{Note: The Madonna Timeline is an ongoing feature, where I put the iPod on shuffle and write a little anecdote on whatever was going on in my life when that Madonna song was released and/or came to prominence in my mind.}
IT’S A LONG WAY (IT’S A LONG WAY)
IT’S A LONG WAY (IT’S A LONG WAY)
IT’S A LONG DAY (IT’S A LONG DAY)
IT’S A LONG DAY (IT’S A LONG DAY)
LORD HAVE MERCY (LORD HAVE MERCY)
THINGS HAVE GOT TO CHANGE (THINGS HAVE GOT TO CHANGE)
THERE’S A STORM AHEAD (THERE’S A STORM AHEAD)
I HEAR THE WIND BLOWING (I HEAR THE WIND BLOWING)
LET ME CATCH MY BREATH (LET ME CATCH MY BREATH)
WILL WE WIN THIS RACE? (WILL WE WIN THIS RACE?)
SWEAR THE ROAD IS LONG (SWEAR THE ROAD IS LONG)
AND THE HIGHWAY LISTENS (AND THE HIGHWAY LISTENS)
‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY (‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY)
Madonna’s magnificent ‘Madame X’ album ushered in this summer season, which made for some happy music and some gloriously sunny days. How many more Madonna albums will christen a summer? I’m not sure it will happen again. (The quintessential Madonna summer album is, and remains, ‘True Blue’ – but I’d venture that ‘Madame X’ comes close (consider future timeline entries ‘Crazy’, ‘Crave’, and ‘Come Alive’ – all carry an easy-breezy summer vibe.) That leads us to the latest official timeline post: ‘Batuka’ – which joins ‘Future‘ and ‘Killers Who Are Partying‘ as a modern-moment music recollection.
I WAS UP ALL NIGHT
I SAID A LITTLE PRAYER
GET THAT OLD MAN
PUT HIM IN A JAIL
WHERE HE CAN’T STOP US (WHERE HE CAN’T STOP US)
WHERE HE CAN’T HURT US (WHERE HE CAN’T HURT US)
WE WILL STAND TALL (WE WILL STAND TALL)
UNDERNEATH THIS TREE (UNDERNEATH THIS TREE)
‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY (‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY)
IT’S A LONG WAY (IT’S A LONG WAY)
‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG DAY (‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG DAY)
IT’S A LONG DAY
BUT WHEN WE CAN STOP IT ALL (BUT WHEN WE CAN STOP IT ALL)
IN THE RIGHT WAY (IN THE RIGHT WAY)
WILL WE STAND TOGETHER? (WILL WE STAND TOGETHER?)
IT’S A NEW DAY (IT’S A NEW DAY)
SO DON’T JUDGE A HUMAN (SO DON’T JUDGE A HUMAN)
‘TIL YOU’RE IN THEIR SHOES (‘TIL YOU’RE IN THEIR SHOES)
IF YOU HAVE A DREAM (IF YOU HAVE A DREAM)
THEN YOU CAN’T STOP US (THEN YOU CAN’T STOP US)
The call-and-response chant that will likely form a rousing portion of her upcoming theatre tour is the best part of ‘Batuka’ – and while the conceit has its limits and repetitive drawbacks, it proves effective enough, and this song gives the ‘Madame X’ album part of its world-music pedigree. The video is a joyous celebration of the beauty that Madonna found in other parts of the world. You have to love her for that, and this one grows on you like some of her best summer music.
SING, “HALLELUJAH” (SING, “HALLELUJAH”)
SAY, “AMEN” (SAY, “AMEN”)
SING, “HALLELUJAH” (SING, “HALLELUJAH”)
AND SAY, “AMEN” (AND SAY, “AMEN”)
I SAY, “OH, YEAH” (I SAY, “OH, YEAH”)
I SAID, “OH, YEAH” (I SAID, “OH, YEAH”)
I SAY, “AMEN” (I SAY, “AMEN”)
I SING, “HALLELUJAH” (I SING, “HALLELUJAH”)
‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY (‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG WAY)
IT’S A LONG WAY (IT’S A LONG WAY)
‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG DAY (‘CAUSE IT’S A LONG DAY)
IT’S A LONG DAY
SONG #154: ‘Batuka’ – Summer 2019
