"Poker Face" has been well-received by the critics most of whom have praised the robotic hook and the chorus. The song has attained worldwide success, topping the charts in more than seventeen countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many European countries. "Poker Face" is also the most downloaded song in the British chart history. The accompanying music video for the song portrays Gaga singing it in various costumes and playing in a mansion.
Gaga performed the song for the eighth season of American Idol and her first headlining Fame Ball Tour. The live performances included an electronic version performed as the last song of the tour, and an acoustic version she played on the piano.
"Poker Face" was written by Red One and Gaga, while the music has been produced by RedOne. Gaga stated in an interview that "Poker Face" was written by her as a pop song and was a tribute to her rock 'n' roll boyfriends. She also stated that the main idea behind the song was sex and gambling. In an interview with UK's Daily Star, Gaga noted of the song, "It's about a lot of different things. I gamble but I’ve also dated a lot of guys who are really into sex and booze and gambling, so I wanted to write a record my boyfriends would like too." In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, when asked about the meaning of the line "bluffin' with my muffin", Gaga explained that it really was a metaphor for her vagina. She explained,
"Obviously, it's my pussy's poker face! I took that line from another song I wrote but never released, called 'Blueberry Kisses.' It was about a girl singing to her boyfriend about how she wants him to go down on her, and I used the lyric. [Gaga sings] 'Blueberry kisses, the muffin man misses them kisses'."
During her Fame Ball Tour performance at Palm Springs, California, on April 11, 2009, Gaga explained to the crowd the true meaning behind the term "Poker Face" used in the song. She suggested that the song dealt with her personal experience with bisexuality. The idea behind the song was to be with a man but fantasising about a woman, hence the man in the song needs to read her "Poker Face" to understand what is going through her mind.
"Poker Face" is an uptempo dance-pop song, and follows the footsteps of the previous single "Just Dance". Whereas "Just Dance" was predominately electropop, "Poker Face" carries a dark sound with clear vocals on the chorus and a pop hook while combining the synths from "Just Dance" and the more dance-oriented beat of the next single "LoveGame". According to Kerri Mason of Billboard, the composition "carr[ies] the pleather-and-sequins vibe of the downtown New York scene out of the underground and onto the FM dial without losing its smut and sass." The song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute and is written in the key of G-sharp minor. Gaga's vocal range spans from F♯3 to B4. It begins with a medium tempo followed by electronic chord arrangement and the "Mum-mum-mum-mah" hook. The chords follow in this order, G♯m—E—F♯—G♯m—E—F♯. This is followed by the sound of dance music, produced by a powerful beat from the instruments and a stuttering hook following the chorus.
Lyrically, "Poker Face" is all about sexual innuendo and teasing. According to Daily Star, the chorus repeats two alternating lyrics. After the hook "Can't read my Poker Face" the backup singer says "He's got me like nobody" and then in the next line says "She's got me like nobody". Gaga explained in an interview with them that the line carries a bit of an undertone of confusion about love and sex. However, the liner notes from the album booklet indicate both these lines only repeat "she's got me like nobody". The "Mum-mum-mum-mah" hook used in the song is sampled from Boney M's 1977 hit "Ma Baker."
Priya Elan from The Times, in a review for The Fame, said that "Poker Face"was one of the finest moments of the album with its "love-as-card-game cheek." BBC reviewed the "strut-tastic" single as "expressing her overwhelming desire for celebrity and fortune." Bill Lamb of About.com said, "'Poker Face' works well on pop radio, but with slight mixing alterations it would be equally at home in a dark, sweaty, late night party atmosphere. She has refreshed the pop world in the US and UK at one of the slowest times of the year. 'Poker Face' keeps the motors humming as everyone waits for the next step forward from Lady Gaga." Chris Williams of Billboard also gave a positive review of the song saying, "Once again, hooks are aplenty, with '80s-inspired synthesizers, robotic verses and a warm, sunny hook in the chorus, which is even more addictive than the previous single ('Just Dance')...With a focused artistic vision, a swagger in her interview style and above all, a fantastic collection of diverse pop nuggets, Gaga is playing her cards right—and "Poker" is another obvious ace."
