About the song
Background
- Release: March 1989, as the lead single from her album of the same name.
- Controversy: The music video caused a huge uproar due to its blend of religious imagery (burning crosses, stigmata) and sensual scenes involving Madonna. This led to boycotts and Pepsi canceling a sponsorship deal with Madonna.
- Critical Success: Despite the controversy, the song was a massive critical and commercial hit, topping the charts in numerous countries and becoming one of Madonna’s signature works.
Lyrics
The lyrics of “Like a Prayer” are written in a style that cleverly mixes religious devotion with romantic and sexual longing. Here’s how this works:
- Gospel Inspiration: The song draws heavily on gospel music style with a choir, powerful organ chords, and call-and-response elements.
- Ambiguous Language: Words like “prayer,” “mystery,” “down on my knees,” and “like a virgin” can be interpreted as both spiritual and sensual.
- Inner Power: The lyrics suggest a journey of self-discovery and tapping into one’s own strength, with a figure (potentially divine or a lover) who hears the protagonist’s call and awakens something inside her.
Themes
- Spirituality and Sexuality: The central tension of the song is the juxtaposition of sacred and profane. It blurs the line between religious experience and the intensity of passion.
- Female Empowerment: “Like a Prayer” can be seen as an assertion of female agency and desire, with Madonna taking charge of both her spiritual and sexual narrative.
- Race and Representation: The video’s portrayal of a wrongly accused black man and Madonna’s involvement with a black saint subvert traditional religious imagery, making it a statement (whether intentional or not) on race relations.
- The Power of Belief: Whether the prayer is directed towards a god or a lover, the song ultimately conveys a strong sense of belief and its transformative potential.
Video
Lyrics
Life is a mysteryEveryone must stand aloneI hear you call my nameAnd it feels like home
When you call my name, it’s like a little prayerI’m down on my knees, I wanna take you thereIn the midnight hour, I can feel your powerJust like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there
I hear your voiceIt’s like an angel sighin’I have no choiceI hear your voiceFeels like flying
I close my eyesOh God I think I’m fallin’Out of the skyI close my eyesHeaven help me
When you call my name, it’s like a little prayerI’m down on my knees, I wanna take you thereIn the midnight hour, I can feel your powerJust like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there
Like a childYou whisper softly to meYou’re in controlJust like a childNow I’m dancing
It’s like a dreamNo end and no beginningYou’re here with meIt’s like a dreamLet the choir sing
When you call my name, it’s like a little prayerI’m down on my knees, I wanna take you thereIn the midnight hour, I can feel your powerJust like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there
When you call my name, it’s like a little prayerI’m down on my knees, I wanna take you thereIn the midnight hour, I can feel a powerJust like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there
Life is a mysteryEveryone must stand aloneI hear you call my nameAnd it feels like home
Just like a prayer (oh-oh), your voice can take me there (oh-oh)Just like a muse to me (oh-oh), you are a mystery (oh-oh)Just like a dream (oh-oh), you are not what you seemJust like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there
mmm mm(Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there) I’ll take you there(It’s like a dream to me) whoa oh-oh-oh(Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there) I’ll take you there(It’s like a dream to me) oh yeah, oh yeah yeah yeah yeah(Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there) oh yeah yeah yee(It’s like a dream to me) whoa oh-oh
Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there (just like a prayer)Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery (your voice can take me there)Just like a dream, you are not what you seem (just like a prayer)Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there
Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there (just like a prayer)Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery (your voice can take me there)Just like a dream, you are not what you seem (just like a prayer)Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there
your voice can take me there(Your voice can take me there) just like a prayer(Just like a prayer)(Just like a prayer)(Your voice can take me there)(Just like a prayer)(Just like a prayer)(Your voice can take me there)(Just like a prayer)