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)
Like A Prayer 2008
Madonna Lyrics
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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
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
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
Like a child
You whisper softly to me
You're in control just like a child
Now I'm dancing
It's like a dream
No end and no beginning
You're here with me, it's like a dream
Let the choir sing
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
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 a power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there
Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home
Just like a prayer
Your voice can take me there
Just like a muse to me
You are a mystery
Just like a dream
You are not what you seem
Just like a prayer
No choice, your voice can take me there
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there
It's like a dream to me
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there (I'll take you there)
It's like a dream to me (oh)
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there (I'll take you there)
It's like a dream to me (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there (oh)
It's like a dream to me
Just like a prayer
Your voice can take me there
Just like a muse to me
You are a mystery
Just like a dream
You are not what you seem
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 muse to me
You are a mystery
Just like a dream
You are not what you seem
Just like a prayer
No choice, your voice can take me there
Your voice can take me there
Like a prayer
(It's like a prayer)
(It's like a prayer)
(Your voice can take me there)
(It's like a prayer)
(It's like a prayer)
(Your voice can take me there)
(It's like a prayer)
The lyrics to Madonna's "Like a Prayer" are about a powerful, spiritual connection between two people. Madonna describes feeling like she's falling out of the sky and being lifted up by the other person's voice, like a prayer. It's a deeply emotional and personal experience for her, one that she compares to a spiritual awakening. There's also a sense of surrender and vulnerability; Madonna is down on her knees, submitting to the other person's power. At the same time, there's a feeling of freedom and release, as Madonna is able to let go and dance like a child. Ultimately, it's a song about finding love and connection that is bigger than oneself, and experiencing a sense of transcendence through that connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is a mystery
The nature and meaning of life is unclear and unknown
Everyone must stand alone
Each person must face their own challenges and obstacles on their own
I hear you call my name
Someone is calling for the singer's attention
And it feels like home
The artist feels comfortable and at ease with the person calling their name
When you call my name it's like a little prayer
The feeling of the person calling the artist's name is like a religious experience
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
The singer is expressing their desire to be close to the person calling their name
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
The singer feels a strong connection to the person calling their name, even at night
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there
The artist is willing to go wherever the person calling their name wants them to go, as if in a religious pilgrimage
I hear your voice
The person calling the artist's name is speaking to them
It's like an angel sighing
The artist hears the person's voice as heavenly and peaceful
I have no choice, I hear your voice
The singer is compelled to listen to the person speaking to them
Feels like flying
The artist is experiencing great joy and exhilaration from hearing the person's voice
I close my eyes
The singer is focusing all their attention on the person's voice
Oh God, I think I'm falling
The singer is overwhelmed by the experience of hearing the person's voice
Out of the sky, I close my eyes
The singer feels as if they are falling from the sky while listening to the person's voice
Heaven help me
The artist is asking for divine intervention to help them handle their emotions
Like a child
The artist is feeling vulnerable and reliant on the person speaking to them
You whisper softly to me
The person speaking to the singer is doing so in a gentle and comforting way
You're in control just like a child
The person speaking to the singer is taking care of them in a way that a parent might take care of a child
Now I'm dancing
The artist is feeling joyful and free
It's like a dream
The artist feels as if they are in a wonderful, surreal situation
No end and no beginning
The experience the artist is having feels timeless and endless
You're here with me, it's like a dream
The singer feels that the person speaking to them is creating a dreamlike and wonderful experience for them
Let the choir sing
The artist is requesting that others join in the joyful experience they are having with the person speaking to them
Your voice can take me there
The singer is deeply affected by the person speaking to them and their words have a great impact on them
You are a mystery
The singer does not fully understand the person speaking to them
No choice, your voice can take me there
The singer feels powerless to resist the influence of the person speaking to them
(It's like a prayer)
The artist feels as if what they are experiencing is a religious experience
(Your voice can take me there)
The artist believes that the person speaking to them has a powerful and transformative effect on them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, MUSIC.INFO FINLAND OY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Patrick Leonard, Madonna Ciccone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Tan
They are the best audience ever. No artist will ever get tired when you’ve got an audience as enthusiastic as this 😍
soilofk
agree.
ANDREA MARA WEBER
have you ever seen the brazilian audience? there is no better
Fernando Mariano
Argentina is the Best fan!
ML KM
Of course Latina are the best audience for every singer or band!
Kozou a kuma chan
Maior diva da industria musiccal "Madonna"!!🎶⚡💖☝🏻🤘🏼👍🌠🌟💐
bankerguy66
One of her greatest live performances! I saw it live in Houston you felt the energy from her and the audience it was incredible! The Queen!💜💜
Vince F
I think it’s cool how with every tour she remixes the older hits
Meine Namen
And then occasionally performs the original version which then doesn’t sound old
unlikeavirgin
Exactly!!! She is just so damn clever. Love this woman so much!♥️