We already know the degree to which "Slide Away" simultaneously broke our hearts and grew our sense of self-awakening. It tells the story of growing apart within a couple, despite how hard each partner works to maintain that initial spark.
However, we found out via Deuxmoi that Miley Cyrus's lyrics sounded completely different in the single's demo version. The different lyrics hint at a character attack of Liam Hemsworth.
The Lyric Change-Up
The demo lyrics were posted on a Deuxmoi Reddit thread. They were thrown in during a discussion regarding the real reasoning behind Hemsworth and Cyrus's divorce.
According to a Redditor, the slight tweak of lyrics changes the entire tone of the song. They wrote, "'I want my house in the hills. I want my whiskey and pills. You want a wife and a kid. I don't think I'm down' (demo) vs 'I want my house in the hills. Don't want the whiskey and pills. I don't give up easily, but I don't think I'm down' (final)."
The demo lyrics confirm what many fans knew for a long time: the two diverted life paths.
The final lyrics, however, change the purpose of the line "whiskey and pills." That's understandable considering Cyrus's newfound sobriety. She could have rephrased it in a manner, however, that didn't make it sound like Hemsworth was a fan of drugs and alcohol.
Another fan agreed that the meaning behind the lyrics was confusing, "I’ve always assumed Miley was talking about herself no longer wanting whiskey and pills rather than Liam having a drug and alcohol addiction that he pushes on her, so I am glad to have this kinda confirmed."
'Slide Away' From The Demo
That's not the only major difference from the demo. The same original Reddit user posted the next transformed set of lyrics, "'I do get drunk and obscene. I'm forever seventeen. You want your castle and queen. I don't think I'm down' (demo) vs 'Move on, we're not 17. I'm not who I used to be. You say that everything changed. You're right, we're grown now' (final)."
This specific portion of the lyrics sounds more like self-acceptance instead of throwing Hemsworth under the bus. Instead of seeing herself as a teenager forever, Cyrus realized that growing up doesn't mean she needs to villainize herself.
Other fans are still displeased with the light that "Slide Away" cast on Hemsworth. It painted a story of him trying to change his wife. It sounds like they just became entirely different people than when they fell in love.