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Superstar

Description:

This is a song that Tegan Quin wrote and that appeared first on the Red Demo and then later on the album Under Feet Like Ours and then on the album This Business of Art. Tegan sings the lead vocals and Sara sings the background vocals.

Lyrics:


Red Demo version:

Dignified in what she does when she sings

The smile that she brings to those of you

Unaware of what's to come I said tell me, what's to come?

Green is the color of my envy and it's the color of fame

So I'm gonna write it down to scream it out

And I'm never gonna be the same, again

Fear is the color you’ve all exposed {Green is the color of envy}

And I gotta get up here {It’s the color of fame}

To prove the importance of my clothes {And I’m gonna write it down}

And my pose I suppose {‘Cause I’m never gonna be the same}

Again

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar? 

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that's what you are

{You're the ultimate star} You're gonna be a star

Do you wanna be a star?

And soon my face will be on every magazine

And then my voice will be on every frequency

Take my heart, while you're at it why don't you sign me up

(To sell me out) To sell me out, sell me out

Today I saw, today I saw, today I saw my first angel

Whoa, and it was me, it was me

Clever in what she does competing for the attention

Of those people that you know

My whole life revolves around her absence

Until I can't remember what I was

Or where I go, or what I know, or what I knew, or what I know 

Every moment was that moment, every day was that day

Every second was that second and I've lost myself again

Whoa, I’ve lost myself again

Well it’s the way you walk, yeah it’s the way you talk

It’s the way you smile, and all the while

You’re an angel, you’re an angel

Well it’s the way you talk, yeah it’s the way you walk

It’s the way you smile, and all the while

You’re an angel, I'm an angel

Hardcore superstar by far, I'm the ultimate

Hardcore superstar, I'm the ultimate

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that's what you are

{You're the ultimate} You're gonna be a star

Whoa, yeah you’re gonna be star

All it will take is just one more minute

All it will take is just one more visit

Just five minutes of your time

And I guarantee that you’ll be fine

‘Cause no matter how I think when I'm asleep

No matter how I dream in the day

My thoughts are less than actions bought

And I am still nothing in common face

I am still nothing in common face

I am, I am nothing in common face

I am nothing in common face

I am nothing in common face

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that's what you are

{You're the ultimate star} You're gonna be a star

{You're the ultimate star} Do you wanna be a star?

Soon my face will be on every magazine

And then my voice will be on every frequency

Take my heart, while you're at it

Why don't you sign me up {Sign me up}

To sell me out {To sell me out}

Why don't you sign me up {Sign me up}

To sell me out {To sell me out}

Why don't you sign me up {Sign me up}

To sell me out {To sell me out}

Sell me out {Sign me up}

Sell me out {To sell me out}

Sell me out {Sign me up}

Sell me out {To sell me out}

Sell {Sign me up} Sell me out

I am my angel 'til death I do 

I saw my first angel and it was you 

I am my angel 'til death

I am my angel 'til death I do

I saw my first angel and it was you {I'm an angel}

I am my angel 'til death I {I'm an angel}

I am my angel 'til death I do I {I'm an angel} And it was you 

I am my angel 'til death I do I {I'm an angel} And it was you 

I am my angel 'til death I {I'm an angel}

'Til death I {I'm an angel} 'Til death I

'Til death I do {I am an angel}

Oh {I am an angel} 'til death I, yeah

I am my angel 'til death I {I'm an angel}

'Til death I {I'm an angel}

'Til death I do {I'm an angel}

I am my angel 'til death I do

I saw my first angel and it was you


Under Feet Like Ours version:

Do you wanna be a star?

Dignified in what she does when she sings

The smile that she brings to all of you

Unaware of what's to come

I said tell me, what's to come?

