Lady Gaga records a new rendition of Mr. Rogers' "Won't You Be My Neighbor" for a Super Bowl ad.
Lady Gaga’s new rendition of the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood theme song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” is striking an emotional chord with fans. In a preview of a Super Bowl commercial for the real estate company Redfin, the 14-time Grammy winner is shown recording the beloved tune at Shangri-La studios in Malibu.
In an elegant black and white video clip designed to evoke a classic movie from a bygone era, she and collaborators Benjamin Rice and Alex Smith work out a simple, yet stunning arrangement, which steadily builds to a heartfelt climax. When Gaga ends the track with the iconic tag line, “Please won’t you be my neighbor,” it’s a poignant moment—one that layers beauty, nostalgia, and an all-too-timely message that kindness and community can build bridges.
“When I think about ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor,’ I just think about my earliest memories as a kid watching Mr. Rogers, and I think about how much he meant to people, especially kids at home,” Lady Gaga says in the video. “Mr. Rogers was so clearly someone that stood for something. And it is powerful to think of what he would say right now, and it’s kind of a special song to revisit at this time.”
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Public response to Gaga’s reimagined song has been overwhelmingly positive:
“Bawling my eyes out right now. Beautiful,” says one viewer on Instagram.
“It’s absolutely stunning. We all need this message of togetherness right now,” adds another.
“Love it,” writes yet another. “We need Mr. Rogers back in the neighborhood.”
Composed by Fred Rogers in 1967, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” became known as the theme song for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, his popular children’s educational program that aired nationally on PBS for 33 years. From 1968 to 2001, multiple generations of kids came home from school, flipped on the TV and were greeted by Mr. Rogers walking through the front door of his set singing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” while swapping his suit jacket for a cardigan, and lacing up a pair of well-worn sneakers. His calm, gentle demeanor and ability to speak to young children about weighty issues such as sibling rivalry and divorce—long before conversations about mental health became commonplace—led to more than 40 honorary degrees and induction into the Television Hall of Fame. A year before his death from stomach cancer in 2003, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President George W. Bush.
Because “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is so closely identified with Mr. Rogers’ sweet, but untrained singing voice, Lady Gaga took great pains to ensure her rendition was an appropriate tribute. Stylistically, her recording draws inspiration from her work with Tony Bennett and the Great American Songbook. Still, she wisely stays close to the melody so many people know and love, even though she’s known for her powerful vocals and enviable octave range. At one point in the video, she says, “I need to figure out if I’m going to take it up, or if I’m going to sing it like the original.” In the end, she splits the difference.
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“It was interesting to create something really heartfelt that keeps the purity and beauty of the original version, but does it in a new way,” she says.
Lady Gaga’s rendition will be featured in Redfin’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial on February 9, as the Seattle Seahawks battle the New England Patriots for the NFL championship at Super Bowl LX (60).
In the meantime, a few fans are calling for Gaga to sing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” at this weekend’s Grammy Awards, where she was just announced as a performer. Just one trophy short of an EGOT (she’s already won Grammys, an Oscar, and an Emmy), the superstar entertainer is currently nominated for a Grammy in seven categories, including Album of the Year for Mayhem, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her highly danceable hit, “Abracadabra.” The 2026 Grammy Awards air live this Sunday at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS and Paramount+.
Mr. Rogers himself may be gone, but his spirit lives on in song with Lady Gaga, even as the network that once carried his flagship program looks to new business models to survive deep cuts in federal funding. A Gaga fan offers a suggestion:
“Love to see a compilation album inspired by public television programming sold to help fund PBS,” they share.
A very neighborly thing to do, indeed.
After 58 years of financially helping to support PBS, NPR and many local radio and TV stations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting shut down in January after federal funding was cut. Logo courtesy of PBS