In her new album, Joanne, Lady Gaga paid homage to legendary actor John Wayne with the title track. The song features an upbeat, tongue-in-cheek ode.
The music video is styled like an action film. Several scenes feature Gaga in action-packed sequences, including a car chase, dancing, and shooting guns from high heels. Her outfit is a pale pink suit with a matching cowboy hat. She also wears a big leather belt. Flamethrowers accompanied her dancers during the performance.
The lyrics are cryptic and suggest that Gaga is looking for someone who is wild and free-spirited. However, she has also expressed her preference for sophisticated city men. Ultimately, "John Wayne" was not a hit. It reached number three in the U.K., and had a few minor chart placements in other countries.
Fans were curious about the inspiration for this new song. Unlike her previous videos, this one featured an actual car chase and a lot of action. While it was not a huge success in the United Kingdom, it did get positive reviews.
Some fans compared the video to movies such as Mad Max (1979) and Grindhouse double-bills. Moreover, many of the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek. These included references to smoking marijuana, and dating working-class men from Republican states.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe at Beats 1, Lady Gaga explained why she had decided to write a song about John Wayne. Apparently, she had become bored with her old, predictable John.