Take a Bow

Madonna

About Take a Bow

"Take a Bow" is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories (1994). It was released as the album's second single on December 6, 1994, by Maverick Records. It is a midtempo pop ballad written and produced by Madonna and Babyface. The song also appears on her compilation albums Something to Remember (1995), GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). Following the sexually explicit persona portrayed by Madonna on her previous album, Erotica, the singer wanted to tone down her image for Bedtime Stories. She started collaborating with Babyface, whose work with other musicians had impressed her. "Take a Bow" was developed from this collaboration, after Madonna listened to the beat and the chords of the demo structure of the song. Recorded at The Hit Factory Studios in New York, "Take a Bow" was backed by a full orchestra. It was also the first time that Babyface had worked with live strings, per Madonna's suggestion. The pentatonic strings gave the song an impression of the Chinese or Japanese opera. "Take a Bow" lyrically talks about unrequited love and Madonna saying goodbye. It received favorable reviews from music critics, who praised the song's soulful, poetic lyrics. The track was a commercial success in the United States, becoming Madonna's 11th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for seven weeks. It also reached number one in Canada, and the top ten in Switzerland and New Zealand. The single had moderate success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, ending Madonna's record-holding string of 35 consecutive top-ten hits there. 


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Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There's no one here (There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd)

Say your lines but do you feel them
Do you mean what you say when there's no one around (No one around)
Watching you, watching me,
One lonely star (One lonely star you don't know who you are)

I've always been in love with you (Always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (You know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

Say good-bye (Bye bye), say good-bye

Make them laugh, it comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you're breaking my heart (Breaking my heart)
Hide behind your smile,
All the world loves a clown (Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown)
Wish you well, I cannot stay
You deserve an award for the role that you played (Role that you played)
No more masquerade,
You're one lonely star (One lonely star and you don't know who you are)

I've always been in love with you (Always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (You know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

I've always been in love with you (Always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (You know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

Say good-bye (Bye bye), say good-bye

All the world is a stage (World is a stage)
And everyone has their part (Has their part)
But how was I to know which way the story'd go
How was I to know you'd break (You'd break, you'd break, you'd break)
You'd break my heart

I've always been in love with you (I've always been in love with you)
Guess you've always known
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

I've always been in love with you (Always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (You know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

Say good-bye (Bye bye), say good-bye
Say good-bye

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Madonna

Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone /tʃɪˈkoʊneɪ/ chi-KOH-nay; August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, dancer and entrepreneur. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, she is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Critics have praised her diverse musical productions which have also been known to induce controversy. more »

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Written by: Madonna Ciccone, Kenneth Edmonds

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Date
"Take a Bow" by Madonna was released on October 28, 1994.
Album
This track is a part of Madonna's sixth studio album, "Bedtime Stories", which was Madonna's softer, more subtle response to the fierce backlash she received with her previous projects.
Collaboration
"Take a Bow" was written and produced by Madonna and Babyface, a prominent R&B artist and producer. Babyface's influence strongly contributes to the R&B and pop combination of this particular song.
Music Video
The music video was directed by Michael Haussman and features Madonna as a bullfighter's neglected lover. The video won Best Female Video at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.
Billboard Hot 100
It became Madonna's eleventh single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and stayed at number one for seven weeks, setting a record for Madonna, as none of her other singles stayed at number one so long.
Global Success
The song was also a big hit worldwide, reaching the top ten in many countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia.
Awards and Accolades
The single also received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996.
Critics' Review
The track is often noted for its poignant lyrics and Madonna's vocal performance. Many critics praised the song for its maturity and use of orchestra, calling it one of Madonna’s best songs.
Live Performance
Despite the song's enormous success, Madonna performed the song live only once at the 1995 American Music Awards.
Cover Versions
Over the years, artists such as Lea Michele and Cory Monteith in a 2010 episode of "Glee" have covered "Take a Bow".

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1995

    Billboard #1


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