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.
John Wayne
Lady Gaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just like, I just, I know, it's bad
But I'm just like
Can I just like, hang off the back of your horse
And can you go a little faster?!
Three am, Mustang speedin'
Two lovers, headed for a dead end
Runnin' through the red lights
Hollerin' over, rubber spinnin'
Big swig, toss another beer can
Too lit, tonight, prayin'
On the moonlight
Every john is just the same
I'm sick of their city games
I crave a real wild man
I'm strung out on John Wayne
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
Blue collar and a red-state treasure
Love junkie on a three-day bender
His grip, so hard, eyes glare
Trouble like a mug shot
Charged up, 'cause the man's on a mission
One, two ya, the gears are shiftin'
He called, I cried, we broke
Racin' through the moonlight
Every john is just the same
I'm sick of their city games
I crave a real wild man
I'm strung out on John Wayne
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
So I go to the eye
Of the storm
Just to feel your love
Knock me over
Here I go
Into our love storm
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
Baby let's get high, John Wayne
Lady Gaga's song John Wayne is a homage to the wild, untameable spirit of the cowboy lifestyle. The first verse starts with the singer admitting her love for cowboys and asking a cowboy if she can ride on the back of his horse a little faster, despite it being dangerous. The second verse focuses on the singer's journey with a cowboy, detailing the reckless behavior they exhibit while driving in a Mustang at three in the morning. The singer highlights her love for the danger and exciting rush that comes with being with a cowboy.
In the chorus, Gaga sings about how she's tired of the city slickers that she's met and wants a real wild man like John Wayne. In the third verse, she describes this wild man as a blue-collar, red-state treasure who is a love junkie on a three-day bender. Their attraction to each other is dangerous and charged with energy, with the singer observing that her man's grip is so hard, and his eyes full of trouble. In the bridge, Gaga explains that she's willing to risk it all to be with her man, even if that means going to the eye of the storm.
Lady Gaga has always been known for her eccentricity, and the song John Wayne is no exception. Here are some interesting facts about the song:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like, I just love a cowboy you know
I love the rough, rugged look of a cowboy, even though I know it's not necessarily the best choice.
I'm just like, I just, I know, it's bad
I know being attracted to the 'bad boy' persona isn't wise, but I can't help what I like.
But I'm just like
I'm still drawn to the cowboy type despite its downfalls.
Can I just like, hang off the back of your horse
I want to experience the thrill of riding shotgun on a horse and holding on tight.
And can you go a little faster?!
I want the thrill ride to go even faster and to be even more dangerous.
Three am, Mustang speedin'
The singer and her love interest are speeding off in a Mustang at 3 am.
Two lovers, headed for a dead end
The couple is heading towards a destructive end in their relationship.
Too fast, hold tight, he laughs
The man driving the Mustang is going too fast, but is enjoying the danger and adventure.
Runnin' through the red lights
They are driving recklessly, running red lights and disregarding traffic rules.
Hollerin' over, rubber spinnin'
They are making a lot of noise and creating a scene as they peel out in their car.
Big swig, toss another beer can
They're drinking beer and tossing the cans out of the car as they go.
Too lit, tonight, prayin'
They're really drunk tonight and the singer is hoping they don't crash.
On the moonlight
Driving through the night under the light of the moon.
Every john is just the same
The singer is tired of dating the same type of guy over and over again.
I'm sick of their city games
She's had enough of men who play games and aren't genuine.
I crave a real wild man
She wants something different, something wild and exciting.
I'm strung out on John Wayne
The singer is hooked on the thrill of being with someone like John Wayne (a fictional, rough movie cowboy).
Blue collar and a red-state treasure
The singer is describing the ideal man she's looking for, who is working-class and from a conservative (red) state.
Love junkie on a three-day bender
She admits she's a love addict who gets caught up and can't get enough of that thrilling feeling in the early stages of a relationship.
His grip, so hard, eyes glare
She's describing the intense, dangerous nature of the man she's with.
Trouble like a mug shot
The man she's with is the wild, risky kind of trouble that can lead you to getting arrested.
Charged up, 'cause the man's on a mission
He's driven and ambitious, which makes him all the more exciting and romantic.
One, two ya, the gears are shiftin'
They're shifting gears in the car and picking up speed once again.
He called, I cried, we broke
The relationship has ended after they went through a rollercoaster of emotions together.
Racin' through the moonlight
They're still speeding down the road, but this time without each other.
So I go to the eye
The singer is unsure of where to go from here now that the relationship is over.
Of the storm
She's going to the center of the storm, or the issue at hand, in order to deal with it properly.
Just to feel your love
She's looking for that same rush of love and excitement she felt with John Wayne, but can't seem to find it.
Knock me over
She wants to feel swept off her feet again.
Here I go
She's ready to start chasing that feeling of love and excitement once again.
Into our love storm
She's diving headfirst back into the whirlwind of romance and excitement that comes with love.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stefani Germanotta, Mark Ronson, M. Tucker, Josh Homme
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hugo Castro
I will never understand why the fan base let this song flop, it's just pure ART.
Kukuh Santoso
Yeah that's so SAD
Coach Burke
I think it’s because it was not heavily publicized…. Like I buy everything Gaga releases and I didn’t even know this had a video…
April San
@Coach Burke me too ! In France, this song is not on radios 😕
Lady Haha
Cause it wasn't even promoted lol
WhiteTV3
46 millions of views it's not flop, thank u next!
Katya_Velour
Life is too short to pretend you don’t like Lady Gaga
Marius
YES YES YES
Yaroslav Gómez
Amen.
madhouse5213
not my cupa tea