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Express Yourself


dancetonight

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Lyrics Print lyrics

Come on girls

Do you believe in love?

'Cause I got something to say about it

And it goes something like this

 

Don't go for second best baby

Put your love to the test

You know, you know you've got to

Make him express how he feels and maybe

Then you'll know your love is real

 

You don't need diamond rings or eighteen karat gold

Fancy cars that go very fast

You know they never last, no no

What you need is a big strong hand to

Lift you to your higher ground

Make you feel like a queen on a throne

Make him love you till you can't come down

You'll never come down

 

Don't go for second best baby

Put your love to the test

You know, you know you've got to

Make him express how he feels and maybe

Then you'll know your love is real

 

Long stem roses are the way to your heart but

He needs to start with your head

Satin sheets are very romantic

What happens when you're not in bed

You deserve the best in life

So if the time isn't right then move on

Second best is never enough

You'll do much better baby on your own

Baby on your own

 

Don't go for second best baby

Put your love to the test

You know, you know you've got to

Make him express how he feels and maybe

Then you'll know your love is real

 

Express yourself

You've got to make him

Express himself

Hey hey hey hey

So if you want it right now

Make him show you how

Express what he's got

Oh baby ready or not

 

And when you're gone he might regret it

Think about the love he once had

Try to carry on

But he just won't get it

He'll be back on his knees

To express himself

You've got to make him

Express himself

Hey hey

 

What you need is a big strong hand to

Lift you to your higher ground

Make you feel like a queen on a throne

Make him love you till you can't come down

You'll never come down

 

And when you're gone he might regret it

Think about the love he once had

Try to carry on

But he just won't get it

He'll be back on his knees

So please

 

Don't go for second best baby

Put your love to the test

You know, you know you've got to

Make him express how he feels and maybe

Then you'll know your love is real

 

Express yourself

You've got to make him

Express himself

Hey hey hey hey

So if you want it right now

Make him show you how

Express what he's got

Oh baby ready or not

 

Express yourself (you got to make him)

So you can respect yourself

Hey hey

So if you want it right now

Make him show you how

Express what he's got

Oh baby ready or not

Credits

Written by Madonna and Steve Bray

Produced by Madonna and Steve Bray

Album

Like A Prayer, the album

Like A Prayer

The Immaculate Collection

The Immaculate Collection

Single

Express Yourself, the singleAfter the huge #1 success of Like A Prayer, Madonna didn't go for second best, but released Express Yourself as second single. It seemed like Madonna wanted to get back on her critics by saying everybody should 'express himself' like she does; a message she would repeat in 1994's Human Nature. While Like A Prayer caused controversy in the Catholic church, Express Yourself stirred up opinions about feminism. Whether or not the song and the video pushed feminism forward or backwards was subject of discussion. Though very popular, the song didn't reach #1 and stalled at #2 in the US (Gold; it was kept from #1 by Simply Red's 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' & Martika's 'Toy Soldiers') and in Japan, #4 in Canada and #5 in the UK and Australia. It did get to #1 on the Hot Dance / Club Play though.

Video

Express Yourself, the video David Fincher directed what became one of Madonna's biggest video projects. With a price tag of $2 million it's also her most expensive. Based on Fritz Lang's movie Metropolis (1927), Madonna uses the distinction between lower working class (the slaves) and the upper high-society class (the director and Madonna herself) to symbolically turn around the classic stereotypes between men and women. Madonna is sexy, independant and in control, but on the other hand gives in to the advances of the slave (played by Cameron, the good-looking model of the Guess jeans ads). Dressed both in a stylish green dress and in a male suit (with sexy corset underneath), one moment in control and the other crawling on the floor on hands and knees, Madonna ridiculed stereotypes and pushed the boundaries. The true meanings of the video are still an interesting subject for discussion today. Fact is that the video won awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Direction at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, where Madonna performed the song as well.

Tour

Express Yourself @ Blond Ambition TourAt the Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna opened her show with Express Yourself (the Non-Stop Express Mix). The stage was inspired by the factory from the video and the dancers were only wearing a jeans, just like Cameron in the video. Madonna revealed her notious Gaultier corset, while she, Niki and Donna did some impressive moves. As they were singing "What you need is a big strong hand..." they each brought a male dancer to his knees and showed him who was in charge.

Express Yourself @ Girlie ShowOn the Girlie Show Madonna brought the 70s back, as she descended to stage on top of a huge disco ball, sporting a big afro and hotpants. Niki and Donna joined her for a fantastic disco version of Express Yourself that channeled the female empoverment of the 70s disco divas, which then flows into Deeper And Deeper.

Express Yourself @ Re-Invention Tour'What you need is a big strong hand...' It got a totally new meaning on the Re-Invention Tour, when Madonna was actually holding a gun in her hand. She and her dancers were dressed in military gear and performed a perfectly timed rifle choreography. The song in its military version could be talking about personal love just as well as patriotistic love. In the context of the show, with performances like American Life and Imagine, it added to the anti-war message of the tour. At the beginning of the song, she thrilled her male fans by replacing the traditional "come on girls" by "come on boys".

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