RuPaul Andre Charles is an American drag queen, television personality, act… Read Full Bio ↴RuPaul Andre Charles is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician and model. Best known for producing, hosting and judging the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received several accolades, including 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards and a Tony Award.

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.

Happy
RuPaul Lyrics

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Everybody wants to be

Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be

Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody

Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah

Everybody wants to be loved
And everybody wants to be happy

Once upon a time there was a little bitty girl
Sitting in her room with no love in her world
Thinking what to do with the rest of her life
Mama said, "Girl, it's gonna be alright"

Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah
Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah

Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be

People on the street, people watching TV
Thinking they can buy what they really, really need
Can't find it at the mall, search the seven seas
You can't even get it at Givenchy

Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah
Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah

Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be

Happy
Yeah, yeah
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
I'm gonna show you the way
Everybody

I want to be
Count to three
I want to be
Count to three
I want to be
Count to three
I want to be
Count to three

Happy, happy, happy, happiness
Happy, happy, happy, happiness
(Everybody)
Happy, happy, happy, happiness
Happy, happy, happy, happiness

Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah
Got to be happy
Yeah, yeah

Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be
Everybody wants to be

Everybody wants to be loved
Everybody wants to be respected
And everybody
And I do mean everybody

Wants to be happy
Alright.

Overall Meaning

The first verse of RuPaul's song Happy is about the universal desire to be happy. The repetition of "everybody wants to be" emphasizes this longing that exists across all backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Happiness is something that we all want, regardless of our individual definitions of it. However, the chorus points out that happiness cannot be acquired through material possessions or external circumstances. Rather, it is something that we all have to work towards and choose for ourselves. In the second verse, RuPaul tells the story of a young girl who is struggling to find happiness due to a lack of love in her life. Despite this, her mother reassures her that everything will be alright. This illustrates that happiness is not just a solo endeavor, but something that can be cultivated with the support of others.

Overall, the message of the song is that happiness is a universal desire, but not something that can be bought or achieved through external means. Rather, it is an ongoing journey of self-love, acceptance and growth, supported by the love and acceptance of others.

Line by Line Meaning

Everybody wants to be
Everyone desires something more in their lives

Got to be happy Yeah, yeah
Happiness is the ultimate goal

Once upon a time there was a little bitty girl Sitting in her room with no love in her world Thinking what to do with the rest of her life Mama said, "Girl, it's gonna be alright"
Life can be difficult, but with support, it can get better

People on the street, people watching TV Thinking they can buy what they really, really need Can't find it at the mall, search the seven seas You can't even get it at Givenchy
Material possessions do not bring true happiness

Happy Yeah, yeah I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way I'm gonna show you the way Everybody
The singer promises to guide people towards happiness

I want to be Count to three I want to be Count to three I want to be Count to three I want to be Count to three
The desire for happiness is overwhelming

Happy, happy, happy, happiness Happy, happy, happy, happiness (Everybody) Happy, happy, happy, happiness Happy, happy, happy, happiness
Repetition of the word 'happy' shows its importance

Everybody wants to be loved Everybody wants to be respected And everybody And I do mean everybody Wants to be happy Alright.
Everyone wants love, respect, and happiness

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHEL LEGRAND, SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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