I suffered sexual abuse for many years, from my childhood until my teenage years. I met Madonna when I was 13, and this was one of the first songs I heard from her through the album "Something to Remember". This song saved me, healed me, showed a light that didn't come from anywhere else. The chorus of this song became my feat of war to chase away the demon that abused my body and hurt my soul. Today I'm 36 years old, and sometimes that wound still hurts, so I come back here, and this song heals me again. Thank you, Madonna. You saved countless lives with your art, mine included.
My father is a narcissistic, abusive and his entire family is toxic. My dad abuses my mother , my siblings . I cry and wish to die after seeing the dark bruises and the reason behind is his family. My Mom says its OK he is your father . Fuck you both go to hell . I want to be orphan . Leave me . His toxic family is too big .
This song and video prevented me from committing suicide as I had been bullied at school and also by my father repeatedly. As long as I live I will adore and respect and cherish Her for what she has offered to so many people, without even, Her, knowing about it. She is not just my idol, she is not just an icon, she is part of my life as I truly still exist because of Her.
“Maybe someday, when I look back I’ll be able to say You didn’t mean to be cruel, somebody hurt you too”…. That line hits home in so many ways… break generational curses
I felt pity for my father and this line cemented it in my mind as a child. As a mother, I can't forgive any longer. I can't excuse the abuse. I suffered too, I was hurt but I changed the tide. I won't do that my child. Never will I make her hurt like I did. I'd rather cut out my tongue
Madonna took us to her childhood where her mother died, and she was disconnected to her father. Lyrically this song is phenomenal. She deserves more respect as a song writer, she’s brilliant.
My mother died when this song came out in 1989 . My stepmother and my father were so abusive to me . At felt overwhelmed and suicidal this song made me realize the greatest pop star in the world knew what this feeling was like and if she could make it I could too. 32 years later tears Run down my face when I hear it
Ms. The world would by far be a Lesser place without you. I very glad you're still here ... This hand of Friendship reaches out should you ever need a friend to talk to,, I'm on youside spiritually and feel your pain . I hope you can feel my enjoyment in writing this to you where ever you are or might Be. May the Light of the World Shine His Light onto your Face , and into your Heart . Shiloh The Savior has come . The Prince of Peace the Lord of Lords. Always DH.
Ursine ComicGeek Somehow it helps me cope with my owng grief...If I knew He was in peace with the Lord (not that I wish that) but not knowing His wereabouts makes it even harder these days and always you know? I do not know if I will be able to forgive Him. No matter what life might spit at you, why do kids or sons have to suffer what is unknown to us....???
The double blink she does, before her “father” grabs her literally tears at my soul. Heartbreaking. I remember not being able to watch this video when it first came out, because that moment upset me so much.
The best part of this video is the confessional scene, the gravesite, and her deceased mother. NO ONE has ever been this bold in a video either before or since! This is why Madonna is one of the greatest American artists who changed pop music history. 🎵
This woman lost her mother at such a young age. I couldn't imagine that feeling of loss. Her pain comes out in her music in many ways. God bless you, Madonna.
Doubtful Madonna worships Lucifer and the baphomet. She got to evaluate her life and make biiiiig changes if she ever wants to be back under God’s good graces
A masterpiece. There's something about that turn she makes when she's leaving her dad. The little shadow girl on the wall juxtaposed against the powerful woman in the snow "never felt so good about myself" What an inspiration for all survivors. Here is where all the tables turned. Here is where the survivor is born.
Agreed, my favourite part of the song and the video. Whether you're a survivor or not, it's an astonishing example Fincher's sensitivity. This video is as good as Vogue and yet seems overlooked these days.
@@soin74 Agree you don't need to be a survivor to appreciate! Overlooked? Perhaps because it's such a heavy subject? I don't know. Regardless, it's art. Livable, breathing art.
Yeah, it's a great scene. The whole video is just so amazing. People thought this was biographical, and in some ways it is. I think Madonna's mother dying really, really messed Madonna up. She was jealous of the housekeepers that tried to run the house, and I can't imagine how she felt when Tony married Joan. I'm sure he loves her very much, and I think he was upset when this video came out. I don't think he ever abused her, but I think she couldn't understand that he still had to live his life, and he moved on. I think Madonna has too, in some ways, but in some ways not.
