It’s the early 2000s. You’re wearing low-rise jeans, probably have a butterfly clip somewhere in your hair, and you’re watching Lindsay Lohan—at the absolute peak of her Disney era—shred on a Fender Stratocaster. Even if you weren't there, you know the vibe. The song from Freaky Friday that everyone remembers isn't just a piece of movie fluff. It’s "Take Me Away," and honestly, it’s a legitimate pop-punk banger that has survived the test of time better than most of the actual radio hits from 2003.
Most movie songs are afterthoughts. They’re background noise for a montage or something played over the credits while people walk out of the theater. But in Freaky Friday, the music is the plot. It’s the soul of the movie. When Anna Coleman (played by Lohan, but actually Jamie Lee Curtis’s character in Anna’s body) has to fake her way through a guitar solo at the House of Blues, the stakes feel weirdly high. We aren't just watching a body-swap comedy; we're watching the struggle for artistic validation.
The Secret Sauce Behind Take Me Away
You might think "Take Me Away" was just written by a studio committee to sound "edgy" for a PG audience. Not exactly. The song was actually penned by Christina Vidal (who played Maddie in the film) alongside producer Scott Bradley and others. It captures that specific angst of wanting to escape your life—a theme that fits perfectly with a girl trapped in her mother's body.
The track hits a very specific sweet spot. It's got that crunchy, distorted guitar tone that defined the era of Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s incredibly catchy.
Freaky Friday didn't just give us one version of the song, either. We get the rehearsal version with Pink Slip (Anna's band), which feels raw and authentic, and then the big performance finale. Interestingly, Lindsay Lohan actually learned to play the guitar for the role. While the studio version features professional session musicians, Lohan spent a significant amount of time with a coach so her fingering on the fretboard would look real. She didn't want to be another actor faking the "rock star" look with limp wrists and misplaced fingers.
Why Pink Slip Felt Like a Real Band
Pink Slip—the fictional band consisting of Anna, Maddie, and Peg—worked because they didn't feel like a manufactured Disney act. They felt like three girls who spent too much time in a garage. They were messy.
Christina Vidal, who played the lead singer, was already an established performer (remember Taina on Nickelodeon?). Her vocals provided the grit that the song from Freaky Friday needed to move past being a "kiddie" track. If you listen to the bridge of "Take Me Away," the vocal layering is surprisingly complex for a teen comedy soundtrack.
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Beyond the Big Hit: The Soundtrack's Deep Cuts
While "Take Me Away" is the heavy hitter, the entire Freaky Friday soundtrack is a time capsule of 2003 alternative culture. You’ve got "Ultimate" by Lindsay Lohan, which plays during the end credits. It's a bit more "pop" than the Pink Slip stuff, but it solidified Lohan as a legitimate dual-threat star before her music career took a more club-focused turn with Speak.
Then there's the cover of "Happy Together" by Simple Plan.
In 2003, Simple Plan was the voice of every "misunderstood" suburban kid. Having them cover The Turtles for a Disney movie was a stroke of genius. It bridged the gap between the older parents watching the movie (who knew the original) and the kids (who liked the whining vocals and fast drums).
The soundtrack also featured:
- Lillix with "What I Like About You" (The Romantics cover)
- American Hi-Fi with "The Art of Losing"
- The Donnas with "Backstage"
- Andrew W.K. with "She Is Beautiful"
This wasn't a soundtrack of "safe" choices. Andrew W.K. was known for bloody album covers and high-energy party rock. Including him on a Disney OST was a bold move that gave the film a genuine sense of cool that most "teen" movies lacked.
The Solo Heard 'Round the World
Let's talk about the House of Blues scene. This is the climax of the movie. Tess (in Anna's body) is onstage, and she can't play a lick of rock music. She's a psychiatrist. She's stiff. She’s terrified.
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Then Anna (in Tess's body) sneaks backstage, plugs in a second guitar, and plays the solo from behind the curtain.
The solo itself isn't Eddie Van Halen levels of technicality, but for a 12-year-old watching in a theater, it was legendary. It was the moment the "mom" and the "daughter" finally synchronized. The guitar solo in this song from Freaky Friday acted as a bridge between generations. It proved that rock and roll was the universal language that could fix a fractured relationship.
Why We Are Still Talking About This in 2026
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, sure. But there’s more to it. We're currently seeing a massive revival of the "Pop-Punk Princess" aesthetic. Olivia Rodrigo, Willow Smith, and even newer indie acts are pulling directly from the sonic palette of the early 2000s.
When you hear "Take Me Away" today, it doesn't sound dated in a bad way. It sounds "vintage" in a cool way. It represents a time when Disney movies were willing to let their lead actresses be a little bit dirty, a little bit loud, and a little bit frustrated.
There’s a reason TikTok is flooded with covers of this song. It’s easy to play, fun to scream-sing in the car, and perfectly captures the feeling of being misunderstood. Whether you’re 15 or 35, "Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape" is a sentiment that never really goes out of style. Honestly, it’s just a solid piece of songwriting.
The Legacy of the Pink Slip Aesthetic
The visual of the band was just as important as the music. The striped ties over t-shirts, the messy eyeliner, the studded belts. It influenced an entire generation's fashion sense. Anna Coleman was the blueprint for the "alt-girl" of the mid-2000s. Without the success of the music in Freaky Friday, we might not have seen the same trajectory for movies like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen or even the Camp Rock franchise later on.
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It set a standard. It told Disney that kids wanted something a bit more substantial than bubblegum pop. They wanted guitars. They wanted to see girls rocking out and taking themselves seriously as musicians.
The Trivia You Probably Missed
Most people don't realize that the guitar Lohan plays—the 1962 reissue Fender Stratocaster—became a highly sought-after item for young girls wanting to start bands. It wasn't a "girlie" pink guitar; it was a serious instrument.
Another fun fact: the producers originally considered several different songs for the finale, but "Take Me Away" was chosen because it felt the most "anthemic." It had a chorus that people could chant. If you watch the scene closely, the extras in the crowd aren't just standing there; they are actually getting into the music. The energy on set that day was reportedly electric because the song was genuinely good.
How to Channel Your Inner Anna Coleman Today
If you're looking to revisit this era, don't just stop at the movie. The cultural impact of the song from Freaky Friday is best experienced by looking at the broader "Mall Goth" and "Pop-Punk" movements of 2003.
- Re-watch the House of Blues scene: Pay attention to the camera work during the solo. It’s edited to hide the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis isn't actually shredding, but the energy is unmistakable.
- Listen to the full soundtrack: Check out the tracks by The Donnas and Lash. They provide the context for what "cool" music sounded like at the time.
- Learn the chords: If you have a guitar, "Take Me Away" is a great beginner song. It uses basic power chords (E, C#, A, B) and is a perfect introduction to rhythm playing.
- Check out the 2025/2026 revival: With rumors and production news regarding a Freaky Friday sequel (with both Lohan and Curtis returning!), the original music is seeing a massive surge in streaming numbers.
The music of Freaky Friday wasn't just a gimmick. It was a well-crafted, intentional piece of pop culture that captured a very specific lightning-in-a-bottle moment. It gave us permission to be loud, to be a little bit weird, and to want to be taken away from the boring reality of our daily lives.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Throwback
To truly appreciate the musical legacy of the film, find the original soundtrack on vinyl—it’s become a collector's item recently. If you're a musician, try covering "Take Me Away" but give it a modern hyper-pop twist; the song’s structure is surprisingly flexible for different genres. Finally, keep an eye out for the upcoming sequel's soundtrack details, as the producers have hinted at "Pink Slip" making a spiritual return.