While she didn’t wrap Mike Pence in a billowing rainbow flag, there was still plenty of political subtext in Lady Gaga‘s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night.
Her medley began with “America the Beautiful,” before segueing into “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie’s 1940s folk song written as a scathing response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which he felt didn’t properly reflect the unfair distribution of wealth across the country. (To put it lightly.)
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The original lyrics included this verse:
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“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.”
The song has been heard at every march and protest across the U.S. ever since Trump has taken office, as a direct response to Trump’s immigration travel ban:
What you may not know — we certainly didn’t — is that Woody Guthrie also penned a protest song in 1950 that explicitly takes down Donald Trump‘s racist father.
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As The New Republic reports:
“[Guthrie] signed a lease with Fred Trump [and] lived for two years in a Brooklyn apartment the elder Trump owned, but grew upset at the racist policies that the real estate developer used to exclude blacks from his property.”
The lyrics include lines like:
“I suppose / Old Man Trump knows /Just how much / Racial Hate / he stirred up / in the bloodpot of human hearts / When he drawed / That color line / Here at his / Eighteen hundred family project.”
While there was nothing overly anti-Trump in Gaga’s show — like, say, her one-woman protest in front of Trump Tower — it delivered what she promised before the performance:
“The only statements that’ll be made during the halftime show are the ones that I have been consistently making throughout my career. I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality and the spirit of this country. It’s one of love and compassion and kindness. So my performance will uphold those philosophies.”
And it’s pretty astounding that this stanza was delivered in front of millions of people during the largest sporting event of the year:
No matter gay, straight, or bi
Lesbian, transgendered life
I’m on the right track baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made
I’m on the right track baby
I was born to be brave
The likes of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden certainly caught on to the message:
I'm one of 100 million #SuperBowl fans that just went #Gaga for the Lady, & her message to all of us. https://t.co/8AoNqjwr1b
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 6, 2017
Incredible performance from my friend @LadyGaga. You amaze me — and not just onstage. Proud to work with you to end sexual assault. #ItsOnUs pic.twitter.com/ZOva2lpAOZ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 6, 2017
And if you think all this talk of Woody Guthrie is a considerable stretch, we have nothing on the theorizing of the alt-right.
Never-not-punchable antigay crusader Alex Jones is worried that Gaga’s SuperBowl Bowl show was literally saying “I am the goddess of Satan”:
On top of the stadium, ruling over everyone with drones everywhere, surveilling them in a big swarm. To just condition them, ‘I am the goddess of Satan, ruling over you with the rest of the robots in a ritual of lesser magic. They have to tell you what they’re planning in the future.
The rise of the machines is here. You are broken, you are fallen, and I squat on top of you and basically piss all over you. Just like at the Hillary event, she wore the clear Nazi pure black uniform with the SS hat and the red insignia to again, flaunt it, rub it in, dominate you and say, ‘I am the dark, I am the beast.'”
Many of his followers are way down with the theory:
Such a reach. Besides the part where she sacrificed an infant and wore its entrails as a boa, we saw nothing inherently evil in the performance.
Mo Bro
The woman proudly sings America’s most patriotic songs, and what you take away from that is her devotion to Woody Guthrie’s socialism? Holy mother of rationalization, the delusion is strong with the uber-left these days.
On another note, does Joe Biden actually believe that he and Lady Gaga can “end sexual assault”? Because, hell, if they can do that, then why don’t they just end ALL crime?
James
It’s not AT ALL a reach, if you read the story. Of course she picked that song for a reason. And it’s a damned sight more reasonable than the uber-right’s Satanism angle.
Mo Bro
@James:
So if one is to glean from her offering of a line from “TLIYL” that she’s encouraging the country to forsake capitalism and embrace socialism, then it makes just as much sense that her saying “God Bless America” was a subliminal means of turning us all toward a life of religion (which is just as nonsensical as your theory).
ps – So now it’s Satanism, is it? Wowie wow wow. The left’s pathological desperation for relevance in our post-Obama world is downright palpable.
gayjim1969
Odd that you zero in on the socialist aspect of one sentence in the article–as a historical note–when the relevant point was the song’s use as a rallying cry for those demonstrating against Trump’s immigration ban. A careful reading of the article bears out Lady Gaga used the song for that reason, not for its associations with socialism.
On another note, Twitter has a very limited number of character available for comments. It is, therefore, necessary to be ruthless in your number of words. In any event, it benefits humanity more to work to end sexual assault than to jump on comment boards, accuse others of being delusional–while the real issue is your own impaired reading comprehension–and criticize people who actively make the world better.
