“Like a Virgin” Musical “Road Map” Blocks Of1980sdancemusic
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ga409c09.qxd 1/8/2007 8:49 AM Page 341 “Like a Virgin” Artist: Madonna From her disco beginnings to her most recent work, Madonna’s music has always been all about dance. Her intense personal style and charisma, ultra-sexual image, pioneering fashion sense, con- Music / Lyrics by Billy troversial use of religious iconography, and chameleon-like changes in personae are all part Steinberg and Tom Kelly of her unique mystique. Musically, however, this Italian-American’s roots are in African American mu- sical genres. The beat is straight out of disco, and the song structures are straight out of soul, Label: Sire, from the LP and even Motown, punctuated with the melismatic “wooo-hooos” of a gospel singer. Like a Virgin (1984) “Like a Virgin” was Madonna’s first number one single (and remained at number one on the Billboard charts for six weeks in 1984). The “Like a Virgin” video was also extremely successful, despite controversy about its sexual content, and it helped catapult her to worldwide fame. One of the most suc- cessful artists of the last three decades, Madonna has sold over 300 million records internationally. Musical Style Notes The introduction to “Like a Virgin,” with its compelling bass-synth pattern, establishes its dance beat immediately. The prevailing sonic tex- ture of disco is also evident in the instrumentation, heavy on synth and keyboards. The verses of “Like a Virgin” have a two-part structure. We hear 8 bars (measures) of music and lyrics, followed by another 8 bars that feature the same music but with different lyrics, continuing into a chorus, which is also 8 bars long. This musical structure, while found frequently in disco, is also found in a lot of Motown songs, and, in fact, the structure, harmony, and rhythm of “Like a Virgin” are reminiscent of a number of Motown hits (listen again to the beginning introduction, and compare it with the beginning of the Four Tops’ 1965 hit “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch”). “Like a Virgin” is a particularly good illustration of the way in which elements of different African American genres—R&B, soul, Motown, and, later, disco—combined to create the building blocks of 1980s dance music. The players on “Like a Virgin” are bassist Bernard Edwards, guitarist Nile Rodgers, drummer Tony Thompson, synth/keyboardist Rob Sabino, and singer Madonna Louise Ciccone. Listening Guide 27 Guide Listening Musical “Road Map” TIMINGS COMMENTS LYRICS 0:00–0:07 Synthesized bass and keyboard introduction 0:07–0:43 Verse 1 I made it through the wilderness . Somehow I made it through . 0:43–1:00 Chorus Like a virgin . touched for the very first time 1:00–1:35 Verse 2 Gonna give you all my love, boy My fear is fadin’ fast . 1:35–1:52 Chorus Like a virgin . hey! touched for the very first time . 1:52–2:08 Instrumental bridge, layered over with melismatic vocal part on the syllables “wo-ho” 2:08–2:28 Verse 3 (half as long as previous verses) You’re so fine, and you’re mine I’ll be yours ’til the end of time . 2:28–2:44 Chorus Like a virgin . hey! touched for the very first time . 2:44–3:00 The instrumental musical material of the chorus continues, with vocal Like a virgin . improvisations, using the words of the chorus oooo hooo, like a virgin . 3:00–3:35 Further vocal improvisations over music of the chorus, now using vocal oh-ho . syllables as well as slightly changed lyrics Can’t you hear my heart beat for the very first time . (Track fades to ending.).