Lady Gaga Made a Song Called ‘John Wayne’ Because She Chases ‘Wild Men’

John Wayne had a massive impact on pop culture. For example, one of Lady Gaga‘s songs is called “John Wayne.” Gaga revealed the song reflects her relationship with her father and other men.

Lady Gaga took her songs in a more country-inspired direction with the album ‘Joanne’

Gaga became known for dance-pop hits like “Poker Face” and “Born This Way.” In 2016, she released an album called Joanne which contained more of a country music influence than her previous albums. During a 2016 interview with Apple Music, Gaga said she didn’t want to overly concern herself with giving her fans what they want.

“I don’t think it’s a healthy way to make music,” she opined. “I think that when you’re thinking from other people’s perspectives too much in that way like ‘What musically do you want from me?'”

Gaga also revealed she didn’t want to spend her time trying to write the next big thing. “Yeah I find that completely boring,” she said. “It’s a business and it’s basically an algorithm. That I’m not interested in being a part of – that’s not music to me.

“That’s becoming part of the system and the more that you become part of the system the more that you lose yourself,” Gaga added. “You just become a robot you know? I wanna create things that people never forget. I don’t want to be one in the pack.”

Lady Gaga expressed her preference for ‘wild men’ in her song ‘John Wayne’

One of the tracks from Joanne is called “John Wayne.” In the song’s opening, Gaga says she is attracted to cowboys. She proclaims she would rather date a man like Wayne than a city guy. She explained why she wrote the song. “That record is about why do I chase wild men?” she said. “I chase wild men because I chase my dad.”

Gaga revealed her feelings about her father. “My dad is a wild man,” she said. “Why is he a wild man? Because he lost his sister when he was 15. And since he lost his sister, he’s been chasing away to not feel the pain.”

The way listeners in the United States and the United Kingdom reacted to ‘John Wayne’ and ‘Joanne’

“John Wayne” did not become a hit. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. On the other hand, Joanne became a huge hit. For one week, it was No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It stayed on the chart for 49 weeks in total.

“John Wayne’ wasn’t a hit in the United Kingdom either. According to The Official Charts Company, the song did not chart there. Meanwhile, Joanne reached No. 3 in the U.K. It spent 22 weeks on the chart.

“John Wayne” wasn’t a chart juggernaut, but it remains an interesting connection between Gaga and a certain Western actor.