Is Million Reasons about depression/anxiety?

[Gagadonna 10,801]

Million Reasons is one of my favourite songs, and I always understood it as a breakup song... But lately, the song has appeared to me as much deeper and darker than I first thought. 

"You're giving me a million reasons to let you go
You're giving me a million reasons to quit the show
You're givin' me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons" 

What if she's not talking to a man, but to someone above who's made her life complicated? The Universe? God? She would not be hinting at a breakup, but at ending this life that has been giving her million reasons to give up. What if it's about suicide? 

"If I had a highway, I would run for the hills
If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still"

She'd be much more at peace if she could leave this life behind her and escape her problems. On the one hand she want to run away, but she doesn't find the right way to do it. She keeps imagining possible scenarios "If I... I would..." 

"I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way...

It is clear now that she is directly talking to God and asking for guidance and help. She still hopes that her life can get better, and for that she trusts in God. 

... To cut through all his worn out leather
I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay"

Worn out leather may be a metaphor to her life feeling wasted, hopeless and desolate. She's still hoping to find a reason to stick to it. 

"Head stuck in a cycle, I look off and I stare"

She clearly feels depressed and hopeless in here. Though she aims for a change, her life remains stuck in this dark place. 

"It's like that I've stopped breathing, but completely aware"

Doesn't that sound like explicit anxiety? 

"And if you say something that you might even mean
It's hard to even fathom which parts I should believe"

This part must be about a boy who broke her heart. Alternatively, this could refer to her speaking to herself. On the one hand, she wants to end her life and escape all her demons, on the other hand, she still has faith and hopes for change. She doesn't know what she must think anymore.

"Baby I'm bleedin', bleedin'
Stay, ehh, ehhy"

Has she just tried to commit suicide? It sounds as if her inner voice begs her to hold on and stay. 

"Can't you give me what I'm needin', needin'"

Again, she may be talking to God, the Universe, Life, or whatever you can it. 

"Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith"

It could obviously refer to a relationship ending, but people with anxiety know that the feeling of heartbreak is quite common, whether it has to do with a relationship or not.

"Tell me that you'll be the good one, good one
Baby, I just need one good one to stay"

She seems to have found her good reason to stay alive, and she hopes it will be a good one cause after all she holds life dear. 

Conclusion: Million Reasons is probably about a heartbreaking relationship, but it could be about how difficult life is and how much we want to end it sometimes in order to find some peace and some relief. In this analysis, Million Reasons is about the inner battle inside us between the "I" who wants to give up and the "I" who wants to stick around and be strong. That would make sense actually. Don't forget that Joanne is ARTPOP's follow-up, and that she suffered a lot during that album era. It would make sense for her to write about her inner pain through this song. 

Thank you for your reading 

[Didymus 34,379]

Hmm. Nope, not convinced The suicide interpretation especially is... very liberal

[funkyhaus 7,697]

I’ve always related it to anxiety and depression for myself 

[River 113,283]

Nope, it's about sperm

[JustAnother 5,113]

It’s about all the men she’s dated in her life and more specifically Taylor. I still love y’all and your... interesting interpretations however.  

[Gardevoir 9,812]

I’ve never interpreted it as a heartbreak song. More like a song about feeling hopeless and depressed in life, finding little paths that are making you a bit better. She’s not trying to make the good out of worst cause she knows it’s not possible so instead she tries to make the worst seem better.

[Altair 2,000]

I just think that gaga's writing has not been on par with her stuff before Joanne. Joanne actually seemed really rushed which leads to all these songs that are aimless and lost in translation.   I love gaga, but she peaked with ARTPOP and her work hasn't been the same.  Million reasons seems to be a song that gaga didn't actually intend for one specific person but rather a whole bunch of different thoughts that never formulated properly. 

[Gracious Gaga 17,163]

It’s about Jackson after the bathtub scene.  

I sincerely believe the song was for A Star Is Born.  Was written by the same team as ASIB soundtrack.

[nerdfacekillah 4,477]

1 hour ago, Gagadonna said:

"Head stuck in a cycle, I look off and I stare"

She clearly feels depressed and hopeless in here. Though she aims for a change, her life remains stuck in this dark place. 

"It's like that I've stopped breathing, but completely aware"

Doesn't that sound like explicit anxiety? 

100% me