GAGA IS GROOVY 680 Posted Friday at 05:22 AM Share Posted Friday at 05:22 AM (edited) Apologies if this has been discussed at length before and my theory is a little....reductive, but please hear me out! Ever since Gaga described MAYHEM as a series of gothic dreams and many of us commented that MAYHEM was Gaga diving back into the original LG5 concept and AHS Hotel mood-board, I've had this theory swirling around in my head that the album is based on horror tropes and various fears. Perhaps, each song originated with Gaga wanting to explore a classic horror monster or theme. This could've been her starting point for LG5 with the infamous Frankensteined being a possible clue... Seeing how Gaga didn't want to revisit old unreleased songs for MAYHEM, this could be an explanation why the Frankenstein monster and themes surrounding that horror is weirdly absent from MAYHEM? ANYWAY similar to TFM where each song is supposed to represent a 'monster', I think every song on MAYHEM represents a specific fear. My thoughts and ideas on the themes and fears for each song are based on lyrics and the general feeling that the song gives me. A-YO, here we go! Disease - sickness, medicine, evil doctors, fear of illness Abracadabra - witches, magic, angels and demons, fear of the unknown Garden Of Eden - religion, betrayal, traitors, fear of adultery Perfect Celebrity - dark side of celebrity, Jekyll and Hyde, vampires, fear of fame Vanish Into You - ghosts, hauntings, fear of dying/ being forgotten Killah - 80s slashers, Buffalo Bill, murder, fear of sex Zombieboy - zombies, insomnia, fear of sleep LoveDrug - drugs, anxiety, fear of addiction How Bad Do U Want Me - psychopaths, assassination, paranoia, fear of obsession Don't Call Tonight - impersonation, sadness, fear of depression Shadow Of A Man - doppelgangers, invisibility, fear of inferiority The Beast - werewolves, transformation, fear of time Blade Of Grass - storms, ruins, cemeteries, fear of loneliness Die With A Smile - apocalypse, death, fighting, fear of loss Please let me know what you think and if I'm completely mad.... or, you have any other ideas about the theory! Edited Friday at 05:40 AM by GAGA IS GROOVY 3 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthieu 575 Posted Friday at 06:53 AM Share Posted Friday at 06:53 AM its not that deep and intentional hot blondes in odd positions 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUTELLA 22,856 Posted Friday at 07:03 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:03 AM 1 hour ago, GAGA IS GROOVY said: Buffalo Bill Not derailing the thread, merely using this opportunity to shout out a divine song 🪡 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisboyisamonster 1,218 Posted Friday at 07:04 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:04 AM Art is subjective and up to interpretation. Think Gaga has said Mayhem is about duality and accepting all parts of yourself which you're not comfortable with, and Mayhem represents that journey through the track listing which ends in our character finding love at the end. Agree there are elements of fear in each song, some more than others. But for me it's much more about celebrating and accepting parts of yourself you don't like, including your fears over what those things can lead to. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricChapelR 2,311 Posted Friday at 07:10 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:10 AM Mayhem is about what Gaga said it is about. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerMonsterNotta 2,113 Posted Friday at 07:23 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:23 AM (edited) I think this is all reasonable. I believe Mayhem, as an era, has a few different layers of meaning. relationships with herself, between stefani and Gaga, Michael, surviving danger, reimagining pain in an artistic gothic way etc etc … But I think the central one is about: Life/the industry completely smashing her apart. And it’s about how she put herself back together again… which is smart in ways as it reflects the music and some of the harmonies - theres sounds of like the ‘old her’ but evolved, distorted and chaotic at times, but strong… Edited Friday at 07:24 AM by GerMonsterNotta 2 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAGA IS GROOVY 680 Posted Friday at 07:26 AM Author Share Posted Friday at 07:26 AM 30 minutes ago, matthieu said: its not that deep and intentional This is the response I deserve for sharing my strange shower thoughts. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAGA IS GROOVY 680 Posted Friday at 07:36 AM Author Share Posted Friday at 07:36 AM But, don't you see?! It's about horror and fear, goddamit! 4 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auralegends 8,681 Posted Friday at 07:46 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:46 AM 52 minutes ago, matthieu said: its not that deep and intentional Demi's Deluxe album 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippy 14,042 Posted Friday at 07:57 AM Share Posted Friday at 07:57 AM 30 minutes ago, GAGA IS GROOVY said: This is the response I deserve for sharing my strange shower thoughts. Nah, feel free to continue doing so. There’s always places for discussion. Plus if you think that’s what it means to you, then so be it TMBT 3.22.11 // TBTWB 1.17.13 // ArtRAVE 6.3.14 // C2CT 5.28.15 // TJWT 8.13.17 // CWT 9.8.22 // TMB 7.22.25 & 7.24.25 1 3 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco 21,744 Posted Friday at 08:10 AM Share Posted Friday at 08:10 AM Horror, absolutely. Fear...I don't personally see it. The album absolutely uses the gothic & gothic horror specifically to push its messages, but those messages aren't fear based. They're rooted in acceptance and healing. Like VIY isn't a fear of dying, it's taking ownership of grief and turning it into something beautiful. It's going out on a high. I wouldn't say LoveDrug is about fear of addiction either. It at best could be the fear of losing someone, but I'd argue that's already happened in the context of the song. It's another song about processing a form of grief. The gays know how to party 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladle Ghoulash 46,109 Posted Friday at 08:12 AM Share Posted Friday at 08:12 AM 1 hour ago, matthieu said: its not that deep and intentional Thanks for contributing nothing to the conversation lmao We have forgotten our public MANNERS 1 2 1 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAGA IS GROOVY 680 Posted Friday at 09:06 AM Author Share Posted Friday at 09:06 AM 6 minutes ago, Bronco said: Horror, absolutely. Fear...I don't personally see it. The album absolutely uses the gothic & gothic horror specifically to push its messages, but those messages aren't fear based. They're rooted in acceptance and healing. Like VIY isn't a fear of dying, it's taking ownership of grief and turning it into something beautiful. It's going out on a high. I wouldn't say LoveDrug is about fear of addiction either. It at best could be the fear of losing someone, but I'd argue that's already happened in the context of the song. It's another song about processing a form of grief. You got me gal! I may have stretched and warped some of the lyrics and themes of MAYHEM to fit my theory better... However, to defend my theory on VIY, I'd argue from the lyrics it could be interpreted as being about a ghost desperately trying to cling to Earth and to its former love - fear of dying. Gaga could've also been ruminating on death and how dead people continue to live on through the memories of those that knew them - fear of being forgotten. It might also explain why during The MAYHEM Ball, before she sang VIY, she would ask fans if they'd still be there for her in 20 year's time, and how she'd play in a small bar if she couldn't sell out an arena anymore - fear of being forgotten. Surely, I'm onto something there?! And, I totally agree that LoveDrug could be about the fear of losing someone! When you love someone with such an intensity and rely on that person to such an extent that you need them all the time that you depend on love like a drug - I'd be scared of losing a person like that too! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAGA IS GROOVY 680 Posted Friday at 09:06 AM Author Share Posted Friday at 09:06 AM 53 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said: Thanks for contributing nothing to the conversation lmao Honestly, I needed to be humbled. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheARTPOPball 1,342 Posted Friday at 09:25 AM Share Posted Friday at 09:25 AM Isn’t this concept what the fame monster was about? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.