My Joanne narrative

[PartySick 134,026]

Hello, it's me, the resident Joanne stan, here with another wild interpretation of Gaga's music but unlike my ARTPOP thread, this one's even more abstract and less well written because ya boy is ✨depressed and untalented✨ right now

But I can't get these thoughts out of my mind so I'm sharing the shortened version of my Joanne narrative with all two of you that'll read this thread xoxo

Fellow pink hat stans join me!

Haters, educate yourselves!

And as a disclaimer: I don't think this is intentional at all on Gaga's part, it's simply how I interpret the album as I listen to it from front to back. Art is a wonderful and subjective thing

Spoiler

Diamond Heart: Literally, it's about a breakup and Gaga exclaiming she knows her own worth and her heart is strong despite her flaws and pain. However, narratively, I consider this to be her immediate response to a painful situation. She stands defiant but clearly damaged, desperate to convince the person who hurt her, and herself, of her worth. I also find the lyric "you want a good thing? Put the money down first" telling...as if she's asking for "payment" upfront because this pain has shook her so deeply that she's lost confidence in herself. She doesn't trust this person to be there to "pay" afterwards.

A-Yo: In this song, Gaga shrugs off the experience and acts playful and joyous. There's a darker feeling beneath the silly lyrics and boppy music though. It almost feels like she's in denial. This song is her "I'm fine!" statement.

Joanne: This song means three different things to me. First and most obviously, it's a tribute song to her aunt. Second, it's a song about herself (her own middle name is Joanne) and her transformation. At my JWT date, she brought me to tears explaining how she felt she never knew her true dad because the pain of losing his sister changed him so dramatically that he became another person. Third, this could be seen as the bargaining stage. "Heaven's not ready for you / where do you think you're going?". It's a Gaga that's not ready to let go.

John Wayne: After bargaining comes anger, which itself has multiple phases and flavors. In this song, Gaga experiments with self destruction and self medication. "Baby, let's get high / I'm strung out on John Wayne".

Dancin' in Circles: The apathy and isolation phase of anger. Here, Gaga indulges in herself while shunning others, opting to imagine a perfect scenario and please herself rather than rely on somebody else for pleasure or happiness.

Perfect Illusion: Finally the anger stage in its pure form. Not much to say about this one other than it's (the painful situation) finally hit her and she feels cheated, angry, lied to, and maybe even powerless. So she rages. She lashes out.

Million Reasons: As cathartic as anger is, it leaves you feeling empty. The penultimate stage of pain/grief is depression. Gaga's sullen, she's longing for a happiness she's lost, and she feels hollow inside. All it would take is one glimmer of false hope to pull her backwards on this journey, one "good one to stay", but she's smart enough to know better.

Sinner's Prayer: The tears have dried but Gaga remains stoic and cold. That is, until she sees her sister in a similar situation she was in way back in Diamond Heart. She imparts her wisdom onto her sister and by helping her, she comes to a realization within herself and finds a bit of peace and, finally, healing.

Come to Mama: The altruism expands in this song and she realizes that pain begets pain. Hurt people have a propensity to hurt people. Here, she finally speaks to the listener directly for the first time, offering the chance to share their pain and lean on her for support.

Hey Girl: A continuation of CTM, but more mutual. Now, she's not only offering to lift up another, she's realizing that she, too, needs support to continue healing.

Angel Down: In my narrative, I like to imagine this as the second painful experience of the story. Rather than immediately jumping to anger, denial, and immature reactions or habits, she laments but in a healthy and intelligent way. It shows how she's matured.

Grigio Girls: She's not alone this time. She has a support system to help keep her lifted. She knows she's able to cry and experience these negative emotions but unlike before, rage doesn't invade her mind. She processes the emotions, carries them, shares them, and moves on.

Just Another Day: The true antithesis of the first half of this album. She's been hurt again but she won't fall back to destructive ways. Instead, she breathes deep, she's easier on herself, and she smiles because she knows even though her heart aches, the world is beautiful and life is a gift. She's able to adjust and adapt to changing situations. She's found an inner peace and stability that she didn't have before.

Joanne visual album when?! Literally, I could write the script to the movie. @Bobby, ARE YOU LISTENING?!