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Gagapedia

"Government Hooker" is a song by Lady Gaga off Born This Way. The song title was revealed through Vogue magazine. During an OTP interview with Ryan Seacrest, Gaga spoke about the song; "It was originally a hip-hop beat, but as we progressed we doubled the speed so it's now a very hard hitting club track. Some of the lyrics are dirty but it is one of my favorite songs off the record". On March 2nd, Gaga previewed a short remixed clip of the song at the Anatomy of Change Fashion Show by Thierry Mugler in Paris. In the beginning of the song "Io ritorne-" can be heard, probably the phrase is in Italian, "Io ritornerò" ("I will come back"). The song was registered on Gaga's BMI on May 17, 2011. A small part of the song is used as an outro for Gaga Live At Sydney Monster Hall.

Background

On March 3, 2011, DJ White Shadow spoke to MTV News about the song saying:

To me, that song is my favorite song, and it’s just a beast. I don’t even know how to explain it. [Born This Way] is not a pop album; it’s a pop masterpiece of music. If there was no category of pop music, you wouldn’t call it pop music. We were in this studio in Vegas, and I was playing some hip-hop stuff [for Gaga's label boss Vince Herbert], and I ran across this [old beat I had made], and we were talking about faster songs, so I sped it up and I played it for Vince. He was like, ‘Whoa.’ She walked in, and I played it for her and [producer] Fernando [Garibay]. She laid it out in two seconds. She sang over the melody and tuned it up and put the chorus in. She finished it super quick.
The guy that’s actually talking, that’s her security guard. We were sitting there thinking how to make a computerized voice, so we were like, ‘Let’s get Pete in here.’ He’s got a super-thick Dutch accent, and he’s trying to read off paper. It was insane, and he just talks like that. That’s what it’s like working with Gaga. It’s like a f—ing supernova. When she walks into a room, things explode. She thinks of sh– that I can’t comprehend. It doesn’t make sense to me, and I’m a creative person. Working with her is totally different than anyone else I’ve ever done anything with. She’s the most hands-on person I’ve ever run into. She could walk into Steve Jobs’ office and tell him he’s doing Apple wrong, and he’d listen. As a producer, it’s super cool to be with somebody who generally cares and is fully involved.

NME described the song as “Gregorian pop chants, pervy robot voices (courtesy of Gaga’s bodyguard, Pete), window-rattling beats, and the extraordinary line 'Put your hands on me, JF Kennedy'.
Gaga revealed that “The humour is that a machine in tells me what to do and I happily do it as long as I get fucked. It a relates to how our government fuck us over, but it makes fun of the plastic popstar – I’ll do anything as long as you fuck me and pay me.

Lady Gaga revealed on twitter that the song was inspired by Marlyn Monroe and other political mistresses. Gaga wondered what the mistresses were privy of and what they affected. [1]

During the Fuse interview, Gaga explained the creation of the song. "We started out with this very French dark hip-hop beat. So we made it really really fast. And it took on this completley new energy. And I've been sonically really wanting to push for 4-on-the-floor It's a little bit of a different approach than I've taken in the past." Gaga proceeded to explain the meaning of the song. "There's a voice in the background when I'm singing /As long as/ I'm your hooker/ and then the Government says: /Back up/ And Turn Around/. How much are you willing to be a puppet and hooker and how much more do you want to fight for what you believe in?"

Commercial release

Remixes

  • DJ White Shadow Mugler Remix — 3:35
  • Steve Aoki Remix — 2:44

Performances

Tour Dates Performances
The Born This Way Ball 2012-2013 (All dates) 98
Enigma 20182020 (All Dates) 29
Total of performances 127

Notes:

  • In 2011, the song was not performed, although it was used (album version and instrumental) as an outro piece or as part of an interlude in several performances.

Lyrics

Gaga, ga oh-ah
Gaga, ga oh-oh-oh
(Io ritorne, io ritorne.
Io ritorne, io ritorne.)
Goverment Hooker, eh

I can be good,
If you just wanna be bad.
I can be cool,
If you just wanna be mad.
I can be anything,
I'll be your everything,
Just touch me baby.
I don't wanna be sad.

As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Hands to the ground)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Get down)

Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.

I'm gonna drink my tears tonight,
I'm gonna drink my tears and cry,
'Cause I know you love me baby,
I know you love me baby.

I could be girl,
Unless you want to be man.
I could be sex,
Unless you want to hold hands.
I could be anything,
I could be everything, (iku, iku)
I could be mom,
Unless you want to be dad. (oh mi papito)

As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Hands to the ground)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
As long as I'm your hooker.
(Gov. : Get down)

Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.

Put your hands on me,
John. F. Kennedy,
I'll make you squeal baby,
As long as you pay me.

I'm gonna drink my tears tonight,
I'm gonna drink my tears and cry,
'Cause I know you love me baby,
I know you love me baby.

Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, yeah you're my hooker.
Hoo-ooookaaaaaaaa-er, government hooker.

I could be girl, (io ritorne)
Unless you want to be man.
I could be sex, (io ritorne)
Unless you want to hold hands.
I could be anything, (io ritorne)
I could be everything,
I could be mom, (io ritorne)
Unless you want to be dad.

I wanna fuck government hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
Stop shitting me government hooker.
(Gov. : Hands on the ground)
I wanna fuck government hooker.
(Gov. : Back up and turn around)
Stop shitting me government hooker.
(Gov. : Get down)

Yeah!
Ha ha ha

Credits

Personnel

Publishing

  • Sony/ATV Songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing LLC (BMI)
  • Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./ Garibay Music Publishing (BMI)
    All rights on behalf of itself and Garibay Music Publishing administered by WB Music Corp.
  • Maxwell and Carter Publishing, LLC (ASCAP), administered by Universal Music Publishing Group

References

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