Like a Prayer (song)
Like a Prayer is a 1989 song by Madonna, both written and produced by her and Patrick Leonard. It appeared on the album of the same name.
Music video
The music video was directed by Mary Lambert, who also directed the videos for Borderline and Like a Virgin. The film was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California. At the beginning of the clip, Madonna sees a couple of white men harassing and holding down a girl. Madonna flees to a church; she shows stigmata on her hands in a dream, she prays to St. Martin, a black saint (also Leon Robinson), kisses him, and the latter comes to life. In a flashback, it becomes clear that the men stabbed the girl with a knife. One of the perpetrators eyed Madonna menacingly as he did so. A black man brought in to help was mistaken for the perpetrator by the arriving police and arrested. Later, Madonna sings the song along with a gospel choir. To ensure justice, she affirms to the cops that they arrested the wrong one, and they release him from jail after Madonna's testimony. In the end, it turns out that the plot of the video is a play. In the video, she dances on a field of burning crosses. While in the U.S. the burning crosses led to the video's cancellation and boycott, European countries expressed "shock" over the "blasphemous scenes." As a result, major sponsor Pepsi canceled the started commercial featuring Madonna and canceled its involvement as a sponsor of her planned world tour (Madonna was allowed to keep the $5 million fee). Madonna: "At that time my tour sponsor Pepsi Cola caused the most problems. They were scared because of the erotic innuendos. But they paid up, took off and that was it." The video was also aired in Germany on MTV only at night. Single as well as album became, also because of this rather involuntary publicity by the condemnation of parent associations and church representatives, one of their biggest successes.
Cover versions (selection)
- 1992: Bigod 20
- 1992: Marc Almond
- 1998: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- 2000: Gong
- 2001: H2O
- 2002: Mad'House
- 2002: Limelight
- 2002: Rufio
- 2003: Nolwenn Leroy
- 2005: Gigi D'Agostino
- 2010: Glee
- 2011: Ida Sand
