Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow (Lyrics Analysis and Song Meaning)

The brand new Warner Bros. movie ‘A Star is Born’ is possibly the talk of the town ever since the movie released on October 4th. Actor Bradley Cooper and singer Lady Gaga take up roles in this new movie to bring to life the characters of Jackson Maine and Ally respectively. Interestingly enough, Bradley Cooper has to talk out his comfort zone and sing several songs in this movie. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, is quite experienced with acting with her roles in productions such as ‘American Horror Story.’

“Shallow” song from ‘A Star is Born’ original motion picture soundtrack is one that will mesmerize you forever. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga join vocals in this love-enchanted track to deliver a touching tale of the spark that lights your whole life. The actor-singer duo also got to perform another hit “I’ll Never Love Again.”

“Shallow” song is about diving head-on into love and not regretting any of it. The idea is to dive into the deep end which is the safer end to dive in a swimming pool, and stay away from the shallow end where it is impossible to dive and difficult to swim. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga share verses in the form of a dialogue to tell us their story.

Does Bradley Cooper Really Sing in the movie ‘A Star is Born’?

Yes, he does. According to several sources, Bradley Cooper received vocal coaching sessions for over one and half years in preparation for this role of Jackson Maine.

On that note, good job Bradley Cooper!

Listen to “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga

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Download “Shallow” Song on iTunes and Amazon

Buy ‘A Star is Born’ Soundtrack on iTunes and Amazon

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Plot of ‘A Star is Born’ Movie:

“Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers and falls in love with struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.” –IMDb

Lady Gaga talked about “Shallow” in an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio;

“…and we made this song for Ally and Jack and it’s such a special song. It’s two people talking to each other about the need and the drive to dive into the deep end and stay away from the shallow area.” –Lady Gaga on “Shallow”

Lyrics Review and Song Meaning of “Shallow”

Verse 1

The first verse of “Shallow” is performed by Bradley Cooper.

Bradley Cooper’s character-Jackson Maine is questioning Lady Gaga’s character-Ally if she is happy doing what she does right now. In the movie, at this point, Ally is working at a restaurant and occasionally does gigs at a bar, even though she is an extremely talented songwriter. So, Maine asks this girl if she is going to settle for what she has right now or reach for the stars, which he believes she can do.

Refrain

Bradley Cooper again vocalizes that he is falling in the good times. This may have a double meaning. On one hand, Jackson Maine is a seasoned musician turned alcoholic and party-holic and throwing his career away. On the other hand, he is falling for Ally. Both can be called ‘good times’ in a certain angle.

He also seeks help in his bad times and wants to change, which Ally helps with, in the movie.

Verse 2

Lady Gaga’s vocals begin!

Ally sees right through this tough and hardcore persona Jackson has built around himself. She directly questions him what kind of void is he trying to fill up with his ‘act.’ Jackson is at a loss of words in the face of her questions. Jackson knows it takes a lot to maintain his rockstar and hardcore persona, which is quite failing these days.

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Chorus/Post-chorus

These lyrics explain the gist of the song from ‘A Star is Born.’

Lady Gaga explains what it is to dive in love in comparison to a dive into a swimming pool. The deep end symbolizes the safe haven of love and the shallow end represents the troubles in love. Jackson and Ally dive headfirst into this pool of love. They are in the diving end, so they are safe from hitting the ground (floor of the pool) which could be deadly.

Lady Gaga is very confident in saying she will “never meet the ground” which gives us hopes for their relationship.

“We are far from the shallow now” means that they are far away from the troubles of love many find themselves in. However, this is the beginning of their journey together. Both have to put in a lot of work to stay away from the shallow end.

“Crash through the surface” has an important meaning in the song as well as in the movie. Ally is not a Disney-princess-looking girl. In the movie a dialogue happens between the two that goes as;

Ally: Almost every single person has told me they liked the way I sounded but they didn’t like the way I look.
Jackson: I think you’re beautiful. – ‘A Star is Born’

This tells us that their love goes deeper than the surface looks. Hence, once they are beyond caring about how each other looks, there only is beauty on the inside. Nobody can hurt a person who sees their inner beauty rather than the outer looks.

We believe “Shallow” is not only an amazing collaboration of love and souls but also an important message to the society. Love should be spiritual. Love should not be skin-deep. This is what they prove throughout ‘A Star is Born’ movie.

Let us hear your thoughts and ideas about the song, performance and lyrics of “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. If you like this article, make sure to rate it and share with your friends.

Complete Lyrics to “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga