Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song "I Got You Babe" peaked at number one on the US and UK charts. Together they sold 40 million records worldwide. Her solo career was established during the same time, with the top-ten singles "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and "You Better Sit Down Kids". She became a television personality in the 1970s with her CBS shows; first The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, and then the namesake Cher. She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows.
While working on television, Cher released the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady", becoming the female artist with the most number-one singles in United States history at the time. After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, she released the disco album Take Me Home (1979) and earned $300,000 a week for her 1979–1982 concert residency in Las Vegas.
In 1982, Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and starred in its film adaptation. She subsequently garnered critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood (1983), Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), the last of which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She then revived her music career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989), and Love Hurts (1991), all of which yielded successful singles such as "I Found Someone", "If I Could Turn Back Time", and "Love and Understanding". Cher contributed to the soundtrack for her next film, Mermaids (1990), which spawned the UK number-one single "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)". She made her directorial debut with a segment in the abortion-themed anthology If These Walls Could Talk (1996).
Cher reached a new commercial peak in 1998 with the dance-pop album Believe, whose title track topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999 and became the biggest-selling single of all time by a female artist in the UK. It features pioneering use of Auto-Tune to distort her vocals, known as the "Cher effect". Her 2002–2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time, earning $250 million. In 2008, she signed a $60 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years. During the 2010s, she landed starring roles in the films Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and released studio albums Closer to the Truth (2013) and Dancing Queen (2018), both of which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.
Having sold 100 million records, Cher is one of the world's best-selling music artists. Her achievements include a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, the Billboard Icon Award, and awards from the Kennedy Center Honors and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s. Aside from music and acting, she is noted for her political views, social media presence, philanthropic endeavors, and social activism, including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Cher Official Website: https://www.cherfanclub.com
YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/cher
Perfection
Cher Lyrics
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'Cause in this world we are born to fight
Be the best, prove them wrong
A winner's work is never done
Reach the top, number one
Perfection
You drive me crazy with perfection
I've worn my pride as my protection
Perfection, oh!
I was taught to be tough
That the best that you can be ain't enough
Crack the whip, sacrifice
But I found out paradise had a price
I didn't know it then
But oh I know it now
You gotta work as hard at love
To make the love work out
You know this heart of mine
Has made some big mistakes
I guess that when it come to love
I just don't know what it takes
All my life I've been driven by perfection
Pushed it to the limit every day and night
Whoa, I've been driven by perfection
But nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Gave it all
Play my part
I gave everything I had but my heart
Worked so hard
Made a name
But the loneliness inside stays the same
When love is here to today
And then it's gone today
You got a list of lovers lookin' like a resume
You gotta take some time
To make it something real
I guess that when it comes to love
I just don't know how to feel
All my life I've been driven by perfection
Pushed it to the limit every day and night
Whoa, I've been driven by perfection
But nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Oh, perfection
You drive me crazy with perfection
I've worn my pride as my protection
I'm goin' crazy with perfection.
The song "Perfection" by Cher talks about the pressure to be perfect and how it affects one's personal life. The song starts with the familiar lullaby "Hush Little Baby," which is a stark contrast to the rest of the song's lyrics about toughness and fighting to be the best. The song speaks about the constant pressure to prove oneself and attain perfection, both in personal and professional settings. The chorus talks about how the pressure to be perfect can make someone go crazy and wear their pride as a form of protection.
Cher's song also speaks about the sacrifices one has to make in order to attain perfection. It highlights the struggle and loneliness that can come with achieving success if one loses touch with love. The song concludes with the statement that nothing is perfect in life when love isn't right.
Overall, "Perfection" is a powerful song that speaks to the pressure of modern society to be successful, perfect, and flawless in every area of life. It highlights the negative consequences of such pressure and how it can lead to a loss of love and emotional fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush little baby, gotta be strong
Stay determined in this world
'Cause in this world we are born to fight
Life is challenging, so we must be fighters
Be the best, prove them wrong
Strive to excel and overcome criticism
A winner's work is never done
Winning takes continuous endeavor
Reach the top, number one
Aim for the highest achievement
Perfection
The pursuit of the ideal
Oh, perfection
The ideal can be maddening
You drive me crazy with perfection
The ideal can cause psychological distress
I've worn my pride as my protection
Pride can be used as a shield from judgment
I was taught to be tough
Upbringing can shape one's personality
That the best that you can be ain't enough
Standards can be unattainable
Crack the whip, sacrifice
Hard work and sacrifice may be required
But I found out paradise had a price
Achievement may come at a cost
I didn't know it then
The future is uncertain
But oh I know it now
Experience can bring knowledge
You gotta work as hard at love
Relationships need work to succeed
To make the love work out
Effort is required to maintain a relationship
You know this heart of mine
The singer is referring to their own emotions
Has made some big mistakes
Past experiences can leave regrets
I guess that when it come to love
The artist is uncertain about love
I just don't know what it takes
The artist doesn't know how to find romantic success
All my life I've been driven by perfection
Striving for the ideal has been a lifelong aspiration
Pushed it to the limit every day and night
Dedication to achieving perfection was consuming
But nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Even the ideal can't guarantee a happy relationship
Gave it all
The singer devoted themselves to something
Play my part
The singer did what was expected of them
I gave everything I had but my heart
The singer committed all but their emotions
Worked so hard
The artist put in maximum effort
Made a name
The artist gained recognition or acclaim
But the loneliness inside stays the same
Despite success, the singer still feels alone
When love is here to today
Relationships can be fleeting
And then it's gone today
Love can disappear abruptly
You got a list of lovers lookin' like a resume
The artist has had many romantic partners
You gotta take some time
Relationships need to be nurtured
To make it something real
Effort is required to turn love into a lasting bond
I guess that when it comes to love
The artist still doesn't have romantic success
I just don't know how to feel
The singer is confused about their own emotions
Nothin's perfect when love ain't right
Relationship problems can tarnish even the ideal
I'm goin' crazy with perfection.
The obsession with the ideal is making the singer feel insane
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Realsongs
Written by: DESMOND CHILD, DIANE EVE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind