Uh, Lady Gaga Has (at Least!) Two-Dozen Tats—Here's What They All Mean
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Things Lady Gaga loves: her fans, her super-cute BF Michael Polansky, and ofc, her tattoos. As far as fans know, Gaga's tattoo collection includes 24 (!!) unique designs—though she hasn't publicly debuted one since getting her giant spine tattoo in February 2019, so she very well could have some secret ones that people don't know about. Like, she has to have a House of Gucci tribute somewhere on her body, right? Lucky for us, she's been v generous with showing off the two-dozen tats she has in her (public) collection, so we know all the fun stories behind them.
Gaga's massive net worth has gone towards tons of meaningful causes over the years, and of course, she contributed some of her hard-earned cash to some tats. Her ink includes four cute tributes to family members, four adorbs tributes to her fans, and lots of ink celebrating her favorite icons, collaborators, and friends...as well as (possibly) an ex or two. From the dainty back tat she got with a fake ID at 17 (and later regretted 😅) to the massive shoulder piece she once considered her favorite, we've rounded up all of Lady Gaga's tattoos and their meanings for your viewing pleasure.
Chances are she'll only continue to add to her collection (IMO, she could really use a cute lil Chromatica Oreo tat), but until then, here's everything we know about her two dozen works of art.
Her Cherub Tattoo
Kicking things off with: the tat you probs didn't even realize she had. Back in 2012, during her Fame fragrance launch at the Guggenheim, Gaga got this gorge cherub done on the back of her neck in front of t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d-s of fans, 'cause why not? Tattoo artist Mark Mahoney later said the Renaissance-era angel was chosen as "a nod to her Italian heritage."
Her Monster Paw Tattoo
Because Gaga loves her fans so much, she got a giant "monster paw" on the left side of her back while visiting Hamburg in 2014. Gaga later revealed it was her fave tattoo to date during a Reddit AMA. "It's the Monster Paw, the symbol of my fans as they have held their paws high in the crowd every night since we became a community," she told a fan who asked about her favorite tat. "I cherish it for its meaning, the loyalty, devotion, and strength we share. I wanted it engraved on me forever."
Her "Mother Monster" Tattoo
Gaga also has the words "Mother Monster" with lace detailing tatted on her ribcage, which she had done in 2014. She got this tat while in Manchester, but she decided to fly in LA-based tattoo artist Eric Gonzalez (who also did her monster paw) to do the honors.
Her Rainer Maria Rilke Quote Tattoo and "12-18-1974"
Back to the Rilke quote. While in Japan in 2009, Gaga got a quote from Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet inked on the inside of her left arm in a curling German script. As she told Interview, the quote translates to: "In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?"
But wait, there's more! If you look veeeery closely, you can see the date "12-18-1974" written in the middle of Gaga's Rilke quote. The date honors her aunt, Joanne Stefani Germanotta, who died from lupus on that date at the age of 19 (and obv, this is the same aunt that inspired Gaga's Joanne album).
Her "Dad" Tattoo
While we're on the topic of Gaga's dad, let's talk about that heart tattoo on her shoulder. Back in 2009, Gaga inked the word "Dad" inside of a heart as a tribute to her pops, Joe Germanotta, after he had life-saving open-heart surgery. Cute!!
Her "Haus" Tattoo
Three years after getting that mouse, Gaga gave it an update in 2016 by adding the word "Haus" above it. The reason: to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Haus of Gaga (the team that's helped bring her signature looks to life for years). It's also the namesake of her beauty brand, Haus Labs.
Her "Tokyo Love" Tattoo
Along with their "Haus" tattoos, Gaga and her team also have matching tats reading "Toyko Love." Gaga got hers on her left shoulder after collaborating with Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki on a bondage-themed photoshoot in 2009. As she explained to Interview, "I was honored to be the first American woman he's photographed, and only the second pop artist, in the company of Björk. He signed the Polaroids 'Tokyo Love,' and the Haus got tattoos of his marking in celebration."
Her Daisies Tattoo
Right below her "Tokyo Love" tattoo: a cluster of three daisies, which is kind of...yawn, tbh. Gaga has never spoken about the meaning behind the daisies, so moving on!
Her Sexual Assault Survivor Symbol Tattoo
Next to her daisies and below her "Dad" heart, Gaga has a symbol that looks like a rose on fire. She got that one in 2015 after co-writing the song "'Til It Happens to You" for the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, and the symbol was actually designed by one of the sexual assault survivors who joined Gaga onstage at the Oscars, Jackie Lin. About two dozen of the survivors got the symbol tattooed on their bodies before the Oscars, and Gaga joined them as a show of solidarity.
Her David Bowie Tattoo
Below that anchor, Gaga has a portrait of David Bowie, which she got done just one month after he passed away in 2016 (and just one day before she performed a tribute to Bowie at the 2016 Grammys). "This was the image that changed my life," she wrote on Snapchat, referring to Bowie's Aladdin Sane album cover.
Her Unicorn Tattoo
Long before getting her Joanne tattoo, Gaga celebrated her second album, Born This Way, with a unicorn on her left thigh, along with lyrics from her song, "Born This Way." During a radio interview with the Big Top 40 Show, Gaga said the tattoo was inspired by her childhood love of My Little Ponies. "I was obsessed with the idea of a creature that was born with something magical that sort of made them the misfit in the world of the stallion," she said.
Her "ARTPOP" Tattoo
Gaga also has an ode to her fourth album, ARTPOP, on her wrist—and, in fact, the tattoo was how she revealed the name of the album. She debuted the tat on Instagram in 2012 with the caption, "New ink new album."
Her Trumpet Tattoo
Gaga told Rolling Stone back in 2011 that she'd made a pact with her dad: She would only get tats on the left side of her body. But she broke that pact in 2014 when she got a trumpet inked on the inside of her right bicep. The tattoo was designed by her friend and Cheek to Cheek collaborator Tony Bennett, and she debuted the piece on Instagram with the caption, "Bennedetto. Tony's an artist."
This Massive Metallica Moth
At the 2017 Grammys, Gaga debuted a *massive* back tattoo of a moth as a tribute to her performance with Metallica at the ceremony. However, she revealed that it was temporary for the night, so moving on!
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