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)
What Can You Lose
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only the blues
Why keep concealing everything you're feeling?
Say it to her, what can you lose?
Maybe it shows
She's had clues, which she chose to ignore
Maybe though she knows
And just wants to go on as before
So she closes the door
Well, if she does
Those are the dues
Once the words are spoken
Something may be broken
Still, you love her
What can you lose?
But what if she goes?
At least now, you have part of her
What if she had to choose?
Leave it alone
Hold it all in
Better a bone
Don't even begin
With so much to win
There's too much to lose
The lyrics of Madonna's "What Can You Lose" describe the internal struggle of someone who is in love with a friend and is unsure whether to confess their feelings or not. The questions posed in the lyrics revolve around what can be gained or lost by revealing one's true emotions. Madonna advises that the risk may be worth it and that the only thing one can lose is the feeling of sadness and melancholy that comes with holding in one's emotions.
The first stanza poses the question, "What can you lose?" The answer is that the only thing to lose is the feeling of loneliness, which can be replaced by the hope of mutual love. The second stanza explores the possibility that the object of one's affection already knows about the feelings but ignores them for the sake of maintaining the friendship. The third and fourth stanzas delve into the potential consequences of confessing the feelings - the risk of losing the friendship altogether. However, Madonna reminds the singer that at least they will have a part of the person if they leave, and that "with so much to win, there's too much to lose."
In summary, Madonna encourages the singer to be brave and honest about their feelings, acknowledging that there is a risk but implying that sadness is a greater risk.
Line by Line Meaning
What can you lose?
What is there to lose?
Only the blues
You may only feel a bit down if things don't go well.
Why keep concealing everything you're feeling?
Why hide your emotions and not be honest with yourself and the person you love?
Say it to her, what can you lose?
Tell her how you feel and see what happens - what's the worst that can happen?
Maybe it shows
It's possible your feelings are already apparent to her.
She's had clues, which she chose to ignore
She may already know how you feel but has decided not to address it.
Maybe though she knows
It's possible she is aware of your feelings.
And just wants to go on as before
Maybe she would prefer to maintain the status quo and the friendship you currently have.
As a friend, nothing more
She only sees you as a friend and nothing else.
So she closes the door
She doesn't want to pursue anything more with you than the current friendship.
Well, if she does
If she decides to end the friendship over your feelings...
Those are the dues
That's the price you pay for being honest and open about your emotions.
Once the words are spoken
Once you express how you feel...
Something may be broken
It's possible that your relationship will be damaged in some way.
Still, you love her
Regardless of the outcome, you still have feelings for her.
What can you lose?
So what do you have to lose by telling her how you feel?
But what if she goes?
What if she decides to end the friendship over your feelings?
At least now, you have part of her
At least you were honest and can move on knowing you expressed your true feelings.
What if she had to choose?
What if she had to decide between the friendship and a romantic relationship?
Leave it alone
Maybe it's best to keep your feelings to yourself and not rock the boat.
Hold it all in
Don't express your feelings and keep them bottled up inside.
Better a bone
It's better to be unhappy but maintain the friendship than risk losing it all.
Don't even begin
Don't even start down the path of expressing your feelings to her.
With so much to win
There is a lot to gain if your feelings are reciprocated.
There's too much to lose
But there is also a lot to lose if things don't go as you hope.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Die Another Day
The only good thing about that sucky film is this song