Green is the color of my envy and it's the color of fame

So I'm gonna write it down then I’m gonna scream it out

And I'm never gonna be the same, again

Fear is the color you've all exposed {Green is the color of my envy}

And I gotta get up here {It's the color of fame}

To prove the importance of my clothes {So I’m gonna write it down}

And my pose I suppose {And scream it out}

(‘Cause I’m never gonna be the same) Again

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that's what you are

{You're the ultimate star} You're gonna be a star

You’re the ultimate star

Clever in what she does

Competing for the attention of those people that you know

My whole life revolves around your absence

Until I can't remember what I was

Or what I do, or what I know, or where I

(I'm going here I am) go 

Every moment was that moment

Every day was that day

Every second was that second

And I've lost myself again, yes I’ve lost myself again

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, do you wanna be a?

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Well that’s what you are 

{Hardcore superstar by far} You’re gonna be a star

{You're the ultimate star} You're gonna be a star

{Ultimate star} You're gonna be a

Star (Star)

And soon my face will be on every magazine

And then my voice will be on every frequency

Take my heart, while you're at it

Why don't you sign me up to sell me out?

Why don't you sign me up to sell me out?

Why don't you sign me up to sell me out? Sell me out

(Sign me up to sell me out)

Hardcore superstar by far, you’re the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, do you wanna be a star?

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be star? 

{You're the ultimate star} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You're the ultimate star) You’re gonna be a star

You’re gonna be a star {Do you wanna be a superstar?}

You're gonna be a star, do you wanna be a star?

Do you wanna be a star?

I am my angel until death I do {You're gonna be a star}

I saw my first angel and it was you {You’re gonna be a star}

I am my angel until death I do {I’m an angel}

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do {I'm an angel}

I saw my first angel and it was you 

I am my angel until death I do {I'm an angel}

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do {I'm an angel}

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do {I'm an angel}

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do {It was you}

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do I saw my first angel and it was you

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star {I'm an angel}

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star {I'm an angel}

Hardcore superstar, do you wanna be a star? {I'm an angel}


This Business of Art version:

Dignified in what she does when she sings

The smile that she brings to all of you

Unaware of what's to come

I said tell me, what's to come?

Green is the color of my envy, it's the color of fame (Fame)

So I'm gonna write it down, gonna scream it out

And I'm never gonna be the same, again (Again)

Fear is the color you've all exposed {Green is the color of my envy}

And I gotta get up here {It's the color of fame}

And prove the importance of my clothes {So I’m gonna write it down}

Of my pose I suppose {And scream it out}

(And I’m never gonna be the same) Again, again

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, do you wanna be a?

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that's what you are

You're gonna be a star, whoa

Do you wanna be a superstar? Yeah

Clever in what she does

Competing for the attention of those people that you know

My whole life revolves around your absence

Until I can't remember what I was

What I am, what I know, or where I go

Every moment was that moment

Every day was that day

Every second was that second

And I've lost myself again, yes I’ve lost myself again

Hardcore superstar by far, you're the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, do you wanna be a?

{Hardcore superstar by far} Do you wanna be a superstar?

{You’re the ultimate star} Whoa

{Hardcore superstar by far} Well that’s what you are

You're gonna be a star, whoa

Do you wanna be a superstar?

And soon my face will be on every magazine

And then my voice will be on every frequency

Take my heart, while you're at it

Why don't you sign me up to sell me out?

Why don't you sign me up to sell me out?

Why don't you sign me up to sell? 

(Sign me up to sell me out)

Hardcore superstar by far, you’re the ultimate star

Hardcore superstar by far, you’re the ultimate star

Do you wanna be a superstar?

Do you wanna be a superstar?

I am my angel until death I do

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do

I saw my first angel and it was you

I am my angel until death I do

I saw my first angel and it was you

What’s to come?

What’s to come?

