Daniel Powter released his debut album, I'm Your Betty, in 2000. The album, limited to a very small print, contains ten songs, two of which—"More Than I" and "Negative Fashion"—were featured on the television show Higher Ground. Powter has a music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing for France.
Daniel Powter's first piano pop single, "Bad Day," debuted not in his home country of Canada, but rather in Europe in mid-2005. It was chosen by Warner Brothers as a submission for commercial production and was subsequently chosen by Coca-Cola as the theme song for an ad campaign in Europe. Additionally, "Bad Day" is currently being used extensively by American Idol in its fifth season. Powter sang the song live at the end of the penulimate show of that season. The song achieved heavy airplay in most European countries, and made it as high as number three on the overall European airplay chart. It did best in Germany, where it peaked at number one in national airplay, Ireland where it peaked at #1 on the Singles Chart, and in the UK, where it peaked at number two in the singles chart and stayed in the top 10 for 13 weeks. In the United States the song peaked at number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 seven weeks after it was released. In Australia, it peaked at number three. The song reached top five in Canada and is now a top 10 hit at Adult Top 40 radio. It was fifth place in the British Record of the Year 2005.
On July 2, 2005, Powter performed at the Berlin installment of Live 8, a simultaneous group of concerts in nine countries intended to raise awareness of poverty in Africa and put pressure on world leaders for aid.
On April 1, 2006, he was named the best new artist at the Canadian Juno Awards.
In March 2008, a song by Japanese singer Haru featuring Powter, "Find My Way", was released. In September, Powter released his third album, Under the Radar.
Powter also performed piano on tracks for what was scheduled to be Marcy Playground frontman John Wozniak's solo album, Leaving Wonderland...in a fit of rage, but the album will now be released under the band's name. Powter will still be given credit for his contributions to the album, particularly the album's single "Good Times".
Beauty Queen
Daniel Powter Lyrics
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Stares you right in the face
And you lay on the ground
Wonder off into space
They laugh at your bad
They take what they see
But you are good enough for me
And you left us behind
Was the world just too cruel
Were we just to unkind
I hope you remember
I hope you are clear
That you were good enough for me
Yeah you were good enough for me
You're learning how to fly away
My beauty queen from yesterday
And how's it feel to fall from grace
'Cause I never had the chance to say
That you were good enough, good enough for me
If I can go back to the place
There would time I must understood
Even though it's complicated
I can seem to overstate it, I think finally
The moment should go
Would you kiss me goodbye
Wherever you go
I hope you believe
That you were good enough for me
Yeah you were good enough for me
I guess I wasn't very strong
I should've told you I was wrong
And I wish I had a second chance
'Cause I really need to understand
Why you had to fly away
My beauty queen from yesterday
And how's it feel to fall from grace
I never had the chance to say
That you were good enough, good enough
For me
The lyrics of "Beauty Queen" by Daniel Powter convey a sense of regret and longing for a lost love. The song tells the story of someone who feels left behind by a former partner who is now seemingly living a more exciting life, possibly escaping from a difficult or unhappy past. The singer acknowledges that this person may have been judged harshly by others but still holds a place in their heart, wishing they had expressed their feelings more clearly and made different choices.
The lyrics use several metaphorical images to describe the situation. The idea of running to the moon suggests a desire to escape completely, while the concept of falling from grace implies that something has been lost or damaged. The singer also refers to the beauty queen, a traditional symbol of perfection and admiration, to underscore their perspective that this person was truly special and deserving of their attention.
Overall, "Beauty Queen" is a poignant exploration of regret and missed opportunities in love. The lyrics tap into universal emotions that many listeners could relate to, such as the desire for closure or the hope that things might have turned out differently. The haunting melody and Powter's plaintive vocals add to the song's melancholy atmosphere, making it a memorable addition to his discography.
Line by Line Meaning
When your life turns around
When everything in your life is changing for the better
Stares you right in the face
It is so obvious that it can't be ignored
And you lay on the ground
You feel overwhelmed and powerless
Wonder off into space
You daydream to escape reality
They laugh at your bad
People mock you when you make mistakes
They take what they see
Judging you based on surface-level appearance
But you are good enough for me
But to me, you are worthy and valuable as you are
So you run to the moon
You escape from reality and find refuge in your fantasies
And you left us behind
You left your loved ones behind and disconnected from them
Was the world just too cruel
Did the harsh reality make you feel this way?
Were we just to unkind
Did we not support you enough?
I hope you remember
I hope you never forget
I hope you are clear
I hope you have a clear understanding
That you were good enough for me
That to me, you were always enough
You're learning how to fly away
You're growing and learning how to distance yourself
My beauty queen from yesterday
The person who was once important to me
And how's it feel to fall from grace
How does it feel to lose your former status or beauty?
'Cause I never had the chance to say
Because I was never able to express
That you were good enough, good enough for me
That to me, you were enough and worthy of love
If I can go back to the place
If I could travel back in time to the past
There would time I must understood
There are moments I didn't fully comprehend
Even though it's complicated
Even though it's difficult to understand
I can seem to overstate it, I think finally
I can't emphasize enough now that I look back
The moment should go
The chance to share my feelings has already passed
Would you kiss me goodbye
If we had another chance to say goodbye, would you kiss me?
Wherever you go
No matter where you end up
I hope you believe
I hope you have faith
That you were good enough for me
That to me, you will always be enough
I guess I wasn't very strong
I realize now that I wasn't brave enough
I should've told you I was wrong
I should have admitted my mistake
And I wish I had a second chance
I wish I could go back in time to make things right
'Cause I really need to understand
Because I need to comprehend the situation better
Why you had to fly away
What made you leave and distance yourself?
That you were good enough, good enough
That to me, you were always enough
For me
For me, you were valuable and loved
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LINDA PERRY, DANIEL POWTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind