Katy Perry wasn’t allowed to sing actual California Gurls lyrics during performance because of their actual meaning
Katy Perry is the name on everyone's lips after her barnstorming performance at the VMAs this week, but did you realise you may not know her hit song 'California Gurls' as well as you think.
Released back in 2010 (sorry to make you feel old), the song was an instant banger and features an assist from Snoop Dogg.
It was naturally on Perry's setlist during her 2015 Super Bowl halftime show as the Seattle Seahawks faced off against the New England Patriots.
While we all know the tune to sing along to, it turns out one line of the song has a hidden meaning.
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When performing the tune, the pop star was apparently told she couldn't sing all of the lyrics at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
With the Super Bowl halftime show being broadcast to millions, artists need to keep things clean when they perform.
Perry came up with a workaround though: rather than singing the offending lyrics herself, she asked fans to sign it for her.
So why were the lyrics banned? Because they include a pretty obvious reference to marijuana.
Snoop Dogg was involved with the track after all.
To refresh your memory, the tune features Snoop saying: "Greetings loved ones / Let's take a journey."
Perry then sings: "I know a place / Where the grass is really greener."
This, my friends, is apparently a nod to weed.
One person said on Reddit: "I was today years old when I realized 'where the grass is really greener' from California Gurls is a weed reference."
Another added: "Lol I didn't make the connection it would mean a weed... I always assumed it would be for describing California as the perfect paradise and just how you imagined it to be and the 'really' stressing on the point."
A third admitted: "Oh my gosh, I get it on another level now.
During Wednesday's VMAs, Perry took home the Video Vanguard Award.
She and her fiancé Orlando Bloom were behind several viral moment, from their passionate onstage smooch to Bloom calling Perry by her real name, much to the bemusement of her fans
After collecting the award, the singer said: "My Katy Cats, you stood by me for a lifetime and the LGBTQ community who I recognise I would not be here without.
"My Katy Cats, you stood by me for a lifetime and the LGBTQ community who I recognise I would not be here without."
Topics: Katy Perry, VMAs, High School Musical, Celebrity
Kya Buller