Born in East Finchley, Middlesex, Michael rose to fame after forming the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Their first two albums, "Fantastic" (1983) and "Make It Big" (1984), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart. They had commercial success with singles "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", "Young Guns (Go for It)", "Bad Boys", "Club Tropicana", "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Last Christmas", "Everything She Wants", “Freedom”, and “I'm Your Man”. Their 1985 tour in China was the first by a Western popular music act and generated worldwide media coverage. Michael took part in Band Aid's UK number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984 and performed at the following year's Live Aid concert.
Michael's first solo single, "Careless Whisper" (1984), reached number one in over 20 countries, including the UK and US. The second solo single, "A Different Corner", also reached number one in 1986. After Wham! disbanded that year, Michael released the number-one duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". His debut solo album, "Faith" (1987), stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and topped the UK Albums Chart. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, having sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The singles "Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", and "Monkey" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael became the best-selling music artist of 1988, and "Faith" was awarded Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammy Awards. Michael's second solo album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" (1990), was also a number one in the UK and yielded the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Praying for Time" and the worldwide hit "Freedom! '90". Michael went on to release a series of multimillion-selling albums, including "Older" (1996), "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael" (1998), "Songs from the Last Century" (1999), "Patience" (2004), and "Twenty Five" (2006). The albums earned him multiple hits such as "Jesus to a Child", "Fastlove", "Outside", "Amazing", and "An Easier Affair".
Michael came out as gay in 1998 and was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser. His personal life, drug use, and legal troubles made headlines following an arrest for public lewdness in 1998 and multiple drug-related offenses. The 2005 documentary "A Different Story" covered his career and personal life. Michael's "25 Live" tour spanned three tours from 2006 to 2008. Michael fell into a coma in 2011 during a bout with pneumonia but later recovered. He performed his final concert at London's Earls Court in 2012. Michael died of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Michael
Solo discography
Faith (1987)
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)
Older (1996)
Songs from the Last Century (1999)
Patience (2004)
Wham! discography
Fantastic (1983)
Make It Big (1984)
Music from the Edge of Heaven (1986)
Star People 97
George Michael Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Counting your money until your soul turns green
Star people
Counting the cost of your desire to be seen
I do not count myself among you
I may have been living in a dream
It's just there seem so many of you
And if I live to be a hundred and one
I will never understand what you are, honey?
I'm looking for sympathy
Just get me on NBC
And where's the hell's my dumb ass PR?
I said maybe your mama gave you up boy
(It's the same old same old)
I said maybe your daddy didn't love you enough girl
(How much is enough)
Star people
Never forget your secrets safe with me
Just look at all the wonderful people
Trying to forget just who and what they have been
Oh, it's a dream
With a nightmare stuck in the middle
Are you serious? I'm just curious
Without all this attention
You'd die
I'd die
We'd die (Wouldn't we baby)
And if I live to be a hundred and one
I will never understand what you are
(I'm talking to you)
You're looking for sympathy from people who work to eat
And they don't really seem to mind
I said maybe your mama gave you up boy
(It's the same old same old)
I said maybe baby your daddy didn't love you enough girl
How much is enough?
How much is enough?
How much is enough?
Are you serious? I'm just curious
Are you serious? I'm just curious
Yeah more glycerin
Let's go back to the day
DJ (Why do you wanna tell me that?)
DJ (Get yourself some Oprah cash)
Is that what makes a star?
Did you get off on a bad foot, baby
Do you have a little tale to tell
Did you get off on a bad foot, bad, bad foot?
Is that why you're a star?
Do you really think you've got it so hard?
Do you think it might do you some good to look around you
And decide how you might feel
If the pain you felt was real
Tell me
Now nothing comes for nothing, baby
That fame and fortune's heaven sent
And who gives a fuck about your problems, darling
'Cause you can pay the rent
You can pay
The opening two lines of the song "Star People" by George Michael is a poignant commentary on the obsession of the people in the entertainment industry with their fame and fortune. The first line talks about how star people count their money obsessively, so much so that it consumes them until their souls turn green. The second line is equally evocative, as it talks about the cost that these people pay just to be seen on the silver screen. This line highlights how many people in the spotlight tend to forget their values, morals and often lead reckless lives, just to maintain their status as a celebrity. The next few lines of the song discuss how the singer does not consider himself in the same league as these people, and the heavy toll that comes with the desire for fame and glory.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "Star people" and brings in a subtle juxtaposition between the two kinds of people- genuine and the desperate ones. The lyrics "Never forget your secrets safe with me. Just look at all the wonderful people Trying to forget just who and what they have been" hint at the fact that despite the glamour and the adoration, many celebrities often live life with intense inner turmoil and at times resort to self-destructive measures or vices to numb their emotions.
