Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan… Read Full Bio ↴Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in popular culture and has often been referred to as the "Queen of Pop". Madonna is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. She is also known for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim.

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)

Something to Remember
Madonna Lyrics

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Seems I've played the game for much too long
I let people buy my love and I
Never got to sing my songs for you

I had all my bets laid all on you
Set your stakes too high, you're bound to lose
In the game of love you pay your dues

Say that happiness cannot be measured
And a little pain can bring you all life's little pleasures
What a joke

I was not your woman, I was not your friend
But you gave me something to remember
No other man said love yourself
Nobody else can
We weren't meant to be
At least not in this lifetime
But you gave me something to remember
I hear you still say, love yourself

I had all my bets laid all on you
Set your stakes too high, you're bound to lose
In the game of love I've paid my dues

Guess I'm waiting for my place in your sun
Wish I had the chance to know you and it wasn't stormy weather
What a shame, who's to blame?

I was not your woman, I was not your friend
But you gave me something to remember
No other man said love yourself
Nobody else can
We weren't meant to be
At least not in this lifetime

But you gave me something to remember
I hear you still say, love yourself

Overall Meaning

In this song, Madonna reflects on a relationship that didn't work out as she had hoped. She realizes that she had been playing the game of love for too long and had let people buy her love without ever really singing her own songs for her lover. She had put all her hopes and dreams on this one person and set her stakes too high, only to find that in the game of love, one always pays the dues. The person she was with never loved her the way she deserved, but he did give her something to remember. He taught her to love herself and that nothing could replace self-love.

Madonna realizes that the little pleasures in life often come with a little pain, and happiness cannot always be measured. She was not the person's woman or friend, but he gave her something that nobody else had - the importance of self-love. She reflects on how they weren't meant to be in this lifetime but is grateful for the lesson he taught her. Madonna expresses regret for not having the chance to know him better, but the stormy weather of their relationship made it impossible. She blames no one but wishes she had her place in his sun.

Line by Line Meaning

Seems I've played the game for much too long
It feels like I've been in the love game for a really long time

I let people buy my love and I Never got to sing my songs for you
I used to let people woo me with money and gifts, but I never got the opportunity to be myself around you

I had all my bets laid all on you Set your stakes too high, you're bound to lose In the game of love you pay your dues
I was all in on this relationship, but you expected too much from me and in the end, lost it all. That's just how love works sometimes

Say that happiness cannot be measured And a little pain can bring you all life's little pleasures What a joke
They say that happiness can't be bought and sometimes pain can lead to happiness, but honestly, that's just a silly notion

I was not your woman, I was not your friend But you gave me something to remember No other man said love yourself Nobody else can We weren't meant to be At least not in this lifetime But you gave me something to remember I hear you still say, love yourself
Though we never really had a strong romantic relationship, you taught me to value myself more than anyone else can. Even though we didn't work out, I'll always remember that

Guess I'm waiting for my place in your sun Wish I had the chance to know you and it wasn't stormy weather What a shame, who's to blame?
I feel like I'm waiting for a chance to be with you in your happiest moments. It's sad that we never really had a chance to get to know each other when things weren't so difficult. It's hard to say who is really at fault for that

In the game of love I've paid my dues
I've definitely been through some rough patches in love, but I'm still standing and ready for whatever comes next

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PATRICK LEONARD, MADONNA CICCONE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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