"Bloody Mary" is a song by Lady Gaga, and produced by Fernando Garibay from Born This Way. "Bloody Mary" is also the name Gaga has for her car. An instrumental clip was used during Transmission Gagavision 42. The song was registered on BMI on May 17, 2011. It was released as a single in France on December 2, 2022.
Background
According to Peter Robison at PopJustice, the song is a spooky rave ballad sung from the perspective of Mary Magdalene. Gaga revealed the song title in NME magazine.
| “ |
Bloody Mary is quite subtle actually, it's a song about Mary being divine and human at the same time, with a subtext (maybe it's not even a subtext) about the role of a woman who is supposed to be a superstar and a real woman at the same time. Not life alteringly deep perhaps but it works as a pop song. |
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—Lady Gaga | ||
NME magazine described the song as “A dark, pulsing and atmospheric, almost funeral electroballad, one of several tracks including ‘Judas’ with religious references.”
Gaga also revealed the concept behind the song. “I believe that Mary Magdalene was both fully divine and fully human. She has to be strong when Jesus fulfills the prophecy to die for everyone’s sins, but she still has the moment of humanity where she’s upset to let him go. She had to be a superstar, but she must have cried too.”
On November 19, 2010, Gaga tweeted a part of the lyrics: “When Punk-tius comes to kill the King upon his throne, I'm ready for their stones”
Gaga tweeted that the song "is about living halfway between fantasy and reality", and that it was inspired by her car.[1][2]
On May 27, 2011 Gaga also tweeted about "Bloody Mary" saying:
- "(In the song) im struggling between fantasy+reality in bloody mary. it was inspired by my car and Mary Magdalene. (the ultimate rockstar's gf)"
Sound engineer, Dave Russell revealed that the brief for the song was to make it sound "Avant-Garde". To achieve this they "kept it fairly minimal and open sounding, but gave it a lot of neck and swagger in the drums. (It should make [yo]u nod your head a lot)".
Release
In 2022, following the release of the Netflix comedy horror series Wednesday, the titular character's dance and its fan recreations to the song went viral on video sharing service TikTok. This resulted in a large increase in plays on Spotify. On December 2nd, 2022, the song was sent to the French radio stations as a single, 11 years after the release of the album.[3] Later on December 17th of the same year, Interscope Records sent the song to the US pop radio stations.
Physical release
Etched Vinyl
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: 12″ Etched LP Released: March 15, 2023 Catalog #: B0037519-1 Barcode: 0602455166647 Photography: Nick Knight Design: Zevos Inc (Ianthe Zevos) |
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| # | Name | Time |
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| 1. | "Bloody Mary" | 4:04 |
Glow In The Dark Vinyl
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: 12″ Etched LP Released: October 20, 2023 Barcode: 0602455838575 Photography: Nick Knight Design: Zevos Inc (Ianthe Zevos) |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bloody Mary" | 4:04 |
Picture Disc
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: 12″ Picture Disc Released: November 11, 2023 Barcode: 0602458382297 Photography: Nick Knight Design: Zevos Inc (Ianthe Zevos) |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bloody Mary" | 4:04 |
CD Single
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: Jewel case Released: May 5, 2023  Catalog #: B0037916-32 Barcode: 0602455673442 Photography: Nick Knight Design: Zevos Inc |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bloody Mary" | 4:04 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalog # | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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December 2, 2022 | Radio airplay | Universal | N/A | |
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December 23, 2022 | ||||
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January 17, 2023 | Contemporary hit radio | Interscope | ||
| January 30, 2023 | Adult contemporary radio | ||||
| March 15, 2023 | Vinyl | B0037519-1 | 0602455166647 | ||
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March 24, 2023 | Universal | |||
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April 14, 2023 | Interscope | |||
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Polydor | ||||
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August 25, 2023 | Universal | |||
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October 20, 2023 | Glow In The Dark Vinyl | Interscope | 0602455838575 | |
| November 11, 2023 | 12″ Picture Disc | 0602458382297 | |||
Remixes
- Clinton Sparks Remix — 4:03
- The Horrors Remix — 5:21
Clinton Sparks Remix
Official cover
Clinton Sparks, one of the producers for the track, released information and an exclusive artwork via Twitter about a special remix he was working on. The remix is set to be released on his mixtape.
