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)
Promise to Try
Madonna Lyrics
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Laughing away your tears
When she was the one who felt all the pain
Little girl never forget her eyes
Keep them alive inside
I promise to try, it's not the same
Never look behind, life isn't fair
That's what you said, so I try not to care
Little girl don't run away so fast
I think you forgot to kiss, kiss her goodbye
Will she see me cry when I stumble and fall
Does she hear my voice in the night when I call
Wipe away all your tears, it's gonna be all right
I fought to be so strong, I guess you knew
I was afraid you'd go away, too
Little girl you've got to forget the past
And learn to forgive me
I promise to try, but it feels like a lie
Don't let memory play games with your mind
She's a faded smile frozen in time
I'm still hanging on, but I'm doing it wrong
Can't kiss her goodbye, but I promise to try
Madonna's "Promise To Try" is a deep, personal ballad from her album Like a Prayer (1989). The song is reportedly about the singer's late mother, who passed away from breast cancer when Madonna was just six years old. The lyrics reflect on the pain of losing a loved one and the struggle to find closure and move on.
The first verse addresses Madonna's inner child, encouraging her not to forget the face and eyes of her late mother. She promises to try to keep her memory alive, even though it's not the same as having her there in person. The chorus includes the uplifting metaphors "keep your head held high, ride like the wind" and "never look behind," which urge the listener to stay strong and move forward.
The second verse shows the singer struggling with her grief and the fear of losing others close to her. She reflects on the importance of saying goodbye and properly dealing with emotions. The bridge reveals Madonna's pain and fears, as she admits to holding on too tightly to the past and not properly letting go. However, the song ends on a hopeful note as she promises to keep trying to move forward and find peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl don't you forget her face
Remember the face of the girl who gave birth to you
Laughing away your tears
Trying to make you feel better by making you laugh even though she was in pain
When she was the one who felt all the pain
Her mother went through a lot of pain and troubles during her birth
Little girl never forget her eyes
Remember the eyes of your mother
Keep them alive inside
Remember the impact that her life had on you
I promise to try, it's not the same
She promises to try her best to keep her mother's memory alive but it won't be the same without her
Keep your head held high, ride like the wind
Stay strong and keep moving forward
Never look behind, life isn't fair
Don't dwell on the past, life is not always fair
That's what you said, so I try not to care
This is what her mother said to her and she's trying not to let it bother her
Little girl don't run away so fast
Don't rush through life too fast
I think you forgot to kiss, kiss her goodbye
You may have forgotten to say goodbye to your mother
Will she see me cry when I stumble and fall
Will her mother see her struggle and cry?
Does she hear my voice in the night when I call
Does her mother hear her when she calls out to her?
Wipe away all your tears, it's gonna be all right
Everything will be okay, don't cry
I fought to be so strong, I guess you knew
She tried to stay strong for her mother when she was alive
I was afraid you'd go away, too
She was afraid of losing her mother
Little girl you've got to forget the past
Don't dwell on the past
And learn to forgive me
Forgive for any mistakes or shortcomings
I promise to try, but it feels like a lie
She promises to try but it's hard to keep going
Don't let memory play games with your mind
Don't let memories affect you negatively
She's a faded smile frozen in time
Her mother's smile is a distant memory
I'm still hanging on, but I'm doing it wrong
She's trying to hold onto her mother's memory but it's difficult
Can't kiss her goodbye, but I promise to try
She didn't get to say goodbye to her mother but she will try to keep her memory alive
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Madonna Ciccone, Patrick Leonard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Die Another Day
The only good thing about that sucky film is this song