Monday, 2 April 2012

Analysis of Lady Gaga Alejandro lyrics (only)- part1

Once again I am taking the time to analyze another song of the pop artist. Like the latter, the message in this song is a serious one not to be taken lightly. My hope is to shed some light on the subliminal message of this song so you may see the implications of the content.

I was particularly interested by this song’s lyrics but will not dive into the video because of the controversy it carries pertaining to broad views and multiple visual imagery. I’m sure many of you have listened to this song Alejandro especially if you’re a Christian its implications are far reaching. I won’t waste any time but get to the point of the message in the lyrics.

Like the latter, this song has a spiritual connotation unique to the artist but which may be understood by all people of faith. I earlier mentioned the fact that the song is purely subliminal; subliminal simply means it may be understood below conscious perception. The purpose for a subliminal message is so the severity of the content will not awaken the conscious mind which is responsible for reasoning and logic. In addition, so that the seriousness of the message might not appear ‘awkward’ so to speak- thus it contains lots of creativity in its deliverance.

Basically the song is about God. It is about the artist’s relationship with God through her religious faith. It is highly symbolic and just like the previous song Judas you see that she is in a state of confusion, torn apart by a conflict of interest. Plus, there is the related theme of betrayal and rejection. The opening line says, “I know that we are young and I know that you may love me but... I just can’t be with you like this anymore, Alejandro”. Internal conversations and struggles has led her to declare that she is no longer interested in her catholic faith because of the hypocrisy to the point she is in a rebellion of the teachings and unsatisfactory state of her religion because it cannot change her affections. My opinion of the quotation.

One internet commentator believes the song is about  mourning  the death of the artists innocence, because with experience comes pain, insight and wisdom. It could be a constant struggle between light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong and the irony of their relative closeness. He concludes with the point that society is always at war with minority groups in a hypocritical manner and all this in the name of a just and holy God. Gaga rejects that type of religion.

Importantly, the whole song appears to be about a conflict she has between two lovers in which she cannot have both but must choose one. By all means she only has one heart and she must decide who she is going to serve. But in actuality the struggle she is experiencing is not between two mates, rather, the teachings of her faith and that of the world. I like the opinion of the internet commentator when he said it was her innocence that had died. I might add also her religion could not protect her from the realities of the world so she takes responsibility for her own situation by accepting the harshness of life-SHE MATURES.

She refers to herself in the relationship she has with her first lover as, “she’s got a halo around her finger around you”. The halo around her finger is a ring which she hides in her pocket so that nobody would see it (she's got both hands in her pocket). The ring represents her relationship and marriage with God. A halo is a ring of light that surrounds someone who is considered holy in the catholic faith like saints for instance. But Gaga is no saint nor does she pretend to be one any longer. Therefore the holy one she is implying would be God who has light around him. Unable to meet the expectations of that relationship, she divorces the former and turns to another ‘lover’. She says of the other lover, “you know that I love you, boy hot like Mexico rejoice”. Even though she recognizes the fact that she has rejected her first love, the ‘true love’, or the true faith, from the world, she accepts that she has become  infatuated by another lover- Lucifer! I won’t get into the history except to say he was once a spirit of light who pleased God, but turned from God because of- dissatisfaction.

Gaga refers to him as hot like Mexico rejoice. The term “hot” used here would be symbolic of fire or heat in which she is describing her ‘boy’ or lover- it is actually as ‘hot as hell’ which is the prophesied destiny of Satan or the image associated with the devil who once used to praise God before he fell. She continues, “at this point I gotta choose nothing to lose”. By saying those words she implies she is at a cross-road, a crucial point, and must choose between compromising her faith or the things of the world.

The hook of the song is the main theme. It is a shout of liberation from a mental state of doubt and confusion. It exclaims a freedom from mental slavery along with a deep internal struggle between the dark and light and it is all because of a perception or picture of 'Alejandro'.It appears that the burden is so great that she releases herself from any ties to her faith and God. You must try to understand that while she is singing these words out loud for poetic emphasis- it is actually a declaration of her state of mind that would reflect her worldview more than anything else. It is psychology.

The hook says, “Don’t call my name, Alejandro
                          I’m not your babe, Fernando
                          Don’t wanna kiss, don’t wanna touch
                          Just smoke one cigarette and hush
                          Don’t call my name Roberto”

It’s very interesting she mentions three different names here, don’t you think? If Alejandro is the name of the song, who is Fernando and Roberto? They are other names for Alejandro. And since Alejandro is referring to God Fernando and Roberto would imply the Holy Spirit and Jesus who are the same as God. The catholic faith stresses the trinity in their teachings. A breakdown of the hook she is saying,

Leave me alone God, I’m not your child Jesus, I don’t want to repent and ask for forgiveness, only to quiet my conscience and break free from an oppressive state of mind. She is saying these words through an experience, a false perception or understanding of God. The message  cannot be explained any clearer than this


(Will continue in part 2)

Mythical_Poet- draft 1

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