Slide Away

Album: Single release only (2019)
Charted: 40 47
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Miley Cyrus first met Australian actor Liam Hemsworth on the set of the Nicholas Sparks film The Last Song in 2009. They began an on-again, off-again relationship that culminated in them getting married on December 23, 2018. Cyrus left fans shocked when she announced on August 10, 2019, that they were calling it quits after eight months of marriage. The singer released this raw and honest track a week later as a response to their breakup.

    Once upon a time it was paradise
    Once upon a time I was paralyzed
    Think I'm gonna miss these harbor lights
    But it's time to let it go


    The pair were both teenagers when they first met and fell in love. Now having grown up and changed, Cyrus feels it's time to "slide away" from their relationship and move on.
  • The song appears to reference reports that Hemsworth's partying ways was a major factor in their split.

    I want my house in the hills
    Don't want the whiskey and pills


    Sources told TMZ that Hemsworth was drinking a lot and indulging in drugs towards the end of their marriage.
  • Cyrus and Hemsworth broke up for a time in 2013 and several of the singer's Bangerz tracks were about their deteriorating relationship; these included "Maybe You're Right" and "Drive."
  • Cyrus wrote the ambient, atmospheric track alongside Finnish singer-songwriter Alma and producers Mike WiLL Made-It ("Wrecking Ball") and Andrew Wyatt ("Mother's Daughter").
  • Cyrus penned "Slide Away" 18 months before her split from Liam Hemsworth, well before they became husband and wife.

    "I wrote 'Slide Away' before my breakup," she told Apple Music host Zane Lowe. "I wrote 'Slide Away' in February of the year before, and I just keep speaking these things into existence."

    Because the song's end of a relationship subject matter later became real, it caused Cyrus to change her lyrical content.

    "That's why I've decided to use my language to love myself, and to really create what I want to be my reality," she said in the August 2020 interview. "Because otherwise, I keep doing the opposite. I burned my house down with my words."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.