Like a Prayer Video Analysis

We look firstly into one of Madonna’s most famous and controversial music videos, Like a Prayer (1989). At a glance, the video portrays a storyline at which Madonna is a witness to a homicide where a woman is murdered by a group of white men. One from the group notices her and looks at her with murderous intent. Then, a black guy, who also witnessed the incident, ran over to offer help to the woman. While at the same time, the police arrived and the group of white men bailed, causing the black guy to get accused and arrested instead. Madonna, having witnessed the whole thing, ran from the scene of the crime, into a church where she sees a crying statue of a black saint. She approaches the statue and sings:

“I hear your voice,

It’s like an angel sighing,

I have no choice I hear your voice,

Feels like flying,”

The scene shows Madonna’s devotion as a Christian, needing to do what’s right that is hand in hand with the Catholic belief that God is always watching. She then moves to the pew where she lies down and sleeps as the lyrics of the song plays in the background:

            “I close my eyes,”

In her dream, she is falling.

            “Oh god, I think I’m falling,

            Out of the sky,

            I close my eyes,”

She is then saved by a black woman in robes that throws her back up as the line,

“Heaven help me,”

plays in the background. As such, the woman symbolises heaven telling Madonna to do what is right. Still in the dream, she kisses the feet of the statue that now looks like the accused man. He walks out of the gate, and whispers to her,

            “Like a child,

            You whisper softly to me,”

He kisses her forehead,

           

            “You’re in control,

            Just like a child,

Now I’m dancing,”

He walks out of the church, leaving Madonna behind,

            “It’s like a dream,

            No end and no beginning,”

Madonna picks up an Athame,

            “You’re here with me,

            It’s like a dream,”

She cuts her hand, drawing blood. The cuts look like stigmata, yet another religious symbol. The cuts look like holes in which Jesus had when he was being nailed to the cross to death. This may be a metaphor for guilt or sin that she would have if she did not make the right choice.

The visuals are then focused on the choir and moves on to show the actual sequence of the homicide, clearly showing that the black man has been framed. The scene changes to Madonna dancing in front of flaming crosses. Shortly after, the scene is of the choir again, singing and dancing together with Madonna, scenes of Madonna making out with that black man is added in alternating points. She then wakes up, and confesses to the police that the man is innocent and the police releases him.

The video ends with the whole cast of the music video bowing as if in a Broadway show. This seems to show the audiences that everyone has a role to play in life, very much like a theatre performance. In addition, Madonna is shown as a heroine that saves the victim of a misunderstanding because of his race. This is also a portrayal of Madonna’s stand in feminism.

However, the symbolism in this particular music video doesn’t end here, taking the whole video in consideration, we also evaluate the music video to be in support of black rights. The video plays on the existing stereotypes showing to the audience what they think may not always be what are true. Moreover, in relation to racism, Madonna has also used the flaming crosses –a symbol associated with the Ku Klux Klan a white supremacy group that terrorised the blacks during the 1960s, to further emphasise racism. She even went as far as to portray interracial relationships –something controversial during that time, nearing the end of her music video.

Nevertheless, it is not just the hidden meanings about racism that makes the video so controversial. It is the relation between the racial, the religious and of course, sex. In actuality, her song contains a dual meaning, one being of pure religious intent, and the other, purely sexual. (Taraborelli, 2001) This can be seen especially in the chorus where Madonna’s lyrics read:

“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,”

Another scene that may portray the same relationship is the way Madonna and the statue reacts to one another, added with the make out session near to the end. In addition to this, the combination of the gospel feel of the choir, the pop beat of the drums and base, and the rock-ish sound of the guitar enhances the mysterious feel of the song. This causes the song to have a slightly darker tone despite the gospel feel of the song.

The controversy that this video had created had reportedly caused the Vatican to condemn the video while the religious protested to it claiming that her videos are “satanic”, causing her to also lose a contract with Pepsi. (Macgregor, 2008)