So, what does Babylon really mean?

[Mother of Puppies 36,071]

That´s what I love about her songs - they have multiple meanings... like she said about perfect illusion in an interview. Her songs can hold a different meaning for everybody and there is no right or wrong.

Ok, so here´s my interpretation:

 

We only have the weekend
You can serve it to me, ancient city style
We can party like it's B.C.
With a pretty 16th-century smile

 

"We only have the weekend" could mean that they will probably go out to party and have a good time like in old Babylon, where gossip (meaning miscommunication or language confusion) did not yet exist, which is why she refers to "B.C." Because there was a time when Babylon was like the greatest most peaceful place to be.

The "pretty 16th century smile" means to not smile a lot, (keep cool) because a smile was "deeply unfashionable" in the 16th and 17th century. There are more reasons for that here in this article that I found which is really interesting. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-smiles-rare-art-history

So she is going out, having fun, partying and not caring about gossip, acting as if it did not exist like in old Babylon! That´s why this song ends the album. She even explained that herself!

 

It's the thing that you bring
That you bring, that you bring
Him, you and me
That's gossip

 

I think she´s talking about how you (meaning anybody) brings gossip into her life or ancient Babylon in general and for that you need at least 3 people and usually a whole civilization. So she goes:

 

Strut it out, walk a mile
Serve it, ancient city style
Talk it out, babble on
Battle for your life, Babylon

 

Now that gossip exists, she says "strut it out" which means to show off something to impress other people; so you should "walk a mile" and "show off" like on a cat walk, serving it in the "ancient city style" where people felt free and didn´t care about what people thought, because in old Babylon there was no gossip/language confusion/miscommunication yet!  So you should serve it and give the people something to talk about, because no matter what you do; they will just keep talking and "keep babbling on" anyways, so you might just give it to them and not give a **** about it anymore. So in a way life with gossip in it is a constant battle right? So you should battle for your life.

 

Does that make any sense?

 

That's gossip, what you on?
Money don't talk, rip that song
Gossip, babble on
Battle for your life, Babylon

 

People talking **** behind her back, gossiping and she´s saying "what´s going on with you - that´s gossip - go ahead, rip that song apart, keep babbling on!"

 

Bodies moving like a sculpture (ooh)
On the top of Tower of Babel tonight
We are climbing up to Heaven (Heaven)
Speak in languages in a BloodPop moonlight

 

In Babylon they were living a happy and peaceful life with people from all nationalities with different languages and they all understood each other. (no gossip, no bad talking yet)

When they built that tower to reach the heavens they wanted to be equal or even superior to god and god punished them for their arrogance with "language confusion" which is why people did not understand each other anymore to complete their plans to finish the tower and they didn´t understand each other anymore and started "gossiping" and "fighting"(because we as humans can only work together to achieve things)

It´s actually not how different languages were created (because these already existed cuz people from all nationalities lived there peacfully) So this is a common mistake - because you can obviously learn a new language and then understand each other again - it´s about miscommunication, which causes gossip and for that, as Gaga said, you need at least 3 people (mostly a whole civilization), because you can´t talk behind another persons back just to yourself. Only the masses of people can gossip and talk ****. This was the reason why Babylon disappeared. So when Gaga says she wants to be in Chromatica or Babylon, she refers to the old Babylon!

 

At least, this is my interpretation... what do you think? Does my "battle for your life" interpretation make any sense?

 

So Babylon was a great place (without gossip, violence etc. and all that ****) before people started to build that tower and piss off god.

[Bottom 1,842]

Because like you said it's a homonym and it sounds smart. You are overthinking it, she could have titled it gossip but that would have been uninspiring and boring, instead she played with the babylon motif and structured the song around it

[Mother of Puppies 36,071]

3 minutes ago, Bottom said:

Because like you said it's a homonym and it sounds smart. You are overthinking it, she could have titled it gossip but that would have been uninspiring and boring, instead she played with the babylon motif and structured the song around it

I read a book about Babylon so these stories are actually true. I am the biggest greek mythology/ ancient history fan ever! I think it´s just a coincidence that "Babylon" sounds like "Babble on" xD But maybe I´m putting too much meaning into it... although Gaga is known for her clever lyrics...

 

EDIT: oops you didn´t refer to my post LOL sorry

[BabylonSaints 5,077]

I found this on Reddit, and it makes sense 

"Hey everyone, this is my first post on Reddit, so sorry if I **** the whole thing over. I’ve been seeing a lot of people (on Twitter mostly) putting down Babylon, and saying it’s a meaningless song Gaga put out just for a more fashion-y sounding kind of song. And I just wanted to post my interpretation of the lyrics because I really think Babylon is a perfect example of an artist holding a mirror up to society, and reflecting ourselves back to us. I think it has a very deep meaning for us as an audience but also for Gaga herself as the performer. And more apt, as a suffering artist. So, in honor of our beloved Lady Gaga (and trying to amp up the hype for what is possibly my favorite Gaga song of all time) I just wanted to post my thoughts on Babylon.

"We only have the weekend

You can serve it to me ancient city style

We can party like it’s BC

With a pretty 16th century smile"

These lyrics are kind of self evident in my opinion. “We only have the weekend” because news moves so quickly these days. Her album will really only hold the spotlight for the weekend (remember she released her album on a Friday). The next 3 lines are all references to humanity being savage with each other. Ancient cities would constantly wage war, and held practices like fighting to the death and slavery. References to the 16th century, a time when we burned witches and was generally very dangerous for women, so she’s really starting the song out by saying ‘we only have a limited time together, and I know you’re gonna be vicious with me, so let’s go, bring it’. 

