All Star

“All Star” is a rock song which incorporates elements of pop and ska. Its instrumentation consists of “power chords on guitar, keyboards, and harmonica”. The song’s tempo is fast, and its lyrics describe an average person feeling optimistic about their current situation. The song has been played at sporting events, especially ice hockey games.

There are conflicting stories about how this song came to be. Some say that “All Star” was written by Greg Camp while he was working at a movie theater and was inspired by customers’ comments about how they were all “stars”. In another version, he wrote it while watching MTV and seeing people who think they are “all that”. In yet another version, he wrote it after listening to The Monkees’ 1967 hit “Daydream Believer”.

The lyrics are about self-esteem and self-empowerment and how anyone can be a star if they try hard enough. In an interview with Songfacts, Greg Camp explained that this message came out of his own struggles: “I had been out of college for six years at that point, and I still didn’t feel like I had really made it.”

The theme of the song is about self-empowerment and being an “all star”; many artists have covered it. The song has been featured in several television shows and movies such as Shrek, Rat Race, Scrubs, and The Simpsons episode “Homerazzi”.

The song peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1999. It also reached number one in Canada and charted within the top ten in Australia, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It was later certified Gold by both the RIAA and ARIA.

Lyrics

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an “L” on her forehead

Well the years start coming and they don’t stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn’t make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?
You’ll never know if you don’t go
You’ll never shine if you don’t glow

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

It’s a cool place and they say it gets colder
You’re bundled up now, wait till you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim
My world’s on fire, how about yours?
That’s the way I like it and I never get bored

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid
All that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show, on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas?
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change

Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn’t make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?
You’ll never know if you don’t go (go!)
You’ll never shine if you don’t glow

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold