Papa Don't Preach

Papa Don’t Preach

Madonna

Papa I know youre going to be upset
cause I was always your little girl
But you should know by now
Im not a baby

You always taught me right from wrong
I need your help, daddy please be strong
I may be young at heart
But I know what Im saying

The one you warned me all about
The one you said I could do without
Were in an awful mess, and I dont mean maybe - please

Chorus:

Papa dont preach, Im in trouble deep
Papa dont preach, Ive been losing sleep
But I made up my mind, Im keeping my baby, oh
Im gonna keep my baby, mmm...

He says that hes going to marry me
We can raise a little family
Maybe well be all right
Its a sacrifice

But my friends keep telling me to give it up
Saying Im too young, I ought to live it up
What I need right now is some good advice, please

(chorus)

Daddy, daddy if you could only see
Just how good hes been treating me
Youd give us your blessing right now
cause we are in love, we are in love, so please

(chorus)

Papa dont preach, Im in trouble deep
Papa dont preach, Ive been losing sleep
(repeat)

Oh, Im gonna keep my baby, ooh
Dont you stop loving me daddy
I know, Im keeping my baby

At the peak of her career in the late 1980s, Madonna brought quite a stir in the music industry with a BANG, topping the U.S. Album charts with hit after hit. After the huge success of “Like a Virgin,” her exceptional songs exploring religious and sexual themes were relentless. “Papa Don’t Preach”, for one, became another top international hit but caused a big hullabaloo for its taboo subject. Released in 1986 by Sire Records, it portrays a pregnant teenager, who decides to keep and raise her child.

The popularity of the artist and the song itself might have negative or positive repercussions on the viewers depending on how it is looked at. Being a pop icon, Madonna has tended to influence, if not, dictate her followers’ set of actions and beliefs. As it seemed to tolerate or even exalt teenage pregnancy, fans would think it is no longer deplorable to get pregnant even at a very young age or without getting hitched. No wonder it was attacked with belligerent criticisms by women’s orgs and associations, parents and, needless to say, conservative religious groups. Even the Vatican condemned her, with Pope John Paul II himself urging Italian fans not to attend her concerts. On the contrary, it’s interesting to note that the song has somehow a positive characteristic in that it illustrates the inevitable real-life experience of young girls who fall in love. Not only is it relevant for its depiction of a timely social issue, but it is also quite laudable for its anti-abortion message. Madonna has chosen to keep her unborn child rather than terminating it, as the lines “But I made up my mind…I’m keeping my baby” suggest.

Madonna is conceivably the best example of a typical or, perhaps, stereotyped Westerner. She has everything what it takes to become a pop icon – her liberal views, her avant-garde and quirky style, and of course, her innate charm and appeal. Since I was too young then to learn how she ruled the world’s hit charts by her songs like this one, I had to ask a couple of queries to my elder sister, who happens to be a diehard Madonna devotee herself. Ate recounted how sensational the “Madonna fever” was back then. From her fashion style to her dance and music, Madonna was no question the center of enticement… and thus a subject of impersonation (I could imagine the hilarious pseudo mole worn by the impersonators). Her look and manner of dress and performances greatly influenced young girls and women. I bet her outfit in the video became a female fashion trend in the 1980s, didn’t it?

In the music video found in youtube, comments about a split-second “nipple slip” are conspicuously of a great number. Curious, I checked it out and found out that at 1:12, while Madonna was dancing, her left nipple actually slips out from her top a split second before the scene cuts away. Well, all I can say is “Oh, that’s something (LOL).” Of course, not to be taken for granted is the dancing itself. I’ve seen Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce Knowles doing tempting dance moves, but this one is especially out of the ordinary. You could really feel the adrenalin kicking with Madonna’s pulsating and seductive steps!

Truly, I hadn’t really been a self-proclaimed fanatic of Madonna. Her hits in the late 90s like Ray of Light, Frozen, and Music as well as her recent Four Minutes, which features Justin Timberlake, weren’t really hits for me. It was only when I chanced to view this video that all of a sudden, I became an instant Madonna aficionado. Does it have something to do with age? I don’t know.

Nevertheless, there is no surprise Guinness Book of World Records lists her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time and the top-earning female singer in the world. After all, the facts, records, and statistics say it all.