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Column: Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on April 4, 2010 10:24 PM

By Meg Lister, Gavel Writer -

“(Hey, what up girl?) Grab my glasses, I’m out the door, I’m gonna hit this city.” I’m sure you’ve heard Ke$ha repeat these lines many times, maybe even a few too many. “Tik Tok” is catchy and fun, but what is breakout artist Ke$ha really saying?

In the beginning of the song, she’s on top of the world. Before this song, Ke$ha could only dream of “making the band,” much less receiving star status a la P. Diddy. She identifies with the hip-hop artist’s most recent nickname, rather than the vintage “Puff Daddy” or “Puff Diddy.” She creates a modern, sparse identify for herself, not bothering to complete her sentence or use P. Diddy’s full name. Like P. Diddy, Ke$ha favors anonymity through the use of a pseudonym. Pseudonyms are often used when the writer or artist has something to hide—what is Ke$ha’s secret?

Ke$ha follows this with the phrase “Grab my glasses, I’m out the door, I’m gonna hit this city.” She actually finishes her sentences here, which implies a strong sense of purpose. She has formulated these plans earlier, and they may be part of a normal routine. By “glasses,” the listener is unsure if Ke$ha is indicating reading glasses, sunglasses, or glasses to drink out of. Since she’s going to “brush [her] teeth with a bottle of Jack,” it may be the latter. After a night of hard partying, however, she may need the shades to protect her eyes from the harsh rays.

Next, Ke$ha embraces her feminine identity. She’s “talking pedicure on our toes, toes; trying on all our clothes, clothes” even “boys blowing up our phones, phones.” This is usually the part of the song where boys feel most left out. Ke$ha is targeting her audience and promoting a sense of female unity. This is a bold move, as only approximately 50 percent of the population will enjoy this stanza. Early in the song, she risks losing attention. This reinforces her bold attitude, and her pride in participating in traditionally female activities. No powersuits for Ke$ha—this girl means a different kind of business.

Directly after getting a pedicure and trying on an outfit, Ke$ha heads to the party. Either she has woken up very late in the day, spent a long time getting ready, or she is participating in some sort of “darty” or “dayger” (day party, day rager). The progression of time is a bit dubious, especially as daytime traditionally drags on in preparation for the big event. Either way, Ke$ha’s main objective is “trying to get a little bit tipsy.” She does not plan to get totally wasted, trashed, or blackout; she wants to recollect this party the next morning.

Her main objective, moreover, is dancing. She authoritatively commands “DJ, blow my speakers up.” It is unclear if this is specifically Ke$ha’s party, taking place in her abode, or if she controls the party simply because she is Ke$ha. She’ll keep on dancing and partying “till we see the sunlight.” The “tik tok on the clock,” the title line of the piece, is actually Ke$ha’s biggest enemy. She wants the night to last forever, and is “going to go til they kick us out.”

She reinforces this carefree, living-in-the-moment attitude with the declaration “ain’t got a care in the world, but got plenty of beer, ain’t got no money in my pocket but I’m already here.” Alas, Ke$ha has fallen back into the trap of failing to complete her sentences. This could be attributed, however, to the effect of her “tipsy-ness.” The boys previously “blowing up [her] phone” are back, because “they hear we got swagger.” Ke$ha and her entourage, however, will “kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger.” Here, she asserts her femininity in a powerful way. Boys are attracted to her self-confident attitude, and she can afford to be picky. Ke$ha has a true appreciation for badass men, like Mick Jagger, paying homage to the Rolling Stones frontman. In the hip-hop and rap age, Ke$ha manages to recollect the good old days of rock-and-roll.

Ke$ha’s song is remarkable, despite its initial impressions, for its strong feminine assertions. The song mentions alcohol only four times, a relatively low number for the genre. Ke$ha aims to have a good time, but the emphasis is not on drinking per se, only as an aspect of a fun night out. She has her pick of boys, and they are drawn to her precisely because of her strong, assertive qualities. She does not need to humble herself and wait for their phone calls—they respond to her. Annoying as one might find her, Ke$ha is somehow on the right track.