- "Tea & @pretzelcrisps is what's keeping me alive in this studio working on this filthy Lady Gaga rmx 4 "Bloody Mary"" 8:36 PM via web
- "This new @ladygaga remix 4 Bloody Mary i'm finishing up now in the studio is so DIRTY & ready 2 dance 2 now. So Sick!" 9:21 PM via web
- "Tomorrow i'll post the @LadyGaga "Bloody Mary" @ClintonSparks Remix which is a preview of My Awesome Mixtape 2" 11:56 AM via Twitpic
The Horrors Remix
The Nicola Formichetti interactive installation promotional video features this remix. On the video it reads: "Q4 presents "Gaga Constellation" an interactive installation by Nicola Formichetti on view at Barneys Madison Avenue now through January 2, 2012.
As part of Lady Gaga's Holiday Workshop, the installation marries a film created by Tim Richardson, A White Label Product and The Mill with main titles created by The Science Project and an interactive experience created in collaboration with The Science Project and Moving Image & Content -- all of which appears on a spectacular video wall by Prysm.
Within the installation we ask users to tweet their holiday wishes into the constellation (and the Twitterverse!) simply by using the #gagastars hashtag. Tweets selected by Nicola Formichetti appear instantly in the window.
So what's your holiday wish? Tweet it to #gagastars !
Q4 and Nicola thanks everyone who's made this holiday dream come true, including Barneys, all of the collaborators mentioned above, and Moving Image and Content. You are our stars."
Q4NYC link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4yozR5MGa4
Performances
| Tour | Dates | Performances |
|---|
| The Born This Way Ball | 2012-2013 (All dates) | 98 |
| Joanne World Tour | 2017-2018 (All Dates, Except certain and stadium shows) |
44 |
| Total of performances | 142 |
Lyrics
Money (money, money, money)
Oh-oh-woah-oh
Love is just a history that they may prove.
And when you're gone,
I'll tell them my religion's you.
When Pontius comes to kill the king upon his throne.
I'm ready for their stones.
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 I won't cry for you,
I won't crucify the things you do.
I won't cry for you,
See, when you're gone,
I'll still be Bloody Mary.
(Love)
We are not just art for Michelangelo,
To carve, he can't rewrite the agro,
Of my furied heart. I'll wait,
On mountain tops in Paris cold.
Je ne veux pas mourir tout seule.
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 I won't cry for you,
I won't crucify the things you do.
I won't cry for you,
See, when you're gone,
I'll still be Bloody Mary.
(Love)
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Gaga, Gaga
Dum dum, da di da,
Dum dum, da di da,
Dittie da di da.
Dum dum, da di da.
Dum dum, da di da,
Dum dum, da di da,
Dittie da di da.
Dum dum, da di da.
I won't cry for you,
I won't crucify the things you do, do, do.
I won't cry for you,
See, when you're gone,
I'll still be Bloody Mary.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Libérate, mi amor
- Notes
- "Je ne veux pas mourir toute seule" (French, "I don't want to die alone")
- "Libérate, mi amor" (Spanish, "Free yourself my love")
Merchandise
- Main article: Official Merchandise
After the song went viral in December 2022, Gaga releases "Bloody Mary" T-Shirt on online merch store,
Trivia
- Michelangelo, an Italian sculptor, painter and architect of the High Renaissance, is also mentioned in an unreleased song "Photograph".
- Prior to the release of The Fame Monster (2009), a fanmade tracklist circulated online with "Bloody Mary" as one of the songs. However, there is no relation with this song as it was created after the album release.
- Clinton Sparks voice can be heard (Gaga, Gaga) in the song.
- DJ Snake credits as a writer was added on BMI after the release of the album.
- Kamau Georges revealed in 2012 that his programming work was done without meeting Gaga. It was instead through his frequent collaborator Clinton Sparks.
Credits
Personnel
- Programming — Fernando Garibay, Kamau Georges, DJ White Shadow
- Keyboards — Clinton Sparks, Fernando Garibay, DJ White Shadow
- Background vocals — Lady Gaga & Clinton Sparks
- Recording — Dave Russell at Studio 301's Sydney Studio 2 on April 8, 2010 (Sydney
) - Studio Assistant — Jordan Power at Studio 301
- Mixing — Dave Russell at The Mix Room (Burbank )
- Assistant mixer — Paul Pavao at The Mix Room
- Mastering — Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering (Burbank )
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Publishing
- Sony/ATV Songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing LLC (BMI)
- Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./ Garibay Music Publishing (BMI)
All rights on behalf of itself and Garibay Music Publishing administered by WB Music Corp. - Maxwell and Carter Publishing, LLC (ASCAP), administered by Universal Music Publishing Group
References
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