Doja Cat, Paint The Town Red: the lyrics & meaning

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The journey toward the fourth album goes on: on August 4, 2023, Doja Cat released a second single, Paint The Town Red, following the success of Attention a couple of months before. “I said what I said”: again, the track represents a statement about her artistic phase: the lyrics are cryptic, and fans want to know more about their meaning. In this article, we will analyze everything, and you’ll also have the complete lyrics at the end.

You can watch the official video for Paint The Town Red below.

Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red (Official Video)

Paint The Town Red: the lyrics & meaning

In the lyrics of Paint The Town Red, Doja Cat expresses her confidence about who she is, showing no care for what the haters say. “Paint The Town Red” is an expression that usually means going out and having a good time, drinking, dancing, and being with friends. Doja Cat uses it in the chorus:

Yeah, b* *h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red

So literally, the lines mean that Doja Cat doesn’t allow haters to affect her mood: she will still go on and have her fun, ignoring them all. But we can identify a second meaning behind the title, supported by the official video where the singer is covered in blood, standing next to Death. From this point of view, painting the town red could mean going around killing all those who attacked her, distributing death to whoever deserves it. After all, the lyrics remind us how someone compared her to the Devil:

Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b* *h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle

Doja Cat has been the target of many attacks on the Internet after she shaved her head, changing her look. This has been the main topic of all her recent songs: the singer needed to overcome all the negative comments she received in the last few months. And being compared to the Devil was one of them, mentioned in the lyrics of Paint The Town Red. This explains the temper she shows in her recent singles.

I look better with no hair
Ain’t no sign I can’t smoke here
Gimme the chance and I’ll go there

The rest of the song confirms Doja Cat’s confidence in what she is: she’s famous and successful, haters cannot really touch her, and her fame is defined by the quality of her music. That completes the meaning of the lyrics in Paint The Town Red: your hatred cannot affect me; I am what I am, and I’m proud of it; I keep living the way I want despite haters, and I can kill whatever I don’t like. Including the image of myself that I want to change, eventually.

Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave

The complete lyrics

Yeah, b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red
b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red

Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle
Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle (Yeah, yeah)

Said my happiness is all of your misery
I put good d–k all in my kidneys
This Margiel’ don’t come with no jealousy
My illness don’t come with no remedy
I am so much fun without Hennessy
They just want my love and my energy
You can’t talk no s–t without penalties
b- -h, I’m in yo’ s–t if you send for me

I’m going to glow up one more time
Trust me, I have magical foresight
You gon’ see me sleepin’ in courtside
You gon’ see me eatin’ ten more times
Ugh, you can’t take that b- -h nowhere
Ugh, I look better with no hair
Ugh, ain’t no sign I can’t smoke here
Ugh, gimme the chance and I’ll go there (Yeah)

Yeah, b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red
b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red

Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle
Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle (Yeah, yeah)

Said pop make money, now you try, b- -h
You could use a revamp with a new vibe, sis
I don’t need a big feature or a new sidekick
I don’t need a new fan ’cause my boo like it
I don’t need to wear a wig to make you like it
I’m a two-time b- -h, you ain’t knew I’d win?
Throw a shot like you tryna have a food fight then
All my opps waitin’ for me to be you, I bet

Said I got drive, I don’t need a car
Money really all that we fiendin’ for
I’m doin’ things they ain’t seen before
Fans ain’t dumb, but extremists are
I’m a demon, Lord
Fall off what? I ain’t seen the horse
Called your bluff, better cite the source
Fame ain’t somethin’ that I need no more

‘Cause, b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red
b- -h, I said what I said
I’d rather be famous instead
I let all that get to my head
I don’t care, I paint the town red

Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle
Mm, she the devil
She a bad lil’ b- -h, she a rebel
She put her foot to the pedal
It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle