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)
Love Tried to Welcome Me
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These are my eyes, but they cannot see
These are my arms, but they don't know tenderness
And I must confess that I am usually drawn to sadness
And loneliness has never been a stranger to me, but
Love tried to welcome me
But my soul drew back
Love tried to take me in
These are my lips, but they whisper sorrow
This is my voice, but it's telling lies
I know how to laugh, but I don't know happiness
And I must confess, instead of spring, it's always winter
And my heart has always been a lonely hunter, but still
Love tried to welcome me
But my soul drew back
I was covered with dust and sin
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to break me
And I must confess, instead of spring, it's always winter
And my heart has always been a lonely hunter, but still
Love tried to welcome me
But my soul drew back
I was guilty of lust and sin
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to welcome me
But my soul drew back
Covered with dust and sin
Love tried to take me in
(Love tried to break me)
But my soul drew back
Guilty of lust and sin
(I was covered with dust, covered with sorrow)
Love tried to take me in
Still, love tried to welcome me
But my soul drew back
(Guilty of lust and sin) Covered with dust and sin
Love tried to take me in
(Love tried to break me) Love tried to welcome me
(Love tried to welcome me)
The lyrics to Madonna’s song Love Tried to Welcome Me describe a person who struggles to accept love due to their past experiences and a sense of guilt. The opening lines of the song suggest that the person feels powerless and unfulfilled despite possessing physical attributes. They admit to being drawn to sadness and loneliness, suggesting that they may have experienced a lot of pain in their life, making it difficult for them to receive love. The chorus describes how love tried to “welcome” them, but their soul “drew back” because they feel guilty about their past mistakes.
The second verse further emphasizes the person’s struggles with happiness and truthfulness, suggesting that the singer may be dealing with issues of self-esteem and identity. The line “I know how to laugh, but I don’t know happiness,” highlights this idea. The singer refers to their heart as “always” being a “lonely hunter,” suggesting that their struggles with accepting love may not be a recent development. The repetition of the phrase “love tried to take me in” throughout the song suggests that the person feels a sense of loss or regret for not being able to open themselves up to love.
The chorus ends with the line “love tried to break me,” implying that the person may view love and vulnerability as threatening or dangerous. However, the fact that they consider themselves “guilty of lust and sin” suggests that they may also associate love with pleasure and temptation, making it an even more complicated experience for them.
Overall, Love Tried to Welcome Me portrays a person who struggles to accept love due to their past experiences and feelings of guilt. While the song is not explicitly autobiographical, it does reflect on Madonna's own experiences with love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
These are my hands, but what can they give me?
I feel like I have nothing to offer and I am empty inside.
These are my eyes, but they cannot see
I am blind to the good things in my life and focus only on the bad.
These are my arms, but they don't know tenderness
I don't know how to show or receive love and care.
And I must confess that I am usually drawn to sadness
I am used to feeling sad and it's difficult to break that pattern.
And loneliness has never been a stranger to me, but
I am accustomed to being alone and it's become my default state.
Love tried to welcome me
Love tried to come into my life and change things.
But my soul drew back
But I was afraid and resisted it.
Guilty of lust and sin
I feel like I've made mistakes in the past that make me unworthy of love.
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to come into my life and make things better.
These are my lips, but they whisper sorrow
I often feel sad and express it through my words.
This is my voice, but it's telling lies
I am not honest with myself or others and don't share my true feelings.
I know how to laugh, but I don't know happiness
I can pretend to be happy but deep down I don't truly feel it.
And I must confess, instead of spring, it's always winter
I feel like everything in my life is cold and dark, and I never experience warmth and happiness.
And my heart has always been a lonely hunter, but still
I've always felt alone, but even so...
Love tried to welcome me
Love tried to come into my life and change things.
But my soul drew back
But I was afraid and resisted it.
I was covered with dust and sin
I felt dirty and sinful, and that prevented me from being open to love.
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to come into my life and make things better.
(Love tried to break me)
Love did everything it could to get through to me.
But my soul drew back
But I was afraid and resisted it.
Guilty of lust and sin
I feel like I've made mistakes in the past that make me unworthy of love.
(I was covered with dust, covered with sorrow)
I felt like I was weighed down by sadness and hopelessness.
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to come into my life and make things better.
Still, love tried to welcome me
Even though I was unwilling, love still made an effort to reach me.
But my soul drew back
But I was afraid and resisted it.
(Guilty of lust and sin) Covered with dust and sin
I feel like I've made mistakes in the past that make me unworthy of love and they're weighing heavily on me.
Love tried to take me in
Love tried to come into my life and make things better.
(Love tried to break me) Love tried to welcome me
Love tried its best to come into my life and change things.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE HALL, . MADONNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shane Fawcett
Love the song, love Madonna. Interesting to note that her writing is heavily is influenced by 17th Century metaphysical poem from 1633 by George Herbert titled Love (from The Temple Collection of Poems).
Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked any thing.
A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.
I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve.
You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.
Mariah h
Unpopular opinion: Bedtime Stories is one of her Best Album
Miguel SQC
It is
DreamBrush
I truly think the 90s were her best decade, both musically and lyrically
Nicholas Powell
Totally agree, in think its her best.
Joy Mayo
I’ve been saying this❤️
Petalsinthesnow
Without a doubt!
Matthew Baxter
Who still loves this track in 2019-surely not just me?!
David Anthony Mycheals
One of my faves!Such a beautiful ballad!👏🏻🙌🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christoph Molz
Still 2022
S J
The song is deep. Pure honesty. Love it!