Popular Song - Discussion

[mellody]

Definitely one of my fave songs from this album!

Here's what I could figure out from the lyrics so far, not sure about a few bits though... any other ideas?

EDIT: Lyrics so far (group effort )

Psychotic Barney Mika Rap

Laa laa, laa laa

You were the popular one, the popular chick
It is what it is, now I'm popular b*tch
Standing on the field with your pretty pom-pom
Now you're working at the movies selling popular corn

I could've been a mess but I never went wrong
'Cause I'm putting down my stories in a popular song
Mh, Ah, Oh
Said I'm putting down my story in a popular song

My problem
I never was a model
I never was a scholar
You were always popular

You were singing
All the songs i don't know
Now you're in the front row
'Cause my song is popular

Popular, I know about popular
It's not about who you are or your fancy car
You're only ever who you were

Popular, I know about popular
And all that you have to do is be true to you
That's all you ever need to know

Catch up! 'Cause you got an awful long way to go
Catch up! 'Cause you got an awful long way to go

Always on the lookout for someone to hate
Picking on me like a dinner plate
I hid during classes and in between them
Dunk me in the toilets now it's you that cleans them

You're tryin' to make me feel bad with the sh*t you do
It ain't so funny when the joke's on you
Ooh, the joke's on you
And everyone's laughing
Got everyone clapping, asking
How come you look so cool
'Cause that's the only thing that I learned at school
What? Uh-huh
So that's the only thing that I learned at school

My problem
I never was a model
I never was a scholar
You were always popular

You were singing
All the songs i don't know
Now you're in the front row
'Cause my song is popular

Popular, I know about popular
It's not about who you are or your fancy car
You're only ever who you were

Popular, I know about popular
And all that you have to do is be true to you
That's all you ever need to know

Catch up! 'Cause you got an awful long way to go
Catch up! 'Cause you got an awful long way to go

Before the next time that you call him crazy, lazy
A faggot or that fugazi
Here's the one thing that's so amazing
It ain't a bad thing to be a loser baby

All you ever need to know
You're only ever who you were

All you ever need to know
You're only ever who you were

All you ever need to know

Popular, I know about popular
It's not about who you are or your fancy car
You're only ever who you were

Popular, I know about popular
And all that you have to do is be true to you
That's all you ever need to know

All you ever need to know
You're only ever who you were
(repeat)

[hotdlp]

Another one of my faves

From what I can hear it's

'I hid during classes and in between them
Dunk me in the toilets now it's you that cleans them'

[Dreamy_Queen]

Finally someone who likes it too! I thought I'm the only one!

[StarryEyed<3]

Meh, I don't actually like this at all. It's the only one off the album that I'm seriously disappointed in.

[dcdeb]

Originally Posted by mellody

Definitely one of my fave songs from this album!

Here's what I could figure out from the lyrics so far, not sure about a few bits though... any other ideas?

You were singing
All the songs i don't know
Now you're in the front row
'Cause my song is popular

Popular, I know about popular
It's not about who you are
Or your fancy car
But only ever who you were
Popular, I know about popular
And all that you have to do
Is stay true to you
That's all you ever need to know

Catch up! 'Cause you got another long way to go
Catch up! 'Cause you got another long way to go

Always on the lookout for someone to hate
Picking on me like a dinner plate
I hate during classes and in between them
Dunk me in the toilets (...?...) clean them
You're tryin' to make me feel bad with the sh*t you do
It ain't so funny when the joke's on you
Uh, the joke's on you
And everyone's laughing
Then everyone clapping, asking
How come you look so cool
Cause that's the only thing that I learned at school
What? A-ha!
So that's the only thing that I learned at school

That's my problem
I never was a model
I never was a star but
You were always popular

I think I can fill in a few of your blanks, Karin
and I hear a few words a little differently -- let me know what you think:


You were singing
All the songs I don't know
Now you're in the front row
'Cause my song is popular

Popular
I know about popular
It's not about who you are
Or your fancy car
You're only ever who you were
Popular
I know about popular
And all that you have to do
Is be true to you
That's all you ever need to know
Catch up 'cause you got an awful long way to go
Catch up 'cause you got an awful long way to go

Always on the lookout for someone to hate
Picking on me like a dinner plate
I hid during classes and in between them
Dunk me in the toilets now it's you that cleans them

Trying to make me feel bad with the sh*t you do
It ain't so funny when the joke's on you
Oooh, the joke's on you
And everyone's laughing got everyone clapping
asking
How come you look so cool
'Cause that's the only thing I learned at school
What? Uh huh
So that's the only thing I learned at school

My problem I never was a model
I never was a star(ter?)
You were always popular
You were singing...

[mellody]

Originally Posted by hotdlp

Another one of my faves

From what I can hear it's

'I hid during classes and in between them
Dunk me in the toilets now it's you that cleans them'

Originally Posted by dcdeb

I think I can fill in a few of your blanks, Karin
and I hear a few words a little differently -- let me know what you think:

thanks girls!

deb, i agree with most of your changes - just i think she in fact sings a very short "You('re)" before "tryin' to make me feel bad" - that's the problem with rap, often words are half-swallowed to make it fit the rhythm. And it's definitely " the only thing THAT I learned at school". i'll add your changes to the first post, hope that's ok for you?

