemsworth, Cyrus has dated Kaitlynn Carter and Cody Simpson, and is now in a relationship with Maxx Morando.
Read the full lyrics to “Jaded” below, courtesy of Genius. The song was written by Cyrus, Bibi Bourelly, Michael Pollack, and Ian Kirkpatrick, and produced by Jonny Coffer and J Moon.
[Verse 1]
I don't wanna call and talk too long
I know it was wrong, but never said I was sorry
Now I've had time to think it over
We're much older and the bone's too big to bury
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, isn't it a shame that it ended like that?
Said goodbye forever, but you never unpacked
We went to Hell, but we never came back
[Chorus]
I'm sorry that you're jaded
I could've taken you places
You're lonely now and I hate it
I'm sorry that you're jaded
[Verse 2]
You're not even willin' to look at your part
You just jump in the car and head down to thе bar 'til you're blurry
Don't know when to stop, so you take it too far
I don't know whеre you are and I'm left in the dark 'til I'm worried
Ooh, and it hurts me
[Pre-Chorus]
And it's a fuckin' shame that it ended like that
You broke your own arm, but you'd never say that
We went to Hell, but we never came back
[Chorus]
I'm sorry that you're jaded (Jaded)
I could've taken you places (Places)
You're lonely now and I hate it
I'm sorry that you're jaded
[Bridge]
I won't lie, it won't be easy
When somebody new is on your body
I'll change my number but keep your T-shirt
I don't mind it's torn up and faded
[Chorus]
I'm sorry that you're jaded (Jaded)
I could've taken you places (Places)
You're lonely now and I hate it
I'm sorry that you're jaded
[Outro]
I'm sorry that you're jaded
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
