Poker Face is a song by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on September 26, 2008, as the lead single from her debut studio album, The Fame.
The song was written by Gaga and RedOne, while production was handled by the latter. Poker Face is a synth-pop and dance-pop song with elements of new wave and electronic rock, which uses a synth riff as its main melody.
In the song, Gaga tells an ex-boyfriend that she will be okay with or without him, and she dances while singing about how poker face is her expression during sex. The song received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised its catchy hook and chorus, and its commercial success.
It peaked at number one on over 20 charts worldwide, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, where it became Gaga’s second consecutive number-one single after “Just Dance”.
Poker Face was certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. It is one of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide, with over 14 million copies sold.
The accompanying music video for the song portrays Gaga singing it in various costumes and playing strip poker in a getaway villa.
“Poker Face” is a synth-pop and dance-pop song with new wave and electronic rock influences, which borrows heavily from 1980s music. The main instrument used in the song is a synth riff which recurs throughout the entire song. The sound has been described as “a pumping Eurodance floor track”.
According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV News, “the hook [of ‘Poker Face’] is pretty undeniable”, calling it “catchy”. Music writer Alan Light described it as having a dark sound in comparison to previous single “Just Dance”.
Gaga explained in an interview with them that the line “bluffin’ with my muffin” was not referring to sexual contact with another person, but rather her interaction with food; “I wanted something that would sound kind of funny because people expect me to be talking about sex all the time.” She also stated that the main idea behind the song was sex and gambling; however, she clarified that she actually wrote it about being bisexual.
The lyrics of “Poker Face” are based on sexual innuendo and double entendre by exploiting pop culture references such as poker terms; e.g., Lady Gaga sings them while playing strip poker in a getaway villa.”P-p-p-poker face” is used as a metaphor for hiding one’s true emotions or feelings; e.g., Lady Gaga claims to be having an orgasm while singing the lyric.”Mum mum mum mah” derives from a game of poker called Mississippi Stud – where players are dealt two hidden cards and must make three separate bets; e.g., if all three bets lose then Lady Gaga would be “out $300″.The use of poker analogies made sense to Gaga because she loves card games; e.g., she told Rolling Stone while developing her debut album that she wanted to write songs that would be played in clubs but still have strong lyrical content.”I gamble but I’ve also dated a lot of guys who are really into sex and booze and gambling”; e.g., Lady Gaga has been romantically linked with Luc Carl – who owns New York City’s Stonewall Inn – since 2005.”It’s like I’m this casino owner but every time I win I lose something else”, which can be seen as an analogy for how love/sex can make one feel good but also bad because of how it can consume one’s life.”LoveGame intuition play the cards with spades to start”. i.e., using intuition (feminine energy/the ace of spades card) instead of logic (masculine energy/the ace of clubs card) will help one win at love/sex.”Can’t read my. can’t read my. no he can’t read my poker face.” i.e., even though one may think they know what someone is feeling/thinking – they really don’t know for sure; much like how in poker there is always an element of risk/chance.”She’s got me like nobody., feeling powerless against love/sex because it feels so good even though it may not be good for you.”Bluffin’ with my muffin., hiding one’s sexual desires/needs behind a facade (i.e., eating cake instead of having sex).”P-p-poker face. p-p-poke her face., poking fun at someone who is trying to act tough or stoic on the outside but may be quivering on the inside; e.g., when someone says they’re not scared even though they are.”I wanna roll with him. a hard pair we will be., wanting something more than just casual sex.”A little gambling is fun when you’re with me (I love it)”., even though gambling (and love/sex) can be risky – it’s still fun.”Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun., Russian Roulette is dangerous because there is only one bullet in the chamber but if you play without a gun then there is no danger; similarly – love/sex without some level of commitment can be just as dangerous because there are no guarantees.”Take your bank before I pay you out.” i.e,. even though I may seem strong/tough – I could still lose everything (i. my heart) to you.””I promise this. promise this. even though I may not be able to control my emotions/desires – I promise that I will try.””Cross my heart. hope to die. making a vow/promise that one will never break.””To my lover I’m blind. being so consumed by love/desire that one can’t see anything else; similar to how gamblers can become so consumed by their addiction that they don’t see anything else going on around them.”Fate had me fooling around. now I’m falling asleep. even though I thought I was in control – fate (or luck) intervened and now things have changed (i.
I’ve fallen in love). throwing caution to wind.e., even though I knew better – I still took a chance because sometimes you have to take risks in order to reap rewards (i.e,, experience true love).”And baby when it’s love if it’s not rough it isn’t fun Fun. Love should have some level of passion or intensity otherwise it’s just not worth it; similar to how gambling should have some level of risk or else it’s just not as exciting.”Something happened for me sweetheart too bad but babe look what you’ve done Got me feeling drunk off Champagne every time You come around Do do do do do do do do do Do do doo doo Mm mm mm mm Mm mm mm Mm mm Do dooo Dooo Mm mm Mm Mm Mmm Mmmm Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh Ohhh ohhh Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa Poker face Poker face Poker face Poker face P p p p p p p P p p Ppp pp pp pp Ppp pp Ppp pp Poker face Poker face Poker face Poker old Ppp pp pp pp Ppp pp Ppp pp Ppp pp Poker old Ppp pp Ppp old Ppp old Old Old Old Old Old Old Old OldOld .
“Poker Face” became one of Lady Gaga’s signature songs and helped propel her to superstardom. The song has been widely praised by critics and has become one of her most successful singles worldwide.