Interesting fact. The beautiful little girl in the video I think didn’t awesome job acting turned out to be a professor in therapy. I know because she was my professor in my marriage and family therapy grad program :-) she’s really nice and she looks the same!
Madonna has so many masterpiece songs and its videos: Bad Girl, Ghosttown, Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Papa Don't Preach, The Power of Goodbye, Rain , This Used To be My Palyground, Crave, Batuka, ...
Those who grew up with this are SHAPED BY THE MUSIC. when she passes, a part of me will go as well.....my god it all feels so surreal....2020 is monumental and I know she's not like dying or anything but it's just all so raw.....
This isn't one of Madonna's best songs, it's simply one of the THE best songs ever made. The opening chord progression carries more emotion with it than any other I've ever heard. The video really adds to the song fantastically. Brilliant piece of work.
I remember watching this video as a kid when my mother was being abused by a live-in boyfriend. As young as 10 years old I was suicidal and hated my life. This is one video that got me through. Thanks Madonna.
Thats applicable alot of times not even just in the case of a father...alot of people never shown ANY love or someone that hurt them, they either are not capable of real love or go on to hurt someone else who doesn't deserve because they themselves were hurt..
And that's the line that I thought of about my Dad and it was true. And we have the best relationship ever now. Not saying that it was down to Madonna lol, but those particular lyrics always resonated with me.
Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I lost my mom two months ago and this video has me crying like a baby, it just hurts so bad sometimes. Mom, if you're watching over me, I love you so much and I will miss you forever.
A true artistic achievement. In the span of a few minutes, we are told a story about childhood pain carrying over into adulthood, and finally forgiveness. An incredibly sensitive and sad video.
This was the first Madonna video I'd had exposure to, as a young teen. Oh, I'd heard her songs on the radio before but I didn't watch a lot of TV until 1989/90. Basically it's the song that got me "into" Madonna. For that reason this song has always struck a very nostalgic chord with me. Definitely her most emotional song, and at the same time so very different than anything else she'd recorded up to that point aside from Live To Tell. It's almost like it came from a different artist, it was so different. But I agree, it should have been a much bigger hit, I was shocked when I started doing chart research it basically broker her top 10 streak. But that may be nostalgia speaking, and still speaking 30 years (ugh!) later.
One of the best music videos of all time. This music video packs more story and emotion than some 2 hour films. There is so much to unpack here: death of a parent, grief, parental neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, abusive relationships, forgiveness, resilience, and in a metaphorical sense, conflicting emotions about God and religion. This video and the song that inspired it are masterpieces.
@d I'm not sure if he was abusive. But it does seem like they had a difficult relationship. Papa Don't Preach was another song that dealt with her daddy issues.
I don't understand the ones who say Madonna isn't important. I don't understand the ones who think Madonna career is over. For the ones who think the last points, I want you to say that she's creating music all the time. She's a Music genius and a really great female. No one does it like she did . NO ONE HAS THE SAME IMPACT SHE HAD WHEN SHE RELEASED HER ALBUMS IN THE 80'S AND 90'S. PLEASE, GOD.
Whoever is saying that is full of it. Madonna is ICONIC. The press never understood her, and still don’t. Sadly they ignore her now. Her influence in music is everywhere.
braktuun Stop! Don't use the word "Underrated" when you talk about a Madonna 👑 song she never gonna have nothing underrated is the most selling female artist all time! Come on....
@@grard4141 but this song is underrated, is a beautiful song with one of the best music videos OF ALL TIME, yet it was overlooked by: Grammys, MTV VMAS, AMAs, The Charts, and even Madonna herself who only performed it once and no even the full version of in a medley. DEF UNDERRATED.
IThinkTheFuckNot YoutrickassBitch Is a Classic bro and Classics don't need awards or whatever you think 🙄 and again Madonna don't now the word underrated she is the most excess full artists all time 💎💎💎
Agreed, it's doubtlessly one of her best songs, but not her best song... And I'm getting tired of the word "underrated". Who determines which songs are underrated?
