Born This Way (Song)

This article is about Born This Way (Song). You may be looking for the episode of the same name.

Born This Way by Lady Gaga is featured in Born This Way, the eighteenth episode of Season Two. It is sung by the New Directions and features solos from Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina.

The episode that the song is featured in is focused on the New Directions accepting their personal flaws. For the performance, the members of the New Directions are seen wearing shirts with text printed on them that state something about them which they have previously struggled to accept. Near the end of the song, Will and Emma join in wearing their own shirts.

Santana did not participate in this performance, although she watches with David, while thinking about what Brittany said to her in the school hallways.

Lyrics[]

Kurt:
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M (M-M-M-M)
Just put your paws up
'Cause you were born this way baby

Tina:
My mamma told me when I was young
"We are all born superstars"
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

Mercedes:
"There's nothing wrong with lovin' who you are,"
She said, "Cause he made you perfect, babe"
So, hold your head up, girl and

Mercedes with Tina:
You'll go far
Listen to me when I say

Mercedes with New Directions:
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track
Baby, I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself, and you're set
I'm on the right track
Baby, I was born this way (New Directions: Born this way)

Tina with New Directions:
Ooo, there ain't no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Baby, I was born this way (Mercedes with New Directions: Born this way)
Ooo, there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Right track, baby
I was born this way

Kurt:
Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Tina:
Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Mercedes:
Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Kurt:
Don't be! (Don't be, don't be, don't be)

Tina (with New Directions Guys):
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
(In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth)

Mercedes with New Directions Girls:
A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M

Mercedes with Tina and New Directions Girls:
I love my life I love this record and mi amore vole fe yah

Mercedes with New Directions:
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track
Baby, I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself, and you're set
I'm on the right track
Baby, I was born this way (New Directions: Born this way)

Tina with New Directions:
Ooo there ain't no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Baby, I was born this way (Mercedes with New Directions: Born this way)
Ooo there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Right track, baby
I was born this way

Mercedes:
Way-ay-ay (Kurt: Don't be, don't be, don't be)
Way-ay-ay

Kurt (with New Directions):
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen,
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
(You're Lebanese, you're orient)
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice, and love yourself today
'Cause, baby, you were born this way

Mercedes and Kurt with Tina and New Directions:
No matter gay, straight, or bi
Lesbian, transgendered life
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to be brave

New Directions:
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes

Mercedes with New Directions:
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

New Directions:
Don't hide yourself in regret

Mercedes and New Directions:
Just love yourself, and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way (New Directions: Born this way)

Tina with New Directions (Mercedes):
Ooo there ain’t no other way (Ooo there ain't no)
Baby, I was born this way (Baby, I was)
Baby, I was born this way (Baby, I was born this way)
Ooo there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way (Baby, I was)
Right track
Baby, I was (with Mercedes: born this way)

Tina with New Directions: (with Mercedes)
I was born this way, (hey!)
(I was born this way, hey!)
I'm on the right track
(Baby I was born this way, hey!)
I was born this way, (hey!)
(I was born this way, hey!)
I'm on the (right track, baby)
(I was born this way, hey!)

Reception[]

The New Directions' rendition of Born This Way was strongly approved by Lady Gaga. On her Twitter account, she wrote, "I really loved Glee's Born This Way episode. I admire the show for being brave+fighting for such modern social messaging. Never back down."
The song was criticized by Berk, who felt that the cover version and performance was boring. He gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Gonzalez gave the performance a 'B+', and commented that it wasn't her favorite group number. Michael Slezak approved of the song: "it was nice to see and hear Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt on lead vocals — instead of, say, Blaine, Rachel, and Mr. Schue. He went on to give the performance an 'A-'.
Even though Kurt wore a shirt saying "Likes Boys," the cutting of the gay/straight/bi lyrics in the song was highly criticized by both critics and fans alike, considering the show's focus on sexuality and accepting yourself.

Trivia[]

This is the second time where Kurt is seen doing sign language in a song, the first being Imagine along with the Haverbrook School for the Deaf's Glee Club and the rest of the New Directions and the third being ABC at the 2011 Sectionals.
The red and black checkered sweater Kurt wears during the scene in Hummel Tires (in the Season Six episode 2009) featuring Kurt in a voice-over saying, "I'm gay dad" is the same sweater he wore (before revealing the shirt) during the performance of this song.
This was one of the songs performed during the 2011 Glee Live 2010 tour.
- In the stage performance, the cast wore the T-shirts their characters wore during the episode.
  - During one stop on the tour, Dianna Agron wore a shirt that said 'likes girls' in order to support the LGBT community.^[1]
  - During the show, all shirts except Emma, Mr. Schuester, and Santana's first shirt 'Bitch' were for sale (Because Naya wore the Lebanese one).
  - During the 2011 tour, Naya Rivera sang Born This Way onstage (unlike her character), but Lea Michele did not because the song immediately preceded Firework in the set list.
Josie Totah, who plays Myron Muskovitz, auditioned for Glee with this song.
Mercedes' shirt says "no weave" however, it has been stated on several occasions that she wears a weave. Such as when she say the line, "Try to make me change my weave" in her original song, Hell to the No. However, these could have all be just subtle jokes.

T-Shirts[]

Artie - "Four Eyes"
- Referring to him wearing glasses.
Brittany - "I'm With Stoopid (Upwards Arrow)"
- Commenting on her lack of intelligence.
Finn - "Can't Dance"
- Referring to how ungainly his dancing is, mainly because he hit Rachel in the face.
Kurt - "Likes Boys"
- His sexuality.
Lauren - "Bad Attitude"
- Her badass attitude is apparently an issue.
Mercedes - "No Weave!"
- Commenting on the fact that she has no hair extensions (which are often called a "weave").
Mike - "Can't Sing"
- As shown in Duets, he is insecure about his singing. However, in Asian F, Mike is shown to have improved his singing voice with help of Tina's singing lessons.
Puck - "I'm With Stupid (Downwards Arrow)"
- His tendency to let his downstairs brain make all the decisions resulting in unfortunate events, such as getting Quinn pregnant and nearly making a sex tape with Lauren in Sexy.
Quinn - "Lucy Caboosey"
- In her old school, she was called "Lucy Caboosey" because of her weight and looks.
Sam - "Trouty Mouth"
- His abnormally large mouth and fishy lips. Also, the term coined by Santana in Original Song just to poke fun at the size of his mouth.
Tina - "Brown Eyes"
- The fact that she had worn blue contacts because she was insecure about her real eye color.
Emma - "Ginger" and "OCD"
- Her hair color
- Her mental disorder (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
Will - "Butt Chin"
- The cleft in his chin.
Rachel - "Nose"
- Her Jewish nose.
Santana - "Bitch" and "Lebanese"
- Her "bitchy" personality.
- Meant to be "Lesbian" but Brittany misspelled it. She wore the "Lebanese" shirt but did not take part in the performance.