Incredibly Dark Meaning Behind The Lyrics Of Aqua’s Barbie Girl

In the total mix of hit songs that filled many school dances in the ’90s and early ’00s, we can’t forget to mention those catchy S Club 7 tunes, ‘The Ketchup Song’, ‘Macarena’, and ‘Cha Cha Slide’. Included in this playlist is Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’, of course.

The song from 1997 has become a classic for many and always manages to bring back waves of nostalgia starting from the moment we hear “Hiya, Barbie”.

However, what might have been a fun song to sing along to as children might reveal a darker meaning to adults upon closer inspection of the lyrics.

Just taking a moment to read through those lyrics will strip away any remnants of the fun, colorful world of Barbie brought back to life by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

We’re all pretty familiar with the lyrics by now, but let’s dive into that catchy chorus once more:

“I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic.

“You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life is your creation.”

When you stop to think about it, the implications of these lyrics can seem a bit unsettling, right?

Ideally, Barbie is describing a happy, loving scenario with a similarly-aged Ken, and that’s great if it’s the case.

However, it’s crucial to remember this is intended as a children’s song, and yet, Barbie is suggesting someone ‘undress her everywhere’.

YouTube/Aqua

Consider the millions of children worldwide singing ‘undress me everywhere’ – it’s a bit alarming, isn’t it?

If the song hadn’t reached such monumental popularity and become an anthem for countless children, perhaps it wouldn’t be so concerning.

Yet, this track has garnered over a billion views on YouTube and countless streams on Spotify.