Free Woman

Album: Chromatica (2020)
Charted: 102
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Lady Gaga was in her late teens, a music producer 20 years her senior sexually assaulted her. This song finds her coming to terms with the harrowing experience and no longer allowing it to define her.

    I'm not nothing without a steady hand
    I'm not nothing unless I know I can
    I'm still something if I don't got a man
    I'm a free woman


    Gaga explained to Apple Music's Zane Lowe that the rape "compounded all of my feelings about life, feelings about the world, feelings about the industry, what I had to compromise and go through to get to where I am, And I had to put it there."

    The songstress added that she no longer defines herself as a survivor or a victim. Nor does she need a romantic partner in her life to feel complete.
  • During the second verse, Gaga reflects on how she's made it on her own terms. Because of the sacrifices the dance pop star has made and the struggles she's endured, she now owns her own space.
  • "Free Woman" isn't the first time Gaga has penned lyrics inspired by her sexual assault. The 2013 Artpop track "Swine" served as an exorcism for the traumatic event as she cuts an "animal" out of her life. Three years later, Gaga penned with Diane Warren "Til It Happens To You" for The Hunting Ground, a documentary that documents the lives of students affected by rape on college campuses.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.