Karaoke Korner

The fame game

Darren Hayes wants to be the talk of the town

By Patiweth Sethchindapong

Some people will go to great lengths to get famous, and, apparently, Darren Hayes is one of those people. He wants to bask in the limelight of his success, appearing regularly in magazines and on TV, enjoying all the celebrity excesses that come with being successful.

Of course, once you�re a media celebrity, you may become the talk of the town. This is a common idiom meaning everyone is talking about you, usually because you�re famous. This

can be a positive thing, but it can also be a negative thing. Sometimes the talk can lead to gossip and rumours about you that will forever keep your publicists on the telephone � just check out our own weekly Gossip column (page 18) for rumours and murmurs about what�s happening in the fickle world of fame. Is our Gossip usually positive or negative? Think about the answer and think about why, sometimes, fame is a double-edged sword.

�Popular�

by Darren Hayes

I�ve got a plan to make it rich and famous
Luck for me, for you it�s a bitch you ain�t in
My plans are slowly changing
Fame is so contagious

Chorus
I�m willing to sleep my way to the top
I wanna be pop-ular
I don�t want to keep my feet on the ground
I wanna be popular

I must confess I�ve been a very bad boy
Been sleeping around, talk of the town
My name is
Hollywood will beckon
Everyone will listen

Play my video
Hear me on the radio
Dancing at the disco
No one ever says no

(Chorus)

My friends are all in limousines
My friends are all celebrities

Ha, ha, ha
I just sold my soul
Play my video
Hear me on the radio
Dancing at the disco
No-one ever says no

(Chorus x2)

My friends are all celebrities
My friends are all in limousines

Play my video
(I�m willing to sleep my way to the top)
(I wanna be pop-ular)
Hear me on the radio
(I don�t want to keep my feet on the ground)
(I wanna be popular)
Dancing at the disco
(I�m willing to sleep my way to the top)
(I wanna be pop-ular)
No one ever says no
(I don�t want to keep my feet on the ground)
(I wanna be popular)

Are you willing to sleep your way to the top?
Do you wanna be pop-ular?

About Darren Hayes

Name: Darren Hayes
Nationality: Australian
Style: Pop, rock
Label: Sony
Albums: Tension and the Spark (2004), Spin (2002),
In brief: Going solo can be daunting from some musicians, especially those who were once part of a successful duo. Not for Darren Hayes, who after leaving Savage Garden in 2002 struck out on his own and released Spin and the chart topping single �Insatiable.� Way before becoming an international pop star, Darren Hayes used to organise performances at home in front of his mother. He later joined Daniel Jones in his band Crush. They eventually formed Savage Garden in 1997 in Brisbane, Australia, before Darren decided to go it alone and moved to San Francisco to kick off his solo career.

Official website: www.darrenhayes.com
If you like Darren Hayes, check out: Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake, *NSYNC, Blue

Discussion

Would you like to be the talk of the town? If so, why � and would you be able to cope with the pressures of being a celebrity?

Exercises

1. Write two sentences with the idiom talk of the town.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

2. Write as many synonyms as you can think of for the word famous. We�ve listed some for you, but a few are a little wrong, so choose carefully.

          .........................             .........................                       .........................             .........................  

          .........................             .........................                       .........................             .........................

Synonyms

well-known          prominent          distinguished   great          renowned             acclaimed    legendary   important            fantastic

Vocabulary

contagious (adj): (of a disease) that can be passed from one person to another
confess (v): to admit something that you feel ashamed or embarrassed about
beckon (v): to tell them to move nearer or to follow you
limelight (n): the centre of public attention
excesses (n): extreme behaviour that is unacceptable, illegal or immoral
publicist (n): a person whose job is to make something known to the public, for example a new product, actor, etc.
fickle (adj): changing often and suddenly

Idioms

sell your soul: to do anything, even something bad or dishonest, in return for money, success or power

to go to great lengths: to put a lot of effort into doing something, especially when this seems extreme

double-edged sword: to be something that has both advantages and disadvantages