Courtney Act (a play on the phrase “caught in the act”) is actually the nom de guerre of “gender illusionist” Shane Jenek. Shane auditioned for Australian Idol as himself but did not get beyond the selection auditions. Returning the next day as Courtney, he wowed the judges and went through to the semifinals. Revealing impressive voice and singing talents as well as a stage presence considerably ahead of many of the other contestants, he/she continued until being finally voted off in thirteenth place. Courtney particularly impressed judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson, who signed Jenek to the BMG label following the completion of the show.
Act gained popularity in America when she competed in the sixth season of reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race, in which she was a runner-up, alongside Adore Delano.
Shane Jenek is a native of Brisbane but now lives in Sydney.
Ugly
Courtney Act Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been a while but I'm burning out
Flipping my fingers on the 5" screen
Novocain pictures, comfortably numb to the scene
Tap it twice, if you like it
Tap it twice, if you like it
Think twice, you might not like it
Like it or not
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Let you see the good if you know me
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
La la la la
Fractured and broken scales
Makes me tip back when I inhale
Flying dishes turn to falling tears
Novocain pictures, selfies with my teddy bear
Tap it twice, if you like it
Tap it twice, if you like it
Think twice, you might not like it
Like it or not
Let you see the good if you know me
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Let you see the good if you know me
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
I paint pretty on my face
But I'll fight, I scream, I'll misbehave
Got secrets you won't see on stage
And that's what you call beautiful
I paint pretty on my face
But I'll fight, I scream, I'll misbehave
Got secrets you won't see on stage
And that's what you call beautiful
Let you see the good if you know me
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Let you see the good if you know me
Show you all the bad if you love me
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
The lyrics to Courtney Act's song Ugly talk about the facade that people put up in public versus the reality of their lives. The song starts with the singer admitting that they have been out of touch for a while and are now feeling burnt out. The use of the phrase "Novocain pictures" suggests that the singer is numbing themselves to the pain of their life with distractions like social media. The chorus of the song is repeated several times and emphasises that the only person who truly knows the ugly side of a person's life is the person themselves.
The second verse of the song continues to examine the idea of hiding one's true self. The imagery of "flying dishes turn to falling tears" suggests a household argument, and the mention of selfies with a teddy bear further emphasises the idea of an attempt to cling onto youth and innocence. This verse also highlights the idea that people only show the good or the bad parts of themselves to others, but the ugly parts are hidden away.
The final verse is the most powerful part of the song, where the singer admits that they put on a pretty face, but they're not afraid to misbehave or show their ugly side when off stage. They have secrets that no one sees, but that is what makes them beautiful in their eyes. The song is ultimately about embracing the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of ourselves, as that is what makes us unique and beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is up and I'm coming down
I am feeling tired and burnt out despite the day starting.
It's been a while but I'm burning out
I haven't taken a break in a long time and now I'm feeling exhausted.
Flipping my fingers on the 5" screen
I am scrolling through my phone aimlessly.
Novocain pictures, comfortably numb to the scene
I am desensitized to the content I see on social media.
Tap it twice, if you like it
Double-tap to like a post on Instagram.
Tap it twice, if you like it
Double-tap to like a post on Instagram.
Think twice, you might not like it
Consider whether you truly like something before showing approval through social media likes.
Like it or not
Whether you like it or not.
Let you see the good if you know me
I will show you my positive attributes if we are close.
Show you all the bad if you love me
I will reveal all of my flaws and shortcomings to those who love me.
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Only I know the deepest and darkest parts of myself.
Let you see the good if you know me
I will show you my positive attributes if we are close.
Show you all the bad if you love me
I will reveal all of my flaws and shortcomings to those who love me.
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Only I know the deepest and darkest parts of myself.
Fractured and broken scales
My emotions are off-balance, causing me to feel broken.
Makes me tip back when I inhale
My emotional instability is causing me to feel dizzy.
