Speechless (Lady Gaga song)

The song was written by Gaga to convince her father to undergo open-heart surgery for his malfunctioning aortic valve and remind her younger fans to appreciate their parents.

[6] In a November 2009 interview with MTV, Gaga explained that her father had a malfunctioning aortic valve, causing his body to pump only a third of the necessary blood with each heartbeat for an extended period.

In expressing her desire for the song to inspire her younger fans to appreciate their parents, Gaga emphasized their irreplaceable role in a child's life.

[12] The song consists of vocal harmonies and guitar riffs which, according to Evan Sawdey of PopMatters, are comparable to the work of the band Queen and its frontman Freddie Mercury.

According to Apolloni, the introduction—characterized by theatrical "ohs"—immediately immerses the listener in heightened emotional landscapes, followed by moments of "vocal ugliness", particularly in high chest voice and slurred pitches.

Analyzing the emotional narrative of "Speechless", psychoanalyst Robert J. Benton wrote that although the song is dedicated to Gaga's father, the lyrics convey a romantic breakup.

Benoten believed after expressing hurt and anger to her ex-lover in the initial lyrics, Gaga has a taunting desire for revenge in the closing line "Why are you so speechless?

The authors drew thematic connections to Mercury's desire to seek acceptance as an outsider in "Somebody to Love", Lennon's pursuit of a utopian society in "Imagine" and John's emphasis on "pure devotion through music and word" in "Your Song".

Burns, Woods and Lafrance thought that by invoking this "genealogy", Gaga aims to promote unbiased love and a new world order emphasizing equality and fairness.

[4] Linder thought in "Speechless", Gaga introduces a rare moment of subtlety on The Fame Monster, showcasing clever songwriting and emotional depth, although he found that her "enigmatic image" may impede some from fully engaging with the material's core.

[16] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic noted a "galvanized Eurotrash finish" to it, comparing the guitar playing in the song to Noel Gallagher's work in Oasis.

[24] In Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani deemed the song the sole "dud" on The Fame Monster because of its perceived inauthenticity amidst Gaga's bolder material.

[25] Media outlets Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Guardian, Vulture, Uproxx and Glamour retrospectively ranked "Speechless" as one of Gaga's best songs.

[28] To Vulture, "Speechless" is one of pop music's important Oedipal-complex ballads, portraying a shift as Gaga suddenly sees her father as an equal and expresses intense emotions and a heartbroken perspective on love.

[30] Declaring it as Gaga's best ballad, Glamour praised her vocals and described "Speechless" as a "refreshing and moving" song with "a seamless blend of vulnerability and power".

[31] In 2017, Billboard ranked it number 29 in its list of 100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars, adding that the ballad was one of the first strong indications of Gaga's proficiency as a "a traditional pianist-singer-songwriter" and her future career trajectory.

The performance included ballet dancers from the Bolshoi Theatre as part of "The Shortest Musical You Will Never See Again", an art piece directed by Francesco Vezzoli.

Wearing a red latex dress inspired by the Elizabethan era, Gaga played a piano suspended ten feet in the air that was supported by stilts.

[45] In April 2010, Gaga held a mini-concert in Japan for MAC Cosmetics, collaborating with the Canadian performance artist, Terence Koh.