Miley Cyrus’ “Used To Be Young” Lyrics Are A Bittersweet Goodbye To Her Past Eras

Miley Cyrus can hold her own hand, and she’s doing just that as she gives an emotional farewell to her past selves. On Aug. 25, the Grammy nominee released her new single “Used To Be Young” after weeks of anticipation, and it’s a real tearjerker for fans who have stuck with her since her 13-year-old self first debuted as Hannah Montana in 2007.

“Used To Be Young” sees the 30-year-old singer take stock of her entire career, from Hannah Montana and her foam finger-wielding Bangerz eras to her more relaxed and self-assured state of mind today, as displayed on her 2023 number one mega-hit “Flowers.” “You say I used to be wild, I say I used to be young,” she sings sweetly in the chorus, atop melancholic piano chords and strings reminiscent of her iconic ballad “The Climb.” The song acts as a pseudo-finale of sorts, and an opening for her next chapter. However, she has no regrets about any of it. “Messed up but god, was it fun,” she remarks toward the end. “Those wasted nights are not wasted, I remember every one.”

In her Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions) special, Cyrus affirmed that “Used To Be Young” signals what’s to come. “It’s optimistic and there’s a sadness, that’s allowing sadness and joy to be happening simultaneously,” she said. “More importantly, this song is about looking towards the future and where I’m going.”

Cyrus expresses that melancholy sentiment in the song’s striking yet emotional video, which sees her emerging from a dark space and settling in front of the camera. Wearing a vintage Mickey Mouse T-shirt underneath her sparkling Margiela bustier to nod to her Disney Channel days, Cyrus gradually sheds tears as she belts out the lyrics and eventually ends with a big grin and shrug, symbolizing how she accepts her past and carries it with her into her next phase of life.

Taking to Instagram, Cyrus said she started writing “Used To Be Young” almost two years ago, at the beginning of her recording sessions for Endless Summer Vacation, but decided to hold the song back and perfect it — a process she says will continue even though it’s out in the world. “It was at a time I felt misunderstood,” she wrote. “I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever. Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete.”

Read the full “Used To Be Young” lyrics below.

The truth is bulletproof

There’s no fooling you

I don’t dress the same

Me and who you say I was yesterday

Have gone our separate ways

Left my living fast somewhere in the past

‘Cause that’s for chasing cars

Turns out open bars lead to broken hearts

And going way too far

[Chorus]

I know I used to be crazy

I know I used to be fun

You say I used to be wild

I say I used to be young

You tell me time has done changed me

That’s fine, I’ve had a good run

I know I used to be crazy

That’s cause I used to be young

Take one, pour it out

It’s not worth crying about

The things you can’t erase

Like tattoos and regrets

Words I never meant

And ones that got away

Left my living fast somewhere in the past

And took another road

Turns out crowded rooms empty out as soon

There’s somewhere else to go-ohhhhh

I know I used to be crazy

I know I used to be fun

You say I used to be wild

I say I used to be young

You tell me time has done changed me

That’s fine, I’ve had a good run

I know I used to be crazy

That’s cause I used to be young

Ohhhhh

I know I used to be crazy

Messed up but god, was it fun

I know I used to be wild

That’s cause I used to be young

Those wasted nights are not wasted

I remember every one

I know I used to be crazy

That’s cause I used to be young

You tell me time has done changed me

That’s fine, I’ve had a good run

I know I used to be crazy

That’s cause I used to be young