⋆ ♫｡ Song of the Week ˚♬ οΎ⋆
As the first track of the self titled album, Like A Prayer, opens up with the sound of chapel doors closing behind us, we are introduced to the space between ourselves and our desire. Madonna masters the art of blasphemy, for using widely-used worshipful terms and practices and attaching them to the unashamed passion for one, which may or may not be God.
" Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home "
" When you call my name
It's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees
I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour
I can feel your power
Just like a prayer
You know I'll take you there "
We are early on painted a picture of openly expressed idolatry, this individual who calls our name, be it God or otherwise, brings forth a sense of comfort and belonging within us. As well as the double entendre of this "prayer," this individual brings us into a prayer's kneel, but is it to pray or perform some other suggestive act? It just might be the latter, going by the surrounding lines. Words of assurance, of promise, that we will bring this individual to a peak of pleasure. There is no doubt here that it will be achieved. It's worth noting as well that this "midnight hour" is often a time between two loved ones, but also a time of desperate need, driving one to kneel in prayer for God.
" I hear your voice
It's like an angel sighing
I have no choice
I hear your voice
Feels like flying
I close my eyes
Oh God, I think I'm falling
Out of the sky
I close my eyes
Heaven, help me "
Our second verse only adds on to our painting of being in our lover's arms, a sigh of pleasure, a force drawing one to another, the familiar feeling of "falling" at one's pleasure heightening. And yet at the same time, this "falling" could allude to the belief that man had fallen after original sin, sin which includes lust.
" Like a child
You whisper softly to me
You're in control
Just like a child "
Throughout Like A Prayer, our singer seems to put this lover and God on somewhat of the same pedestal. Only their voice can reach us, only they hold such a great power of us that we could never bare to resist. "In Christianity, God believes that children are pure, innocent and that God favors them. This could be Madonna’s way of interpreting that God is “like a child”..."
" Just like a muse to me
You are a mystery
Just like a dream
You are not what you seem "
A muse is an individual of inspiration that most artists will have in their lives, driving them to create new art of whichever form they are inclined to. Often times, this is a lover to the artist, sometimes it is not. In which case, there is always an air of mystery to this muse. A lack of fully knowing a person leaves much to one's imagination, not just for artists. This is exhibited in the act of having a crush on a person, and the common phenomenon of learning more about the person causing those emotions to slowly fade away. To some, the lack of knowing is far more alluring, allowing our minds to dream and fill in the gaps with some idealized version of the focus of our fantasies.
The subject of major controversies upon release, and even to today depending on who you ask, Madonna in Like A Prayer is known for her brave portrayal of race and sexuality, using the imagery of Christian symbols to tell a story of love, passion, and worship.
I have had this song on repeat for probably two weeks already, I felt it deserves it's weekly highlight as a Song of the Week. I'm a big daydreamer when it comes to music, I love making my own little music videos in my head. And it's so easy and fun to do when I have my own original character I've had on my mind for 3 years already! Cringey, I know, I've got a little fan oc for the band Ghost, Starlight is my pride and joy. And Like A Prayer is one of the perfect songs to associate my character with in my head. Like, what other character is more suited for Like A Prayer but Starlight, a demon summoned by a satanic pope who also became her lover but was tragically killed before he could finally ask for her hand in marriage? No other character!! And no other song!!!
I've really got to get around to listening to more Madonna, this song alone is reason enough. I'm not religious in any sense of the word, but I'm chill with religious people if they're regular nice people. I'm a sucker for religious imagery, in movies, shows, music. And if you played anything around me that uses religious imagery hand-in-hand with sexuality, and I say I hate it, well then you know that's not me!!!
American Mary (2012)
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