@mriyefa2196 Totally agree with you. It's a criminally underrated song. If this song was given its due upon release it would have gone to number 1 immediately. But it didn't do as well as all the other singles from Like. A Prayer, maybe the subject matter was deemed too heavy at the time. That being said, the song is amazing regardless of its commercial appeal. You can just gage by reading these comments how much this song means to countless people.
This is her masterpiece in my view. It's here that we glimpse the real woman and her feelings. It's such a powerful song, perhaps too much so, which is why it didn't do well on release. The Madonna we see today is a million miles away from this, sadly.
Everything about this is perfect: the lyrics, Madonna's tone, the melody, the video, the story behind the song... absolutely snubbed and underrated song.
Agree. Madonna was early here... It was really in the 90s when Tori Amos and Fiona Apple tapped into this level of dark, brutal honesty that songs of this kind actually gained broad acceptance...
There's a lot of redemption in this song. My relationship with my Father was beyond difficult throughout my childhood and adolescence, but as an adult we've learned to communicate openly. We don't get to choose our parents, and must remember they aren't perfect either. I understand now, he didn't mean to be cruel...somebody hurt him too.
The chain has to be broken at some point. If you accept that a father was cruel because someone had hurt him, so you accept you can be a bad father yourself, because you've been hurt too, and so on... I do understand your point, but this goes on and on if we just accept it! All the best to you!
If you listen to the entire Like A Prayer album, you'll notice that vocally, Madonna sounds like she's on the verge of tears on nearly every song- including "Oh, Father". Even on the happier songs like "Dear Jessie" and "Cherish", there's this bittersweet tinge of sadness to her vocals; it sounds like her voice is breaking and she's trying so hard to sound hopeful.
That is actually a trait that her voice always has had (to me at least, I also noticed it clearly on the True Blue album, but even in earlier songs like 'Love don't live here anymore', 'Crazy for you', etc.) It's the very reason she has gotten away with being not the most technically gifted singer, but what she lacked (though she got much better over the years) technically, was more than outweighed by her ability to convey an emotion; it's why I like her voice so much :)
that might me true, according to her she was very emotional while making this record because her marriage ended and she turned 30, the age her mother died
I'm sure she was emotional during the recordings of a certain songs, but it's her voice at the time. she has that same tone of voice on the erotica album. and later it began to change as she was grown and took lessons for the evita picture, so that has changed the way she used to use her voice. I always prefer her early vocals with much less technical things, but much more heart & soul she used to put on it.
i'm a classic rock and punk fan but man this is one of the most powerful songs ever! Madonna has a wonderful voice and meaningful lyrics. thanks Madonna.
It's incredible but lots of hard rock or punk fans love Madonna. I have been a fan of hers forever and she has always kept a punk attitude no matter what kind of songs she has written and produced. She started playing and singing rock/ska/pop punk songs in New York before she got a superstar and that background has never gone away from her. You can feel that attitude in everything she says and does, that's possibly why lots of rock and punk fans respect her. And yes, this song is an absolute masterpiece ❤
The fathers grief for the mother dying, was taken out on her.....she then has abusive relationships later in life with men but then goes on to forgive her father , when she's a woman and he's an old man..a beautifully, sad, dark classic from Madge. This video is very personal, about her mothers death as a child, her troubled relationship with her father and then her marriage to Sean Penn.
I spent years as a child singing this song at the top of my voice trying to exorcise the ghosts, pain, grief and fear of child abuse (I still do when the memories get too much). This song was the only way I could express my emotions, my pain and memories. It gave me an element of control over those emotions. Although my abuser wasn't my dad but another family member, it still spoke to me, still articulated the things I didn't dare say
Music can be such a catharsis, help us capture and express the pain and torment deep within us which is seeking expression and a way out!! It meant a lot to me, too, helped me dispel some of my own anger and grief and pain.
Kelle Nicole Smith Really? Because she’s credited as a writer for the song along with Patrick Leonard on the album. So I’d like to know who you think wrote this.
