For My Sunday Song #409, we tackled Harrison’s next pick of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga which was an unexpected, but welcome pick. The song is from Lady Gaga’s E.P. ‘The Fame Monster’ and was written by Lady Gaga and RedOne. The song did pretty well going #1 on the Top 40 Charts and #1 on the Dance charts as well, but held to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. To say it was popular is an understatement as it sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Crazy for a single. And the video, well it has over 1.7 Billion views. That is Billion with a B.

The song was inspired by the paranoia Lady Gaga felt while on tour for her debut album. It also draws from her quite unhealthy relationships she has had and is drawn to like a moth to a flame. Too many bad romances I guess. There is a big shout out Alfred Hitchcock movies with the lines…”I want your psycho, your vertigo schtick (Schtick, hey!) / Want you in my rear window, baby, you’re sick” which also points to unhealthy attachments that meet these adjectives.

The song is pure dance pop inspired by electro pop and it is full of synthesizers and drum machines. The song has one of the most catchiest openings with the “Oh-oh-oh’s” and then the “Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah / Roma Roma-ma / Gaga, “ooh la-la”. The minute you hear that you know the song and I think if you have a car full of people, they will all sing along. There is a rap piece in the middle and she even goes French for some lyrics. All making the song a massive earworm. One of the best pop songs she has ever done.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Is this the best Pop Song she has ever written? She is a force in music that we hadn’t seen since Madonna and she was a breath of fresh air when she hit the radio. Thanks to Harrison Kopp for all the choices for this 10 song set. Go check him out on Grab a Stack of Rock as co-host and on his Instagram page where he has a ton of Lego artwork.

“Bad Romance”

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma Roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance
Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma, Roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance

I want your ugly, I want your disease
I want your everything as long as it’s free
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love, oh, ey
I want your drama, the touch of your hand (Hey!)
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love
(Love, love, love, I want your love)

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad
Your bad romance

I want your love, and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
I want your love, and all your lover’s revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance

Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma-roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance

I want your horror, I want your design
‘Cause you’re a criminal as long as you’re mine
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love, uh
I want your psycho, your vertigo schtick (Schtick, hey!)
Want you in my rear window, baby, you’re sick
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love
(Love, love, love, I want your love)

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you (‘Cause I’m a free bitch, baby)
I want it bad
Your bad romance

I want your love, and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
I want your love, and all your lover’s revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance

Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma-roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance
Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma-roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance

Walk, walk, fashion, baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion, baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion, baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, passion, baby
Work it, I’m a free bitch, baby

I want your love, and I want your revenge
I want your love, I don’t wanna be friends
Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche
Je veux ton amour, I don’t wanna be friends
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
(I want you back) No, I don’t wanna be friends
(Caught in a bad romance) I don’t wanna be friends
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance) Want your bad romance

I want your love, and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
I want your love, and all your lover’s revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
(Want your bad romance)
Caught in a bad romance (Want your bad romance)
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
(Want your bad romance)
Caught in a bad romance

Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma, Roma-ma
Gaga, “Ooh la-la”
Want your bad romance

Writer(s): Nadir Khayat, Stefani Germanotta