Mo Bro
@gayjim1969:
I agree to disagree.
James
No, Mo, it’s not the left that’s using the Satanism angle, not at all. It’s Alex Jones, whose cheese has slipped completely off his cracker. And Jones has Pres. Trump’s ear.
With what’s going on now, your obsession with leftists really seems rather silly. Your own side needs strict observance. If you hadn’t noticed, there are half a dozen things per DAY that are batshit crazy coming out of there.
Mo Bro
@James:
“My side”? You mean Republicans?
Sorry, James, but the only “side” I’m on is America’s, and after 8 years of watching our “leader” actively try to destabilize and weaken our once-great nation, I’m happy to step up and defend her.
ps – I agree Alex Jones is a raving nutjob—just as Michael Moore is, and Madonna, and anyone else who screams from the rooftops that their opinion is valid while anyone else’s is dirt. Narcissism is an ugly trait.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
I’ve seen plenty of comments from holier-than-thou hysterics on the Left accusing her of cowardice for not being more explicitly oppositional. I’m no fan, I Lowkey hate her “art”, but I have to give credit where it’s due — she did a fücking good job. Was even quite moved by Million Reasons. I have new respect for her professionalism and showmanship. Only then I read that the astounding drones section wasn’t live at all but in fact a prerecord so now I’m reconsidering #fakeViews
He BGB
This Land is Your Land was written as a protest song but she sang just one line or so of it. I don’t think she intended it to be a political statement. SHE IS THE POLITICAL STATEMENT. It’s who she is and what she has always done. Stand up for those disinfranchised. She needn’t say a word just be there.
TimberWolf
There was no hidden message in anything. Stop turning everything into a statement. Yes she sang one line as a form of Patriotism during the opening while up on the roof. She should more respect for our Nation and Superbowl Considering how many people stood during our nations national anthem with no hand on their hearts, considering the salaries they command for a sport, players should stand with hand on their hearts. Broadway Hamilton sang America the beautiful changing some of the words. No political statement there ? Lady Gaga sang her popular chart toppers of course Born this way would be sang a from Poker Face to Bad Romance. It was clean, entertaining and respectable with no tacky political soap box speeches. She sang her songs for what she stands for an American and her spirituality
jason_evans
Lady Gaga was reportedly paid a lot of money by the NFL. I wonder if one of the clauses of her contract was to refrain from political statements. She wasn’t about to kill the goose that laid the golden egg for her, was she?
Longtime
Quite the stretch to turn one line from “This Land Is Your Land” into a sly political statement. Hey, let’s regard the Pledge of Allegiance the same way, it having been written by a Christian socialist. Eventually, some things pass from the partisan to the general because they catch on with everyone.
As for the pro-gay lyrics, well, I watched the game and the show, and didn’t even notice. Pop music lyrics have often been hard to decipher when sung rapidly against a thumping backbeat, much less in front of a wildly cheering crowd. I’ve never been a fan of her music, so I wasn’t even aware of it until I saw this article. At that point, I had to go play the video, and I still missed it the first time.
Arconcyyon
No no not is ! Next the Pop Star Music Next year´s the new year´s older older Sport Famosus is Americam U.S EUA USA UnittendStates Trump NFL SuperBawal NFL ! yeahh is yeahh ahahahah !
Arconcyyon
She DIVA IS Fashion Andbrogyd DIVA GAGA LADY GAGA Music Pop Show letter music the love flyer is diveristyd sex os opcuintd sex LGBTTQ Mundi ! Fan page Fan Club is Like Love DVD CD Sigle vídeo youtube show ! yeahhhh isahaha .
Redmage
I really can’t stand it when people make a big deal about nothing… First of all I’m sure she was picked to sing the national anthem, because of what she said she felt the first time she had done so.. She’s quite patriotic.
Secondly.. While I do not like Trump at all.. I hate his character, and I don’t like the fact that he doesn’t respect the constitution (nor would Hillary, nor did Obama, or Bush).. These people talking about how anti-gay he is, anti-trans, racist blah blah… Its ridiculously stupid. He’s a New York liberal, he does not care about social issues like that… He does dislike political correctness, which is about the only thing I like about him, because political correctness, is dumb, weak, and its actually gotten people killed.. These protesters look disgusting, they are uneducated, they sound stupid, and are just embarrassing really… Not to mention hateful themselves, as well as phony.
jimstoic
> Her medley began with “America the Beautiful”
It began with “God Bless America.” She didn’t use “America the Beautiful.”
