Lady Gaga’s ‘Perfect Celebrity’ song lyrics meaning: She says it’s her new album’s ‘angriest song’
Lady Gaga is showing the dark side of fame “Perfect Celebrity,” a song off her new album, “Mayhem.”
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe ahead of the album’s release, Gaga said “Perfect Celebrity” is “the most angry song” on “Mayhem.”
“There’s a lot of ‘90s energy in that song. The ‘90s is how I fell in love with music as a teenager. In the studio we all shared that in common as well, a love of that time,” she said, adding that the song also was influenced by electro grunge music and The Cure.
“Perfect Celebrity” details the highs and lows of being famous. She implies, in the lyrics, that fame leads to a sense of artificiality. She refers to herself as a people pleasing “human doll” who yearns for others’ attention.
She sings, “I’m made of plastic like a human doll / You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all / I talk in circles, ‘cause my brain, it aches / You say, ‘I love you,’ I disintegrate.”
She also explains that being a “perfect celebrity” leads to a sense of duality and people having two distinct sides. It’s notable that Gaga is a stage name — her real name is Stefani Germanotta.
“I’ve become a notorious being / Find my clone, she’s asleep on the ceiling,” she sings.
Gaga spoke about this lyric in an interview with InStyle, saying it references “this idea that we all, in a way, have our real selves and then our clone version that we project to the world.”
“So there’s a lot in ‘MAYHEM’ about multiple yous or multiple mes and what it’s like to have those things be at odds with each other all the time,” she continued.
As the song continues, Gaga sings about how fame can be addictive, and potentially lethal, both for the famous person.
“I look so hungry, but I look so good,” she sings. “Tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood / Choke on the fame and hope it gets you high / Sit in the front row, watch the princess die.”
The song also gets into the spectacle of fame. The world watches as the famous person falls apart, or “(watches) the princess die,” and they seem to enjoy it.
“You love to hate mе,” the song goes.
Read the lyrics to ‘Perfect Celebrity’
I’m made of plastic like a human doll
You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all
I talk in circles, ‘cause my brain, it aches
You say, “I love you,” I disintegrate
I’ve become a notorious being
Find my clone, she’s asleep on the ceiling
Now, can’t get me down
You love to hate me
I’m the perfect celebrity
So rip up the face of this photograph (Perfect celebrity)
You make me money, I’ll make you laugh (Perfect celebrity)
Show me your prеtty, I’ll show you mine
You love to hate mе
I’m the perfect celebrity
I look so hungry, but I look so good
Tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood
Choke on the fame and hope it gets you high
Sit in the front row, watch the princess die
I’ve become a notorious being
Find my clone, she’s asleep on the ceiling
Now, can’t get me down
You love to hate me
I’m the perfect celebrity
So rip up the face of this photograph (Perfect celebrity)
You make me money, I’ll make you laugh (Perfect celebrity)
Show me your pretty, I’ll show you mine
You love to hate me
I’m the perfect celebrity
Na-na, na-na, na (Perfect celebrity)
Na-na, na-na, na (Perfect celebrity)
Ah-ah, na-na, na-na, na (Perfect celebrity)
Na-na, na-na, na
Catch me as I rebound (Let all the stuff)
Save me, I’m underground (I can’t be found)
Hollywood’s a ghost town
You love to hate me
I’m the perfect celebrity
So rip up the face of this photograph (Perfect celebrity)
You make me money, I’ll make you laugh (Perfect celebrity)
Show me your pretty, I’ll show you mine
You love to hate me, you love to hate me
(Na-na, na-na, na, perfect celebrity)
You hate me (Na-na, na-na, na, perfect celebrity)
Show me your pretty, I’ll show you mine
You love to hate me
I’m the, ah, perfect celebrity
Ah-ah
(I’ve become a notorious being)
