Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ Is Based on a Passage From a Famous American Novel
TL;DR:
- Katy Perry’s “Firework” is based on a passage from a famous American novel.
- A major celebrity introduced her to the passage.
- Perry said she hadn’t read the whole book when she wrote the song.
Katy Perry‘s “Firework” is one of the most famous empowerment anthems of the 2010s. Perry revealed a paragraph from a famous American novel inspired the song. In addition, she said she hadn’t read the whole book when she wrote the song.
Russell Brand introduced Katy Perry to 1 of the most famous American novels
Perry was married to Russell Brand from 2010 to 2012. During a 2010 interview with BBC News, Perry said Brand showed her a passage from Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road. On the Road is one of the most famous American novels of its time and it’s considered one of the seminal literary works of the Beat generation.
Perry discussed the part of the book she read. “It was a paragraph that he said I was like,” she said. “In the book, he was talking about how he wanted to be around people who were buzzing, fizzing and making people go ‘Argh, like fireworks across the sky.'”
Perry explained why she connected with the passage. “I guess that’s my whole vibe,” she revealed. I want to make people go ‘Argh’ in so many different ways. I want to be a living firework.'” In a 2010 interview posted on Perry’s YouTube channel, the singer said she hadn’t read On the Road when she wrote “Firework.”
The lines from ‘On the Road’ that inspired Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ are very different from the song
According to Billboard, the section of On the Road that inspired Perry is distinct from the lyrics of “Firework.” “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time,” Kerouac wrote.
The quotation emphasizes individuality. “The ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww!'” Kerouac wrote.
How ‘Firework’ and its parent album performed on the charts in the United States
“Firework” became a huge hit in the United States. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, staying on the chart for 39 weeks in total. Besides “Dark Horse,” none of Perry’s other songs lasted longer on the chart.
“Firework” appeared on Perry’s album Teenage Dream. The album topped the Billboard 200 for one week, spending 282 weeks on the chart altogether. Teenage Dream spent more time on the chart than Perry’s other albums.
“Firework” is a top 40 song with unusually highbrow origins.
