" There is nothing plaintive in Gaga's voice as she sings. It is an upbeat tune with a light, pop accompaniment. Gaga is not sad. It happens, sometimes, she says, that relationships end. One person meets someone else, and it is time to move on. She does not regret that it happened and feels entitled to her new happiness with her new man. She does not have to grieve for the old relationship, as she is already on to the new one, without apology. The change in attitude between Brenda Lee's hit and Lady Gaga's is clearly evident in our society. In the 1950s, teens "went steady" and often settled down to marry and have families in their early twenties. Most girls would have been appalled at the thought of dating a string of young men. Pre-marital sex was still considered taboo. Brenda Lee's wholesome image was just right for the times and for lyrics such as those of "I'm Sorry." She was a good girl, she was saying, who did a foolish, hurtful thing for which there was no excuse.

By contrast,...

She can tire of one man and begin a relationship with another, without missing a beat. In the early days of rock and roll, Gaga would have been a "bad" girl (such as "Runaround Sue"). In the twenty-first century, she is largely free of the stigmas and double standards that effectively repressed girls of the 1950s. Gaga represents the modern woman who is independent and strong. She has come a long way from the apologetic girl of "I'm Sorry."
References

Brenda Lee biography. (n.d.). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 23, 2013 from http://rockhall.com/inductees/brenda-lee/bio/

"Eh, the (Nothing else I can say)" (n.d.) Lady Gaga. Retrieved April 23, 2013 from http://www.ladygaga.com/lyrics/default.aspx?tid=14711791

"I'm Sorry" lyrics. (2013). LyricsFreak. Retrieved April 23, 2013 from http://www.lyricsfreak

.com/b/brenda+lee/im+sorry_20526626.html