Miley Cyrus vs Joan of Arc/Rap Meanings

Miley Cyrus:
Let me guess, you're here to hate.

(Cyrus assumes that Joan of Arc has come to diss her.)

Well, you can stand in the autograph line and wait!

(Cyrus is an up-and-coming celebrity, with lots of fans. Fans often want an autograph, so to get one, a fan must wait in line.)

Cause I'm all twerk, I got all day

(Cyrus thrust the "twerk" dance into the spotlight, though the dance was already gaining popularity among girls in small circles despite being sex-forward. She has lots of free time.)

To spit harsh words in this French maid's face

(Cyrus sets up to battle Joan, and she'll beat Joan with caustic rhymes.)

You died a virgin girl, who you think you messin' with?

(Joan of Arc was executed before ever being married (she was 19), nor did her faith permit her to meet a young man; ergo she died a virgin. Cyrus thinks Joan doesn't know who she's up against.)

It's Miley Cyrus, I'm the hottest thing since Britney, bitch

(She's Miley Cyrus, claiming to be as popular as, or more popular than fellow Disney alum Britney Spears. Yet, like Spears before her, Cyrus went from teen and tween idol to "bad girl" upon becoming an adult. This is also a reference to Britney Spears's catchphrase "It's Britney, bitch")

I'm getting lifted on that molly, get that party turned up!

(Cyrus was reportedly under the influence of ecstasy, also known as molly, during a party. She is, after all, a party animal and the "life of the party". When she enters a room, the party gets wilder. This could also be a reference to the lyrics to Miley's song "We Can't Stop" that say "Dancin' with Miley" which is commonly misheard as "Dancin' with Molly". )

You're getting lifted on a stake, get that body burned up!

(Joan of Arc was tied to a stake and then burned by the English armies that overtook France.)

'''Had enough? It's my habit, when I grab the mic, I milk it'''

(A reference to Miley's family farm, where she grew up. One would milk cows on a farm like this, so Miley would be skilled at it, similar to how when she sings she's very skilled, so when she's on the mic, it's like she's milking a cow.)

You could say this rap is like my alter ego cause I killed it

(Cyrus used the Hannah Montana stage name, her alter ego, until her TV show ended its run.  She explained her reasons for "killing" the character in an interview.) 

Joan of Arc:
Lord, forgive me for the words I speak.

(Joan of Arc was a devout Catholic, so she prays to God in advance of her counterattack on Cyrus, believing it a sin to do so.)

I know the voices of the angels tell me turn the other cheek,

(As a woman of deep faith, Joan claimed that she heard voices from on high that told her how to act. She cites a Scripture verse here: "If a man should strike you on the cheek, turn to him and offer the other also." From this comes the expression "to turn the other cheek" which loosely means "to allow something to happen without (negatively) reacting to it".)

But I'm about to rip Hannah Montana's tongue out through her teeth!

(Cyrus is notorious for letting her tongue stick out during photo ops, but Joan of Arc is going to pull it out through Cyrus' teeth once she's defeated her opponent.

Je suis la fille en feu, call me Katniss Everdeen!

(This is pure French for "I am the girl on fire." Katniss Everdeen is the female lead in the "The Hunger Games" book series. In one event in the series, Everdeen wears a fire-themed costume, and as an archer, she can shoot flaming arrows. It might refer to the second book in the series, "Catching Fire".)

When it comes to bad bitches, I'm the patron saint,

(A patron saint is one chosen to represent and keep watch over a group of people or things, as St. Francis of Assisi is said to have defended animals and the poor. Joan of Arc was extraordinarily courageous for one so young, and was therefore badass; thus she has taken it upon herself to represent all badass women.)

But I only get down on my knees when it's time to pray.

(Joan is calling Miley a whore by saying that Miley gets on her knees to perform fellatio, more commonly called a blowjob. Joan herself falls to her knees before she prays.)

I came to Frenchmen's aid in their time of need

(Joan saw her first visions at the age of 16 and was recruited by local infantry shortly thereafter, having posed as a young man successfully. Her strategy was instrumental in the French victories in and around Orleans.)

Cause I'm the maid of Orleans, You're the Mardi Gras beads, honey

(Joan was known as "La Pucelle d'Orléans" (The Maiden of Orleans). Cyrus is being compared to outlandish jewelry worn at a Mardi Gras fete and said to bring luck.)

My father taught me things your daddy couldn't teach ya

(Joan's "father" referenced here is actually God, who, Joan being very religious, called her to stand up for what was right. Billy Ray Cyrus only taught Miley about music)

Your highest calling was a text from Wiz Khalifa

(Cyrus once posted that she received a text message from rapper Wiz Khalifa.)

You gotta die for something, Miley, just picture your epitaph

(Joan of Arc was executed for heresy, or acting against the Church, but was found innocent years after her death and proclaimed a martyr; she had died strong in her faith. She tells Cyrus to imagine what could be inscribed on her headstone when she dies, which follows.)

"Had the world watching, chose to show them all her flat ass"

(At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus performed a duet with Robin Thicke, in which she bent over and twerked right in front of his genitals. The entire world was watching the award show at the time, and therefore, it has become popular news. It is also a reference to a popular joke about Miley's butt being to flat to be able to twerk)

Miley Cyrus:
Sweet burn (ooh) no pun intended

(Another reference to Joan of Arc's burning at the stake.)

You're a cross-dressing peasant betrayed by those you defended

(Joan of Arc posed as a young boy to participate in the Hundred Years War, but was ultimately turned over to the English by her own countrymen. She was born to a peasant family and, as a young woman in medieval Europe, would have no social standing or personal freedom.)

But when I come under fire I can hashtag handle it

(When Cyrus is the target of negative publicity, she takes to Twitter to spin it her way. Twitter users deploy a "hashtag", or pound symbol, to link topics of interest, as in #HandleIt.)

If God's in your corner, girl you need better management

(If Joan of Arc had God, an all powerful deity, on her side, the only reason she could have been burned alive is if she had bad management.)

Joan of Arc:
Do not take the Lord's name in vain, you ratchet skank,

(Joan returns fire for Cyrus' last line having used the Holy Name with disrespect and therefore violating the Third Commandment ("You will not take the name of Yahveh your God in vain, for Yahveh will not hold without guilt one who has taken His name in vain."). She also calls Cyrus a whore.)

Your manager's riding you to the achy breaky bank

("Achy-Breaky Heart" was Billy Ray Cyrus' most famous song. Joan contends that Miley Cyrus' management is just using her fame to make money.)

Be thankful for your talent, don't just rub it on your crotch

(Reference to a comment by fellow songstress Mariah Carey regarding Cyrus' bizarre behavior.)

Keep your party in the USA, Vive la France!

("Party in the USA" was a Cyrus megahit song, but Joan counters this with "Long live France!".)