“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga

To begin with, it must be noted that Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” is about an obsessive infatuation and the bad decisions that lead to it. The lyrics describe someone who falls in love with a man (or woman) that she knows isn’t good for her, but she follows after him anyway.

The verses are spoken more than sung, which makes this seem more of a story being told instead of a song.

The Story

The story starts, “I want your ugly / I want your disease.” In this case, the girl is thinking that she wants him even though he’s not good for her, just because of his looks and what they have been through together.

She proceeds to put him on a pedestal and he keeps raising the bar higher and higher (“I want your love and I want your revenge“), but no matter what she does, it is never enough.

He breaks her down emotionally to the point where she feels like there is nothing left (“Just we two” – this lyric could be interpreted in two ways. It could mean that there are just the two of them or that it is only the two of them left). She tries to kill herself but she lives (“You’re the assassin of all my love / But I’m your courtesan“).

The chorus says, “I want your horror / I want your design.” This is when she wants him to abuse her, physically and emotionally. She’ll take whatever he is willing to give.

This toxic relationship will eventually end though but not before she gets the most out of it that she can. The final words are “Just dance, gonna be okay.” This tells us that she will get through this, even if it doesn’t seem likely. It can also mean that as long as she dances, then everything will be fine and she will get by

All in all

“Bad Romance” looks at what happens when someone goes to the extreme of being controlled by someone. The narrator wants to be in a relationship that is out of control, because it’s thrilling. This person isn’t good for her, but all she cares about is how he makes her feel and what they have together.

In all, “Bad Romance” uses an almost fairy-tale style to explain something so worrying and complex. The narrator wants everything he does to her, even though it will kill her in the end, she just wants to feel alive until then. She is addicted to the thrill that comes with being in a relationship like this. It is an interesting take on the dark side of love.

Overall, it is about an unhealthy relationship which can turn into an obsessive infatuation. Gaga has actually stated that it is about how love can turn into obsession and go horribly wrong, as she felt like this happened to her at one point in her life.

It should be noted that sometimes, the only way people can feel love is when it’s an obsession. However, the narrator realizes at the end of the day that this isn’t what she wants her life to be like.

When was “Bad Romance” released?

“Bad Romance” was released as the first single from her album, which goes by the title “The Fame Monster”, on September 26, 2009. The said album also had the following hit singles on it:

• “Telephone”
• “Dance in the Dark”
• “Alejandro”

Success

The song has been performed many times by Gaga, including at the prestigious 2017 Super Bowl Halftime. Furthermore, as of late 2021, the music video has received almost 1.5 billion views on YouTube.

In addition to the above, it was a number 1 hit in a ton of countries including:

• Austria
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Israel
• Italy
• Norway
• Poland
• Scotland
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

In the United States, the song went all the way to number 2 on the one and only Hot 100 singles chart. It has sold over 12 million copies globally thereby making it one of the most commercially successful singles ever.

Furthermore, this Lady Gaga hit holds the enviable distinction of being included in the 2021 list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” compiled by Rolling Stone.

What genre is “Bad Romance”?

It is a pop rock song. And in terms of musical style, the composition of this song consists of an energetic hook which is a combination of synths and drums.

It is set in common time and has a fast tempo of 131 beats per minute.

Did Lady Gaga write “Bad Romance”?

Yes, she absolutely did! However, Gaga isn’t the sole writer of this song. She collaborated with Moroccan born songwriter and producer, RedOne to write the song. The pair also worked together on the production of “Bad Romance”.

It should be noted that despite all that has been explained above, Gaga also once described “Bad Romance” as “being in love with your best friend”.