Baby, you got me all wrong
And maybe I'm not at all down and out
Well I'm high and I'm in
Don't you know who I am
I'm the jaded one with pop insensitivity
And when I finish struggling
We can make our way to the dance floor
And stand like strangers in an elevator
Stuck between stories
I always find myself
In the middle of your stories
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right

If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right

If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right

If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right

We don't dance no, no, no
We got class
No we don't have any fun at all
It's a new style and we know it
We're not stunning, we're just stunned

We're lying for a living
We're lying for a living

Don't you know who I am
I'm the real thing with low-key sensibilities
I don't need what I've got
Half as much as everyone covets it
Well, if loving me is wrong
Then God damn you do it right
Well, if loving me is wrong
Then God damn you do it right
It turns us on, to turn you down
We're turned on, to turn you down


Lyrics submitted by MizunoPunk

The New Black Lyrics as written by Jordan Taylor Buckley Andrew John Williams

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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The New Black song meanings
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33 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Hello -

    "Baby, you got me all wrong And maybe I'm not at all down and out Well I'm high and I'm in"

    I'm not who you think I am. I'm not as vulnerable as you think.

    "Don't you know who I am I'm the jaded one with pop insensitivity And when I finish struggling We can make our way to the dance floor And stand like strangers in an elevator Stuck between stories"

    Once I get through my issues, we can circle back to you. However I really have nothing for you to gain.

    "I always find myself In the middle of your stories With the camera as a witness I will suffer With the camera as a witness I will suffer"

    I have real estate in you thoughts. Look close enough and it will be clear how I function.

    "If everything I do is wrong Then by God I do it right

    If you think this is bad, don't worry I can stoop lower. And I will, since it wouldn't matter anyway.

    saucedogon August 21, 2023   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    If it isn't already apparent, Keith is a satirical writer.

    ill say that this is my opinionated interpretation.

    Every line from this song is from a celebrity point-of-view in first person, showing their arrogance.

    Ill do my best to explain it section by section:

    "Baby, you got me all wrong And maybe I am not at all down and out I'm high and I'm in Don't you know who I am?"

    The celebrity getting publicity for themself and being arrogant about how famous they are.

    "I'm the jaded one with pop insensitivity When I finish struggling, we can make our way to the dance floor and stand like strangers in an elevator stuck between stories I always find myself in the middle of your stories With the cameras as a witness I will suffer"

    Celebrities have problems but no problems with being popular. Then it shows that their problems arent really that big because they can waste time clubbing, partying...then boasting about being in news and being loved by fans. Then showing how they do bad things and get caught."

    "if everything I do is wrong, then by God I'll do it right"

    but it doesnt matter that they were caught, saying the celebrity will clean up their act, and we give them another chance.

    "We don't dance no no no We got class No we don't have any fun at all It's the new style and we know it"

    Trying to hide their ways. this is very Sarcastic. its obvious they have fun, there is no way to hide it.

    "We're not stunning, we're just stunned and we're lying for a living"

    there is nothing special about them, they just are made out to seem that way. and what we know of them isn't really them.

    "Don't you know who I am? I'm the real thing with the low-key sensibilities I don't need what I've got half as much as everyone covets it"

    They aren't smart with their actions. They live overly abundant lives. and everyone wants to be like them.

    "If loving me is wrong, then god damn you do it right"

    people say that celebrities are bad role models, but still worship them by keeping them famous, even for their negative actions.

    "It turns us on to turn you down"

    to me this is the only toss up about meaning. My thoughts are that that is the celebrity being happy about not being close to their fans.

    Keith Buckley is a Genius.

    BuckleyApprenticeon February 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's actually "if everything I do is wrong, then by God I'll do it right."

    precipitateon September 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    saw them the other day, and the vocalist (keith?) said ' this is a song about the ladies'.

    1001110111on December 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The vocalist's name is Keith. This is definitely a song about the ladies- if the second to last line isn't a dead giveaway I don't know what is.

    P. S. You got to see them? Damn I'm jealous, I was going to see them last night but the tickets were sold out by the time I found out they were playing.

    pretorbenon March 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is so amazingly badass, I saw them play it today at the Warped Tour. Fucking awesome.

    Sweet mosh, bro.

    Anthem515on August 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This lyrics are so cocky. Saw them at Nottingham in May. It was fucking awesome. Favourite band no doubt about it. New video for this is ace too, ava gander.

    daveysaon August 25, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah I think this is a song about a guy who is really full of himself and very cocky. When it says "If everything I do is wrong, then by God I do it right", it's all the people saying that he's a cocky bastard and what he is doing is wrong and selfish, whatever it is that may be doing.

    Anyways, yeah this song is awesome...it was fucking amazing when the played it at WT.

    Anthem515on September 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    wow, im suprised there arent more comments. this is my favorite etid song. i just like the sound of it... and the lyrics dont sound half bad either. ill have to agree with you guys on the cocky part, im gettin that vibe too. btw, they were on the 2006 WT Compilation cd. i bought it at hollister. good stuff. =) heh.

    savannah_raeon October 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not too sure on the cocky part.. probably partly true. I think it's about a celebrity, or celebrities in general, that pretty much fuck up a little bit and are always in the headlines.

    "With the cameras as a witness I will suffer", refering to photographers, "I always find myself in the middle of your stories", refering to magazine writers and such. And, my favourite line, "If everything I do is wrong, then by God I do it right" - what they do wrong gets them publicity, therefore is in a way a good thing.

    Could be completely wrong but that's my take on it.

    Seewaon October 31, 2006   Link

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