Born This Way Lyrics

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  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
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About

Genius Annotation

“Born This Way” is about self-liberation, and loving every part of yourself, no matter your race, gender, or sexuality; the song was released as the lead single from the album of the same name in February 2011.

In it, Lady Gaga emphasizes that loving a human or a religious entity can both equally be considered expressions of worship, as many religious people claim the importance of loving humans to be an essential part of their religion. With her lyrics, GaGa addresses the persistent prejudice against many types of love, e.g. non-heterosexual love that is still wide-spread among many religious communities and societies. GaGa criticizes any stance based on religious prejudice: to her, worshipping God equals loving all “His” creatures just the way they are.

The entire song is about internalizing this accepting point of view, learning who you are and loving that person.

The song was a huge success upon release, charting atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 straight weeks (as the 1000th No. 1 song).

Gaga’s anthem resembles Madonna’s 1989 hit “Express Yourself,” which was an (uncredited) homage to The Staple Singers‘ 1971 smash “Respect Yourself.”

This song, as Rolling Stone points out, also bears similarities to Patrick Hernandez’s 1978 disco tune “Born to Be Alive.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Lady Gaga say about "Born This Way"?
Genius Answer

But the song, it’s very literal and I said, “I want to write my freedom record. I want to write my this-is-who-the-fuck-I-am anthem,” but I don’t want it to be hidden in poetic wizardry and metaphors. I want it to be an attack, an assault on the issue because I think, especially in today’s music, everything gets kind of washy sometimes and the message gets hidden in the lyrical play.

–via Billboard (2011)

What has the media said about the song?
Genius Answer

In 2018, NPR ranked this as the #57 greatest song by a female or nonbinary artist in the 21st century, saying:

‘Born this Way’ was a rebirth for Lady Gaga. After an early career focused on fame and fashion, the song revealed her as a pop star on a mission who had politics, feminism and social justice on her mind. The combination of a relentless, banging beat and Gaga’s vulnerable yet fierce delivery makes you want to yell while you dance — Yes, I was born to be free sexually, to love whoever I want to love — and made for an instant worldwide hit. The song is not without its problems (Gaga should perhaps have thought twice about using the words ‘chola’ and ‘orient’), but it remains a powerful anthem, not only for the LGBTQ community but for anyone who has ever felt marginalized or misunderstood.

How did Lady Gaga feel when the song was the 1,000th No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100?
Genius Answer

I can’t believe it. I’m humbled, honored and overwhelmed at the reception to “Born This Way.” This has been so life-changing for me. Between Billboard and the international No. 1s, and the radio numbers. I couldn’t be more blessed to have the fans I have. I knew when I wrote the song it was special, but I also knew that perhaps my fans or my label were hoping for me to deliver “Bad Romance the Third” or “Poker Face the Third.” I wanted to do exactly the opposite. That’s not to say that on the album there’s not an incredible amount of breadth and eccentricity. It’s quite eclectic. It ranges from “Born This Way” being very light to the rest of the album becoming quite darker. I in jest say that “Born This Way” is the marijuana to the heroins of the album, the ultimate intense intoxication of the record. It’s an analogy. It’s not about the numbers. But I won’t say that I’m not honored to be No. 1 on Billboard. Because it is a tremendous honor. And to be the 1,000th No. 1 on Billboard. I would be silly not to say this is the greatest honor of my career. To have sold so many singles so quickly and to be a message-not a song about a nightclub, not a song about sex-a message about love and positivity?

–via Billboard (2011)

How much has the song sold in the United States?
Does alternate version of the video exist?
Credits
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Photography
Recording Engineer
Assistant Recording Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Instrumentation
Background Vocals
Recorded At
Abbey Road Studios (London), Germano Studios (New York)
Release Date
February 11, 2011
Born This Way Live Performances
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