I agree. It stirs up so much emotion in me, something videos don't do for me anymore. I remember crying when I was a teen seeing this for the first time, and now at 39, I am having the same reaction. I want to meet her to tell her this is the song she should define her talent
After 14 years of child abuse, I connected with this song like no other. Thank you Madonna for making me feel like you were walking beside me in the late 80s. Nothing but love to you for this song and respective its album. Such soul. Such power xxx
Oh I feel ya hon! It’s been 6 years since I severed ties with my father, a few months after this song came on my car radio & I immediately had to pull over because I was sobbing so hard. It totally resonated with me in all aspects! My father was mentally physically and emotionally abusive to me and I lived through 13 years of hell because of him. So I understand how you feel sweetie. No one ever truly understands how difficult it is to process what happened to us let alone try to cope with the aftermath. I hope that you are well and thriving 🥰❤️ always remember that there is always light 💡 at the end of the tunnel ☺️ god bless you sweetie! ☺️🤜🏼🤛🏼
+TRAPPER JOHNSON even when I know my dad was very hurt, I don't excuse him for treating me the way he did. I was a child. It is his reason, not his excuse. I understand him and forgive him. But the child in me can't.
sugar To be honest... I dont have a good relationship with my dad. He and my mom raised the 4 of us, he connects with my siblings, but he's outright hostile towards me every chance he gets. But now at age 25 and with my mothers passing, I realize he's an idiot and i can truly say i couldn't careless about him living or dying. I decided and told him... If you dont want me in your life... YOU GOT IT! Coming up on a year and I haven't spoken to him since. And I truly don't care. Some people have kids, but they should not be parents. Its that simple.
+TRAPPER JOHNSON I feel you mate. my own family were violent con artists, I barely escaped with my life. They did manage to destroy my sanity but at least I am alive, and.where there's life there's hope. you did the right thing, no one has the right to hurt you even if they are blood.
Oh Father, Ghosttown, Secret, The power of good-bye, This used to be my playground, Bad girl, Live to tell, Rain, Take a bow, You'll see, Masterpiece ♥
Madonna's most beautiful, soulful and heart-wrenching song. The video belongs to Madonna's "Icon" phase when she lifted the music video from a form of promotion to an art form deserving of the highest praise. I played this for my father when I was a teenager but he was too distracted by work to know what the lyrics were or how deliberate I was being. This wasn't a big hit for Madonna - nothing this personal and powerful ever is. But only a person with the tinnest of ears and shallowest of hearts can say a negative word about this song.
When I lost my mother… My father totally changed into a very abusive man… He didn’t deal with his grief and essentially he left me as my father. He started to date very quickly and basically abandoned his family he was grieving. This is a weak man. And therapy I’m learning he was weak all along. It took me 50 years to realize it. And now everything’s come full circle…I’m able to see how my relationship with my father my whole life was behind all the horribly abusive relationships I had with men. This song is so healing
It’s a song simultaneously sad and empowering. A rare achievement in music. I remember hearing it when it came out when I was a child and it has never ceased to make me cry since.
The song makes me cry always as well. But the brilliance of the video is perfection. From the casting of that beautiful little girl, to all the imagery... I could go on and on about that. I wish the world could see this. I think it would be very healing to a lot of people
It is certainly a powerful song. Like many of you, this song also saved me. It gave me the strength to go on and leave my home where I suffered child abuse and sexual abuse. Many of us have undergone horrible traumas since we were just kids, now that we are all grown-ups, know how to deal and many of us have healed from this painful trauma. Thank you Madonna for indirectly save life of hundreds of young boys and girls with your powerful music. I will always love you, Lady Madonna.
I used to dislike Madonna's singing in this song. I've finally realized that her voice, though not perfect, is raw, honest and successfully conveys her sadness.
