Like a Prayer Controversy (Again) LOL

[ellipses84]

@ mentioned

With Madonna’s song Like a Prayer in the Deadpool movie with Wolverine, a video of what appears to be a church singing it has gone viral. The original video has been confirmed to not be a choir in a church, it’s more of a German holiday sing-a-long. However, there are several real videos of actual churches and choirs singing the song that have surfaced on social media!

I think we are all old enough to remember this song coming out and the Pope/ Vatican’s negative reaction to the video and Pepsi commercial. If you went to Catholic school you probably weren’t allowed to sing it there. Madonna didn’t admit to it being about BJs as far as I know but I don’t think most artists at that time would admit to double meanings in their lyrics for fear of being censored. How did you all interpret it? I don’t think I would consider any Madonna song an appropriate church song. I think these people just did a Spotify search for songs with the word “prayer” and thought Madonna was a religious singer 😆

www.distractify.com/p/church-sings-like-a-prayer-madonna

This goes back to the media literacy and critical thinking discussion. Some of the people in the real church videos look old enough to know the song.

[jlt19]

Do these churches think shes singing to God? Even before I heard the bj thing, I would never have thought she was singing about anyone other than a significant other. This is really weird to me, lol.

[Jalapeñomel]

I’ve never heard it being about BJs.

But I’ve also never really thought about what the song means, but I loved how controversial Madonna was, and any fuck you to the church was ok by me.

[eb777888]

This is my favorite Madonna song and while I've heard the BJ thing, I never understood why. Because she's on her knees? Seems flimsy. I assumed it was about a romantic relationship, comparing it to a religious experience.

[tacokick]

Nov 20, 2024 20:10:23 GMT -5 eb777888 said:

This is my favorite Madonna song and while I've heard the BJ thing, I never understood why people thought this. Because she's on her knees? Seems flimsy. I assumed it was about a romantic relationship, comparing it to a religious experience.

I think it’s this:

When you call my name, it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there

[eb777888]

Nov 20, 2024 20:11:31 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Nov 20, 2024 20:10:23 GMT -5 eb777888 said:

This is my favorite Madonna song and while I've heard the BJ thing, I never understood why people thought this. Because she's on her knees? Seems flimsy. I assumed it was about a romantic relationship, comparing it to a religious experience.

I think it’s this:

When you call my name, it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there

I get that... still doesn't read BJ to me, lol. Idk. 

[sakoro]

Well, if the church singers had googled the video, they would have noticed Madonna making out with the black saint. To be fair, there was a gospel choir in the original version, so 🤷‍♀️

[StrawberryBlondie]

IDC what it's actually about, that song's a banger.

[mcsangel2]

I always thought this was one of the very best videos of the 80s.

[sugarbear1]

Nov 20, 2024 20:47:13 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

I always thought this was one of the very best videos of the 80s.

I'm more of a Papa Don't Preach fan myself, but honestly these two are the best by far.

[beerlover]

Nov 20, 2024 20:30:10 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

IDC what it's actually about, that song's a banger.

Freaking love hearing this song at a wedding reception or something and just belting it out on the dance floor.

And yea I've always thought it was about BJ's though.

[livinitup]

Yes, I heard about the whole thing, including the choirs now singing it in church like it’s not a blasphemous and banned Madonna song from the ‘80s AND I AM SO HERE FOR IT !!

Apparently, there has been some doubling-down that it IS a church song (all along) and Madonna is the wrong-party who stole it. Shame on her!

Which, of course. Let’s just bend reality. Sure. Look at who we elected. This tracks.

My teenager heart never, ever, ever thought I’d see the day! Screw you Tipper Gore and no offense to PJP 2 but man it’s wild to see !

[pixy0stix]

While they were working on the song the producer approached her about the double entendre and asked if they should rework the lyrics. Madonna refused. Fellatio is, was, and forever will be deliberately implied. Lol!

I fucking love early Madonna.

[aurora]

And now I'm sitting here in wonder again at how brains work. I have forgotten parts of yesterday but can still sing most of this song, which I haven't heard in ages.

[thejen626]

Miley Cyrus has an excellent live cover of this song. Apparently the album art from her live album is her bare ass in black nylons… but I like the song so much, I just deal with seeking Miley’s bare ass on the giant screen in my car lol 😇

[sent]

I was deep in Catholic school when this song came out so I didn’t know it existed until 10 years later when I got to a Jesuit college. I have an early memory of my mom trying to sing the lyrics to “Material Girl” while driving me to Kindergarten. I love all of her music from that era. We were recently telling a youth that she even had a version of American Pie from 2000 and this person looked at us like we were surely out of our minds.

I’m not surprised churches are twisting the origins of the song. Sounds on brand for churches and unfortunately for current America. Madonna should make a new song about that.

[nospaekae]

Um, I never thought this song wasn't about BJs? It's always been about BJs, yes? If it wasn't, then why was it considered so controversial?

LOL, at this being sung in a church.

I also LOL at Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah being sung in church. Christian church song that is not.

[formerlyak]

Nov 21, 2024 8:46:52 GMT -5 nospaekae said:

Um, I never thought this song wasn't about BJs? It's always been about BJs, yes? If it wasn't, then why was it considered so controversial?

LOL, at this being sung in a church.

I also LOL at Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah being sung in church. Christian church song that is not.

The Madonna video featured burning crosses. That’s why it was controversial and the church hated it.

Signed,
The girl who was kicked out of her Catholic youth group for being pro-choice (and questioning all of the church politics)

[nospaekae]

Nov 21, 2024 8:52:03 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Nov 21, 2024 8:46:52 GMT -5 nospaekae said:

Um, I never thought this song wasn't about BJs? It's always been about BJs, yes? If it wasn't, then why was it considered so controversial?

LOL, at this being sung in a church.

I also LOL at Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah being sung in church. Christian church song that is not.

The Madonna video featured burning crosses. That’s why it was controversial and the church hated it.

Signed,
The girl who was kicked out of her Catholic youth group for being pro-choice (and questioning all of the church politics)

Ah, I forgot about the video. I just remember the "Like A Virgin" VMA controversy at my grandma's church growing up and assumed it was the sex part.

[wawa]

are we going to start singing like a virgin in church now thinking it's a tribute to the Virgin Mary?
get some monks going on the Ray of Light album?

this is hilarious.

[wise_rita]

Nov 20, 2024 19:55:37 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I’ve never heard it being about BJs.

Me either!

I assumed any controversy was based on the fact that Jesus was a Black figure (ohh irony) and that Madonna was a sexually liberated woman.

[somersault72]

I wondered why my friend posted a list of songs that are not actually religious yesterday on FB and this was at the top. FTR there was never any confusion for me that ANY of the songs she listed were about religion and Like a Prayer came out when I was like 8.

[bugandbibs]

@@@

As a child in the 80's singing this song into a hairbrush tapped to pvc pipe while wearing a giant petticoat with my best friend Simone, I knew this song was about sex. I didn't make the jump to bjs because I didn't know what they were yet, but I had seen enough soap operas to know this wasn't about religion.

!980s Madonna will always be my favourite because of the happy memories those songs trigger.

[pixy0stix]

Tangentially related - This is reminding me of when my cousin told me he sang System of a Down's Chop Suey in worship. I responded that it was weird to sing a song deeply critical of organized religion during worship, but ok. I had to walk him through stanza by stanza. He just saw the religious lyrics and thought it was ok.

Also, what a weird song to sing.

Further sidenote, we no longer talk.

[pixy0stix]

Critical thinking and literary skills for the win for all of us that knew bjs were implied. Lololol!

Y'know, to tie it all back to previous board discussions.

[wawa]

Nov 21, 2024 13:29:09 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Tangentially related - This is reminding me of when my cousin told me he sang System of a Down's Chop Suey in worship. I responded that it was weird to sing a song deeply critical of organized religion during worship, but ok. I had to walk him through stanza by stanza. He just saw the religious lyrics and thought it was ok.

Also, what a weird song to sing.

Further sidenote, we no longer talk.

I cannot imagine the level of WTF my face would twist into if I heard this song sung, live, in a church.  Acapella?  Or like, with a worship band???  WITH TAMBORINES???  

[AJL]

Nov 20, 2024 20:30:10 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

IDC what it's actually about, that song's a banger.

Agreed and the churchies need to stop ruining it! LOL

[pixy0stix]

Nov 21, 2024 13:45:22 GMT -5 wawa said:

Nov 21, 2024 13:29:09 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Tangentially related - This is reminding me of when my cousin told me he sang System of a Down's Chop Suey in worship. I responded that it was weird to sing a song deeply critical of organized religion during worship, but ok. I had to walk him through stanza by stanza. He just saw the religious lyrics and thought it was ok.

Also, what a weird song to sing.

Further sidenote, we no longer talk.

I cannot imagine the level of WTF my face would twist into if I heard this song sung, live, in a church.  Acapella?  Or like, with a worship band???  WITH TAMBORINES???  

I wish I had an answer for you but I don't. I was too caught up in the song choice to ask about the actual performance. He told me because we both liked SOAD.

[wawa]

Nov 21, 2024 14:45:35 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 21, 2024 13:45:22 GMT -5 wawa said:

I cannot imagine the level of WTF my face would twist into if I heard this song sung, live, in a church.  Acapella?  Or like, with a worship band???  WITH TAMBORINES???  

I wish I had an answer for you but I don't. I was too caught up in the song choice to ask about the actual performance. He told me because we both liked SOAD.

I love SOAD.  The song instantly started playing in my head and I'm trying to so so hard to picture it in a worship context.  Like, WAKE UP! 

does.not.compute.  

The reverse satanic panic of it all is giving me the giggles.

[jlt19]

Nov 21, 2024 13:29:09 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Tangentially related - This is reminding me of when my cousin told me he sang System of a Down's Chop Suey in worship. I responded that it was weird to sing a song deeply critical of organized religion during worship, but ok. I had to walk him through stanza by stanza. He just saw the religious lyrics and thought it was ok.

Also, what a weird song to sing.

Further sidenote, we no longer talk.

When I was 9/10, while at my small town southern Baptist cousin’s, she got in trouble when “All I want to do is make love to you” came on the radio and didn’t turn it off. I knew it was about “sex stuff” but felt like it wasn’t any worse than most other songs.

Damn was I surprised when I heard it many years later and actually listened to the lyrics!