“Bloody Mary” Lyrics & Meaning (Lady Gaga)

I’ll admit, I was wrong about this song.

When I first saw the title, I assumed it would be about Mary Stuart, queen of Scotland in the 16th century.

Or about the drink.

Instead, it is about Mary Magdalene.

But also so much more.

Naturally, any song about that particular Mary is going to have religious implications. And also feminist themes.

We will get into all of that below, so keep reading.

 

Bloody Mary Lyrics And Meaning

Bloody Mary is a track from Lady Gaga’s 2011 album Born This Way. Gaga was born with the full name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta and is an American singer and songwriter who is particularly known for her powerful vocals

Since debuting her single “Just Dance” in 2008, Gaga has become one of the most famous singers in the world.

Her album “Born This Way” was a commercial success, largely because it reflected a change in Gaga’s approach to music. The album even debuted at number one on the US album charts and sold a million copies in its first week.

Bloody Mary stands out on the album, because it’s a mix of electronic beats combined with religious and historical references.

Many listeners saw Bloody Mary as being about feminine strength and suffering and that Gaga wrote in in such a way that she could sing about her feminine icon, Mary Magdalene.

Many have praised the song’s depth and it recently had a resurgence in popularity when it went viral on TikTok. This trend happened due to a video of Jenna Ortega’s famous dance scene from the Netflix show Wednesday being remixed with Bloody Mary playing. The dance was originally set to The Cramps’ Goo Goo Muck.

Of course, the song was not without its controversy, thanks to its religious references. This was especially apparent on social media sites, where people love to voice their opinions.

It’s also believed that Bloody Mary holds a special place in Gaga’s heart, as she expressed joy at the song being played on the radio, which was captured through a Tik Tok video. This will most likely be due to its personal and spiritual significance to Lady Gaga. On that note, let’s take a look at the lyrics in full, before getting into their meaning.

 

Bloody Mary Lyrics

 

Verse 1

Love
Love is just a history that they may prove
And when you’re gone, I’ll tell them my religion’s you
When Punktious comes to kill the king upon his throne
I’m ready for their stones

Pre-Chorus

I’ll dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, head, head
Like Jesus said
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, hands together
Forgive him before he’s dead because

Chorus

I won’t cry for you
I won’t crucify the things you do
I won’t cry for you, see (See)
When you’re gone, I’ll still be Bloody Mary

Love

Verse 2

We are not just art for Michelangelo to carve
He can’t rewrite the aggro of my furied heart
I’ll wait on mountaintops in Paris, cold
J’veux pas mourir toute seule

Pre-Chorus

I’ll dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, head, head
Like Jesus said
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, hands together
Forgive him before he’s dead because

Chorus

I won’t cry for you
I won’t crucify the things you do
I won’t cry for you, see (See)
When you’re gone, I’ll still be Bloody Mary

Love
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga

 

Bloody Mary Meaning

Lady Gaga sings Bloody Mary from the perspective of Mary Magdalene. The theme of the song explores her complex emotions towards Jesus and Judas and highlights important aspects of their story, such as betrayal, faith, and unconditional love.

One line in the song goes, “Love is just a history that they may prove.” This suggests love’s tangibility and can allude to the debated historical romance between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

There are other lines, such as “I won’t cry for you, I won’t crucify the things you do” and “Just love him and let him be,” that show ideas of forgiveness and acceptance, which are key aspects of Christianity.

The chorus also mentions Judas, which adds a layer of complexity, since it juxtaposes different biblical figures that are misunderstood in Christianity.

Lady Gaga also told her fans that the song was partly inspired by her car, which was called Bloody Mary. This shows that she blended personal experiences with broader themes to create a song that so many love.

She has also previously described Mary Magdalene as both divine and human, as well as strong and vulnerable. These traits are reflected in the lyrics, as she sings about Mary Magdalene.

Bloody Mary is more than a song that just has a catchy melody. It also encourages us to really think about the underlying themes of the song and engage in thoughtful discussions about its meaning and who Mary Magdalene loved.

 

Bloody Mary Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Bloody Mary shows just how creative Lady Gaga can be as an artist. It is her creative work at its finest. The lyrics are thoughtful, deep, and they draw from a variety of inspirations.

The Bloody Mary lyrics meaning is far from straightforward. You can easily recognize the people she is singing about, but the meaning behind the lyrics is not quite as clear. The beautiful thing is that you can read whatever you want into them.

Most seem to take the song to be about feminine strength and perseverance, and it does seem like Lady Gaga had that in mind. But she probably had a lot more meanings in her head as well, especially as it pertains to the religious imagery. 

If you enjoyed this article, we have a similar one for another huge Lady Gaga hit. Check out our discussion of the Poker Face lyrics, if you are interested. That song was also not without controversy, though there it had to do with sexual themes, not religious ones.

We also featured Lady Gaga in our article of unexpected song covers that went viral. Do you know which song she covered? It is one of the most famous songs ever.