The final few seconds of Love Don't Live Here Anymore are just so, so, so, so perfect. The whole song is, really. Proper goosebumps moment when she did it live, I genuinely never thought I'd hear her do it.

Yeah 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' is a total MOMENT and considering I didn't give it a 10 I was probably too harsh in my rating for it :( (please say I gave it at least a 9?). A stunner of a song in studio form and live <3 A song about complete loss and emptiness :snif:

05 // Live to Tell // 90 pts.
~ I have a tale to tell ~



Highest Points: 10 (vibe, liamk97, Qween), 9 (Regina, Acidburn, Joe., HausofTroye)
Lowest Points: 8 (Aaliyah4Eva, Ivica, mr_pmt)

Madonna's first major reinvention came in the shape of 'Live to Tell'. Gone was the messy hair and bangles as she adopted a more polished look to suit her maturer sound in music: 'Live to Tell' deals with the impact of hidden emotional scars and the hope that one day these issues can be revealed and confronted. Despite apparently being written from a male's perspective (writer Patrick Leonard had Michael Jackson in mind), the lyrics, whilst obviously dripping in experience and meaning, remain ambiguous enough for anyone to put their own feelings and emotions towards the song - a talent mastered by Madonna and her writing team but possibly best presented in this performance. Madonna's deeper vocals display so much hurt and pain that enhances the lyrics so much more than most other singers could achieve, culminating, particularly well in live performances, with the middle 8.

Yeah 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' is a total MOMENT and considering I didn't give it a 10 I was probably too harsh in my rating for it :( (please say I gave it at least a 9?). A stunner of a song in studio form and live <3 A song about complete loss and emptiness :snif:

You did - in your defence you lowered the scores by 1 point to showcase your love for 'Rain', which is kind of what I did for my 10s too! This album just has too many highlights! <3

You did - in your defence you lowered the scores by 1 point to showcase your love for 'Rain', which is kind of what I did for my 10s too! This album just has too many highlights! <3

Oh right phew! Yeah I remember doing that, and I stand by it. 'Rain' is too good and above everything else on the album for me by some way so it was only fair to reflect that in my votes.

Love Don't Live Here Anymore shoulda won -_-

'Live to Tell' is an incredible song in so many ways. It's made to be sung by legends because only the very best can do a song like this justice, so it's only fitting that it was initially intended for MJ but Madonna took it instead. It oozes pain and hurt effortlessly like you say. Such a beautiful moment. :heart: :heart:

Live to tell was never intended for michael Jackson . You have got this confused with La Isla Bonita.

 

Another interestingness fact about it is that the demo version was used because of how raw and emotional the vocals were.

Well I read Leonard was working on the Bad album at the time so it's a reasonable assumption to suggest it was MJ he envisioned singing it until Madonna got their first. Of course you can't believe everything on the internet but all in all it doesn't matter too much. :P

 

Yeah, I heard about the demo being used and I'm not surprised: the emotion displayed is certainly something that feels very spontaneous and I wouldn't be surprised if several other Madonna ballads used the demo vocals or at least very few takes were needed.

U have the info right just the wrong song it was la Isla Bonita that was offered for the bad album.

04 // Oh Father // 91 pts.
~ Somebody hurt you too ~



Highest Points: 10 (Regina, vibe, liamk97, Qween, Acidburn, HausofTroye), 9 (Joe.)
Lowest Points: 7 (Ivica, mr_pmt), 8 (Aaliyah4Eva)

Upon my first ever listen of 'Oh Father' after sitting down to go through Madonna's videos in chronological order, it instantly shot to the top of my affections and remains high on my imaginary and ever-changing all-time Madonna song list. This song takes us back to Madonna's childhood as shown by the dainty violins in the intro that signify all things peaceful, until things turn to a more serious note as the grand piano and synths kick in. The unresolved feelings spurred by her mother's unexplained (to her) death led to a fractured relationship with her father and these thoughts are shared, explored and attempted to be finally dealt with in the lyrics. Of course, it's now well established that Madonna's ballads remain open to interpretation - as she insisted herself in regards to this song - and many personal experiences give this song an even crueller and upsetting ambience. The vocals too show Madonna taking on her signature style; so effortlessly effective that the emotions triggered can become near overwhelming. Forget burning crosses and emulating masturbation on stage, this is easily one of Madonna's most shocking moments, but for reasons of sheer humanity, not sensationalism.

Oh Father is just too good. Madonna always gets flack for her voice BUT i'd like to see Mariah try singing this.

'Oh Father' is INCREDIBLE. She has more emotional songs maybe, but I don't think any of her songs can make me cry as easily as this can. It's tender, heartfelt and quite brutal at times. A stunning song in so many ways, I'm shocked it's missed the top 3 :( goosebumps pretty much EVERY time.

This should be top 2 !!

 

One of my fav songs ever

"Oh Father", is such a beautiful and well crafted song and was glad that it finally got a rightful release here in the UK, okay it may not have sold very well, but I would still consider it a highlight in her discography. The song was a definite standout on "Like A Prayer", along with many other tracks. "Promise To Try" is another standout from that album and again another soaring ballad, that really makes you think.

"Oh Father", is such a beautiful and well crafted song and was glad that it finally got a rightful release here in the UK, okay it may not have sold very well, but I would still consider it a highlight in her discography. The song was a definite standout on "Like A Prayer", along with many other tracks. "Promise To Try" is another standout from that album and again another soaring ballad, that really makes you think.

It's a definite highlight on the album! Also agree about 'Promise to Try' - stunning ballads <3 They make up my top 3 on the album along with the title track!

Great to see universal love for 'Oh Father' here! :wub: I long for the day it's covered on X Factor or something and gets a huge surge 'Fast Car' style. I can dream.

^ it has to happen! A really underrated gem in her back catalogue and very overlooked because of the much bigger singles from that album :(

Did you lot know that P!nk sang oh father when auditioning for LA Reid ?

I can imagine ger singing it really well tbf.

03 // Rain // 91.5 pts.
~ Wash away my sorrow / Take away my pain ~



Highest Points: 11 (HausofTroye), 10 (Regina, Acidburn, mr_pmt)
Lowest Points: 8 (liamk97, Aaliyah4Eva, Joe.), 8.5 (Ivica)

Bronze place goes to Haus' well-established favourite 'Rain'. It's perhaps the most surprising moment on the album as it moves away from the blatant themes of passionate love and fantasies (if you ignore that proposed extended metaphor) that are key to the majority of the songs on the album and presents a purified, softer Madonna. The rain imagery is a metaphor of starting a clean slate, washing away the sorrows of the past and learning to love again; similar to 'Justify My Love', it teaches to open up to your lover, share one another's feelings and looking to each other for support and guidance. The song allows us to focus on the beauty and belief in Madonna's words, enhanced by the graceful harmonies and soothing melody, only once interrupted by the explosion of production representing a thunder clap just before the middle 8 where Madonna goes on to announce the sun is here; a sign that everything is now fixed.