Straight Up

## Music Video

"**Straight Up**" is a song recorded by American singer Paula Abdul for her debut album *Forever Your Girl*. The song was released as the third single from the album on November 22, 1988, by Virgin to commercial success, being Abdul's first top 40 hit in the United States, before going on to be her first chart-topper on the *Billboard* Hot 100. The song brought Abdul widespread public attention, and has remained as her biggest international hit to date.

## Background

According to Abdul, her mother found this song for her. She explains that her mother knew someone whose boyfriend was an aspiring songwriter, and she got "Straight Up" as an 8-track demo. The demo version was "so bad" that Abdul's mother was "crying laughing" at it, and threw it in the trash. But Abdul heard something she liked in it, and retrieved it. At that time she was a full-time choreographer, and on the side, late at night she was recording music. The record label did not think the song was any good but Abdul offered to record two songs they wanted, which she did not like, if they would let her do "Straight Up". The song was recorded at a cost of $3,000. Later a friend of hers told her that somebody with her same name was being played on a northern California radio station. "Literally, within 10 days I [it] sold a million copies." The song was originally recorded in a bathroom, and in the masters of the recording, someone in the next apartment can be heard yelling "Shut up".

## Music video

The song became so popular that it ascended up the charts before a music video had even been shot for the song. The black and white video, directed by David Fincher and choreographed by Abdul herself in mid-January 1989, won four 1989 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video, Best Editing, Best Choreography, and the first Best Dance Video. The video features an appearance by her friend, comedian Arsenio Hall, whose popular talk show had premiered a few weeks prior to the video shoot. Djimon Hounsou also appears. Released later that month, the video at the time went into very heavy rotation on MTV, helping further Abdul's popularity.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Lost in a dream

I don't know which way to go

(Ah-let me say it now)

If you are all that you seem

Then baby, I'm movin' (Movin') way too slow

**[Pre-Chorus]**

I've been a fool before

Wouldn't like to get my love caught in the slammin' door

How about some information, please?

**[Chorus]**

Straight up, now tell me

Do you really wanna love me forever? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or am I caught in a hit-and-run?

Straight up, now tell me

Is it gonna be you and me together? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or are you just havin' fun?

**[Verse 2]**

Time's standing still

Waiting for some small clue

(Ah-let me tell ya now)

I keep getting chills

When I think your love (When I think your love) is true

**[Pre-Chorus]**

I've been a fool before

Wouldn't like to get my love caught in the slammin' door

How about some information, please?

**[Chorus]**

Straight up, now tell me

Do you really wanna love me forever? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or am I caught in a hit-and-run?

Straight up, now tell me

Is it gonna be you and me together? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or are you just havin' fun?

**[Bridge]**

You are so hard to read

You play hide-and-seek

With your true intentions

If you're only playin' games

I'll just have to say

Abb-b-b-bye, b-b-b-bye

**[Breakdown]**

Do, do you love me?

(Do, do you love me, baby?)

Do, do you love me?

(Do, do you love me? Ah-hey, baby!)

Do, do you love me?

(Do, do you love me, baby?)

C'mon now, do, do you love me?

(Do, do you love me?)

Ah-tell me, baby

**[Pre-Chorus - Extended]**

I've been a fool before

Wouldn't like to get my love caught in the slammin' door

Are you more than hot for me

Or am I a page in your history book?

I don't mean to make demands

But the word and the deed go hand in hand

How about some information, please?

(Please, please, ah, please, please)

**[Chorus]**

Straight up, now tell me (Tell me)

Straight up, now tell me (Tell me)

Straight up, now tell me (Tell me)

Straight up, now tell me

Straight up, now tell me

Straight up, now tell me

Do you really wanna love me forever? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or am I caught in a hit-and-run?

Straight up, now tell me

Is it gonna be you and me together? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or are you just havin' fun?

Straight up, now tell me

Do you really wanna love me forever? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or am I caught in a hit-and-run?

Now tell me

Is it gonna be you and me together? (Oh, oh, oh)

Or are you just havin' fun?

## Navigation

 Released