Speechless (Lady Gaga song)
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"Speechless" is a song by American singer
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
from her third EP, '' The Fame Monster'' (2009). The song was written by Gaga to convince her father, Joseph Germanotta, to undergo
open-heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...
, in order to repair his malfunctioning aortic valve, and as a reminder for her younger fans to appreciate their parents. "Speechless" is described as Gaga's "Fear of Death Monster". The
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
-inspired
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
received mixed reviews from critics, who praised it for drawing influences from
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, as well as its sincerity while others criticized it for "com ngoff as a fraud." "Speechless" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at ninety-four for the week of December 12, 2009. Gaga performed the song in a number of live appearances including the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...
, the
2009 American Music Awards The 37th Annual American Music Awards took place on November 22, 2009 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The nominees were announced on October 13, 2009. For the first time in history, there was no host for the year's cerem ...
, the 2009 ''Royal Variety Performance'', and The Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011).


Background

"Speechless" was written by Lady Gaga and produced by Ron Fair. Gaga explained in a November 2009 interview that her father, Joseph Germanotta, had a heart condition for approximately 15 years. She went on to say, "He has or he had a bad aortic valve, and his body for a very long time was only pumping a third of the blood that you're supposed to get every time his heart beat." She added:
"My mom called me and I was very depressed. I was on tour and I couldn't leave, so I went into the studio and I wrote this song 'Speechless,' and it's about these phone calls. My dad used to call me after he'd had a few drinks and I wouldn't know what to say. I was speechless and I just feared that I would lose him and I wouldn't be there."
The song was written as a plea for Germanotta to have the
open-heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...
he needed for his condition. In October 2009, Gaga confirmed that Germanotta had undergone the surgery. "My Daddy had open-heart surgery today. And after long hours, and lots of tears, they healed his broken heart, and mine," she announced through her official
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account. She stated that she hoped the song would inspire her younger fans to appreciate their parents. "I have a lot of fans who are really lovely, young, troubled fans, but I want to remind them that you only get one set of parents," she said.


Composition

Musically, "Speechless" is a
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
with influences of 1970s rock,
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
, glam rock with a slight element of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
as well. The song's musical style has drawn comparisons to
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
during the '' Ziggy Stardust'' era,
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
. It consists of vocal harmonies and guitar riffs which, according to ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'', are comparable to the work of
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
and Queen. "Speechless" was recorded at Record Plant Studios,
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
with all live instruments, such as drums, guitars and bass with Gaga playing piano and she described the recording process as "that really organic, delicious feeling". Along with the production works, Fair also did the arrangement and conduction for the recording, while Tal Herzberg played
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
and did the
audio engineering Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound * Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...
of the track with Frank Wolff. Other musicians included Abraham Laboriel Jr. who played
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
and John Goux on
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
. "Speechless" was mixed by
Jack Joseph Puig Jack Joseph Puig is an American audio engineer, A&R executive, and record producer. He has worked with Tonic, Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Roger Hodgson, Taxiride, Green Day, Counting Crows, No Doubt, Klaxo ...
while the
audio mastering Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via met ...
was done at Oasis Mastering,
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, by Gene Grimaldi. Personnel assisting the recording included Ryan Kennedy, Tal Oz and Joe Cory. "Speechless" is set in the
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
of common time, with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 76 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of
C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...
, with Gaga's vocal range spanning between the high note of C5 to the low note of G3. The song has a basic sequence of C–G/B–Am–G–F as its chord progression.


Critical reception

"Speechless" received mixed reviews from critics. Kitty Empire of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' gave a negative review of the song, noting that ballads are Gaga's "weak point". Evan Sawdey of ''PopMatters'' noted similarities between the song and the music of Queen, adding, "Although the resulting tune doesn't have the same driving oomph of a peak-era Queen number, the imitation is admirable if not just for the fact that it manages to rub shoulders with such sacred company without once feeling like a gimmick." Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' called the song the lone "dud" from '' The Fame Monster'', "not because it's a bad song or poorly performed, but because, like on '' The Fame'', when
aga Aga or AGA may refer to: Business * Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA), a glazing contractor, established in 1970 * AGA (automobile), ''Autogen Gasaccumulator AG'', 1920s German car company *AGA AB, ''Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator'', a ...
does try to show her softer side, it comes off as a fraud—at least alongside the rest of her material."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
felt that the song had a "galvanized Eurotrash finish" to it, comparing the guitar playing in the song to the work of Noel Gallagher, the lead guitarist of
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
. In 2017, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' ranked "Speechless" number 29 in its list "The 100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars", noting that the ballad "offered one of the first strong indicators of Gaga's aptitude as a traditional pianist-singer-songwriter" and in hindsight was a better indicator of her future career trajectory. In 2022, Claire Lobenfeld of '' Pitchfork'' described "Speechless" as a "suggestion of what was to come on the gritty '' Joanne''".


Chart performance

Although it has not been released as a single, "Speechless" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at ninety-four for the week of December 12, 2009. After the medley performance of the song at the
2010 Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...
, "Speechless" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot Singles Sales chart, with sales of 7,000 units according to
Nielsen Soundscan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
, becoming Gaga's third number-one single on this chart. It also shifted an additional 13,000 digital downloads to bubble under the main Hot Digital Songs chart. As of August 2010, the song has sold 197,000 downloads according to Nielsen Soundscan. "Speechless" also debuted on the ''Billboard''
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
at sixty-seven on the same issue. On the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, "Speechless" entered the chart at number 106, due to downloads from ''The Fame Monster''. It left the chart the following week but re-entered at number 88 for the week of December 27, 2009. It has sold 60,000 digital downloads and acquired 3.38 million streams.


Live performances

"Speechless" was performed for the first time at the 30th anniversary celebration for the
Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's or ...
on November 14, 2009. Gaga performed the song on and at a pink
Steinway & Sons Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in Manhattan by German piano builder Henry E. Steinway, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth led to ...
piano decorated with painted-on butterflies. The song was performed while ballet dancers from the
Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...
, who danced alongside Gaga in a
performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
number directed by artist
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and members of Russia's Bolshoi Ballet Academy, titled "The Shortest Musical You Will Never See Again." It was performed at the
2009 American Music Awards The 37th Annual American Music Awards took place on November 22, 2009 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The nominees were announced on October 13, 2009. For the first time in history, there was no host for the year's cerem ...
. She coupled it with "
Bad Romance "Bad Romance" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...
" from ''The Fame Monster''. Gaga was dressed in a flesh-colored bodysuit wrapped with white piping, embedded with flashing lights imitating ribs and a
spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolog ...
. The performance started with "Bad Romance"; then she segued into "Speechless" by using her microphone stand to break open a glass box with a piano inside. She sat on the piano bench and began the performance, while her piano caught on fire. Throughout the song, she continued to smash liquor bottles on the piano. Both "Bad Romance" and "Speechless" were performed at '' The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' on November 25, 2009. Gaga performed the song at the ''
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
'', which was attended by
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
. Gaga wore a red latex dress inspired by the Elizabethan era, and played a piano suspended ten feet in the air that was supported by stilts. On December 8, 2009, Gaga performed the song live at the launch party of
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in New York City. The musical accompaniment consisted only of Gaga on piano, who appeared with a gigantic platinum blonde hair bow. "Speechless" was present on the setlist of Gaga's
Monster Ball Tour The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, ''The Fame Monster'' (2009) and comprising a set list of songs from that and her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008 ...
(2009–2011). During the original version of the concert series, "Speechless" came after performing an acoustic version of " Poker Face". Jane Stevenson from ''
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'' called the performance the emotional high point of the show. During the revamped Monster Ball shows, Gaga performed the song on a piano that was caught on fire, while wearing bra and knickers. Gaga was the opening performer of the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...
on January 31, 2010. She appeared in a green outfit with glittery shoulder pads. After performing " Poker Face", she was thrown into a flaming bin with the word "Rejected" written on it. Seconds later she re-appeared on stage joined by
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
, with both of them covered in ashes. They sat at opposite sides of a double piano and sang the track as a medley with John's " Your Song". Ashley Laderer from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' named it Gaga's eleventh best live performance as of 2018, calling it "heartfelt". In April 2010, Gaga held a mini-concert in Japan for
MAC Cosmetics MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto, Canada in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company is headquartered in New York City after becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies i ...
, collaborating with Canadian performance artist,
Terence Koh Terence Koh (born 1977 in Beijing, China ) is a Canadian artist who has also worked under the alias "asianpunkboy". The artist's work spans a range of media, including drawing, sculpture, video, performance, and the internet. Originally workin ...
. Billed as "GagaKoh", the concert took place on a rotating stage where Koh had created a statue of a naked woman with rabbit ears. "Speechless" was one of the three songs Gaga performed at the event, besides "Bad Romance" and " Alejandro". In May 2011, Gaga performed a jazz version of the song during Radio 1's Big Weekend in
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. In April 2017, Gaga performed "Speechless" on the piano during both weekends of the
Coachella Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. I ...
, where she was one of the headliners. On the second show, she included a snippet of "Bad Romance" into her performance of "Speechless".


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...
of ''The Fame Monster''. *
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
 – vocals, songwriting, co-production, piano * Ron Fair – production, arrangement and conduction * Robert L. Smith – co-production,
audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
ing * Abraham Laboriel Jr. – drums *John Goux – guitar *Frank Wolff – audio engineering *
Jack Joseph Puig Jack Joseph Puig is an American audio engineer, A&R executive, and record producer. He has worked with Tonic, Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Roger Hodgson, Taxiride, Green Day, Counting Crows, No Doubt, Klaxo ...
 – audio mixing *Gene Grimaldi –
audio mastering Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via met ...
at Oasis Mastering,
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
*Ryan Kennedy – assistance *Tal Oz – assistance *Joe Cory – assistance


Charts


Certifications


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2000s ballads 2009 songs Lady Gaga songs Rock ballads Song recordings produced by Lady Gaga Song recordings produced by Ron Fair Songs written by Lady Gaga