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)
Turn It Up
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sound of war machines
I feel so scared, I just can't stand it
I feel like crying
You can't confer babe
Sometimes it hard to believe
It's for real, you're just the one I need
And when you scream in my ears
I know that you'll come back to me, dear
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
Your voice is getting through my love
Your voice is turning up my love, my love, my love
Your face is in my dreams
The walls are made of steel
I feel so cold, I'm gonna score tonight
I feel like howling
Vibrations in my room
No matter where you are
Tonight I wanna be with you
I wanna hear you
And when you scream in my ears
I know that you'll come, yeah
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
Your voice is getting through my love
Your voice is turning up my love, my love, my love
Your voice, your voice, turn it up
Your voice, your voice, turn it up
There's lots of smoke around
The sound of war machines
I feel so scared, I just can't stand it
I feel like crying
And when you scream in my ears
I know that you'll come back to me, dear
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
Your voice is getting through my love
Your voice is turning up my love
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
Your voice is getting through my love
Your voice is turning up my love
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
Your voice is getting through my love
Your voice is turning up my love
In "Turn It Up," Madonna sings about being separated from the person she loves and feeling scared and alone. She longs to hear their voice, which brings her comfort and reassurance. She describes the world around her as chaotic and dangerous, with the sound of war machines and smoke filling the air. Despite the fear and confusion she experiences, the power of love and communication ultimately triumphs, as she hears her lover's voice through the noise and chaos, turning up the volume of her love and bringing her back to a place of connection and security.
The song captures the ambiguity and intensity of a long-distance relationship, where physical distance and external pressures can strain even the strongest bonds. It also speaks to the power of communication as a lifeline that can bridge emotional and geographic gaps, allowing love to endure even in difficult circumstances. Madonna's strong, emotive vocals and the song's pulsating electronic rhythms create a sense of urgency and longing that is both visceral and heartfelt.
Line by Line Meaning
There's lots of smoke around
The world feels like it's in chaos and there's a lot of confusion.
The sound of war machines
Sounds of war and destruction are always in the background.
I feel so scared, I just can't stand it
The state of the world is causing a lot of anxiety and fear.
I feel like crying
The emotions are overwhelming and sometimes it feels like the only option is to cry.
You can't confer babe
Sometimes it's hard to understand how anyone can be okay with everything that's happening.
Sometimes it's hard to believe
It's difficult to accept the things that are happening in the world.
It's for real, you're just the one I need
Despite everything happening, there's one person who brings comfort and reassurance.
I wanna hear you
Hearing the voice of that one person brings great comfort in the midst of chaos.
And when you scream in my ears
Even if the voice needs to be loud to be heard over the chaos, it's okay.
I know that you'll come back to me, dear
No matter what happens, that person will always be there to provide reassurance and support.
Turn it up, turn it up, I hear your voice, babe
The louder the voice, the more it provides comfort and support in difficult times.
Turn it up, turn it up, I get it so clear
The clarity of the voice is important, even if it needs to be loud to be heard.
Your voice is getting through my love
The voice carries through all the chaos and comes through with clarity.
Your voice is turning up my love, my love, my love
Hearing the voice of that one person turns up the love in the midst of chaos.
Your face is in my dreams
Thinking about that person brings comfort even while sleeping and dreaming.
The walls are made of steel
The world is hardened and difficult to break through, but the voice of that person can penetrate it.
I feel so cold, I'm gonna score tonight
Despite the coldness and the difficulty of the world, there's still hope for connection and warmth.
I feel like howling
The emotions are overwhelming and sometimes it feels like the only option is to howl.
Vibrations in my room
The voice of that person reverberates and fills the space, even when they're not physically there.
No matter where you are
Even if that person is physically far away, their voice can still be heard and felt.
Tonight I wanna be with you
The desire to be close to that person is strong, even if it's just through hearing their voice.
Your voice, your voice, turn it up
The importance of hearing that person's voice cannot be overstated.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: F MERCIER, M DAVIDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diego Del Giudice
I was 9 when I listened this song for the first time...now I am 46 and still this sound is magic !
Wildzippy
He deserved much better - this should have been huge!!
Sebastián Fandiño
Maybe it wasn't huge, but... "Turn It Up" was a promotional release in United States, reaching number 15 on the dance charts. (Wikipedia)
Bryan
It was quite big in Asia I think
Carlos David Oro Diamante
Aunque digan que sus películas fueron malas son mejor que muchas de ahora
xavi 79
adoro ésta canción! es tan petarda!! el sonido Stock, aitken & waterman me vuelve loco en general.
Nicola Zanetti
Love this
Iljung
in my early 20s, I used to listen to this song. now I am 50s.
evi
la mia canzone preferita ....non ci credo di averla trovata ..michael the best
jackpiratul
superb