Lady Gaga's Judas Lyrics - What Do They Mean?

Lady Gaga's newest single, Judas, is a preview from her upcoming album, Born This Way. This controversial song represents a new direction for the glitzy pop sensation, whose wild stage costumes and antics already fascinate millions of fans. Many people are offended by the overt religious imagery of the Lady Gaga Judas lyrics; they wonder exactly what the diva is trying to say about Judas and his relationship with Jesus Christ.

Judas Lyrics

Understanding why the Lady Gaga's Judas is upsetting the Christian church may be as easy as looking at a few lines of the lyrics. In one verse, Lady Gaga seems torn between right and wrong; she appears to be equally bewitched by good and evil:

I'm just a Holy Fool, oh baby it's so cruel
But still I'm in love with Judas, baby.

As you can see, she readily acknowledges the cruelty of Judas, while still clinging to him and loving him. This dichotomy may be offensive to those who believe Judas is one of history's greatest traitors. After all, according to the Bible, the real Judas betrayed Jesus for money, and his selfish act resulted in the arrest and crucifixion of the Saviour. For devout Christians, "loving" Judas may seem sacriligious and evil.

It's quite possible that Lady Gaga is singing this song about a love interest, while also relying on biblical imagery to amp up the power of her words. Many of this singer's most famous compositions are written about love affairs gone awry; in the case of her song, Judas, she may be lamenting the fact that a lover continues to enthrall her, even as he mistreats her and acts against her.

For many women, relationships with "bad boys" are exciting and passionate, although they don't always end well. Lady Gaga is plugging into this sort of common relationship dynamic when she sings:

When he comes to me, I am ready.
I'll wash his feet with my hair if he needs.
Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain.
Even after three times, he betrays me

The first two lines of this verse place Lady Gaga in the role of Mary Magdalene, who washed the feet of Jesus with her own long tresses. However, she actually seems to be referring to washing the feet of Judas instead.

Stepping into the devoted, sacrifical role of Mary Magdalene, a sinner who was forgiven by the Saviour, is a bold and unusual lyrical choice that adds a sense of mystery to the song. Overall, this dance hit seems to be about hanging on to someone, no matter what they do.

The Judas Video

Looking at the pics and the Lady Gaga Judas video can be another way to delve into the deeper meaning of the song itself. In publicity photos for the single, Lady Gaga is heavily made-up, with a sultry expression on her face. The photos are deepest blood-red. The symbolism of these crimson designs may represent the blood of Christ at the time of his crucifixion. Red is also commonly believed to be the color of passion, anger, and romance. As you can see, mixed signals are an important part of the singer's bag of tricks.

The video adds more fuel to the fire. In the clip, Lady Gaga sits on the back of a dark, handsome young man's motorcycle - he wears a stylized "crown of thorns" on his head. Of course, this symbol is connected with Jesus, not Judas. However, the biker boy fits the "bad boy" stereotype so well.

The video seems to strengthen the conclusion that Lady Gaga is so passionate about a relationship, that she loses perspective, and has difficulty telling good from bad.