# Ya know that song "Like A Prayer" by Madonna? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247 "2005-08-23T12:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/21 "2005-08-23T17:57:58Z")
I thought the black guy in the video was a saint, not Jesus? (Well, and also the guy from the beginning of the video, and also that guy from _Brother from Another Planet_\*.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/22 "2005-08-23T19:28:00Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > IIRC … it was noted by one pundit that she had single-handedly managed to set [the] civil rights [movement] back 30 years. Then that pundit was an idiot. How anyone could reduce the song to “blow jobs” is beyond me. It is in fact possible for Madonna to be on her knees without having a cock in her mouth. Anyway, the real meaning of “Like a Prayer” is “how I got Pepsi to pay me millions of dollars without actually having to work for them.” The song was licensed for use in a series of Pepsi commercials (only one of which was filmed) and after the controversy broke (as Madonna knew it would) Pepsi canceled the deal and Madonna got to keep the payout. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/23 "2005-08-23T20:20:52Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > It is in fact possible for Madonna to be on her knees without having a cock in her mouth. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/24 "2005-08-23T20:39:02Z")
Count me in to the not-about-blow-jobs crowd–at least not exclusively. I, too, think it’s more of just about the passion of sex, in general, using religious imagery. It’d be a bit odd if kneeling imagery weren’t included in this song, given Madonna’s Catholic background. So that part may or may not be concerning blow jobs–to be honest, I never thought of it that way before this thread. But the song is about more than that. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/25 "2005-08-23T20:42:52Z")
Further note. The way I’ve always parsed the line “I’m down on my knees/I want to take you there” as her being down on her knees, praying, begging, to have sex with this guy. You know like, “I’m down on my knees/I’m beggin you please…” That sense of being down on your knees. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/26 "2005-08-23T21:18:54Z")
It’s absolutely about blowjobs. Just like Tom Waits’ _Waltzing Matilda (Three Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)_ is about getting really drunk and taking the passive role with some rough trade in Denmark. > [@](#): > > I’m an innocent victim of a blind alley > And I’m tired of all these soldiers here > No one speaks English, and everything’s broken > And my Stacys are soaking wet > So go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda > Will you waltzing Matilda with me > Now the dogs are barking and the taxi cabs parking > A lot they can do for me\*\* > I begged you to stab me, you tore my shirt open > And I’m down on my knees tonight > Old Bushmill’s I staggered, you buried the dagger\*\* > In your silhouette window light > To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda > You’ll go waltzing Matilda with me Yes, this is sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/27 "2005-08-24T00:10:25Z")
Chalk up another vote for “not specifically about BJ’s”. Intense, wild passion, yes – she feels like flying, like she’s in a dream w/o beginning or end, like she’s falling, she feel s the power. The “knees” thing is not the ONLY thing there is. And chalk up another vote for that the figure was NOT a “black Jesus”, just a black **saint**. I was flabbergasted the first time I read that there were people who thought that was supposed to be a Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/28 "2005-08-24T04:25:59Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I thought the black guy in the video was a saint, not Jesus? (Well, and also the guy from the beginning of the video, and also that guy from _ **Brother from Another Planet** _.) nope, the saint was [Leon](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0502442/). And yes, my bad, he is credited as “saint” :smack: . ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/29 "2005-08-24T04:56:11Z")
I’ve got nothing to add here except I used to know the brother of the guy that wrote that song for Madonna. Patrick Leonard’s younger brother Charlie used to go to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and lived down the hall from me when he was a freshman. He even met her once. I don’t have his e-mail address, so I can’t ask him if it’s about blowjobs. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/30 "2005-08-24T05:12:00Z")
Wasn’t Prince involved in the production of this song? He’s a big sex + god guy. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/31 "2005-08-24T05:16:13Z")
I think it’s about rimming. Why? Isn’t it obvious? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/32 "2005-08-24T06:33:39Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Wasn’t Prince involved in the production of this song? He’s a big sex + god guy. Per the liner notes, the production facilty was Paisley Park but the producers are listed as Madonna and Patrick Leonard. Prince co-wrote, co-produced and has an uncredited vocal on “Love Song” from the same album. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247/33 "2005-08-24T15:51:27Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Cite? Well, she could be with another woman occasionally and have a facefull instead of a mouthfull. 😃 Seriously, the woman referred to in the OP really reached there! Also, many people did think it was supposed to be a black JC but the controversy was more that she was romancing him than that he was black. Anyway, it really was supposed to be an actual black saint. The video story- she sees this white gang knife a girl, the cops pick up a black guy for it, she goes to church & prays, the black saint image comes to life & gives her the courage to do the right thing & turn in the white gang. I think the burning crosses were supposed to represent racism. The stupid part- the video ends with everyone coming out as a curtain call with all this having been a play. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ya-know-that-song-like-a-prayer-by-madonna/318247.md?page=1)