Overall, the theme of the song is to call out the sense of entitlement and the obsession that the entertainment industry endorses. It's a critique that still resonates decades later.
Line by Line Meaning
Star people
Referencing people in the public eye
Counting your money until your soul turns green
Obsessed with wealth and material possessions
Counting the cost of your desire to be seen
Aware of the risks and sacrifices involved in fame and attention-seeking behavior
I do not count myself among you
I am not one of the famous people being criticized in this song
I may have been living in a dream
Acknowledging the allure of fame despite its drawbacks
It's just there seem so many of you
Observing the prevalence of celebrity culture
Can't help but hope there's a difference between
Wishing that some famous people are not just focused on money and attention
And if I live to be a hundred and one
I will never understand what you are, honey?
Expressing confusion and bewilderment about the behavior and motivations of some famous people
I'm looking for sympathy
Just get me on NBC
And where's the hell's my dumb ass PR?
Skeptically describing the shallow, self-promoting attitudes of some famous people
I said maybe your mama gave you up boy
(It's the same old same old)
I said maybe your daddy didn't love you enough girl
(How much is enough)
Suggesting that some famous people are driven by insecurities and childhood issues
Star people
Never forget your secrets safe with me
Just look at all the wonderful people
Trying to forget just who and what they have been
Implying that famous people have to resort to secrecy and self-delusion to cope with the pressures and scrutiny of fame
Oh, it's a dream
With a nightmare stuck in the middle
Are you serious? I'm just curious
Without all this attention
You'd die
I'd die
We'd die (Wouldn't we baby)
Highlighting the paradoxical and harmful nature of fame - it can be both a dream and a nightmare, and without it, some famous people would feel like they are dying
You're looking for sympathy from people who work to eat
And they don't really seem to mind
Accusing some famous people of expecting sympathy and admiration from regular folks who work hard to get by, without being aware of or appreciative of this fact
Yeah more glycerin
Let's go back to the day
DJ (Why do you wanna tell me that?)
DJ (Get yourself some Oprah cash)
Is that what makes a star?
Mocking the shallow and superficial nature of some celebrity endorsments and promo deals, which focus more on the image and monetary value, and less on the actual quality of the product or content
Did you get off on a bad foot, baby
Do you have a little tale to tell
Did you get off on a bad foot, bad, bad foot?
Is that why you're a star?
Suggesting that some famous people might come from difficult or traumatic backgrounds that fueled their ambition and drive to succeed, but also left them with unresolved issues and vulnerability
Do you really think you've got it so hard?
Do you think it might do you some good to look around you
And decide how you might feel
If the pain you felt was real
Tell me
Challenging the assumed hardship and victimhood of some famous people, and asking them to consider the struggles and challenges of regular people who do not have the luxury of wealth and status
Now nothing comes for nothing, baby
That fame and fortune's heaven sent
And who gives a fuck about your problems, darling
'Cause you can pay the rent
You can pay
Satirizing the privileged and elitist perspective of some famous people, who believe that money and success solve all problems, and neglect or ignore the emotional and psychological tolls of fame and overexposure
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLIE (USA 2) WILSON, GEORGE MICHAEL, LONNIE LEE SIMMONS, RUDY TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariamb1223
It’s 2023 and I’m still here!!!This is masterpiece!!! Music definitely not the same anymore. I think he is one of a few lucky ones who sound exactly same in live performances if not better then on a record! So much talent in one men! This should be thought in a music school, as masterclass of live performances! Brilliant GM💫👏
@serge3877
that's MTV Unplugged, and yes, the level of performance, arrangement, back vocals, vibe is unparalleled. If it weren't George, I would think it's prerecorded.
@jamie1224
What's the point of seeing anyone in concert that has electronics shaping their voice into something extraordinary. George Michael was always a huge talent.
@Baraban-hf9tf
2024🎉🎉🎉 I listened
@LauraHernandez-vy4zp
He sings so effortlessly. He is always pure perfection. The music industry will never be the same without him.
@blackvirgo09
The industry is over buddy 😂😂😂 no on sings anymore
@ragga1040
The voice control this man had was something from another planet
@user-so5ly3fx1c
Wow. Missssss u😇🤍🤍🤍
@TheHobbitmann
the best
@lisamiller3161
For sure!!