Miley Cyrus' new album , Endless Summer Vacation, is full of summer vibes and sunny lyrics, perfect for your Instagram captions. Yet there is tremendous depth to this album, and it ends with "Wonder Woman," one of the most heartbreaking songs she's ever written. In the piano ballad, Cyrus, 30, tells the story of a hard-working woman who suppresses her fears and sorrows in order to put on a happy face for the people she loves.
“She was a million moments, lived a thousand lives,” she sings. "Never knew she was desperate, only when she cried." As her hero breaks down, Cyrus lets out her true croak as she enters the chorus, which almost sounds like she's holding back Hold back the tears. "She couldn't stop her eyes from welling up with tears," she shouted. She sings the entire song in the third person, which means she could be referring to herself, a close family member, or another powerful woman in her life.
Turns out, she's singing to all of the above. Cyrus explained to Spotify that Wonder Woman was inspired by the death of her grandmother, affectionately known as mom to her longtime fans, and how her legacy impacted both her mother, Tish, and herself. “I wrote this song after my mom passed away,” she said. "My mom and I are very close and she runs my fan club. It's about the power of generations and the wisdom my grandmother gave my mom. It's ingrained in my DNA, so in a way we're pretty much all Feel like a woman."
Cyrus' grandmother passed away in August 2020, just days before the release of her final album, Plastic Hearts . At the time, the Grammy nominee paid tribute to her mom on Instagram, sharing a slideshow that included footage of her mom walking the red carpet at the Hannah Montana premiere and sitting in On the judging chair of "The Voice" .
"Even if you were gone...nothing would change," she wrote. "You will forever be my inspiration and style icon. More importantly, the ultimate model of being a true light in a dark world. You are the sunshine. Every day I wake up and see that fireball in the sky and I look to your face. And pray, thank God for giving me the best grandmother a girl could ever have. I will miss you all my life.”
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If you need a good cry, read the lyrics to "Wonder Woman" transcribed by Genius:
She is an amazing woman, she knows what she likes
Never knew she was having a meltdown because she was always nice
She is a million moments, a thousand lives
Never knew she was desperate, only when she cried
She dances in the dark as her favorite record plays
She couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes
She made sure no one saw her break down
She wants to be the one who never did
She is a woman who never stops and has a lot of time on her hands
All the pain has been polished, all the tears have been planned
But when her favorite record comes on, she dances in the dark
She couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes
She made sure no one saw her break down
She wants to be the one who never does
She is an amazing woman, she knows what she likes
Never knew she was hurt, only when she cried