[mellody]

Originally Posted by Dreamy_Queen

Finally someone who likes it too! I thought I'm the only one!

Originally Posted by StarryEyed<3

Meh, I don't actually like this at all. It's the only one off the album that I'm seriously disappointed in.

tbh, i can't understand how anyone could *not* like this song - besides maybe if they have a general problem with rap. when i first heard this at the album pre-listening in milan, in the beginning of the song i was like mika RAPS?! (the song starts with a rap ) but then he started singing and i fell in love with the song. and now i also love the rap, yes it's unusual for mika, but it sounds cool. and i love his voice.
generally, the melody is beautiful (i have to admit, to me it was new, i never saw/heard the musical wicked...), the rhythm is really groovy (somehow i automatically start moving when i hear this song ), and the lyrics are funny and witty. in the first verse there's this "now you're in the movies selling popular corn" bit, that mika once tweeted about. he obviously loves this bit of lyrics, he recited it to us in milan, looking really proud.

this one and step with me were my faves of the new songs (i.e. of the ones we hadn't heard before) at the pre-listening, and since step with me got changed, popular song might well become my fave song of the album. though there's still love you when i'm drunk... and underwater... and tool... etc.

[dcdeb]

Originally Posted by mellody

thanks girls!

deb, i agree with most of your changes - just i think she in fact sings a very short "You('re)" before "tryin' to make me feel bad" - that's the problem with rap, often words are half-swallowed to make it fit the rhythm. And it's definitely " the only thing THAT I learned at school". i'll add your changes to the first post, hope that's ok for you?

Originally Posted by mellody

generally, the melody is beautiful (i have to admit, to me it was new, i never saw/heard the musical wicked...), the rhythm is really groovy (somehow i automatically start moving when i hear this song ), and the lyrics are funny and witty. in the first verse there's this "now you're in the movies selling popular corn" bit, that mika once tweeted about. he obviously loves this bit of lyrics, he recited it to us in milan, looking really proud.

I've only seen Wicked once on Broadway, but love the soundtrack -- but
would you believe it didn't click when I heard this song? It's really only
a bit of the chorus that's borrowed from the show's version of Popular,
and I guess, since Mika was hanging with Stephen Schwartz a while back,
it's OK that he lifted a little something from one of the show's songs.

Originally Posted by mellody

this one and step with me were my faves of the new songs (i.e. of the ones we hadn't heard before) at the pre-listening, and since step with me got changed, popular song might well become my fave song of the album. though there's still love you when i'm drunk... and underwater... and tool... etc.

Between hearing all the different snippets floating around now and the live
versions of some of the songs, I have to say I'm a totally happy fangurl. I would
rate most of the songs very, very highly except for Celebrate, but
since I have a really happy memory associated with that song now, I even
can tolerate it much better than I did originally. Thanks, Mika!

[Dreamy_Queen]

Originally Posted by mellody

tbh, i can't understand how anyone could *not* like this song - besides maybe if they have a general problem with rap. when i first heard this at the album pre-listening in milan, in the beginning of the song i was like mika RAPS?! (the song starts with a rap ) but then he started singing and i fell in love with the song. and now i also love the rap, yes it's unusual for mika, but it sounds cool. and i love his voice.
generally, the melody is beautiful (i have to admit, to me it was new, i never saw/heard the musical wicked...), the rhythm is really groovy (somehow i automatically start moving when i hear this song ), and the lyrics are funny and witty. in the first verse there's this "now you're in the movies selling popular corn" bit, that mika once tweeted about. he obviously loves this bit of lyrics, he recited it to us in milan, looking really proud.

I so agree with you!
It is rather unusual - Mika rapping - but it is another facet of his music world. It sounds so fresh and unusual for him. Something we haven't expected, but it makes it even more exciting! New Mika means new Mika. I can't wait to hear the whole song!
At first I was disappointed to get to know, that it is not his very own piece of art, but after watching on YT the original song, I understood that they are different anyway.
Is it Priscilla Renea singing with him?

[Kata]

Oh I absolutely love this song, it's so catchy and funny I never even hear of the musical before, so I had no clue some of this was borrowed... but they
I don't mind the rapping at all, which sort of proves that I don't have a problem with Mika doing things differently, as long as he does it differently in a way I like

[Kata]

Originally Posted by dcdeb

Between hearing all the different snippets floating around now and the live
versions of some of the songs, I have to say I'm a totally happy fangurl. I would
rate most of the songs very, very highly except for Celebrate, but
since I have a really happy memory associated with that song now, I even
can tolerate it much better than I did originally. Thanks, Mika!

I guess he just saved the best for last I don't like Celebrate and MYH at all and I even don't like Underwater much so I was really discouraged until I heard the longer snippets and the acoustic bits... now I'm a pretty happy fangurl again

[Dreamy_Queen]

Originally Posted by dcdeb

rate most of the songs very, very highly except for Celebrate, but
since I have a really happy memory associated with that song now, I even
can tolerate it much better than I did originally. Thanks, Mika!

My happy memory is the moment when I saw the vid for Celebrate
Mika looked so stunning that I automatically started to tolerate the song itself