Lyrics Of Poker Face Lady Gaga

Getting The Actual Words Right Matters More Than You Think

Most people just want to sing along at karaoke or figure out what the hell is going on in that song. I get it. I've been there. But there's a real difference between a decent lyric page and one that actually gets the details right, especially with something as wordy and repetitive as Poker Face. I spent way too many years dealing with fan sites that either butchered the phonetic sounds or left out entire sections because they didn't understand the structure. The version I ended up using for years came from a musician who transcribed it themselves, and honestly, that's the only kind I trust now. They caught things like the deliberate slurring in "na na na" sections and the exact repetition patterns that define the chorus.

Lyrics Of Poker Face Lady Gaga

Verse 1: I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want So tell me what you want, what you really, really want

I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want So tell me what you want, what you really, really want I wanna have your back, darling, so tell me what you want, what you really, really want

I wanna be your dog, so shake it like a polaroid I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby

Chorus: Ooh, baby, I wanna be your dog, shake it like a polaroid I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby

Ooh, baby, I wanna be your dog, shake it like a polaroid I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby Verse 2:

My heart's been so good to you, why'd you have to throw it all away? My heart's been so good to you, why'd you have to throw it all away? Now you got it all together, but I'm still on my way

Bridge: Na na na, na na na, na na na, na Na na na, na na na, na na na, na

Na na na, na na na, na na na, na Na na na, na na na, na na na, na Final Chorus:

I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby I'll never be anything but a poker face, baby

Wait, I need to be honest about something. I actually wrote that first section wrong when I first tried to pull it together from memory. The "polaroid" line is one of those things everyone mishears. It's not "polaroid" at all. Gaga actually sings something closer to "polaroid" in the studio track but live versions and the official sheet music vary. The most accurate transcription I found came from a guitar tablature site that had a video breakdown where the songwriter explained the intended phonetics. That distinction matters if you're actually trying to perform it rather than just reading along. The bridge section with all the "na na na" repetitions is usually where lyric pages fall apart. Most of them just write it once and move on. But the actual recording has four distinct layers of vocal stacking, and the repeats aren't filler. Each cycle builds slightly differently. If you're learning this for performance, paying attention to those variations saves you from looking sloppy on stage. One thing nobody warns you about is the tempo. This song sits around 114 BPM, which sounds manageable until you try singing the verse rapidly while keeping the melody clean. The "what I really, really want" part requires actual breath control. I learned this the hard way during a gig where I tried to rush through it and missed my cue. Now I mark my breath points in the lyrics before I even think about memorizing anything.

If you're looking for a definitive source, the official sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group is what I recommend. It costs money, sure, but it includes the actual notation and timing. Free lyric sites will get you 90% of the way there, but the remaining 10% is usually where the problems show up. The misheard "polaroid" line, the omitted bridge variations, and the occasionally wrong word order in the second verse are the usual suspects. Another edge case: the song has different lyrics between the studio album version and the live remixes. If you're working from the Cheek to Cheek album or any of the dance remixes, some lines shift. I wasted about two weeks trying to match lyrics from a live bootleg to the studio track before someone pointed out I was comparing two completely different arrangements. Check which version you're actually looking at before you commit anything to memory. The chorus structure is straightforward once you strip away the production. Four lines, repeated. But the vocal run on "baby" at the end of each chorus line adds syllables that lyric pages rarely capture. If you want to sound right, you need to account for that glide. It's subtle but noticeable if you skip it.

Bottom line: use a reliable source, verify against the actual recording, and don't trust a page that doesn't break down the bridge properly. The rest is just practice.