"Ur So Gay" was written by Katy Perry and Greg Wells. The song was meant to be a "soft hello". It describes her relationship with a former boyfriend whom "she thought should have been gay". The song is registered on BMI as "You're So Gay" and "You Are So Gay" is listed as an alternate title.
Madonna gave the song much publicity during interviews on both the KRQ 93.7 JohnJay & Rich morning show and Ryan Seacrest's morning show, saying that "Ur So Gay" was her "favorite song right now". Perry reacted by saying "I'm still floored by that. It's like, you're Madonna - you don't have time to be listening to my songs!".
Release
See the commercial release of the EP here. The song was released on iTunes on November 20, 2007 as an EP. The EP featured a club remix of the single by DJ/producer Junior Sanchez and an Outfield cover, "Use Your Love". The track "Lost" from the album, One of the Boys, also appeared on the extended play. According to Perry, "Ur So Gay" was played on several radio stations such as KROQ's "Catch of the Day". The song was also released physically and in 7 inch pink vinyl form.
Background
Katy Perry told prefixmag.com that the song "wasn't meant to be a big single or show what the album, One of the Boys, is going to be all about. That was for my Internet bloggers, so I'm not coming out of nowhere. "Ur So Gay" was meant to be an introduction and a background. The album will have a lot of the same characteristics, though." Perry's A&R representative Chris Anokute confirmed this by saying that they had no plans for radio coverage but just wanted to put this "novelty" song out online as an introduction to see "what the attraction was". As expected, sales were low, but Anokute said the single did well in terms of building a press story.
When asked about the song, Perry said it was about a metrosexual boy named Greg. In an online interview with thenewgay.net, she described the song's background, "This song is about my past relationships, and how in this world of 2008 girls are thrown into a lion’s den of ‘who’s on this team and who’s on that team?” I was dating this boy who was very metrosexual. I always end up with these guys who are very sensitive and good looking and clean-cut and smell good. But this one in particular, I thought “In another life, you are a gay man.” I’ll just leave it at that."
Controversy
The song received a lot of negative reactions, especially from homosexual listeners. Many reviewers called the song "disgusting", "insulting", and "homophobic". Perry responded to all of this, defending that
- "It’s not a negative connotation. It’s not “you’re so gay,” like “Your so lame,” but the fact of the matter is that this boy should’ve been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever. The video we did a while ago on a budget of little to nothing, it paints that same picture. Everyone played with that Ken Doll and they were changing his outfits." — Katy Perry
She also went on to say that the song is not a generalization about gay people, just about her specific situation and that it shouldn't be taken that way.
Versions
Studio version
There are three cuts of the song. One being the original demo which features a stripped down instrumental and some alternate lyrics like in the bridge. The second edition was another demo of the song that had an alternate intro and bridge. There were background vocals placed during the bridge saying "You're going through some kind of psychological change in your life". In the final album version, the intro was fixed and the background voice during the bridge was removed. Unlike the demo (and explicit) version of the song, the album version censored the word "jacked off" with a record spin, similar to what was heard in the intro of the demo edition. The album version kept the word "penis" in the end, as for the clean EP version, the line was edited with noise, along with "jacked off" and "bitch".
- Demo version — 3:41
- Album version — 3:37
Live version
Katy performed this song on the Warped Tour, the Hello Katy Tour and the California Dreams Tour. A few times, in the live performances of the song, Katy has changed some words. For example "Myspace" would be changed to "Facebook" and one time Katy even added "John Mayer" to the line "I can't believe I fell in love with someone who wears more make up than...".
Remixes
- Cory Enemy & DJ Skeet Skeet Remix
- Junior Sanchez Remix
Lyrics
I hope you hang yourself with
your H&M scarf
While jerking off, listening to Mozart
You bitch and moan about L.A.
