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)
Iconic
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you try to fuck it up again
Destiny will choose you in the end
If you don't make the choice
And you don't use your voice
Someone else will speak for you instead
What you want is just within your reach
If you use sweat and tears
And overcome your fears
Never let the fire inside you leave
I can, Icon, two letters apart
One step, away, of being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are
Who you are
Yeah
There's another part of you no one sees
There's a burning fire that's underneath
Baby don't you know you were meant to be
Born to be
Meant to be
Iconic
Tell me I'm no good and I'll be great
Say I have to fight and I can't wait
Standing in the wings
A butterfly that stings
I will rise above cause it's my fate
I can, Icon, two letters apart
One step, away, of being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are
Who you are
Yeah
There's another part of you no one sees
There's a burning fire that's underneath
Baby don't you know you were meant to be
Born to be
Meant to be
Iconic
Born to be a superstar
That's exactly what you are
Born to be a superstar
That's exactly what you are
Alright
Firefly chain, wanna catch you
Wanna put you in a net for their light glow
Yellow brick high way, paparazzi pile-up on the high road
They just turned the sun into an idol
They just wanna see how high the sky go
Just to find how it feel to fall bad
Madonna said I remind her of Michael
Steady blowing up my head, blowing up my head
Put it on your wall
Put me in the school book, put me in the laws
Put me in a descant in the Synagogue
Firefly gold, wanna catch ya
Wanna catch you when your lights go dim
Wanna turn you to a letter in their logo
Wanna stick you in a jar with a pen
You're a icon
I can, Icon, two letters apart
One step, away, of being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are
Who you are
Yeah
There's another part of you no one sees
There's a burning fire that's underneath
Baby don't you know you were meant to be
Born to be
Meant to be
Iconic, ironic
The first verse of “Iconic” by Madonna starts with a warning that if you don't take control of your destiny and use your own voice to speak for yourself, someone else will speak for you instead. The lyrics seem to be about embracing your own power and realizing that what you want is within your reach if you’re willing to work hard and overcome your fears. Madonna sings that she is an “Icon” and that everyone else has it within them to become one as well if they believe in themselves and refuse to be held back by other people’s negativity. In the chorus, Madonna encourages listeners to show the world who they really are and to embrace their inner fire and charisma.
The second verse continues with the theme of overcoming obstacles and fighting for your dreams, even when others doubt you. Madonna sings about being a “butterfly that stings,” ready to rise above any challenges that come her way. She declares her destiny as a superstar, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps by being their own “iconic” selves. The final lines of the song reflect on the themes of fame and celebrity, with references to paparazzi and the pressures of being in the public eye.
Line by Line Meaning
If you try to fuck it up again
If you make the same mistake again
Destiny will choose you in the end
You will face the consequences of your actions, no matter your intentions
If you don't make the choice
If you don't take control of your decisions
And you don't use your voice
And you don't speak up for yourself
Someone else will speak for you instead
Others will take control of your life and decisions
What you want is just within your reach
You have the ability to achieve your goals
But you gotta practice what you preach
But you have to follow through with your words and beliefs
If you use sweat and tears
If you work hard and struggle
And overcome your fears
And conquer your fears
Never let the fire inside you leave
Never lose your passion and drive
I can, Icon, two letters apart
I have the potential to be an icon
One step, away, of being lost in the dark
Close to losing myself to confusion and uncertainty
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world your talent and uniqueness
Show the world who you are
Reveal your authentic self
There's another part of you no one sees
You have hidden qualities that others are not aware of
There's a burning fire that's underneath
You have a strong passion and determination within you
Baby don't you know you were meant to be
You have a destined purpose in life
Born to be
Meant to be
Iconic
An icon with great influence and impact
Tell me I'm no good and I'll be great
Criticism fuels my determination to succeed
Say I have to fight and I can't wait
I am ready and eager to face challenges ahead
Standing in the wings
Waiting for my moment to shine
A butterfly that stings
A beautiful yet strong force
I will rise above cause it's my fate
I will overcome obstacles and fulfill my destiny
Firefly chain, wanna catch you
People want to capture and control your light
Wanna put you in a net for their light glow
They want to use you for their own benefit
Yellow brick high way, paparazzi pile-up on the high road
The path to success is filled with obstacles and attention from media
