But in general, does the artist always have say over the interpretation of their own work? Many times people come up with completely different interpretations and as long as there is textual support it isn’t wrong, necessarily.
Absolutely. I don’t think it takes anything away from the meaning of a song if the listener interprets it in a way different than the person who wrote it did. That’s what’s neat about art. I was just saying that Gaga herself has said that her interpretation of the song is that it’s about sex, so it makes it a little funny that the song is being sung on Glee.
No offense? Amazing, I’m able to read lyrics just as well as she can. Do I have to start threads on her to qualify to read them? They’re obviously sexual, but they are nonspecific.
I don’t get how people can read the lyrics and hear the artist herself say what the song is about, and say, “no, it’s not”. Whatever. If Gaga herself can’t say what the damned song is about, then I give up.
But I don’t think it’s always that simple. Historically people have always had interpretations of texts that were different than what the author said. I mean if we found out tomorrow that F. Scott Fitzgerald hadn’t intended his book to have anything to do with the concept of the American Dream, I don’t think people would stop thinking or teaching it that way. The song writer can have their opinion but it’s not the be all and end all.
And I do think Poker Face as written is pretty ambiguous. It does seem to be about not revealing what you’re thinking/feeling during sex, but I see nothing in the lyrics that specifically says it’s about bisexual or lesbian thoughts.
meet formalism
Hey, I’m fine with the idea that there can be meanings other than just what the artist intended, but there’s been this attitude that Gaga was wrong or lying about what she meant. That’s what irked me.
Cartman.
Agreed, Cartman’s rendition is clearly superior
Well, we could always ask the guy who gother cooter in his face at Lollapalooza if he has an interpretation of the song’s subtext.
Yes. Yes it is.
Another vote for Cartman.
Oh, Jesus. The big guy whose face is between her arm and leg. I’m dying at his face- it’s like he’s never seen a tit before. 
I shot a friend’s band at the Van’s Warped Tour last week, and I have to give her credit - that outfit looks appropriate for the weather.
No, the version with the acoustic guitar wins hands down. I like a capella, but when the audience can’t shut up enough that you can’t hear it, you really need a better recording.
And the Glee not only has edited vocals, but also background music that sounds like it could have been Auto-Tuned. Of course a well played acoustic is going to sound better.
perhaps “purer” isn’t the word I was looking for. “more general” is what I meant.
Yes, it’s written about doing a guy while wanting to do a girl instead. but there’s so little specific to that in the lyrics (heck, there are more direct references to gambling than to sex) that it can be generalized to be about acting like you love/like someone when you don’t.
Shelby wanted a baby, not a grown daughter. Gaga (or her character when singing the song) wanted a girl, not the guy she was fucking. Same thing. ish.
When they sang “I dreamed a dream” together, they weren’t singing about dying of tuberculosis while dreaming of the man who had abandoned them after knocking them up, either.
the ickyness of them using it that way given the origin of the song is what’s so funny about the scene. But the emotion works, IMHO. Heck, LG said she loved the Glee episode, so if her opinion matters, she agrees.
I wasn’t aware of that LG did a similar version first. That does take it down a notch, but IMHO Glee did it better. (not an LG fan, but a bigger Glee fan than a 34 year man really ought to be, so maybe I’m biased). LG’s piano version was nice, but she seemed to be mugging to the camera so much in a sort of “look at me, ain’t I clever” way.
I’d forgotten the cartman version… yeah, that’s a good one.
Walken seemed to be channeling Shatner to me. I’d rather hear Shatner do himself, though Walken’s “Oh oh oo” part was hilarious.
I started the poll because I loved both versions and couldn’t decide. Now I’ve talked myself into voting for Glee. 
Yay! Someone who saw it the way I saw it! (Although on the surface, it did squick me out a little… but then I thought about it.)
Theirs was so… different…
Oh!
So why in God’s name do I now get no audio with Youtube but I do with other programs?
And yes, I’ve ensured Youtube isn’t muted. Jesus, what else could go wrong today?