Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, (bor… Read Full Bio ↴Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, (born March 28, 1986 in New York, NY) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenager, singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays. She studied at Collaborative Arts Project 21, through the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, before dropping out to pursue a career in music. After Def Jam Recordings canceled her contract, she worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing, where she signed a joint deal with Interscope Records and KonLive Distribution, in 2007. Gaga had her breakthrough the following year with her debut studio album, The Fame, and its chart-topping singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". The album was later reissued to include the EP The Fame Monster (2009), which yielded the successful singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro".

Gaga's five succeeding studio albums all debuted atop the US Billboard 200. Her second full-length album, Born This Way (2011), explored electronic rock and techno-pop and sold more than one million copies in its first week. The title track became the fastest-selling song on the iTunes Store, with over one million downloads in less than a week. Following her EDM-influenced third album, Artpop (2013), and its lead single "Applause", Gaga released the jazz album Cheek to Cheek (2014) with Tony Bennett, and the soft rock album Joanne (2016). She ventured into acting, winning awards for her leading roles in the miniseries American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016) and the musical film A Star Is Born (2018). Her contributions to the latter's soundtrack, which spawned the chart-topping single "Shallow", made her the first woman to win an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and Grammy Award in one year. Gaga returned to dance-pop with her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), which yielded the number-one single "Rain on Me". She followed this with her second collaborative album with Bennett, Love for Sale, and a starring role in the biopic House of Gucci, both in 2021.

Having sold an estimated 170 million records, Gaga is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the only female artist to achieve four singles that each sold at least 10 million copies globally. Her accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and recognition as Billboard's Artist of the Year (2010) and Woman of the Year (2015). She has also been included in several Forbes' power rankings and ranked fourth on VH1's Greatest Women in Music (2012). Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 and 2019 and placed her on their All-Time 100 Fashion Icons list. Her philanthropy and activism focus on mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights; she has her own non-profit organization, the Born This Way Foundation, which supports the wellness of young people. Gaga's business ventures include Haus Labs, a vegan cosmetics brand launched in 2019.

I Don't Know What Love Is
Lady Gaga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know what love is
If I can't have you here
I don't know what love is
I think that it's just fear

I don't know the tempo
Of my heart's concerto
It all seems like a dream

It's not, I know
There's something real out there for me

I swear I've seen an angel
A paradise in blue
Every color I choose
But I don't know what love is
But I think it might be you

If I had the courage
I'd know just what to do
Sometimes I have to crawl
And everyday I fall
Tryin' just to stand by you

I swear I've seen an angel
A paradise in blue
Every color I choose

But I don't know what love is
But I think it might be you

Overall Meaning

In "I Don't Know What Love Is," Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing about the confusion and uncertainty surrounding love. The lyrics express their feelings of helplessness and fear that they may never truly experience love. Lady Gaga sings, "I don't know what love is, if I can't have you here," implying a sense of discomfort without her partner. She continues, "I think that it's just fear," expressing the possibility that love is nothing more than a fearful emotion.

Bradley Cooper's verse continues the theme of confusion and uncertainty as he sings, "I don't know the tempo of my heart's concerto," indicating that he doesn't fully understand the beat of his own heart when it comes to love. He says, "There's something real out there for me," implying that he is on a quest to find genuine love. However, he is unsure if the person he has fallen for is the one who can provide that for him.

The chorus repeats the sentiment that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are unsure of what love really is. They describe seeing an angel and a paradise in blue, but still not understanding the true meaning of love. The song ends on a hopeful note, with both singers expressing a desire to be with their partner.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know what love is
I am uncertain of the true meaning of love.

If I can't have you here
If you are not with me, I cannot define what love means.

I think that it's just fear
Perhaps the idea of love is really just a manifestation of our fears.

I don't know the tempo
I am not sure of the rhythm, the pace, of my heart's song.

Of my heart's concerto
The symphony of emotions going on inside me is like music, complex and mysterious.

It all seems like a dream
This love is so surreal that it feels like a fantasy.

It's not, I know
But I am aware that what I feel is real, despite its intensity and apparent unreality.

There's something real out there for me
I believe there is a genuine love waiting for me, though I am not sure where or when it will happen.

I swear I've seen an angel
I have seen someone so beautiful and perfect that they seem almost otherworldly.

A paradise in blue
This person is like a paradise, an oasis in the desert, and blue represents calmness and peace.

Every color I choose
Regardless of what colors or complexities life presents me with, this person remains a shining light.

But I don't know what love is
Despite my experiences and emotions, I am not sure if what I feel truly constitutes love.

But I think it might be you
However, I believe that this person has the potential to be that love.

If I had the courage
If I were brave enough or confident in my feelings,

I'd know just what to do
I would be able to act on my emotions and pursue this person without hesitation.

Sometimes I have to crawl
Despite my feelings, there are times when I feel weak and vulnerable, like I'm not strong enough to handle these emotions.

And everyday I fall
I am human and I make mistakes, but I am willing to keep trying and learning from my experiences.

Tryin' just to stand by you
I am doing my best to support and be there for this person, because I believe in them and our connection.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lukas Nelson, Stefani Germanotta

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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