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)
Why's It So Hard
Madonna Lyrics
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Why's it so hard to love
(Why's it so hard)
Why's it so hard to love one another
Why's it so hard to love
What do I have to do to be accepted
What do I have to say
How do I have to play
What do I have to look like to feel I'm equal
Where do I have to go
What club do I have to join to prove I'm worthy
Who do I have to know
I'm telling you brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) challenge the system
Without living in pain
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) accept that we're different
Well, before (why's so hard) it's too late
What do I have to learn to know what's right for me
What do I have to know
What am I going to do when I feel righteous
Where do I have to go
Who should get to say what I believe in
Who should have the right
What am I going to do with all this anger
Why do I have to fight
I'm telling you brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) challenge the system
Without living in pain
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) accept that we're different
Why's it so damn hard
Bring your love, sing your love
Wear your love, share your love
Bring your love, sing your love
Wear your love, share your love
Bring your love, sing your love
Wear your love, share love
Bring your love, sing your love
Wear your love, show your sister how
(Why's it so damn hard)
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters), what do I have to say
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters), how do I have to play
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters), who should have the right
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters), why do I have to fight
Why's it so hard to love one another
Love your sister, love your brother
Why's it so hard to love one another
Love your sister (why's it so damn hard), love your brother
Why's it so hard to love one another
Why's it so hard to love
(You better believe it, 'lieve it, 'lieve it, 'lieve it
I'm telling you brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) challenge the system
Without living in pain
Brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) accept that we're different
Why's it so damn hard
Before it's too late (sing your love)
Before it's too late (sing your love)
Before it's too late (sing your love) uh uh
Love your brother now
Show your sister how
Love your brother now
Show your sister
Love your brother now
Show your sister how
Love your brother now
Show your sister
The song "Why's it so hard" by Madonna addresses the issue of discrimination and inequality, the challenges faced by different people in society, and the difficulty of accepting and loving one another. Madonna questions the reasons why people have to suffer so much just because they belong to a different race, gender, or culture. She demands to know what she has to do or say to be accepted, respected, and treated fairly. She highlights the existence of the system that creates pain and disparity, and she challenges it. Madonna also talks about the anger and the fight that people have to deal with when faced with discrimination.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the difficulty of loving one another, despite our differences. Madonna urges people to bring their love, show it, and share it. She appeals to brothers and sisters, representing all humans, to challenge and accept the differences before it is too late. The lyrics encourage people to rise above prejudices and embrace unity and acceptance instead.
Overall, the song by Madonna attempts to inspire people to take action and stand against discrimination and inequality in all forms. It speaks to the importance of loving and embracing one another despite our differences, and fighting back against the system that perpetuates pain and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Why's it so hard to love one another
Why do we find it so difficult to accept and love people who are different from us?
Why's it so hard to love
Why is love so challenging and complex?
What do I have to do to be accepted
What are the requirements for me to feel accepted and included?
What do I have to say
What words do I need to vocalize to prove my acceptance?
What do I have to do to be respected
What actions do I need to present to gain respect and admiration?
How do I have to play
What behaviors should I exhibit to earn acceptance?
What do I have to look like to feel I'm equal
What physical attributes do I need to possess to feel equal and valid?
Where do I have to go
Where should I go to find acceptance and inclusion?
What club do I have to join to prove I'm worthy
What groups should I involve myself with to demonstrate my worth?
Who do I have to know
Who are the individuals I need to be associated with to receive acceptance?
I'm telling you brothers (brothers), sisters (sisters)
Addressing the audience as brothers and sisters, indicating that the song speaks to people of all races, ethnicities, and genders.
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) challenge the system
Why is it so difficult to question and challenge the current social system that doesn't include people who are different?
Without living in pain
Without causing physical or emotional harm to ourselves or others.
Why can't we learn to (why's so hard) accept that we're different
Why is it so hard to acknowledge and respect the differences that exist among us?
Well, before (why's so hard) it's too late
Before it's too late to fix the damage done by ignoring and rejecting diversity.
What do I have to learn to know what's right for me
What knowledge or information do I need to have to figure out what feels right and fair to me?
What am I going to do when I feel righteous
How can I channel my feelings of justice and morality to make a positive impact?
Who should get to say what I believe in
Who has the authority to dictate what I believe in and what's important to me?
Who should have the right
Who has the right to determine what's acceptable and valuable in society?
What am I going to do with all this anger
How can I use my anger and frustration constructively to effect change?
Why do I have to fight
Why do I need to engage in conflict to stand up for what I believe in?
Bring your love, sing your love
Bring and express your love to others.
Wear your love, share your love
Show your love through your actions and behavior; share it with those around you.
Love your sister (why's it so damn hard), love your brother
We should love and respect each other regardless of our differences, but for some reason, it's a challenge.
Before it's too late (sing your love)
We should express and act on our love and respect as soon as possible, before it's too late to fix the problems caused by hatred and discrimination.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shep Pettibone, Anthony Shimkin, Madonna Ciccone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Die Another Day
The only good thing about that sucky film is this song