The Meaning Behind Lady Gaga's 'Joanne' Tracks

It's all happening, Gaga Fans. On Friday, Mother Monster shared the track list for the highly anticipated Joanne. The singer posted the deluxe and standard tack lists, as well as the CD label for Artpop's follow up on her Twitter. Thanks to that, we know Joanne will have 11 songs, 14 on the deluxe, and a cameo from Florence Welch (yes, from Florence + the Machine). But, what else do we know? Turns out, Gaga's Joanne track list reveals everything to know about the album, too.

OK, maybe not everything, but a whole lot more than you would think.

First, some backstory on Joanne. According to Gaga, the title comes from her late aunt, who passed away when Gaga was just 19. (Gaga's middle name also happens to be Joanne.) Mother Monster explained this during an interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1. According to Rolling Stone, she said:

As I returned to my home life and spending time with my friends and family and getting out of the mainstream limelight for a minute, the experiences of our family and our challenges that make us who we are. It’s everything about Joanne … it’s all the toughness of the pain of losing her that made us all strong and made us who we are. She is the woman of my past who is becoming and helping me bring more of my honest woman self into the future.

So, as a whole, Joanne seems to center around ideas of how your past influences your present. Mark Ronson, Father John Misty, Florence Welch, and even Beck have all collaborated on the album with Gaga, so we know it's going to be a mix of interesting and new sounds. Take a look at the track list below.

Now, let's get into what individual title might reveal about Joanne, shall we?

1. "Diamond Heart"

This one sounds like it might have something to do with Gaga's ex, Taylor Kinney. The two were engaged in February 2015, but broke up in July of this year — and guess what kind of engagement ring Gaga donned during their time together? One shaped like a diamond heart of course.

2. "A-Yo"

Typically, "A-Yo" is slang for "Hey you." Gaga has two pretty powerful previous songs with the word "You" in the title. The Oscar nominated "'Til It Happens To You" about the damaging effects of sexual assault and the love ballad "You and I." Gaga told MTV in 2011 that "You and I" was about "going back to anyone or anything in your life that means something to you," which seems to thematically fit with Joanne, so it's possible "A-Yo" is an extension of that song.

3. "Joanne"

According to Rolling Stone, Gaga describes the titular track as the "the true heart and soul of the record."

4. "John Wayne"

Gaga also told Beats 1, That this one's about her "incessant need to run after wild men" because she gets "bored of the same old John." There's also a possibility that the title's a subtle nod to Gaga's time on American Horror Story: Hotel as John Wayne Gacy was a character alongside Gaga's the Countess.

5. "Dancin’ In Circles"

Given what Gaga has said about Joanne, it's probably a reference to the frustrating cycle of always ending where you started, especially if you are stuck in the past.

6. "Perfect Illusion"

Fans have reasoned that with lyrics like, “It wasn’t love," and "It was a perfect illusion," the song could be alluding to Gaga's relationship with Kinney. However, according to Us Weekly, Gaga told SiriusXM, “This song is not a hit out against Taylor. He’s my best friend. This song is just about, I’m sure, not only feelings I’ve had but feelings he’s had, that my friends have had, that my sister has in her relationship. It’s a record about all of us, and I would never use my song or want to use the public to hurt anyone that I love so much. ... We’re just two people figuring it out.” So, there you go.

7. "Million Reasons"

This one's a little more unclear. It could be any number of things. A million to be precise.

8. "Sinner’s Prayer"

Gaga told Beats 1 that "Sinner's Prayer" is "about singing to a man just telling him, 'Look I just don’t want to break the heart of any other man but you, but I know that I'm a sinner.'"

9. "Come To Mama"

A reference to Mother Monster, no doubt.

10. "Hey Girl" ft. Florence Welch

I'm going out on a limb here to say that this one will be a female power anthem.

11. "Angel Down"

Sounds like the ultimate "fall from grace" track.

12. "Grigio Girls"

Since "Grigio" translates to "gray," this one could be about anything that falls under that category, including depression or even aging.

13. "Just Another Day"

This one's a little tough to unpack, but does seem like it fits in with Joanne's theme of the past shaping who you are, and could even be a reference to coping with grief — i.e. taking things one day at a time.

14. "Angel Down (Work Tape)"

"Angel Down (Work Tape)" will probably be a stripped down version of the original song. Just Gaga, her voice, and the piano, if I had to bet.

Joanne will be released on Oct. 21.

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