This song has so much meaning to me.. having grown up with an abusive father I know what it is like to have no where to run... I am pregnant now and unlike my mother I will do all that I can to protect my child from the scars... I will do whatever it takes and that is a promise
I grew up as a gay little boy with a very abusive dad. He'd hit me with a belt, throw my mother down the stairs, punch us, I was terrified of setting him off. I would get in trouble at school because I couldn't do my homework, and I'd be way to scares to ask my dad for help. And God bless my mother, she was amazing, but she isn't the cleverest. I started to rebel around age 14, I stopped going to school, got into drugs etc. I remember the first ever time I hit my dad back. He battered me for it, but it felt good. I might have been skinnier, but i was taller than u now dad. At 16 the legal age we leave school in the UK, my dad put me out. Now he wasn't obligated by the law to make sure I attend school etc, I could leave. I had nowhere to go. I'd walk the street all night aimlessly. I'd sit in parks, light the bin on fire. I started to sell myself, I'd go to the gay bars in town and would throw myself at any guy who was half decent. I had no respect for myself, I'd always been put down, called stupid, I'd never amount to anything etc. I'd sell myself for anything at first, a bed for the night, some cigs and drinks. I got older and started doing 'well' for myself, I became a good earner within the sex trade. But it never fulfilled me, I was always sad really, no matter how good I looked or how in shape I was. I was obsessed with my image, as I felt because I'm stupid and haven't gotten much to offer if I look good, and people wanna sleep with me, I'll feel better, i never did. So after about ten years, my mum had gotten ill with cancer and passed away. I as devastated. I tried to reconnect with my dad but I just couldn't forgive him. Another few years pass, I end up in jail for 18 months. My boyfriend at the time was dealing, and the police busted our flat. I was sentenced for possession of heroin. I didn't know who to call, I was very ill, I rang my sister and my she got in touch with my dad. He came and visited me. He seemed sad, said my mum would be devastated as she always wanted the best for me. She wanted me to have everything she didn't. As he was going to leave, my dad turned and said to me, I'm sorry boy. As he left the visiting I burst into tears. I didn't see him again til I came out. I went to visit him and he opened the door and again I began to cry. He said I'm sorry Alex. I said daddy I'm sorry too. He went on to tell me how his dad had beat him black and blue, I knew his dad was an alcoholic but he would never talk about him. He told me that an adult male close to my grandmother had sexually abused him as a kid. He told me he never felt like he knew how to show me he loved me. And the fact I was an effiminate little boy made it harder for him. Man I fell off the chair, I couldn't believe what he was saying. He cried, apologised over n over. He told me he'd always been so angry, and it had caused him to loose sight of what really matters etc. I looked at my dad, and I said daddy I'm sorry for letting u down. I'm sorry for embarrassing u, I felt like that little boy again. And then I told him, dad I forgive u. I didn't realise all these years that ur anger had come from a place of deep hurt. U hurt me, coz someone had hurt u too. I cried and balled when I got home. I don't know why my dad mellowed out as he got older, but I'm so glad he did. I was released from prison in 2012 and have rebuilt my life. I'm a hairstylist now. And have a loving amazing boyfriend. And yes, me and my dad are ok. We don't talk all the time, but we're good. He told me he loved me and I don't know why, even as a grown man, I felt so good. I needed to hear it. My mum had always said he loved us, he provides for us etc, but doesn't know how to show it. And I think now that yeah, she was right. Sorry this is so long, I've never ever unburdened myself like this before. Sending love from the UK x
This used to be my playground which was really about nyc and aids the power of goodbye ur frozen Spanish eyes and her prequel to oh father her ultimate song LIVE TO TELL
For the second and last time, I walked away from my family due to it's toxicity and dysfunction. This song resonates so much with what I was dealing with in my life.
I remember crying and crying to this song when my stepfather was abusing me..in all forms. Listening to it right now..the tears are flowing. I feel those emotions. That despair. But, I made it ❤ This is the most powerful song I know.
It doesn’t matter what mood I am in, this song *always* brings the tears. I don’t even necessarily have a personal connection to the themes, it’s just that I feel Madonna’s pain and sorrow coming through so incredibly powerfully
This little gem was hiding in her Like a Prayer album and never got the attention it deserved. I'm flaky when it comes to ranking my favorite Madonna songs over the years, but this one comes out on top frequently. I think it resonates more with people who have gone through this kind of abuse. I lived through a couple nasty stepfathers.
