Lady Gaga wrote ‘The Edge of Glory’ for her grandfather who died with Alzheimer’s.
If you have Alzheimer’s in your family, you know the challenges. And sometimes the stress of every day life can become so overwhelming that it feels isolating to be a caregiver and have the giant responsibility to care for another grown-up, especially if that grown-up has spent most of life caring for you.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and we are super bowl happy to watch the game, witness the creative commercials, and enjoy the halftime show. It’s as much fun as watching the Oscar’s red carpet, to me. And I am a total fashion superfan.
And the football and fashion are connecting even more. I was lucky enough to be selected by Mr. Flu for a visit, and while I’m sick I enjoy watching fashion documentaries on YouTube. During an old interview with Lady Gaga and Jean Paul Gaultier, she talked about the inspiration for ‘The Edge of Glory.’
The song is inspired by her grandfather’s last moments with her grandmother, just before he died.
Lady Gaga’s words about her grandfather:
“60 years they were married. And until the very last moment she was holding his hand….’I love you Joey. Go Joey. It’s okay. I love you.'”
“And my grandfather was very old and was very sweet. And he had Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s… And he knew we were there.”
“There was this one moment were he had sort of acknowledged that their love had won, that they had won at life. He looked at my grandmother and said: ‘I am a champion.’ And we left and just shortly after that he passed.”
And then Lady Gaga‘s song ‘Edge of Glory’ was born.
…I’m on the edge of glory
And I’m hangin’ on a moment with you
I’m on the edge with you
Another shot before we kiss the other side
Tonight yeah baby, tonight yeah baby
I’m on the edge of something final we call life tonight alright, alright…
While I continue to work on the mission to help create spaces better designed for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s, I want you to know that it affects all of us. And we can be reminded of how interconnected we are in this disease in the most surprising places, like in Lady Gaga’s music.
