It's no secret that Lady Gaga is fearless. From her unapologetic style, to the songs she writes, all the way to her slew of tattoos, the entertainer is a bonafide HBIC. And speaking of tattoos, she's covered in them on just about every single part of her body. Even more fascinating is that every single one boasts a significant meaning in Gaga's life, whether it be family, music or even women's rights.
And since we love her so much, we decided to do a deep dive into the intricacies and meanings of her dozen plus tattoos. Who knows, maybe this will be where you, too, find your inkspiration.
Trumpet & Letters To A Young Poet:
Ahead of the release of Cheek to Cheek with Tony Bennett, Gaga inked up her inner arm with a trumpet tattoo honoring the jazz singer. Fun fact: Bennett actually drew the trumpet himself.
On the other arm is tattoo she received while on tour in Japan, a quote in German from Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. The tattoo reads: "Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?"
Music Notes:
Why a performer as magical as Gaga would get a music staff somewhere on her body is pretty self-explanatory.
LA tattoo artist Daniel Winter executed the harmonic tattoo on her right forearm. The note reads "GAGA" in treble clef or "BCBC" in bass clef, letters that happen to be her A Star Is Born costar Bradley Cooper's initials.
La Vie En Rose:
This minimalistic rose is a fairly new edition to Gaga's tattoo collection. La Vie En Rose happens to be the song her character in A Star Is Born sings during her first encounter with Bradley Cooper's character at the drag bar.
David Bowie, Unicorn & Rose Bouquet:
Just 24 hours before performing a tribute to David Bowie at the 58th Grammy Awards, she inked this mesmerizing image of the singer's face to her ribs. "This was the image that changed my life," she wrote on Snapchat, in reference to Bowie's Aladdin Sane album cover.
According to Steal Her Style, "In September 2010, Lady Gaga tattooed a unicorn on her thigh with a banner reading 'Born This Way,' the title of both her second full-length album and its lead single. Her song 'Born This Way' is about embracing one’s uniqueness and never compromising, and speaks in particular to the gay community, whom Gaga has been a vocal advocate for. The unicorn is a symbol of rarity and uniqueness."
She also has a large tattoo of roses that spans her lower back across to the left side of her waist. This tattoo was done by celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D back in 2008 while filming her hit TV show LA Ink.
Peace Sign:
The peace sign tattoo on the inside of her left wrist serves as a tribute to John Lennon, one of her musical idols. “My peace sign was inspired by John Lennon. I grew up two blocks from the Strawberry Fields Imagine memorial. It’s actually one block away from where John Lennon was assassinated. And I am a huge Beatles, John Lennon, Yoko Ono fan. So ‘give peace a chance,’” Gaga once said, referencing John Lennon’s 1969 hit solo song “Give Peace A Chance.”
Joanne:
The title of her 2016 album cover, the tattoo is both a tribute to her late aunt and the masterful body of work she created in 2016.
Dad Heart & Fire Rose:
According to Steal Her Style, Lady Gaga’s third tattoo on her left shoulder is a tribute to her father. It is a heart with a banner reading “dad.” Gaga got this tattoo shortly after her father had a successful open heart surgery. He has struggled with a heart condition for many years, and Gaga was afraid that she was going to lose him during surgery. She wrote her song “Speechless” as a plea for him to get the surgery.
The powerful message behind the fire rose stems from Gaga's support of sexual assault survivors. One of the survivors who stood on stage with her at the 2016 Oscars was Jacqueline T Lin, who designed the tattoo. She wrote on her website the meaning behind the unique symbol: "The tattoo was made for, and dedicated to, survivors. It is a unity symbol inspired by the loops of our DNA structure and our universal infinity sign. It combines inspiration from Lady Gaga's favorite flower, the white rose, to breathe life into an organic and growing symbol. The final image embraces a fiery shape to give us power and strength everywhere we go."
Anchor:
The rib tattoo, created by artist Henk Schiffmacher is the perfect minimalistic touch to Gaga's extensive collection.
Mother Monster:
Who could ever forget that ground-breaking Monster album? To celebrate its five-year anniversary, Gaga inked "Mother Monster" on her ribcage to honor the body of work.
Monster Hand:
In 2014, Gaga posted the tattoo to her Facebook, captioning it, "I never realized before but I put the tattoo of my fans 'monster paw' the symbol of our fan base right over my heart. It's not easy to perform this song, but I know you will have my heart in your hands holding me up like you have for almost a decade. Thank you for being the pillars that hold up my roof, everything i stand for is in you."
Tokyo Love:
Gaga added her "Tokyo Love" tattoo to her shoulder while on a trip to Japan in 2009. The ink commemorates the first time Haus Gaga collaborated with Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki.
"I was honored to be the first American woman he’s photographed, and only the second pop artist, in the company of Björk," Gaga told Interview Magazine. "He signed the Polaroids 'Tokyo Love,' and the Haus [team] got tattoos of his marking in celebration."
Cherub:
According to Steal Her Style*,* in September 13th, 2012, Lady Gaga got a cherub tattooed on the back of her head live at her fragrance launch. Taking place at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, Lady Gaga changed into lingerie and tattoo artist Michael Mahoney inked a renaissance cherub on the back of her head inside of a giant perfume bottle. She prepared for the tattoo by shaving a triangle shape into her hair, but let the hair grow over the tattoo a few months later.