@d I don't believe she's ever gotten specific about any abuse in her childhood, but the song is inspired by her childhood being raised by her father after her mother died (when she was just 5).
This song is incredibly healing for me. As someone who suffered abandonment from my biological father this hits home. He left when I was still a toddler. But became involved in my life when I was 17 years old. Unfortunately he was a narcissistc alcoholic. The "relationship" we had was the type of relationship you have with a party friend. And emotionally abusive to say the least. But I took my power back. I told him I deserved healthy relationships in my life and ended the abuse he subjected me to. Decades later, we still have no contact. But I can truly say I've forgiven him. He was a product of his own upbringing. He didn't love himself, and therefore could not love others. I'm so glad I went through therapy and now see him in a different way. I finally feel free from the bondage I allowed to consume me for decades. I'm sure this song was incredibly healing for Madonna 💜
32 years later, this still breaks my heart. This was one of the most important albums of my life due to this song. Proprs to Madonna to translating such personal, yet universal pain to all of us.
Madonna's vulnerable vocals in this songs is the perfect example why her music is so beloved. Even if she’s singing of characters, her gasps and shivers gave voice to the complex dynamic so many children have with their parents.
This difference between myself and this song is that I don’t feel good about myself after losing my father. She speaks volumes about what he did. My father was an enigma (I learned so much after he passed), but it’s never made me feel good that he’s gone. It’s heartbreaking, soul crushing, mind fucking. I absolutely lose my shit with a weeping ache in my entire being when I hear this song.
I like that at the end you see an adult Madonna standing next to an older man, presumably the father in the video, also symbolizing Madonna's own father and the idea that she has made peace and reconciled with him. The child is spinning in happiness again and has been set free from her demons.
This song had a huge impact on my life. It can bring tears when I think about my husband who died at 27, or it makes me feel empowered for surviving an abusive childhood. I admire Madonna for her ability to tap into pain to create such a beautiful song that can touch so many people!
one thing i hate child abuse parents who abused there kids for over stupid like spilling the milk or father getting mad cuz the mother of his child is gone and blames the kid cuz he drunk but cycle of abuse will never stop it gose from child to women to animals
I agree. This a song with heart and depth.I know that surviving an abuse childhood is something which requires great inner strength. I wish you well on your continued journey. I was sorry to hear of the loss of your husband at such a young age. God bless you in all that you do.
One of Madonnas greatest, if she never did anything else in her life, what a contribution this song is. Seems like she was always there with me, wherever you are in the world, I love you, we all do.
Beautiful, emotional ballad. It's funny how Madonna a primarily Dance/Pop artist can make such rich ballads such as Oh father, Live to tell, Take a Bow, The power of goodbye etc. etc.
This song has always been my favorite from her. I first saw it as a child and it was like looking at my life with my own father. I didn't understand the part where she says "you didn't mean to be cruel" until I was an adult and forgave him on his deathbed.
+Stephanie Riconda Sorry if this doesn't make me popular, but I didn't think the child acted at all well (not that she can be blamed, as she was a child). Perhaps the reason is the child herself had never been subjected to the experiences in the song, happily. But I didn't find any of her reactions convincing.
"'Oh Father' is like the second half of 'Live to Tell', in a way. It was a combo package-it was about my father and my husband. I was dealing with male authority figures once again. That is a great source of inspiration in my writing. - Madonna
This song has always meant so much to me. My father left my mother brother and I when I was 5. It used to hurt when he wasn't there for all my milestones in my life but then I stopped trying to win his affections and loved those who loved me and I stopped hurting as much.
“You can’t hurt me now. You can’t make me cry. You once had the power. I never felt so good about myself.” Some of the most powerful lyrics I’ve ever heard. As someone who was raised by an abusive alcoholic father, this song resonates so much. Wishing everyone peace and strength. 🙏🏻
To me, this is Madonna's very, very, very best song. I wanted to see if it would make me tear up a little bit when I watched it again, and, like usual, it did. It's just a beautiful song, with deep meaning, lots of emotion, well-produced, contains a lot of real instruments (something she doesn't do very often), and is in 12/8.
