| Lyrics | Critical Analysis |
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Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah | The 12 "yeah"s set an affirmative tone for the rest of the song, which, as we shall see, actually sets up the pivotal irony, which is that the message of the song is actually one of negation and rejection. This ironic structure parallels the theme of the song in that its initial tone of acceptance and joy are actually false pretenses, which will later be revealed as a miscommunication. The significance of the 12 is unclear; the 12 months, disciples, monkeys and signs of the zodiac are some theories. |
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I think I did it again I made you believe we're more than just friends Oh baby It might seem like a crush But it doesn't mean that I'm serious 'Cause to lose all my senses That is just so typically me Oh baby, baby |
Britney's metaphporical "[loss of] senses" represents her spiritual confusion and ambivalence when confronted about her true feelings regarding this mysterious "you" character. |
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:Chorus: Oops!...I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game Oh baby, baby Oops!...You think I'm in love That I'm sent from above I'm not that innocent |
Ah. Here the message of the song resonates indubitably clear. I believe no explanation is necessary. However, one noteworthy use of religious imagery is Britney's self reference as an angel ("sent from above") -- but she makes haste to remind us of her oh so human nature, that human nature that has the ability to hurt, unlike the mysterious "you"'s idealized angelic image. |
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You see my problem is this I'm dreaming away Wishing that heroes, they truly exist I cry, watching the days Can't you see I'm a fool in so many ways But to lose all my senses That is just so typically me Baby, oh |
A perfectly placed stanza: immediately after she makes it clear is she is indeed an imperfect human, she continues by analysing her faults and exposing her weakness. This stanza softens the blow of rejection felt by the mysterious "you" by illustrating Britney's empathy with his faults. She too idealizes and dreams, which ironically explains why the "you" can't have her and even makes "you" feel grateful for his rejection as it teaches him to escape from the fate that Britney is forever doomed to suffer. We cannot help but remember Britney's recent rejection of Prince William. Perhaps this song was written for him? |
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:Chorus: Oops!...I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game Oh baby, baby Oops!...You think I'm in love That I'm sent from above I'm not that innocent |
This repetition serves to "hammer home to the point," as they say. |
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah |
The continuation of this juxtaposed paradoxical affirmation increases the ironic tension of the song and continues to parallel its main theme. |
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"All aboard" "Britney, before you go, there's something I want you to have" "Oh, it's beautiful, but wait a minute, isn't this...?" "Yeah, yes it is" "But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end" "Well baby, I went down and got it for you" "Oh, you shouldn't have" |
This allusion to Titanic works very well to pull the heart strings of the listeners who are familiar with this work. Initially, we are confused by the sudden shift in tone with the "All aboard," but when the Titanic reference is made clear, we relish doubly in the delight of the combination of this powerful song with such a powerful movie. The ... at the end of "Oh, it's beautiful, but wait a minute, isn't this ...?" effectively implies "that big diamond from Titanic?" Britney's ability to communicate this concisely, using her words so sparingly, sets up another ironic tension between the incompleted sentence Britney speaks with the juxtaposed, redundunt "Yea, yes is it." |
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Oops!...I did it again to your heart Got lost in this game, oh baby Oops!...You think that I'm sent from above I'm not that innocent | "Nails in the coffin," as they say. |
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