(It's) Hairspray Lyrics
(It's) Hairspray
CORNYAnd now, live, from the certified up-to-code Baltimore Eventorium...
...for the first time ever on nationwide television...
it's The Corny Collins Spectacular...
COUNCIL GIRLS
He's Corny!!
CORNY
...brought to you by Ultra Clutch Hairspray!
CORNY (& ENSEMBLE)
What gives a girl
Power and punch?
Is it charm, is it poise?
No, it's hairspray!
What gets a gal
Asked out to lunch
Is it brains, is it dough?
No, it's hairspray!
If you take a ride
With no can at your side
Then your flip will be gone
With the wind
But if you spray it and lock it,
You can take off in a rocket
And in outer space
Each hair will be in place
Why take a chance
When you get up and dance
If you twist, i insist
You use hairspray
And tell your mother
Her head she should smother
With "ultra-clutch" faithfully
So if you're a redhead,
A blonde or brunette
Just take my advice
And you might just get
The only thing better than hairspray
CORNY
That's me!
ENSEMBLE
Ska-doo-dle-e-ya
Doo-dle-e-ya do wah
CORNY
Forget the milkman
The only thing better than hairspray
ENSEMBLE
Hairspray! Wow!
CORNY
That's me!
CORNY & ENSEMBLE
What makes a man
Reach out and touch?
Ultra clutch!
CORNY & ENSEMBLE
So if you're a redhead,
A blonde or brunette
Just take my advice
And you might just get
CORNY
The only thing better than hairspray
That's me!
ENSEMBLE
Ska-doo-dle-e-ya
Doo-dle-e-ya do wah
COUNCIL GIRLS
He's Corny Collins!
CORNY
The only thing better than hairspray
ENSEMBLE
Hairspray! Wow!
CORNY
That's me!
ENSEMBLE
Ska-doo-dle-e-ya do wah
Ska-doo-dle-e-ya do wah!
Do wow!
CORNY
"Hey, baby, you look like you could use a stiff one!"
BRENDA
Ska-doo-dle-e-ya-do do wah!!!!
Song Overview
(It’s) Hairspray is the jingling curtain-raiser for the Miss Hairspray Spectacular, a faux commercial that doubles as character entrance for TV host Corny Collins. Written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the 2007 film version is performed by James Marsden and sits on Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture, released July 10, 2007 on New Line Records. WaterTower’s official uploads anchor the track online.
Review and Highlights
Think jingles-and-wink. The rhythm section pops like a TV house band, saxes punch the tag lines, and the backing girls sell the product with “ska-doo-dle-e-ya” scatting that lands squarely in 1962. Marsden leans into a Dick Clark cool - polished, not plastic - and the lyric flips from beauty tips to open flirtation before the camera cuts away. The film places this number at the big broadcast, turning a sponsor plug into a self-aware showbiz grin.
Creation History
The song originated in the 2002 Broadway score, then moved to the 2007 film largely intact, now fronted by Marsden. The album version appears in official “Provided to YouTube” posts from WaterTower Music.
Song Meaning and Annotations
Plot
Corny Collins opens the live broadcast with a sponsor number that flatters the product and, not so subtly, himself. It frames the Miss Hairspray pageant as television first, community second, which the story will promptly complicate once integration takes center stage.
Song Meaning
Surface-level, it’s a jingle. Underneath, it’s a parody of how TV sells desire back to its audience. The hook insists that the right can of spray grants “power and punch,” while Corny keeps slipping his name in as the real prize. Shaiman and Wittman write the joke clean: commerce is charming, and charm is commerce.
Annotations
“Certified, up-to-code WYDT Studio”
The line nudges the fourth wall, implying the station has only just met standards - a sly pretext for making a spectacle out of “going live.”
“What gives a girl power and punch?”
Critics have noted a kinship to Mack and Mabel’s “Hundreds of Girls” rhyme scheme. Whether deliberate or just a period pastiche, it sharpens the satire of ad-speak objectification.
“Forget the milkman… the only thing better than hairspray - that’s me!”
Campy innuendo, very much of the era’s TV winks. The gag elevates Corny as heartthrob and huckster at once.
“That’s me!”
On film, Marsden tags the phrase with a smooth riff - a little vocal flex that sells the persona.
“Hey, baby, you look like you could use a stiff one!”
Another period double entendre. The movie lets it pass as sponsor patter without stopping the party.
“Ska-doo-dle-e-ya-do”
That doo-wop scatting ties the jingle to TV variety traditions, where chorus lines punched brand names between verses.
Style notes
Brisk two-step backbeat, brassy hits, call-and-response with the Council girls. The copywriting cadence creates its own groove: set up, product name, wink, repeat.
Key Facts
- Artist: James Marsden (as Corny Collins), with female Council Members
- Composer: Marc Shaiman
- Lyricist: Scott Wittman (with Shaiman)
- Album: Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture (2007)
- Label: New Line Records; digital catalog via WaterTower Music
- YouTube official audio ID:
1zl5x1oEOYI - In-universe placement: Corny’s live-broadcast opener for the Miss Hairspray Spectacular
Questions and Answers
- Who wrote “(It’s) Hairspray”?
- Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman with Marc Shaiman.
- Who sings it in the 2007 film?
- James Marsden as Corny Collins, with the female Council Members.
- Is there an official upload?
- Yes. WaterTower Music hosts official “Provided to YouTube” posts and soundtrack cuts.
- Was it a single?
- No single push for this track; the soundtrack as a whole drove the campaign.
- How did the album perform?
- It peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard 200, spent nine weeks in the top 10, went RIAA Platinum, and nabbed a 2008 Grammy nomination.
Awards and Chart Positions
Soundtrack milestones: The 2007 album climbed to no. 2 on the Billboard 200, spent nine consecutive weeks in the top 10, received RIAA Gold then Platinum certifications, and landed a 2008 Grammy nomination for compilation soundtrack.
How to Sing (It’s) Hairspray
Vocal color: TV-host brightness with crisp diction. Smile in the sound, keep consonants snappy.
Pocket: Upbeat two-step with brass stabs. Let the backing “oohs” ping without rushing the tag.
Acting beats: Flirt with the camera. The joke works when you’re selling both the product and yourself.
Additional Info
WaterTower maintains an official playlist bundling the film’s tracks, including Corny’s numbers. For deeper context on the score’s construction and the Shaiman/Wittman partnership across Hairspray and beyond, see later interviews and retrospectives.