And it was you, and it was you

And it was you, and it was you

Live Performances:

YouTube playlist


October 7, 1999

September 14, 2000 (Video, Audio)

October 22, 2000 (Audio)

October 23, 2000

October 24, 2000 (Audio)

January 23, 2001 (Audio)

January 26, 2001 (Audio)

January 27, 2001

January 29, 2001

January 30, 2001

March 8, 2001

March 9, 2001

April 25, 2001 (Audio)

May 6, 2001

May 16, 2001

May 22, 2001

July 11, 2001 (Audio)

July 14, 2001 (Audio)

July 26, 2001 (Audio)

July 29, 2001

August 14, 2001

August 17, 2001 (Audio)

August 25, 2001

September 19, 2008 (Video)

September 28, 2008 (Video)

September 30, 2008 (Video)

October 3, 2008

October 4, 2008

October 11, 2008

October 16, 2008 (Audio)

October 19, 2008

January 8, 2009 (Video)

January 9, 2009 (Audio)

January 11, 2009 (Audio)

February 6, 2009 (Video, Audio)

February 22, 2013

February 23, 2013

February 24, 2013

February 26, 2013

March 4, 2013

March 6, 2013

March 7, 2013

March 9, 2013

March 10, 2013

March 11, 2013

April 30, 2013

May 2, 2013

May 9, 2013

May 13, 2013

June 12, 2013 (Video)

June 20, 2013

June 24, 2013

June 25, 2013

Trivia and Quotes:

  • In 2008-2009, they performed this song as a mashup with the song Hop A Plane.

  • The song is well known in the fan community for being requested often at shows, despite Tegan and Sara's apparent dislike of the song and reluctance to play it live.

  • Tegan wrote this song after the experience of playing this show with Kinnie Starr, Veda Hille, and Oh Susanna. She said they were really nice and embodied what she wanted to be as an artist, so she wrote the song as a reminder to her and Sara to be like them in the future, and that the song is not mocking the industry like many people thought.


Interview from 2000:

Tegan: We flew down and played with three artists who still to this day are like our role models. And that’s like Kinnie Starr, Veda Hille, and Oh Susanna and they did a tour called the Scrappy Bitch Tour and they had a stop in Vancouver and we got to play one song. And we played it and everybody just like, was really excited and they said, let’s see, like play another one like and I was just like ‘Oh my god’ and they were just so nice to us and when they came through Calgary they let us play with them again. And I kind of went home and I had to- we had this great experience with them and then we had to go home and, y’know, finish school and so I kind of wrote it like- not in a bad way, like hardcore superstar like in a bad way like they were just like- they were very cool, like in a way they embodied what I would like to be in an artist, y’know like- They were very humble, and they were humbling, and they were very nice and very talented so, I was just- I went home and I wrote that as like, maybe as a reminder to us in the, y’know, years to come is to be really nice to everybody around us, they really took us under their wing and I think that-

Sara: People always make it into like a, cause we started playing it around the time when there was lots of interest from canadian companies, and people made it into this like, ‘Oh you guys are so cool, you guys are like mocking the industry’ and we’re like, that’s not what it’s about, we love the industry, we’re sellouts.

Tegan: Yeah, I love- people from record companies are usually the nicest people in the business and we’ve had good luck with them though. It wasn’t written about the industry at all, it was written just- it was like a reminder to be like, lots of cool stuff is gonna happen and lots of bad stuff is gonna happen and just to remember to be really nice to everybody and to be really nice especially to, as you get higher in the business, is to be nice to everyone below you because they’re the people that are doing most of the work a lot of the time, and they’re the people that are gonna open for you and entertain your crowd and I’ve heard lots of stories about bands opening for other bands, and then turning out like the next year and they’re bigger and that band’s opening for them so you better be nice ‘cause we’re gonna come around and we’re gonna be- you’re gonna be opening for us and so. Cause we’ve had bands treat us really badly, and I don’t think that’s fair y’know, cause we’re really nice to everybody so. So, it was just a reminder, it’s weird how it’s been kind of portrayed as like this like “Fuck the industry” but it’s like, not at all.


“Superstar, for those of you who are not aware, is a song that Tegan wrote when she was just 17 years old … We were drinking and doing acid a lot and we were coming off the tail end of that and Tegan wrote a very psychologically adventurous spoken word piece called Superstar” - Sara in 2013

Credits:

UFLO version:


Sara and Tegan: Guitar

Aaron Burke: Drums

Kristian Alexandrov: Programming, Piano, Percussion

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