''Strut it out, walk a mile

Serve it ancient city style

Talk it out, babble on

Battle for your life, Babylon''

The first 2 lines here, imo, are Gaga telling us to walk a mile in her shoes before we judge her (or her songs) so viciously. It’s also her acknowledging that we won’t be so kind, and so she’s already asking us to serve it to her in a vicious way since she knows that’s what she’s gonna get. The last 2 lines are her clearly saying she realizes people will judge anyways and pre-dismisses us by telling us to “babble on” and to “battle for your life” because we are so cruel to each other as well as to the artists we’re judging. We’ll fight over which song is better or worse than another all the while forgetting she’s a human being and these come from her heart.

"That's gossip, what you on?

Money don't talk, rip that song"

Again, I think these are self explanatory. Most of what we say about her songs are complete gossip, a lot of which has no foundation in reality, I’m sure, and she’s acknowledging that with the first line. “Money don’t talk”, to me, means that these are her songs, and she completely crafts how we see, and hear them, but once they’re out, they are ours to interpret, and don’t completely belong to her anymore. She can’t control the way they’re perceived no matter how rich she gets. “Rip that song” is just another acknowledgment that she knows people will judge, and tear apart everything she releases. (She even mentions being microchipped in Plastic Doll).

"Bodies moving like a sculpture

On the top of Tower of Babel tonight

We are climbing up to Heaven

Speaking languages in a BloodPop moonlight"

This whole verse is a straight up reference to the Tower of Babel biblical story. I believe a short summary is that the people of the world were united, and building a single tower to try, and reach Heaven, and in order to stop this, God created different languages which prevented the world from being able to work together, and reach Heaven from earth. Like I said, I only believe this to be the story. I’m not the pope, so don’t come for me if I’m wrong lol. Anyways, I think she’s saying she has given us a place where we can all be one, and celebrate art, dancing, and equality, but fate ripped it from her (and us), just as it did the citizens working on the Tower of Babel, and now it has become perverted with a viciousness we have towards her and each other. Gaga is saying we are fighting so much it is almost like we’re speaking different languages, then she hops back into her chorus of saying don’t judge her until you’ve walked in her shoes and the rest of it  I just think it’s an amazingly deep song that is reflecting real division, and anger in our society today. I think this song is the last song on the album for a reason. The journey through Chromatica is one of evolution, pain & growth which results in a Gaga who tells us how vicious we can be, but also tells us she expects it, and is prepared for what we are going to throw at her no matter how ugly we can get."

[shane_c 480]

I think "16th century smile" is a reference to The Mona Lisa. Why refer to that? I think because that rhymed and its a work of art from the distant past.

"Hollywood Babylon" is an infamous gossip book about the sex lives and scandals of Hollywood stars. I think that's why she uses Babylon. Clever girl.

[Midnightrush891 727]

I wouldn’t know, because I listened once and that was it. 

[PrincessGUY 397]

I just assumed she used it as a metaphor for fights/ feuds that stem from gossip and shade a la Madonna’s reductive comment. 
 

if I remember correctly from my religious upbringing () in Christianity’s end times interpretation of Revelation there’s a new city established called New Babylon where that battle of Armageddon takes place and after that the start of eternal begins as a whole (or something). That’s what I thought of when I read the Spotify comments where she says the ending of one thing is the beginning of another, so I assumed she used that as a metaphor for falling out with someone. 
 

or maybe I’m over analyzing either way the song slaps

[HookerOnAChurch 6,781]

i think the song means that she doesn't give a **** about gossip anymore 

[GagaSine 7,464]

I truly believe “16th century smile” is a reference to the Mona Lisa, painted in the 16th century, because the painting is famous largely due to her enigmatic and mysterious smile, it looks like she is hiding a secret or has some hidden knowledge.

[Mother of Puppies 36,071]

2 minutes ago, GagaSine said:

I truly believe “16th century smile” is a reference to the Mona Lisa, painted in the 16th century, because the painting is famous largely due to her enigmatic and mysterious smile, it looks like she is hiding a secret or has some hidden knowledge.

yeah true... you can read it in the article I posted above why that is... it´s actually really interesting. It´s not just the Mona Lisa, but many paintings during that time

[GagaSine 7,464]

7 minutes ago, NickyPuppy said:

yeah true... you can read it in the article I posted above why that is... it´s actually really interesting. It´s not just the Mona Lisa, but many paintings during that time

That was a great article! Thank you for sharing.

[bryanspears 462]

Idk but I love it and thats all that matters <3 now give us the Alice and Babylon music videos 

[holy scheisse 21,977]

It means... something 

[Vini 0]

Gaga is undeniably a Jesus followers if we take her song you n I. There's only three man she may serve her all life, daddy Nebraska n Jesus. Plus she prefer Jesus over Judas, her sins. So I understand Babylon as a proclaimed Christian walking through a million people that just don't understand where they are because they lack a true best friend. She used Him capitalized in this song. The reference is clear, and Gaga is not shallow to use such a background for nothing. Analyze it. I imagine Gaga walking through Babylon Jesus by her side and she is like. What are you babbling on? It's Him bitches

[lavender blonde 631]

On 5/29/2020 at 5:35 PM, Red said:

I feel like it's inspired by the Bradley rumors 

I always thought so. "Him, you and me. That's gossip"