RHONJ How Gia Giudice’s song “Waking up in the mornin'” became a TIKTOK meme
Gia Giudice from Real Housewives of New Jersey wrote a heartwrenching song about her parents Teresa and Joe Giudice’s feud with her uncle and aunt Joe and Melissa Gorga. The song debuted in 2011 during Season 3 of the show. 10 years later it would become a TikTok hit.
The lyrics were so painfully honest and delivered with sincerity that we can all relate to:
“Wakin’ up in the morning think’ about so many things
I just wish things would get better, I’m trying to get rid of them
But nothing seems to stay the same.”
Gia dedicates the song to her mom Teresa and zio (uncle) Joe at her sister Milania’s fifth birthday party (Season 3, Episode 16 at the 36:50 mark.) She breaks down in tears as she starts the song, and has to compose herself and start again.
The context of the story, the feuding between family members, shows the traumatic tolls adult drama can take on children. Gia’s agony over the fighting, which was the focus on Season 3 of the show and debuted Joe and Melissa Gorga to the world, is palpable.
All the adults at the party were moved by Gia’s emotional vulnerability, and her song helped inspire them to repair their relationships.
In early 2021, Gia’s original song got a new life when it exploded on TikTok. Will Smith helped bolster the audio clip’s fame by using it to express his regret over a St. Patrick’s Day TikTok.
Gia commented on Will Smith’s original video with the quip, “This is gonna haunt me my whole life.” That may be true, but it’s a charming thing to be known for.
The popularity of the clip inspired Gia to lipsync her past self with the help of some friends.
@giagiudicexx here you go everyone ….
On March 26, 2021 Cardi B showed some love to Gia’s song with the tweet, “Thinking about deleting this app until I drop my next little project …but then again where I’m going to hear “wakin up in the morning thinkin about so many things I just wish things will get better “?🤔” Gia was incredibly flattered to have Cardi B tweet about her song and responded by asking to meet up with her.
During Season 3, Gia’s aunt Melissa was also working on a song of her own called “On Display.” While still iconic in Real Housewives lore, “On Display” has nothing on Gia’s “Sad Song” as far as virality, and delivering an emotional punch.
Thankfully, the relationship between siblings Teresa Giudice and Joe Gorga improved and has continued to grow over the years. Unfortunately for young Gia, at the time she recorded this song, her family had a lot more trouble on the horizon. Her parents would later go to prison for fraud, and her father Joe has been deported to his home country in Italy after serving nearly 4 years in prison. He currently fighting to regain entry into the U.S.