James Raymond You can count it in 12; though, now that I think about it, it might be 12/4. The 4 or 8 has to do with comparing it to a 1/4 note or an 1/8 note, so if you can count it quickly, it's more likely to have a /8 at the and, and if it counts out slowly, it's more likely to have a /4 at the end. So in this case, since it can be counted in 12, and it's not that fast of a count, it's most likely 12/4.
![Madonna - Frozen (Official Video) [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XS088Opj9o0/mqdefault.jpg)
I suffered sexual abuse for many years, from my childhood until my teenage years. I met Madonna when I was 13, and this was one of the first songs I heard from her through the album "Something to Remember". This song saved me, healed me, showed a light that didn't come from anywhere else. The chorus of this song became my feat of war to chase away the demon that abused my body and hurt my soul. Today I'm 36 years old, and sometimes that wound still hurts, so I come back here, and this song heals me again. Thank you, Madonna. You saved countless lives with your art, mine included.
My father is a narcissistic, abusive and his entire family is toxic. My dad abuses my mother , my siblings . I cry and wish to die after seeing the dark bruises and the reason behind is his family. My Mom says its OK he is your father . Fuck you both go to hell . I want to be orphan . Leave me . His toxic family is too big .
Went through same. Glad you came out OK. ❤
i hope you're doing better now. And i hope you have only the good people around you to help with that. You deserve peace.
Bless you, allow me to embrace you from the distance.
Daniela
❤
This song and video prevented me from committing suicide as I had been bullied at school and also by my father repeatedly. As long as I live I will adore and respect and cherish Her for what she has offered to so many people, without even, Her, knowing about it. She is not just my idol, she is not just an icon, she is part of my life as I truly still exist because of Her.
♥️♥️♥️
no one deserves what you went through Alexandros. we love you !
😍
Because she sings with the heart and heals people
I'm so glad to hear that. I hope you're doing fine. ❤🌻
One of the most underrated songs by Madonna. So powerful.
This song is hauntingly beautiful, some of Madonna's strongest vocals
sure
I totally agree with you.
Is writen by her true story in the infant Life... Sorry ,but someday...before to give your Life Votage...PLS learn the story ....
Over 40yrs & she still able to reach people across the world. What a woman. What a human being!
When she says "you didn't mean to be cruel, somebody hurt you too." ...chills.
That hit so deep
That part is so painful.
Continuous cycles of abuse: the abused usually grows up to become the abuser. Sad, but true.
Madonna
@@Babydollmaddiee 1989
“Maybe someday, when I look back I’ll be able to say You didn’t mean to be cruel, somebody hurt you too”….
That line hits home in so many ways… break generational curses
Right. But the trauma amd pain stay.
Oh yes, so true.
We still gotta try and break generational trauma. It's so deep and painful.
My favorite part also…
I felt pity for my father and this line cemented it in my mind as a child. As a mother, I can't forgive any longer. I can't excuse the abuse. I suffered too, I was hurt but I changed the tide. I won't do that my child. Never will I make her hurt like I did. I'd rather cut out my tongue
Madonna took us to her childhood where her mother died, and she was disconnected to her father. Lyrically this song is phenomenal. She deserves more respect as a song writer, she’s brilliant.
Madonna is Our Icon and Good mother In one word SHE IS THE BEST
O.M.G.WHAT A SONG....WOW !!!!!!!!☺☺☺❤❤❤
@@spidermanbestmoments6503 Madonna - Oh Father 👨 [Official Music Video] 1989
@@spidermanbestmoments6503 Madonna Like A Prayer 1989
Madonna
David Fincher made a beautiful short movie, not just a music video.
It’s some of his best work. Next to Freedom 90, Janie’s Got a Gun, Vogue and Straight Up. He was a master at his craft in the 80’s and 90’s.
The beautiful melody attracts us in, then the video message shows complete depression and death.
Not only story, it's a deep analysis of childhood's trauma, that effects young woman relationship
My mother died when this song came out in 1989 . My stepmother and my father were so abusive to me . At felt overwhelmed and suicidal this song made me realize the greatest pop star in the world knew what this feeling was like and if she could make it I could too. 32 years later tears Run down my face when I hear it
madonn's father issues. no wonder she acted that way and looks the way she does now
Ms. The world would by far be a Lesser place without you.
