The Edge of Glory

"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). The song was released on May 9, 2011, as the album's third single. Initially released as one of two promotional singles for Born This Way, it shortly became a single following its success in digital outlets worldwide. The song was written and produced by Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and is a pop, electro-rock, and disco song that speaks of the last moments of life. According to Gaga, lyrical inspiration came from the death of her grandfather, who died in September 2010. Along with a saxophone solo played by Clarence Clemons, the melody of the song resembles much of the musical works of Bruce Springsteen, and contains several qualities similar to that of 1980s adult contemporary musical works.

"The Edge of Glory" received critical acclaim, with many reviewers deeming it an album highlight. Much of the praise went to the song's chorus and the musical production. Reviewers also complimented Gaga's vocals, describing it as "soulful". The song was a commercial success worldwide and even more successful than "Judas", charting in the top 10 in several major music markets, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Gaga's tenth consecutive top-10 single in the United States.

A music video for the song was filmed in late May, co-directed by the singer and her production team, Haus of Gaga. The video is simple in contrast to much of Gaga's past work and portrays her dancing on a fire-escape and walking on a lonely street. Differences include the lack of intricate choreography and backup dancers, as well as using only one outfit designed by Versace. Critics praised the simplicity of the video, while comparing it to the works of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Madonna. Live performances of the song include the tenth season of American Idol, the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, Good Morning America's "Summer Concert Series", and many of the singer's concert tours.

"The Edge of Glory" was written by Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay, and DJ White Shadow, and was produced by Gaga and Garibay. The origins of the song first came about in January 2011, when Gaga released part of the lyrics on her Twitter account. DJ White Shadow revealed that before they returned to Europe for the 2010 dates of The Monster Ball Tour, Gaga had taken leave for few days to be with her ailing grandfather. After he died, Gaga told White Shadow that she wrote a song about her grandfather's death and its impact on her. Gaga spoke to Jon Pareles of The New York Times about the story behind the song:

"['The Edge of Glory'] was about how when my grandma was standing over my grandfather while he was dying. There was this moment where I felt like he had sort of looked at her and reckoned that he had won in life. Like, 'I'm a champion. We won. Our love made us a winner.' They were married 60 years. I thought about that idea, that the glorious moment of your life is when you decide that it's okay to go, you don't have any more words to say, more business, more mountains to climb. You're on the cliff, you tip your hat to yourself and you go. That's what it was for me in that moment when I witnessed it."

More information in regards to "The Edge of Glory" was revealed by Gaga, in an interview with Google where she explained the song as being about one's final moments on Earth, before death. Another inspiration for the song was actor Sylvester Stallone's 1976 film Rocky, which is Gaga's favorite film. The singer felt that the song was about looking at life directly, with the feeling that he or she is a champion—like the emotion displayed by the character Rocky Balboa in the film.

On May 5, 2011, Interscope sent out an e-mail to radio stations across the United States, which explained that "The Edge of Glory" was to be released on Monday, May 9, 2011, as the first of two promotional singles for Born This Way. It was to serve as the first song in the "Countdown to Born This Way" promotion on iTunes Store. However, after its release to the digital stores, "The Edge of Glory" started selling a considerable amount of digital downloads, prompting Gaga to make it the third single from Born This Way. On her Twitter account Gaga revealed the cover for the single. It shows a naked Gaga with her mouth open, wearing her facial prosthetics from the "Born This Way" cover, and her hair wildly cascading around her.

"The Edge of Glory" features synthesizers executed in a style influenced by smooth jazz, as well as the inclusion of a saxophone solo. The song is less electronic and more straightforward pop, and the lyrics deal more with romance than individual inspiration. Garibay revealed that the song was recorded in Gaga's natural vocal tone, and required just one take. She requested him to add the sound of heartbeat at the start of the track. Garibay said that the decision to add a saxophone solo was a "bold move" for Gaga, since contemporary hit radio did not have any songs with a saxophone solo on their song playlists.