Seven Songs a Week: Monday: Lady Gaga

Hello, Welcome to Seven Songs a Week.

Today’s song is “Marry the Night” by Lady Gaga. Gaga released "Marry The Night ad the fifth and final single from her second full-length album "Born This Way" and I remember the day the video came out. I am a huge fan of Lady Gaga and I remember going to my sister's house to watch music videos on her Mac. I didn't really understand the concept of albums as a kid so, for me, when a new music video was released that mean that a new song was released. I didn't have a phone or anything but I had YouTube and the radio and I would always listen to "Marry the Night" on both.


Single Cover for "Marry the Night"

"Marry the Night" is an autobiographical song about Lady Gaga learning to deal with her demons and insecurities. Gaga explained in an interview that "Marry the Night" means to accept your difficulties in life and allowing them to be part of you, Gaga does this by "[marrying] the dark...[making] love to the stark.." and "[becoming] a soldier to [her] own emptiness." The song is also about fighting for what you want, Gaga sings "I won't give up on my life" and is confident enough to know everything will turn out for the better because she is a "winner" and a "warrior queen." By the chorus, Gaga is stronger and refuses to cry about her life and insecurities because she is at peace with them. Gaga remember her days as a "loser" when she would "lace up [her] boots" and look for love and success in the bars. She won't cry remembering these troublesome times because she has married the night and remembers these days fondly because these days left a mark on her or "tan" as she says. She remembers the good parts of those days like the art she made with her Bedazzler and the love she made with her boyfriend. Everything seemed to work out for Gaga after these hard days with her Oscar, Two Golden Globes, 12 Grammys, 18 VMA Awards including the first ever Tricon Award in 2020.

Lady Gaga released the video the almost 14-minute on December 2nd 2011, the day after it leaked on the internet which happened multiple times throughout her career. The analysis, much like the video to come is a long one. The video begins with a disheveled Gaga on a stretcher controlled by two nurses. This image however may be false as Gaga monologues about how she changes her memories because she "prefers to remember them in an artistic way." She thinks her re-imaginings make her memories more honest and colorful, which I can agree with because of the way her sexual assault in this video. Gaga shares how she enhanced this memory by dressing everyone in the 2012 Calvin Klein Resort collection and gifting herself some "custom Giuseppe Zanottis." The video continues with Gaga being in a hospital room with other patients as she speaks to a nurse. A delirious Gaga tells the nurse that she is going to "make it" because she has "nothing else to lose." The nurse doesn't respond to her claim and tells her to abstain from sex for two weeks after checking her heartbeat and blood pressure but before playing Gaga some music and leaving.

In the next scene we see Gaga performing some ballet with scenes of her at her apartment. Gaga gets a phone call from her manager and we see her plead to him about being an artist while her manager tells her to give up. This was a real moment in Gaga's life, this was the moment when she was taken off of her old record label. Gaga continues to have a breakdown where she is naked, covered in milk, playing piano, breaking glass and throwing milk everywhere. While this is happening, we see Gaga struggling at ballet. I see this as a metaphor for her fame, she is in the auditorium, she's with the other dancers and she can touch them but she is not on their level. Gaga is different, unprepared and ashamed. After her breakdown, Gaga dyes her hair teal, which was an actual color she used at the time. singing "Marry the Night" to herself. During this moment Gaga reinvents herself and tries one more time at fame. In the next scene, Gaga debuts her new look at a sort of cathedral, she is shining from head to sunglasses, which reminded me of the glasses she wore on "The Fame" album cover.


Album Cover for "The Fame"

Finally, the music shows up in the music video. We see Gaga's legs peaking out of a car as she struggles to get to the drivers seat. This scene is literally and metaphoric, we are watching the moments between Gaga's breakdown and rebirth and how she got her drive back. In the second verse, We see the new Gaga with her new dancer friends and she is dancing with them, they aren't above her nor is she below them. After the bridge, We see smash cuts of Gaga's memories of how she got to where she is now with her and her friends, her taking a limo and her dressing in a ostentatiously. Gaga and her friends perform their dance on the street in the middle of the night, which represents Gaga accepting her insecurity and "marrying the night." We see Gaga with her appointment at Interscope record on her hand, on her way to fame while the final scene refers the Gaga we now know and love.

I love this song so much, something about the production and the way Gaga sings seems so strong. Her story is so inspiring and know where she is know makes it even better for me. This song is a top five song from the "Born This Way" album and the "Born This Way" era was always my favorite.

I give “Marry the Night” 4.7 exploding cars out of 5.

I hope you enjoyed my review. How do you feel about "Marry the Night"? Leave a comment and a request for Saturday down below.

I listed my sources below in case you are interested in reading more.

Take Care,

Jonathan