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Gagapedia
For other uses, see The Fame (disambiguation).

"The Fame" is the title song from Lady Gaga's debut album, The Fame. The song is registered on Gaga's BMI simply as "Fame".

Background

In 2007, Lady Gaga went to the Cherrytree Records office to see Martin Kierszenbaum. When they tracked the song, Gaga sang everything in one take and spent about five hours on the harmony (background vocals). The title explains the meaning of the song, pop culture, the media, celebrity life, and the after effects.

She was a brunette. But she was dynamic, and had that exuberant personality we all know now. She hadn’t recorded any of those songs—“Just Dance” or “Pokerface”—yet. [...] She started talking about Prince saying 'He’s the greatest.' Well, I love Prince too. So we started talking about his records. I said, 'Come to my studio, and let’s work. If you like Prince, and you want to get down, let’s do it. I have all of the old drum machines, and all of the old keyboards.' She came over, and the first song we wrote was “The Fame.” She then told me, 'I love this song. I want to call my album this.' So my song becomes the anchor for the album. She developed a whole campaign, aesthetic and persona for it.

—Martin Kierszenbaum

Commercial release

Remixes

  • Glam As You Remix Radio Edit By Guéna LG — 3:57

Performances

In January of 2009, Lady Gaga started to perform the song occasionally and it became a regular addition to her set list since The Fame Ball Tour. On her first tour, the song is basically the same except for the repeated ending remixed by Space Cowboy. For The Monster Ball Tour, the song is mixed with "Ghosts n Stuff" (Original Mix) by Deaumau5 and became a little bit longer than the original version because of the instrumental interlude between the verse.


Tour Dates Performances
Doll Domination Tour 2009 (All dates) 32
The Fame Ball 2009 (All dates) 83
Monster Ball: Theater version 20092010 (All theater dates) 66
Enigma 20182020 (All Dates except Jazz & Piano) 29
Total: 210

Reference in popular culture

  • The song was used as background music in the 2009 publicity spot for "Michael Kors", perfume for women.
  • The song was used as the promotional theme for Cycle 12 of America's Next Top Model.

Lyrics

Album version

Cherry, Cherry, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom

I can't help myself I’m addicted to a life of material
It’s some kind of joke, I'm obsessively opposed to the typical
All we care about is, runway models, cadillacs and liquor bottles
Give me something I wanna be, retro glamour, Hollywood yes we live
for the

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

Fame Fame baby
The Fame Fame
We live for the Fame Fame Baby
The Fame Fame
Isn’t it a shame shame baby
A shame shame
In it for The Fame Fame baby
The Fame Fame

I can see myself in the movies with my picture in city lights
Photograph my mind and whatever else you'd like to shoot
You decide
All we care about is, pornographic girls on film and body plastic
Give me something, I wanna see television and hot blondes in odd positions

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

Fame Fame baby
The Fame Fame
We live for the Fame Fame Baby
The Fame Fame
Isn’t it a shame shame baby
A shame shame
In it for The Fame Fame baby
The Fame Fame

Don't ask me how or why
But I'm gonna make it happen this time
My teenage dream tonight
Yeah I’m gonna make it happen this time

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous

Fame
Doin’ it for the
Fame
'cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

Fame

Demo version

Hug me,
Love me,
But don't touch my money when I'm out in the city,
The city.

We don't wear our flip flops in public because it's lazy and ugly,
That shit's ugly.

All we care about is,
Fame, fame, fame, fame.
Give me something I wanna be,
Famous, famous, famous, famous, famous.

We live for the fame (For the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Work honey, breathe the fame (love the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Kings and queens of pain, love the fame game,
They gonna know us, yeah, kn-know our names.
We live for the fame (for the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.

Fame.
Fame.

Give me,
Give me,
Muffin lovin',
I need some attention to heal me,
To heal me.

I'm an obsessed prom girl,
And my crown's tigher than virgins in the '50s,
The '50s.

All we care about is,
Fame, fame, fame, fame.
Give me something I wanna be,
Famous, famous, famous, famous, famous.

We live for the fame (For the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Work honey, breath the fame (love the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Kings and queens of pain, love the fame game,
They gonna know us, yeah, kn-know our names.
We live for the fame (for the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.

I would be if I could,
Hot shit in Hollywood.
Everyone let me hear you,
We live for the Fame.

I would be if I could,
Hot shit in Hollywood.
Everyone let me hear you,
We live for the,

Fame.

We live for the fame (For the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Work honey, breath the fame (love the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.
Kings and queens of pain, love the fame game,
They gonna know us, yeah, kn-know our names.
We live for the fame (for the fame, fame).
We live for the fame.

Fame.
Fame.

Charts

Charts Peak position
Australian Single Chart 73

Credits

Personnel

Publishing

  • Sony/ATV Songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing LLC (BMI)
  • Songs of Universal Inc / Martin Cherrytree Music (BMI)

References

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