Born and raised in San Diego, California, RuPaul later studied performing arts in Atlanta, Georgia. He settled in New York City, where he became a popular fixture on the LGBTQ+ nightclub scene. He achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, "Supermodel (You Better Work)", which was included on his debut studio album Supermodel of the World (1993). He became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics in 1994, raising money for the Mac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign. He later received his own talk show on VH1 called The RuPaul Show, which he hosted for over 100 episodes while co-hosting the morning radio show on WKTU with Michelle Visage.
RuPaul's Drag Race was created in 2009 and has gone on to produce fourteen seasons in the United States. The show has also seen success internationally, with several international variants of the show being made, such as RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Canada's Drag Race. This has also inspired several spin-offs of the main show, including RuPaul's Drag U, RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race. He is also featured as a host on other reality television series such as Skin Wars, Good Work, and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul.
RuPaul has made appearances in films such as Crooklyn (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), television shows such as Girlboss (2017), Broad City (2017), and Grace and Frankie (2019). He later created and starred in his own Netflix original television series AJ and the Queen (2020). In addition, he has also published three books: Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995), Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010), and GuRu (2018).
RuPaul is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States. For his work on RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most-awarded person of color in the history of the Primetime Emmys. Outside of film and television, he also continues to write and record music; he has released fourteen studio albums as of 2022, and received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.
Can I Get an Amen?
RuPaul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to the relationship
Like a fool done job,
9 to 5 you gotta
work it,
work it
But the best of you,
has yet to arrive
all the love you ever
needed,
needed
All the dreams you had,
all the things you've wanted
Don't turn your back,
it's not too late
You better love yourself
before you love somebody
Love somebody,
love somebody
Can I get an amen?
Can I get an amen?
If you can't love yourself
How in the hell you gonna love somebody else?
Can I get an amen?
Can I get an amen?
If you can't love yourself
How in the hell you gonna love somebody else?
A-amen
Say hello goodbye, maybe another try, After a while you find history repeating-peating
Til you realize, your love is alive,
All the love inside
is all the love you ever needed, needed
All the dreams you had, all the things you've wanted
Don't turn your back, it's not too late
You better love yourself before you love somebody,
Love somebody,
love somebody
There's a fork in the road, Which way will you go?
You standing still or will you step into the great unknown?
It's yours to decide
This is your life
This is your life
In RuPaul's song "Can I Get An Amen," the lyrics speak to the importance of self-love and acceptance before being able to love someone else. The verses highlight the challenges of being in a relationship and trying to give one's all, to the point of feeling like a "fool" sometimes. However, the chorus emphasizes the need to prioritize oneself before attempting to love someone else. The phrase "can I get an amen" is a call for agreement and validation of this sentiment. The song goes on to encourage listeners not to give up on themselves or their dreams, and to embrace their own unique path in life.
Through the use of catchy melodies and upbeat production, RuPaul delivers this important message in an accessible and fun way. The repetition of the central question "if you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?" drives home the main point of the song. By placing value on self-love and self-acceptance, the song advocates for healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
Overall, "Can I Get An Amen" is a motivational anthem that encourages listeners to prioritize self-care, self-love, and self-acceptance. Its message is one that can be applied beyond romantic relationships, and serves as a reminder of the importance of valuing oneself and pursuing one's own dreams and passions.
Line by Line Meaning
Given all you could, to the relationship
You have given your all to the relationship
Like a fool done job, 9 to 5 you gotta work it, work it
You have worked tirelessly and foolishly like a 9 to 5 job
But the best of you, has yet to arrive
The best version of yourself has not yet arrived
All the love inside is all the love you ever needed, needed
You have all the love you need inside you
All the dreams you had, all the things you've wanted
All your dreams and desires are within reach
Don't turn your back, it's not too late
It's not too late to change things
You better love yourself before you love somebody, Love somebody, love somebody
You need to love yourself before you can love someone else
Can I get an amen?
Can I get a confirmation or agreement?
If you can't love yourself, How in the hell you gonna love somebody else?
If you can't love yourself, how can you love someone else?
Say hello goodbye, maybe another try, After a while you find history repeating-peating
After multiple attempts, you may realize that you are repeating the same mistakes
Til you realize, your love is alive, All the love inside is all the love you ever needed, needed
You will only realize that your love is enough once you recognize that it is alive and within you
There's a fork in the road, Which way will you go?
You have a choice to make
You standing still or will you step into the great unknown?
You can stay in your comfort zone or take a risk and explore the unknown
It's yours to decide, This is your life, This is your life
The decision is yours to make, and this is your life to live
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Chun-believable
Coco couldn't have been more lucky that her lyrics perfectly matched her mood.
@sallysomethinginthewind
Angelic Izzy 😂
@skkart4885
Didn't they write the lyrics themselves? She really did write her emotions though lmao
@Kitsune_F
Bye
@locofinchaviary
Its literally my mood 90% of the time.. 🤷♀️
@user-id9hz7eo6r
well it didnt really work out cause she was still in the bottom with jade
@shar.d.2307
Alyssa hand-dancing while Coco is singing KILLS ME
@guesswhat-chickenbutt
It's everythingggg
@mac_c
Jinkx and Ivy did amazing with this one
@lvna.ti1c
and Alaska too. :0