911 is simpler than you think...

[OMonster 14,639]

So, first things first... wow - that's how to make a pop music video with artistic meaning.

I think, though, amidst the obscure references (which are fantastic, and add so much layer and meaning) - the video has quite a simple meaning at its core. 

(and apologies if I'm preaching here, but I've seen a lot of comments wishing for a simplification of this, which is totally understandable and needed)

In my opinion, the video draws a correlation between physical, 'traditional' pain (like a car accident) and mental pain (like a psychotic condition) - and it does that, very cleverly, by using the dual meaning of 911. That is, 1) the emergency services, and 2) mental health medication. 

So, in the video, Gaga has been in a crash, she's in pain, scared and thinks she's going to die. 

During the crash, she hallucinates, and recreates her surroundings in a very intricate way, inspired by the film posters she is surrounded by. 

The hallucination depicts Gaga at the edge of glory (death) - but she is saved from it by the paramedic, who is reinterpreted in her mind as a god-like figure. 

Then, when Gaga regains consciousness, we see, bit-by-bit, what her hallucination was inspired by - the fire, the accident, the paramedics. 

When she wakes, Gaga screams that 'she doesn't want to die' and that she 'hasn't taken her pills'. 

This right here is the correlation between physical and mental pain. 

Gaga is saying that when you are physically hurt, 911 will come and save you. 

Therefore, Gaga describes her anti-psychotic drugs as 911, too, as they save her when she is in mental pain. 

The video seeks to show us how Gaga's mind goes to 'manic places' (i.e. the hallucination), and that she needs 911 (i.e. her medication) to save her from pain and a constant fear of death - just like in a physical accident she would need 911 to save her. 

I believe, all in all, the video has the message of telling people to take mental health just as seriously as physical health because it can be just as scary and as life-threatening as something like a car crash.

[ToxicHot 6,444]

Love that interpretation! Thanks for the explanation.  

[HeavyyMetalVenuss 1,765]

2 minutes ago, OMonster said:

I believe, all in all, the video has the message of telling people to take mental health just as seriously as physical health because it can be just as scary and as life-threatening as something like a car crash.

this is a very efficient way to simplify it, thank you for this explanation! 

[Married the Night 3,955]

She said, “did anybody die” I thought. Did I mishear that?

[Bradley 58,273]

I never understood the line "Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes." what does that mean anyone?

[OMonster 14,639]

20 minutes ago, Bradley said:

I never understood the line "Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes." what does that mean anyone?

In the song, the dolls refer to her anti-psychotic pills. She keeps them in diamond boxes because they are important and precious to her, like jewels. 

In the video, we see a small doll being put in a box in reference to how Gaga's mind 'goes to manic places' and reinterprets her reality on a day-to-day basis when she is feeling unstable. She sees her pills as dolls in moments of instability. 

[HeavyyMetalVenuss 1,765]

1 minute ago, Bradley said:

I never understood the line "Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes." what does that mean anyone?

dolls can be used as a term for prescription pills, like in the movie Valley of the Dolls with Sharon Tate! i’m assuming it means she keeps her psychotic pills in literal diamond boxes

[Decodekid 27,485]

2 minutes ago, Bradley said:

I never understood the line "Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes." what does that mean anyone?

I think she’s talking about her pills there 

[HeavyyMetalVenuss 1,765]

4 minutes ago, Married the Night said:

She said, “did anybody die” I thought. Did I mishear that?

yes, i think she did! along with saying “i dont want to die”

[Concertaholic 5,547]

2 minutes ago, Bradley said:

I never understood the line "Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes." what does that mean anyone?

I’ve always interpreted them as pills in a pill case. Children have dolls to keep them happy, but Gaga has pills that artificially keep her happy.

[Where is LG7 3,720]

also can u clear up that the film is not bollywood inspired but of Armenian culture 

let's not confuse things

[OMonster 14,639]

9 minutes ago, Where is LG7 said:

also can u clear up that the film is not bollywood inspired but of Armenian culture 

let's not confuse things

Yes, this is very true!

I wanted to make a topic specifically about the meaning of the video, as opposed to its context - but you're completely right, and I hope people pick up on that  

[Where is LG7 3,720]

1 minute ago, OMonster said:

Yes, this is very true!

I wanted to make a topic specifically about the meaning of the video, as opposed to its context - but you're completely right, and I hope people pick up on that  

thank you!  majority of commentators just mix the two and are so quick to put labels that aren't correct... despite "armenian film festival" is emphasized in the last few frames.

[YCHofficial 5,293]

Also Gaga has explained the song itself a few months before.

 

Gaga explained in an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music that the song is about an antipsychotic that she takes. "It's because I can't always control things that my brain does. I know that. And I have to take medication tos top the process that occurs."

[OMonster 14,639]

5 minutes ago, YCHofficial said:

Also Gaga has explained the song itself a few months before.

 

Gaga explained in an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music that the song is about an antipsychotic that she takes. "It's because I can't always control things that my brain does. I know that. And I have to take medication tos top the process that occurs."

Yep! And the entire music video is that very process occurring - her brain shifting to manic places when she is in pain, recreating her surroundings in a very scary, confusing and discombobulating way. 

It's just that, in the video, Gaga represents that pain as a physical incident (the crash) to show the gravity and seriousness of it, and how '911' is needed to save her - i.e. how her pills are needed, just like the emergency services are needed when someone is close to dying.