Slant Magazine music reviewer Sal Cinquemani included "Poker Face" among the songs that work in The Fame, namely tracks like "Starstruck," "Paper Gangsta" and "Summerboy". Matthew Chisling from Allmusic called the song "infectious" and along with the title track "The Fame", complimented them for "rejuvenating the vibe on the album for its second half." Andy Downing from The Chicago Tribune called the song "jaunty" while reviewing Gaga's Fame Ball tour. Evan Sawdey from PopMatters.com felt that "Poker Face" along with the track "Paparazzi", duplicate much of the same "glitzy territory that previous single 'Just Dance' had covered, but never once does it feel like Gaga is deliberately repeating herself." Rolling Stone in a review for The Fame Ball Tour compared the live acoustic "bluesy" version of "Poker Face" with the music of singer Amy Winehouse. Erika Hobert from the New Times Broward-Palm Beach newspaper called the song "trashtastic Europop."
The music video for "Poker Face", directed by Ray Kay and aided by Anthony Mandler, was filmed at the luxury villa on bwin PokerIsland. bwin also provided the poker equipment and obtained product placements in return. The video premiered on October 22, 2008. It is set by a pool, as well as in a mansion. It begins with Gaga emerging out of the pool wearing a shiny masquerade mask and a black full-body leotard, with two Great Danes beside her (Lava and her son Rumpus). She throws the mask aside and the song begins with a facial shot of Gaga singing it. Gaga wears a metallic sticker on her left cheek in this shot. Featured in the video are scenes of Gaga in a mansion and dancing poolside with her dancers in a turquoise leotard. Gaga attends a wild party where every man and woman tries their luck on a strip game. The party gets wilder when all the party's guests strip down to their underwear, dance around, and share kisses with each other. The video also features two harlequin Great Danes and several white mannequins on her swimming pool deck. During the musical interlude before the "I won't tell you that I love you" hook, Gaga is shown in her trademark "Pop Music Will Never Be Low Brow" sunglasses while sitting beside the pool. The video ends with the head shot of Gaga singing the Mum-mum-mum-ma hook.
Gaga explained in the nineteenth episode of her "Transmision Gagavision" series, the main idea behind the music video of "Poker Face". She said that "I knew I wanted it to be sexy, so I thought no pants, because that's sexy. [...]And I knew I wanted it to be futuristic, so I thought shoulder pads, because that's my thing." The music video premiered on MTV UK on February 17, 2009. In some versions of the song, the words "muffin" (being a slang term for the woman's vagina), "Russian Roulette" and "gun" are censored out (bleeped). On June 21, 2009, the video won the Best International Artist Video at the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards. The video has received four nominations at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories of Video of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Video and Best Pop Video. Along with five other nominations for "Paparazzi", Gaga is tied with Beyoncé for most nominations each for that year.
Pokerface
Lady Gaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mum-mum-mum-mah
Mum-mum-mum-mah
Mum-mum-mum-mah
Mum-mum-mum-mah
I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas, please
Fold 'em, let 'em hit me, raise it, baby, stay with me (I love it)
And after he's been hooked, I'll play the one that's on his heart
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, oh oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, oh oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be (hey)
A little gamblin' is fun when you're with me (I love it)
Russian roulette is not the same without a gun
And baby, when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun (fun)
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, oh oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, oh oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
(Mum-mum-mum-mah)
(Mum-mum-mum-mah)
I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you
'Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin
I'm not lying, I'm just stunnin' with my love-glue-gunnin'
Just like a chick in the casino
Take your bank before I pay you out
I promise this, promise this
Check this hand 'cause I'm marvelous
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" is a song about a woman who is playing a game of love with her significant other. She wants to hold her partner in the same manner that they do in Texas and play a game of cards that starts with spades. She has an intuition for love games, and she will play the card that is on her partner's heart.
Gaga is not interested in revealing her true feelings to her partner as she sings, "I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you." She is bluffing with her "muffin" (her body) and "love-glue-gunnin'" (her seductive tactics). She compares herself to a chick in the casino who will take the bank before paying out. She promises that her hand will be a "marvelous" one.
The chorus of "Can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker face" emphasizes the fact that she is being mysterious and keeping her true feelings hidden. Ultimately, the song is about the thrill of the chase in a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Mum-mum-mum-mah
Repeated sound effect indicating excitement
I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas, please
I want to hold onto my cards like how professional card players in Texas do
Fold 'em, let 'em hit me, raise it, baby, stay with me (I love it)
I will fold some cards, let others draw more cards, raise the bets, and hope my opponent stays in the game; I enjoy playing this strategy
Love game intuition, play the cards with spades to start
My strategy in the game of love is to rely on my intuition, and I begin the game with a strong hand of spades
And after he's been hooked, I'll play the one that's on his heart
Once my love interest is into me, I will use what I know about him to manipulate him into loving me
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Excited sound effect
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
I will turn my love interest on while impressing him with my skills
Can't read my, can't read my
My love interest cannot figure out what I am thinking
No, he can't read my poker face
My love interest cannot read my facial expressions or body language
(She's got me like nobody)
I am completely enamored with her and nobody else can compare
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
Repeated sound effect indicating the song's title or the game itself
I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be (hey)
I want to take a chance with my love interest, and together, we will make a strong team
A little gamblin' is fun when you're with me (I love it)
I enjoy the thrill of taking risks with my love interest
Russian roulette is not the same without a gun
Playing the game of love is a risky game, but it's not as dangerous as Russian roulette
And baby, when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun (fun)
Love isn't fun if it's not challenging or exciting
I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you
I will not show my love interest that I am falling for him
'Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin
I am misleading my love interest with my words or actions
I'm not lying, I'm just stunnin' with my love-glue-gunnin'
I am not exactly lying, but rather impressing my love interest with my charm and attraction
Just like a chick in the casino
Similar to a female player in a casino, I am taking calculated risks in the game of love
Take your bank before I pay you out
I want to take all of my love interest's affection before he shows me his true self
I promise this, promise this
I make a promise or commitment
Check this hand 'cause I'm marvelous
Take a look at how good I am in the game of love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nadir Khayat, Stefani Germanotta
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maryina8164
I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas, please
Fold 'em, let 'em hit me, raise it, baby, stay with me (I love it)
Love game intuition, play the cards with spades to start
And after he's been hooked, I'll play the one that's on his heart
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be (hey)
A little gamblin' is fun when you're with me (I love it)
Russian roulette is not the same without a gun
And baby, when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun (fun)
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you
'Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin
I'm not lying, I'm just stunnin' with my love-glue-gunnin'
Just like a chick in the casino
Take your bank before I pay you out
I promise this, promise this
Check this hand 'cause I'm marvelous
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, can't read my
No, he can't read my poker face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face
(She's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
P-p-p-poker face, f-f-fuck her face (mum-mum-mum-mah)
@WCYMusicStudio
Billie Eilish: I make the weirdest music videos
Lady Gaga: That's cute
@john-allenduskglass3193
kate bush: hold my Chardonnay
@deathya1
@@john-allenduskglass3193 Tool: Hold my fucking fetus.
@lilyo3o759
WCY Music Studio copy cat
@baechussamwithaheart4097
This is exactly the same comment from her Bad Romance MV....... from the exact same person.
@oytho3473
@@deathya1 why hold, when you can c o n s u m e
@lordestan8477
2009: ”omg she’s from the future”
2020: ”yep she’s still from the future”
@raymonddallaire653
Lol
@EduardoRodriguez-wm7hu
Ur profile and name💀
@andrejgrkic4796
Yeah