Lady Gaga likes to live with her albums for a bit. That was very true with Harlequin, which she was inspired to make after her role as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. As a result, the singer made a new album which features a plethora of covers!
The album is a mix of the original song with lyrics that Gaga wrote and her own versions of some of these iconic songs that are featured in Folie à Deux. Ranking those songs on the album does then mean really leaning into preferences.
Some of the songs are just not songs I liked that much in the first place and while Gaga’s spin on them is fun, it hasn’t changed my feelings much. Still, she also brought new life to some of my favorite songs of all time. So it really is a journey of a concept album. Let’s rank each song off of Harlequin from best to worst.
13. “Oh, When the Saints”
Everyone knows “Oh When The Saints Go Marching In” in some capacity. Originally a song by Louis Armstrong and his orchestra, the song has become synonymous with New Orleans Saints as a football team. The song is a classic of a reason and is one of those songs that everyone can easily recognize.
Lady Gaga’s take on the song is a very fun take on it but it is still a song we’ve all heard time and time again. There’s nothing wrong with it, it just isn’t anything particularly fascinating.
12. “Good Morning”
There are plenty of iconic moments from Singin’ In the Rain but the song “Good Morning” is one fans know very well. Originally performed by Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, and Gene Kelly, it was a wonderful part of the movie but the song itself pails in comparison to other numbers in the movie. So taken out of context, as is the case with Gaga’s version of it, makes it just an okay song.
I don’t dislike this cover, I think it is beautiful. But there are other versions of songs on this album that just work better.
11. “If My Friends Could See Me Now”
A lot of the album is using songs from older musicals and movie musicals. The song “If My Friends Could See Me Now” is from Sweet Charity. Sung by Gwen Verdon, the song with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields is one of those songs that I don’t particularly care about either way. It is just a musical theatre song that exists and there’s that.
I think Gaga’s take on it is fun and brings to flavor to it but it isn’t really a song that stands out against the rest of the album either.
10. “That’s Entertainment”
Originally from the MGM movie The Band Wagon, the song “That’s Entertainment” finds a new life with Gaga’s take on it. I should state that I don’t particularly love older musical but musical movies are a different breed for me and I do think this song fits with Gaga’s voice beautifully.
It is one of those Fred Astaire songs that people cannot get enough of Gaga’s take on it is very fun.
9. “Get Happy”
Personally, my favorite version of “Get Happy” is the version between Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand, called “Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again.” Gaga’s version, which is just a take on “Get Happy” as a song has a fun start before getting into the typical swing of the song.
We’re getting into the part of the album where most of these songs are great versions of the original but I do wish she’d done “Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again” instead.
8. “Folie à Deux”
Gaga wrote “Folie à Deux” for the film and it has a clown like nature to it. It fits in more with the other songs on the concept album and the eeriness of it feels very Harley Quinn. On the album as a whole, it might be my favorite that she’s written as part of the theme. However, as individual songs, I think there are other songs on Harlequin that stand out.
I am fascinated to see how “Folie à Deux” plays into the movie though.
7. “World on a String”
Gaga used to work a lot with Tony Bennett and so her covering a Frank Sinatra song seems like a perfect step. “World on a String” is not the best of Sinatra’s filmography but it does fit with Gaga’s voice surprisingly well. Plus I love the tonal changes that Gaga made to the song.
Songs by the Crooners were either loud and vibrant or a slower ballad and this is Gaga’s modern take on that.
6. “Gonna Build a Mountain”
Gaga is bringing a lot of my faves of the Rat Pack into this album. The Sammy Davis Jr. song “Gonna Build a Mountain” starts with Gaga having a bit more of a slower build. But the cover eventually goes into the big swing band feel of the original.
At time, it feels almost like an Elvis Presley-esque cover of the song but still it is a beautiful take on the Davis track.
5. “The Joker”
One of Gaga’s original song for the film, aptly titled “The Joker,” is a stark contrast to the rest of the album. The song itself is great, I love it but it does feel different from the rest of Harlequin in a way that is jarring when you’re listening to the album as a whole. That doesn’t make this song any less special though.
Part of me wishes the rest of the album sounded a bit more like this because an album of Batman inspired songs from Gaga sounds like heaven. At least we have “The Joker” for now though.
4. “Smile”
The Charlie Chaplin song “Smile” is one of my all time favorite songs. It is beautiful and inspires you to look at the world with optimism instead of the pain in your heart. Every version of this song means the world to me and Gaga’s is no different.
Some of the other covers she did turned into a faster take on the song later on but she keeps “Smile” as the slow, beautiful song that it is and it is just a beautiful cover.
3. “Close to You”
The Carpenters song “Close to You” is just a great song. No matter when it appears, it is a fun time. Imagine just being in love! What a concept. The song itself reads like a woman just head over heels infatuated with the person she is looking at and Gaga captured that energy beautifully.
I don’t know what it is about this song but it just really works and is one that I could listen to on repeat. The Gaga cover included.
2. “That’s Life”
Frank Sinatra’s music will always have a special place in my heart. The old Crooner of the Rat Pack was a favorite of my grandfather’s and that love got passed down on to me as a child. Songs like “That’s Life” colored my childhood and I love Gaga’s cover of it because it is a version I can sing along to easily.
There’s just something about “That’s Life” that is timeless. We all know the pain of having to push on and if this means I’ll hear it more and more out in the wild, I’m happy about it.
1. “Happy Mistake”
Gaga’s slower stuff is top tier, in my opinion. Which is why “Happy Mistake” is easily my favorite original song on the album. It fits in tone with what I love from Joann and the kind of music from Gaga I love to turn when I’m upset about something. It just has a beautiful guitar behind Gaga and every moment of it is captivating to listen to.
I think compared to the big band covers of old standards, it does stand out on its own but I love this song so much.
Which was your favorite off of Harlequin?
Published: Sep 27, 2024 03:54 pm