Why Australians won't be able to take Lady Gaga's new song seriously.

"There's always a joker in the pack

There's always a lonely clown

And there is a jester, just a fool

As foolish as he can be."

It's the opening refrain to one of Australia's most iconic sitcoms of all time, Kath and Kim, and is usually followed by a whole lot of crazy, wholesome fun at Fountaingate and finished with a glass of 'cardonnay'. 

However, it turns out that the iconic theme song is not exactly an 'original'.

First recorded for the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, 'The Joker' has been covered multiple times throughout the years, including by Gina Riley for the opening credits of Kath and Kim. 

And now it's been co-opted for a new Hollywood film. So what does this 'pacifically entail', we hear you ask?

Well, now it is also the Lady Gaga's debut song to celebrate her film Joker: Folie à Deux and its companion album Harlequin, which will be released on September 27. 

Gaga released a snippet of the song on Instagram and TikTok where fans went wild. 

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A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

"Not the Kath and Kim theme song," one fan commented while another added, "Nobody in Aus will be able to take this seriously now because this song is so strongly associated with Kath and Kim."

Many longtime Kath & Kim fans were not aware that their theme song was actually an older song re-written for the show. 

"Was it intentional or a mistake that this is nearly identical to the kath and kim theme song?" one asked, while a helpful commenter responded, "It's a cover babes."

Another added, "Wow, new season of kath and Kim looks like it's taken a unusual turn. it's noice."

So the rumours are true. It may be a less comedic, more dramatic version, but Lady Gaga's latest track is the same song.

not the kath and kim theme song 😭 https://t.co/eTbDcbXYOk pic.twitter.com/K7FoGnE0QO

— daniele ★ (@dontdoitdani) September 25, 2024

It's important to note that the Kath & Kim lyrics are slightly different (we'll include both at the end of this article), but the tune and opening lines are the same. 

Talk about a flashback 'at this late stage', given the show originally premiered back in 2002. 

20 years on and 'The Joker' is still a banger worthy of brilliant cinema - be it Kath & Kim or Joker: Folie à Deux. Safe to say that Prude and True would highly 'aproooove'.

One fan has already dubbed the original theme song video with Gaga's version, and it's very 'noice'.

@whoispenelopewong #ladygaga #harleyquinn #thejoker #LG7 #kathandkim #australian #xybcaa @ladygaga ♬ original sound - ladygaga

Kath and Kim's 'The Joker' Lyrics

There's always a joker in the pack

There's always a lonely clown

And there is a jester, just a fool

As foolish as he can be

There's always a joker, that's the rule

But fate deals the hand and I see

The joker is me

The joker is me

The joker is me

The Original 'The Joker' Lyrics

There's always a joker in the pack

There's always a lonely clown

The poor laughing fool falls on his back

And everyone laughs when he's down

There's always a funny man in the game

But he's only funny by mistake

But everyone laughs at him, just the same

They don't see his lonely heart break

They don't care as long as there is a jester, just a fool

As foolish as he can be

There's always a joker, that's a rule

But fate deals the hand and I see

The joker is me

There's always a funny man in the game

But he's only funny by mistake

But everyone laughs at him, just the same

They don't see his lonely heart break

They don't care as long as there is a jester, just a fool

As foolish as he can be

There's always a joker, that's a rule

But fate deals the hand and I see

The joker is me

The joker is me

The joker is me

Feature image: Kath & Kim/Lady Gaga