A majority of the time, Lady Gaga‘s music is shrouded in a layer of persona. She is the definition of an “artist” with her otherworldly approach to music. She has operated in this way for most of her career. However, in 2016, Gaga stripped away any and all persona and opted for something more down-to-earth: Joanne.
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This country-tinged album gave fans a rare peek into Gaga’s personal life. Never had she been so candid and raw before. A powerful example of that candidness is the title track. “Joanne” sees Gaga speak about grief, identity, and legacy–three things the accompanying album seeks to translate. Uncover the meaning behind this deeply personal Gaga song, below.
Behind the Meaning of Lady Gaga’s Deeply Personal Track, “Joanne”
Take my hand, stay Joanne
Heaven’s not ready for you
Every part of my aching heart
Needs you more than the angels do
Girl, where do you think you’re goin’?
Where do you think you’re goin’
Goin’, girl?
Girl, where do you think you’re goin’?
Where do you think you’re goin’
Goin’, girl?
Gaga titled Joanne after her middle name. Aptly, this album is an extension of the artist herself. The title track saw Gaga look to her past to determine her future. She used her middle name, and the woman she got it from, as a jumping off point.
Joanne was the name of Gaga’s late aunt, who died at just 19-years-old. Her namesake was also an artist, which felt like a full-circle moment for Gaga in her career.
“[I want to] finish [Joanne’s] business…I never met her, but she’s been one of the most important figures in my life,” Gaga once said.
This song relays that personal connection beautifully. Seldom has Gaga sounded so bare and vulnerable as she does here. She sings about grief and begging for more time with her loved ones. Though it is specific to Gaga and her life, it’s a sentiment that listeners won’t have trouble relating to.
On top of this song being a tribute to her late aunt, this song is also a homecoming for Gaga. She started exploring another side of herself, one that “is my father’s daughter.” Considering this, the stripped-down sound of this song makes sense. She attempts to shed the part of her that has grown up in the spotlight. Her music follows suit, opting for something less glitzy than her typical offerings.
“There’s two sides of me,” Gaga continued. “There’s the side of me that’s a true rebel and then, another side of me that is my father’s daughter. And so this album, it doesn’t lean necessarily in a particular direction, which is why the album title is Joanne. This is my middle name. This is the middle on the center of me.”
In many ways, “Joanne” is Gaga’s manifesto. It’s perhaps the song that sees her be the truest to herself. Revisit this Gaga classic, below.
If you could I know that you’d stay
We both know things don’t work that way
I promised I wouldn’t say goodbye
So I grin and my voice gets thin
Girl, where do you think you’re goin’?
Where do you think you’re goin’?
Goin’, girl?
Girl, where do you think you’re goin’?
Where do you think you’re goin’?
Goin’, girl?
(Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
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