Born and raised in Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). She followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984) and True Blue (1986) as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Madonna has amassed many number-one singles throughout her career, including "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes".
Madonna's popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996). While Evita won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, many of her other films received poor reviews. As a businesswoman, Madonna founded the company Maverick in 1992; it included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Her other ventures include fashion brands, children's books, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006.
With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is certified as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and holds the record for the most number-one singles by a female artist in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. With a revenue of U.S. $1.5 billion from her concert tickets, she remains the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time. Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility. She was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1 in 2012, and as the greatest music video artist of all time by MTV in 2003 and Billboard in 2020. Rolling Stone also listed Madonna among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
Studio albums
Madonna (1983)
Like a Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Ray of Light (1998)
Music (2000)
American Life (2003)
Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)
MDNA (2012)
Rebel Heart (2015)
Madame X (2019)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all that I've done
You won't believe me
All you will see is a girl you once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen, I had to change
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom
Running around, trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me, Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
They are illusions
They are not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me
Don't cry for me, Argentina
Don't cry for me, Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do is look at me to know
That every word is true
The lyrics of Don't Cry for Me Argentina by Madonna describe the singer's complicated relationship with Argentina, the land she loves but left behind. The song is inspired by the character Eva Perón, an iconic Argentine figure, and was originally written for the musical that tells her story, Evita. Madonna plays the role of Eva Perón in the 1996 film adaptation of the musical.
The singer of the song is aware that her behavior and choices haven't been easy to understand or explain. She admits that it might seem strange that she still needs the love and acceptance of the people of Argentina, even after going through a period of wildness and change. The singer begs the people of Argentina to believe that she is still the girl they knew, despite her changing appearance and unconventional behavior. She acknowledges that she had to make a conscious decision to change her life, to seek freedom and new experiences, even though it meant leaving behind the familiar and comfortable. She reflects on how nothing she experienced during her wild days impressed or satisfied her, and how she eventually realized that the answer had been in Argentina all along: the love of the people she left behind.
The chorus of the song, "Don't cry for me Argentina," echoes the singer's plea for understanding and forgiveness from the people of Argentina. She assures them that she never truly left them behind, and that despite her wild days and mad existence, she kept her promise to them. The final line of the song, "But all you have to do is look at me to know/That every word is true," further emphasizes the singer's sincerity and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
It won't be easy, you'll think it strange
I know it's going to be hard for you to understand my side of the story.
When I try to explain how I feel
I still love you and I need you, even after everything that has happened between us.
That I still need your love after all that I've done
I understand that it might be difficult to believe that I still care about you after everything that I have put you through.
You won't believe me
I know you will find it hard to believe me.
All you will see is a girl you once knew
You won't be able to see me as anyone other than the version of myself that you used to know.
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Even though I may seem like I have it all together on the outside.
At sixes and sevens with you
I still feel lost and confused when it comes to our relationship.
I had to let it happen, I had to change
I knew deep down that I needed to make some changes in my life.
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
I couldn't keep going on living a life that was dragging me down.
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
I spent a lot of time feeling trapped and isolated, without anyone to turn to.
So I chose freedom
I decided to take control of my life and do what I needed to do to feel free.
Running around, trying everything new
I started to experiment and try new things, hoping to find some sense of purpose.
But nothing impressed me at all
Despite my efforts to find happiness in new experiences, I felt disillusioned and not fulfilled by anything.
I never expected it to
I didn't have any real expectations for what I would find or experience.
Don't cry for me Argentina
Please don't feel sorry for me or pity me.
The truth is I never left you
I want you to know that, despite everything, I never stopped loving you.
All through my wild days
Even during the craziest times of my life.
My mad existence
When everything seemed out of control and chaotic.
I kept my promise
I promise you that I never gave up on us, even when everything was falling apart.
Don't keep your distance
Don't be afraid to get close to me again, even though we've been apart for so long.
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I was never seeking fame or fortune in my journey to find myself.
I never invited them in
I didn't let the pursuit of wealth or success distract me from my true goals.
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
Even though others may have thought I was after power and money, that was never my true motive.
They are illusions
I've realized that those things are just illusions, and they won't bring me the happiness I seek.
They are not the solutions they promised to be
I know now that fame and fortune are not the answers to my problems or my search for fulfillment.
The answer was here all the time
The answer to my true happiness and everything I need has been with me all along.
I love you and hope you love me
I still love you and I hope you can love me, even after everything that has happened.
Have I said too much?
I hope I haven't revealed too much of my emotions to you at once.
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
I've said all I can and I hope you understand why I did what I did.
But all you have to do is look at me to know
If you just look at me, you'll see that everything I've told you is true.
That every word is true
I truly mean everything I've told you, and I hope you can understand and forgive me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@slip4e083
My dad died 2 years ago. He loved this song so much. Makes me cry hearing Madonna’s amazing voice.
@eric44011
May his soul rest in peace
@SimatupangRio
May his soul rest in peace
@brettallison5753
My condolences on your dad's passing.yes,she was amazing with this song.play it in his honor.i play my mom and dad's songs often.they may bring tears but I look at them knowing they are tears of love.
@wzg7998
All Italian heritage
@gloriarivera108
I am living alone with Pippa kitty in a motel kitchenette. For the past 5 years I have put off doing lots of things to improve my finances and now am on the verge of homelessness. Last Friday I had to have the vet euthanize my other kitty Katie and we are still grieving. I was compelled to listen to Madonna capture the essence of sorrow and it helped me immensely to cry and feel relieved to own my sadness. Bravo! Merry Christmas!
@NotCrazyLimitedEdition
Evita was by far Madonna’s best vocal work. Never before or after did we see her sing like that.
@leah6488
I actually only watched the movie a few days ago, and I feel the same way. I feel like It was one of the best musicals I have ever seen.
@bryanismyname7583
She wanted to prove she could do something different and worked hard at that. Too bad she never found another project to sustain that level of artistry. But it's similar to Diana Ross, in that she did one great movie ("Lady Sings the Blues") and declined in terms of her movie roles after that.
@mulliganstew72
She blew her vocals for this role. Her passion is second to none.