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Hayley Williams says Paramore's Misery Business is about Josh Farro's ex
7 May 2020, 12:10
Hayley Williams performs stunning Tegan and Sara cover
Hayley Williams opened up about the true inspiration behind 'Misery Business' in a new interview about Petals for Armor.
Hayley Williams has stated that Paramore's 'Misery Business' was inspired by her fancying her former bandmate Josh Farro.
Fans of Paramore will already know that Hayley Williams has distanced herself from 'Misery Business' in recent years. It may be one of Paramore's biggest singles to date but Hayley no longer stands by the lyrics. Fans have called out the line, "once a whore, you're nothing more / I'm sorry that'll never change" for slut-shaming and Paramore no longer perform it live.
READ MORE: Hayley Williams hints next Paramore album will be "hard rock" not pop
Now, Hayley has opened up about the true inspiration behind it and it was all about her being jealous of Josh Farro's ex.
Who is Paramore's 'Misery Business' about?
Speaking to Vulture, Hayley said: "When I was 13 or 14 and I had a crush on Josh, he didn’t like me back. He would go hang out with his girlfriend who I wrote 'Misery Business' about because I was a dick. I would hang out with Taylor and Zac. We’d sit on Instant Messenger and be idiots. It’s so surreal to me to still play music with them, let alone enjoy knowing them."
Say what?!! This brings a whole new dimension to the song. Hayley and Josh actually went on to date each other from 2004 to 2007. However, they stopped speaking after Josh and his brother, Zac Farro, left the band in 2010. Speaking about Josh leaving, Hayley said: "That was so painful. Now, when I run into Josh, I barely feel anything. No part of me is triggered."
Divulging further, Hayley stated that it all came to heads at a Wembley show. "Josh asked me what monetarily I thought he was worth. I looked at him and said, 'I’m not good with numbers. Are you kidding me? Don’t ask me that.' He was trying to figure out if he was going to take legal action against us to own the name. It’s not easy to fight your friend."
While Hayley and Josh are no longer friends, Hayley is incredibly close with Zac again. Not only is he back in Paramore but he's also been heavily involved in her new solo album Petals for Armor. The new project drops tomorrow (May 8).
QUIZ: Can we guess your age based on your taste in Paramore songs?
