Many Are Calling Lady Gaga's Super Bowl Performance Apolitical; Do You Think So?
Many Are Calling Lady Gaga's Super Bowl Performance Apolitical; Do You Think So?
Lady Gaga gave a STUNNING Super Bowl performance, which many are praising for steering clear of politics, but on closer examination, there may have been a quieter political message underlying her choice of songs. What do you think?
Lady Gaga gave a STUNNING Super Bowl performance, which many are praising for steering clear of politics, but on closer examination, there may have been a quieter political message underlying her choice of songs. What do you think?
Many politicians and other people on Twitter have been praising Lady Gaga's Super Bowl performance for being apolitical.
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The performance reads, for the most part, as a selection of Gaga's greatest hits through the years, much like Katy Perry's performance two years ago. However, the way she chooses to begin the show is with the opening lines of "God Bless America," followed by a few lines from "This Land Was Made For You And Me." You can watch Lady Gaga's performance in its entirety here:
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Now, let's discuss the history behind the opening number, which Lady Gaga may or may not be aware of. In the 1940s, Woody Guthrie was completely fed up with hearing "God Bless America", the song Gaga opened with, on the radio after traveling the country during the Great Depression. He wrote a song called "God Blessed America for Me" as a sarcastic protest in response. When the song was recorded, the repeated line and title were changed to "This Land Was Made For You And Me," but a little of the original sarcasm remained, quietly but decidedly. In particular, the fourth verse makes a decided political statement that rings especially true today.
There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me.
The sign was painted, said ‘Private Property.’
But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing.
This land was made for you and me.
Woody Guthrie
This Land Was Made For You And Me, 1944 recording
Gaga included only a few bars of the song in her act, but it isn't impossible that she, like Guthrie, was using the song as a means of quiet protest. If you'd like to hear the original song in its entirety, you can listen here:
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Not to mention the fact that Gaga included "Born This Way" in her set, which is a celebration of racial, sexual, gender, and religious diversity. But now, what we would like to know is...
Do you think Lady Gaga's performance was apolitical?
Do you think Lady Gaga's performance was apolitical?
Any other thoughts? Talk to us about them in the comments below, and share with your friends to see what they think!