Wishing you were in the rain
reading Hemingway
You don’t eat meat
And drive electrical cars
You’re so indie rock it’s almost an art
You need SPF 45 just to stay alive
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
You’re so sad maybe you should
buy a happy meal
You’re so skinny you should really
Super Size the deal
Secretly you’re so amused
That nobody understands you
I’m so mean 'cause I cannot get
you outta your head
I’m so angry 'cause you’d rather
MySpace instead
I can’t believe I fell in love with
someone that wears more
makeup than…
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
You walk around like you’re oh so
debonair
You pull ‘em down and there’s really
nothing there
I wish you would just be real
with me
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
No, you don’t even like
Oh, no-no-no-no-no, no, no
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
Penis!
I hope you hang yourself with
your H&M scarf
While jacking off, listening to Mozart
You bitch and moan about L.A.
Wishing you were in the rain
reading Hemingway
You don’t eat meat
And drive electrical cars
You’re so indie rock it’s almost an art
You need SPF 45 just to stay alive
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
You’re so sad maybe you should
buy a happy meal
You’re so skinny you should really
Super Size the deal
Secretly you’re so amused
That nobody understands you
I’m so mean 'cause I cannot get
you outta your head
I’m so angry 'cause you’d rather
MySpace instead
I can’t believe I fell in love with
someone that wears more
makeup than…
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
You walk around like you’re oh so
debonair
You pull ‘em down and there’s really
nothing there
I wish you would get a clue that it's
not all about you
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like…
No, you don’t even like
Oh, no-no-no-no-no, no, no
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like boys
You're so gay and you don’t even
like boys
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like
No, you don’t even like, no-no, no-no, no-no
Music video
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Katy Perry - Ur So Gay
The official video.
The music video to "Ur So Gay" first premiered on MySpace on March 19, 2008 and later was released April 15, 2008 on iTunes. The video was directed by Walter May.
Background
Katy and director, Walter May, were discussing about how the video should be made. A decision was reached, and on the premiere day of the video, Katy posted this on her Myspace blog:
| “ | I think this video is very silly n’ funny. My friend Walter and I were ichatting about wanting to do a little video for it a few weeks ago and I said let’s use BARBIES! (they’re not official barbies, thank the law!) Walter and team spray painted, wall papered and even LEATHERED the miniature set… I hope you guys pick up on the funny little details… like totally awesome rocker dude. hee hee. | ” |
—Katy Perry | ||
Synopis
The music video uses imitation barbies portraying Katy Perry and her boyfriend, the subject of the song. The video starts with Katy Perry sitting on grass with flowers surrounding her and smiling clouds in the sky behind her. She is playing a blue guitar, smiling, as the song's intro plays. As the lyrics come in you see scenes of barbies, one of Katy's "boyfriend" in his room getting ready. The other of Katy herself, as a blonde, on a spoof version of Myspace entitled "Facespace" looking at pictures of her boyfriend on his page. Later, Katy goes to meet up with her boyfriend at a Coffeehouse, but gets ignored because he rather go with a male friend that he runs into. Katy now dyes her hair black because "she sees that her boyfriend likes brunettes", according to May, and invites her boyfriend over to her house, a scene of him driving is added. After he drinks a lot of wine, Katy pulls down his pants to see "nothing's there". She gets fed up and leaves. During this time, the clouds behind Katy in the meadow start turning to frowning faces.
Versions
There are two versions of the video. Both are only audio edits of the song, the first one includes the line "jacking off to mozart" and the "penis" line at the end, while in the second version "jacking off" is censored out.
Credits
Personnel
- Vocals and whistles — Katy Perry
- Piano, guitar, bass, and beats — Greg Wells
- Horn section — Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Bill Reichenbach, Dan Higgins
- Horn arrangement — Jerry Hey
- Recorded — Drew Pearson at Rocket Carousel Studio (Los Angeles, CA)
- Mixed — Joe Zook at Aus Studios (Studio City, CA)
Publishing
- Published by When I'm Rich You'll Be My Bitch (ASCAP) administrated by WB Music Corp.
- Rocket Carousel Music/Art in the Fodder Music (BMI) administered by Arthouse Entertainment
References
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