They just turned the sun into an idol
They worship those who have achieved success
They just wanna see how high the sky go
They enjoy watching others achieve great heights
Just to find how it feel to fall bad
They wait for others to fail to feel better about themselves
Madonna said I remind her of Michael
Madonna compared the artist to Michael Jackson
Steady blowing up my head, blowing up my head
Praising the artist excessively
Put it on your wall
Displaying the artist's achievements proudly
Put me in the school book, put me in the laws
Making the artist a part of history and culture
Put me in a descant in the Synagogue
Making the artist a part of religious traditions
Firefly gold, wanna catch ya
People want to capture and control the artist's talent
Wanna catch you when your lights go dim
They want to take advantage of the artist during difficult times
Wanna turn you to a letter in their logo
They want to use the artist for their own branding purposes
Wanna stick you in a jar with a pen
They want to control the artist's creativity and expression
You're a icon
The artist is a significant and influential figure
Iconic, ironic
Being an icon is both powerful and ironic
Lyrics © CTM Outlander Music LC, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOBIAS GAD, DACOURY NATCHE, MAUREEN MCDONALD, CHANCELOR BENNETT, MICHAEL TUCKER, LARRY GRIFFIN, MADONNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arman Villeg
If you try and fail, get up again
Destiny will choose you in the end
If you don't make the choice,
And you don't use your voice
Someone else will speak for you instead
What you want is just within your reach
But you gotta practice what you preach
You paid with sweat and tears to overcome your fears
Never let the fire inside you leave
Tato Carp
[Intro: Mike Tyson]
I'm the best the world has ever seen. (And the best ever!) I'm somebody you'll never forget cause I work hard and sweat in my tears. (Can't be stopped!) I'm never falling again and if I did, I'd come back
(iconic, iconic)
[Verse 1: Madonna]
If you try and fail, get up again
Destiny will choose you in the end
If you don't make the choice, and you don't use your voice
Someone else will speak for you instead
[Verse 2: Madonna]
What you want is just within your reach
But you gotta practice what you preach
You paid with sweat and tears to overcome your fears
Never let the fire inside you leave
[Hook: Madonna]
"I can't", "Icon", two letters apart
One step away from being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are, who you are
Yeah, there's another part of you no one sees
There's another part that's underneath
Baby, don't you know you were
Meant to be, want to be, meant to be
Iconic, iconic, ironic, iconic
[Verse 3: Madonna]
Tell me I'm no good and I'll be great
Say I have to fight and I can't wait
Standing in the wings, a butterfly that stings
I will rise above because it's my fate
[Hook: Madonna]
"I can't", "Icon", two letters apart
One step away from being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are, who you are
Yeah, there's another part of you no one sees
There's another part that's underneath
Baby, don't you know you were
Meant to be, want to be, meant to be
Iconic, iconic, ironic, iconic
[Bridge: Madonna]
Born to be a superstar, that's exactly what you are
Born to be a superstar, that's exactly what you are
[Verse 4: Chance The Rapper]
Alright
Firefly chain, wanna catch you
Wanna put you in a net for their light glow
Yellow brick highway, paparazzi pile-up on the high road
They just turned the sun into an idol
They just wanna see how high the sky go
Just to find how it feel to fall bad
Madonna said I remind her of Michael
Steady blowing up my head, blowing up my head
Put it on your wall
Put me in the school book, put me in the laws
Put me in a descant in the Synagogue
Firefly gold, wanna catch ya
Wanna catch you when your lights go dim
Wanna turn you to a letter in their logo
Wanna stick you in a jar with a pen
You an icon
[Hook: Madonna]
"I can't", "Icon", two letters apart
One step away from being lost in the dark
Just shine your light like a beautiful star
Show the world who you are, who you are
Yeah, there's another part of you no one sees
There's another part that's underneath
Baby, don't you know you were
Meant to be, want to be, meant to be
Iconic, iconic, ironic, iconic,
Iconic, iconic, ironic, iconic
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Joshim
People weren't ready for this album in 2015. So underrated and one of her best.
Richard smith
they was its just most got it 6 months too early lol
Fans Galore, LLC
Honey, we were. Took everything in me to not listen to leaks, and glad I didn’t. Worth the wait.
David Lomax
because most of it sucked
Joshim
@David Lomax it didn’t, it was just very obviously aimed towards a younger generation. The album is great.
xxdelrey
Okay, I'm a Littlemonster but I need to say that this album is awesome, specially this song and more else. Great work Madonna!
Castle Patrick
What do Madonna fans have to do with "little monsters" ? Just enjoy the music
ITZ MAAARK
Same Im A Little Monsta Too But Madonna's Rebel Heart Tho👌
The Autistic Teacher
There's nothing wrong being fan of an artist and appreciate others. Enjoy the music!
Dylan Van den Bergh
@ITZ MAAARK I am both as well :D