“Hey You” makes a statement against womens' stereotypical expectations about relationships. It’s saying that women spend their whole lives looking for the right relationship/marriage, but their dreams might not come true, and they can be misled because of their enthusiasm.
[Verse 1]
Hey you, with the wedding dress on
Made of white chiffon blowing in the wind
Well hey you, with the dreams in your head
You've been so misled by your heart's pull
[Pre-Chorus]
I know you're waiting for your ship to come in
You anxiously wait for such a long time
[Chorus]
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
You dress up, you play the game
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
Your name will never change (Your name will never change)
[Verse 2]
Well hey you, with the eyes full of hope
You think you can rope your desires
Well hey you, you naïve thing
Your patience, in time, will tire
[Pre-Chorus]
I know you're thinking that your tide will roll in
How did you ever get such high hopes?
[Chorus]
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
You dress up, you play the game
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
Your name will never change (Your name will never change)
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
In a plastic world of make-believe
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
You know he's just gonna leave (Gonna leave)
[Post-Chorus]
Hey you
Hey you
Hey you
[Bridge]
I know you're waiting for your life to begin
Well wake up, girl, you've got it all wrong
You want a prize that you're not gonna win
So face it, girl, you've got it all wrong
[Chorus]
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
You dress up, you play the game
Oh, you're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
Your name will never change (Your name will never change)
Oh, you're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
In a plastic world of make-believe
You're just like my Ken and Barbie Doll
You know he's just gonna leave
Hey You was written by Tony Kanal & Gwen Stefani.
Hey You was produced by Matthew Wilder.
The song was only released as a single in the Netherlands, and peaked on their Dutch Single Top 100 chart at #51. The song spent a week on the chart.