OzJosh
Interpreting Gaga’s performance as a coded protest is every bit as deluded as the belief that billionaire Trump will be the saviour of the downtrodden. There are real people out there making bravely unequivocal protests in the streets. Your space would be better spent reporting on them.
jason_evans
You hit the nail on the head. There are real activists out there confronting prejudice without being paid a cent to do it. Lady Gaga gets paid money for performing a safe concert and her deluded fans are claiming it was a “coded” protest. LMFAO.
jason_evans
Lady Gaga is a phony in my opinion. Even her leap from the roof at the Superbowl was faked for TV.
Her “pro-gay activism” appears to be a form.of pandering. I didn’t see much that was pro-gay in her half-time show.
Ken A.
I can’t even. That video of Alex Jones, tells all that I need. “I’m jealous of all the attention GaGa is getting, I want it for myself, so I’ll post a video of utter nonsense just for the attention.” People don’t prize dignity anymore.
batesmotel
Her performance was okay. It wasn’t ground breaking. It won’t be remembered five years from now, but at least she kept it classy and neutral, which of course angered hardcore liberals looking forward to saying something about Trump. She rose above that. Of course, if she did what the liberals wanted her to do, then that would’ve been the end of her career.
gayjim1969
Who was expecting her to make some kind of speech? That was more a conservative narrative: those who know Gaga realize that she wouldn’t make a special performance, like the Super Bowl, about politics. She lets it speak through her music choices. Those who think that her music choices weren’t a statement don’t know her. She had many songs she could have chosen.
BriBri
Would you have been happier if she had started a riot?
James
Has Queerty been infiltrated by quisling Trumpers all of the sudden? What is with all of this “uber-left” and “hardcore liberals” garbage?
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
If you’re lumping my comment with that I’d like to make clear that my point was simply that it’s not ONLY the Right that was unfairly (imo) criticising her.
BTW if you can’t differentiate between the rational Left and the self-sabotaging or downright cynical or batshit parts of the Left *cough Colby Keller cough* , then you’re part of the problem and partly why this idiot won the election
James
No worries, I CAN distinguish uber-left from ordinary left. But the right rarely does. Yes, Colby, apart from being very fun to look at, has some really screwed up politics. That Bernie fans are STILL whining about the primary and harping on Hillary is a waste of time, and counterproductive for any kind of future movement. And most of the content on FreeSpeechTV is unbearable (barring The Stephanie Miller Show). Liberals can be damned annoying sometimes. But conservatives can be downright dangerous.
jason_evans
On the conservative site Breitbart, they are praising Lady Gaga for not being political. This speaks volumes.
She is a fake in my opinion. She adjusts her message depending on whom she’s speaking to. If she had her normal concert crowd, I suspect she would have acted differently.
I heard she was paid an obscene amount of money for performing yesterday. Think of how much this could feed the poor in New York or LA.
Paco
According to CNBC, she made $0 for her performance.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/06/gaga-made-0-from-her-super-bowl-li-performance.html
DMRX
Don’t confuse Brian with facts. He doesn’t like them.
Luvstoread
Google it….
We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs. But, production costs can range anywhere from a few hundred thousands to upwards of $10 million. As the Super Bowl reaches over 100 million viewers, the opportunity to perform at the halftime show serves as a free commercial for headlining acts
coop69er
I would take issue with the shoddy reporting in this article. Lady Gaga did NOT open her performance with “America the Beautiful” she started with “God Bless America”. And IF you knew anything about American music, you would know that Woodie Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” in utter revulsion to Kate Smith’s “God Bless America”. Have your reporters do some research before they write such tripe.
girldownunder
@Paco– thank you, I was about to post that.
And since when is a performer (that is their job, how they earn a living) not allowed to voice an opinion AND get paid? Why is THAT mutually exclusive?
The RW-nutjob, “satan” stuff is as much BS as everything else in religious-delusionville.
JessPH
Alex Jones is the same nutjob who thinks 9/11 and the Sandy Hook were all masterminded by the government. He does not deserve any kind of publicity in Queerty nor in any other media outlet.
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ivanw222
OK, let me start by admitting I’m an old fart. To me U2 is a new band! Lady Gaga totally won me over, I was hugely impressed with her set, best I’ve seen since Tom Petty! Being gay, I loved the nod she threw us, for the rest I felt it began richly patriotic, and moved on without being preachy. Following her performance, would I go see her in concert…yes, absolutely!