Flying dishes turn to falling tears
My volatile emotions cause me to go from anger to sadness very quickly.
Novocain pictures, selfies with my teddy bear
I numb myself with social media and distract myself from my pain with childish things.
Tap it twice, if you like it
Double-tap to like a post on Instagram.
Tap it twice, if you like it
Double-tap to like a post on Instagram.
Think twice, you might not like it
Consider whether you truly like something before showing approval through social media likes.
Like it or not
Whether you like it or not.
I paint pretty on my face
I put on a façade of happiness and beauty.
But I'll fight, I scream, I'll misbehave
Beneath the surface, I have a lot of negative emotions and act out in destructive ways.
Got secrets you won't see on stage
There are things about me that I won't reveal to the public.
And that's what you call beautiful
Despite my imperfections and struggles, I am still beautiful in my own way.
Let you see the good if you know me
I will show you my positive attributes if we are close.
Show you all the bad if you love me
I will reveal all of my flaws and shortcomings to those who love me.
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Only I know the deepest and darkest parts of myself.
Let you see the good if you know me
I will show you my positive attributes if we are close.
Show you all the bad if you love me
I will reveal all of my flaws and shortcomings to those who love me.
But oh who oh, Only I know the ugly
Only I know the deepest and darkest parts of myself.
Contributed by Avery N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jennaleigh9897
[LYRICS]
[VERSE 1]
The sun is up and I’m coming down, it’s been a while but I’m burning out, flipping my fingers on the 5-inch screen, Novocaine Pictures, comfortably numb to the scene
[PRE-CHORUS]
Tap it twice if you like it
Tap it twice if you like it
Think twice, you may not like it
Like it or not (Whoa, oh)
[CHORUS]
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, but oh, oh only I know the ugly,
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, but oh, oh only I know the ugly
[POST-CHORUS]
La-la-la-la-la, la,la,la
La-la-la-la-la,la,la,la (ugly)
[VERSE 2]
Fractured Mirrors and broken scales, make me tip back when I inhale, flying dishes turn to falling tears, all you see, Novocain Pictures, selfies with my teddy bear
[PRE-CHORUS]
Tap it twice if you like it
Tap it twice if you like it
Think twice, you may not like it
Like it or not (Whoa, oh)
[CHORUS]
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, but oh, oh only I know the ugly
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me
But oh, oh only I know the ugly
[POST-CHORUS]
La-la-la-la-la, la, la, la
La-la-la-la-la, la, la, la
[BRIDGE]
I paint pretty on my face
But I’ll fight, I’ll scream, I’ll misbehave, got secrets you won’t see on stage, and that’s what you call beautiful?
I paint pretty on my face
But I’ll fight, I’ll scream, I’ll misbehave
Got secrets you won’t see on stage, and that’s what you call beautiful?
[CHORUS]
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, but oh, oh only I know the ugly
I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, but oh, oh only I know the ugly
[POST-CHORUS]
La-la-la-la-la, la, la
La-la-la-la-la, la, la,
Only I know the ugly...
✌🏼
@christinapapachristoudi5483
when Courtney is hotter than you in both genders...
@emy4292
true
@tee-anne4672
I know!!! Sometimes I just hate those gender benders but I can't help but love them all the time. They're like magic!! Snap- hot chic! Snap- cute guy!
@nelly1667
+Tee- Anne same😂😢
@dinizsan6483
CHRISTINA PAPACHRISTOUDI so depressing
@Ellblk
yes
@karimegan6391
Courtney recently said in an Australian interview that she slept with a straight guy in drag and when she came out of the bathroom as a boy he freaked out until they locked eyes and the guy realised that they were the same person, and they ended up dating for 6 months. I think this video is based on that.
@kayy5500
Omg 🥺🥺 exactly they both r the same person🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
@0enu
Link?
@karimegan6391
@PlayAholic I don’t think it’s on YouTube sorry. The show was called ‘you can’t ask that’. Hopefully they’ve talked about it in another interview 😕