I very glad you're still here ...
This hand of Friendship reaches out should you ever need a friend to talk to,, I'm on youside spiritually and feel your pain .
I hope you can feel my enjoyment in writing this to you where ever you are or might Be.
May the Light of the World Shine His Light onto your Face , and into your Heart .
Shiloh The Savior has come .
The Prince of Peace the Lord of Lords.
Always
DH.
💋🥹🌟👽
🌟🤝👽
💫
Such a great song about overcoming grief, surviving child abuse, and forgiveness. Every few years I come back to this song and it still makes me cry.
I'm kind of confused about what this song is about is Madonna talking about her father mistreating her? did that really happen?
Yeah, it's a lovely song!
Stanley Woodward Yes. Mental abuse.....
Ursine ComicGeek Agree my friend, its lovely. For the same feelings, please find Kate Bush's .'Moments Of Pleasure'. Touches all the same feelings.
Ursine ComicGeek Somehow it helps me cope with my owng grief...If I knew He was in peace with the Lord (not that I wish that) but not knowing His wereabouts makes it even harder these days and always you know? I do not know if I will be able to forgive Him. No matter what life might spit at you, why do kids or sons have to suffer what is unknown to us....???
One of Madonna's BEST songs and videos. God, this is life.
agree...it is stunning
I was about to comment the same thing, "Stunning...."
Cheers. I wondered why she got so heavy, Mettlehead.
@@goosefarm3602 Madonna Oh Father 1989
1989
The little girls acting is breathtaking and chilling. Amazing performance
Fun fact she was one of my professors in my doctoral program, she grew up and became a successful doctor.
That’s interesting. I wonder who played the father?
The double blink she does, before her “father” grabs her literally tears at my soul. Heartbreaking. I remember not being able to watch this video when it first came out, because that moment upset me so much.
Reminds me of B A T M A N 🪦
@@carbonfrog1Can you tell us her name?
The best part of this video is the confessional scene, the gravesite, and her deceased mother. NO ONE has ever been this bold in a video either before or since! This is why Madonna is one of the greatest American artists who changed pop music history. 🎵
This woman lost her mother at such a young age. I couldn't imagine that feeling of loss. Her pain comes out in her music in many ways. God bless you, Madonna.
Doubtful
Madonna worships Lucifer and the baphomet. She got to evaluate her life and make biiiiig changes if she ever wants to be back under God’s good graces
@@adsromek ok, lunatic. Have a nice day.
@@adsromek oh do shut up Abby, !!!
@@adsromek Thats not true.The captains of the music industri are forcing her to do that.Michael Jackson.complained aboud that too.
@@adsromek shut up.
This song makes me cry! A masterpiece! Unfortunately so many people don't know it yet. Madonna is incredible!
Same for Madonna's Thgis Used To Be My Playground, Promisse To Try and To Have And Not To Hold
@@ginasousabranco5637 Madonna
1989
Madonna Love The 1989
Me to 😢😰
A masterpiece. There's something about that turn she makes when she's leaving her dad. The little shadow girl on the wall juxtaposed against the powerful woman in the snow "never felt so good about myself" What an inspiration for all survivors. Here is where all the tables turned. Here is where the survivor is born.
Agreed, my favourite part of the song and the video. Whether you're a survivor or not, it's an astonishing example Fincher's sensitivity. This video is as good as Vogue and yet seems overlooked these days.
@@soin74 Agree you don't need to be a survivor to appreciate! Overlooked? Perhaps because it's such a heavy subject? I don't know. Regardless, it's art. Livable, breathing art.
Yeah, it's a great scene. The whole video is just so amazing. People thought this was biographical, and in some ways it is. I think Madonna's mother dying really, really messed Madonna up. She was jealous of the housekeepers that tried to run the house, and I can't imagine how she felt when Tony married Joan. I'm sure he loves her very much, and I think he was upset when this video came out. I don't think he ever abused her, but I think she couldn't understand that he still had to live his life, and he moved on. I think Madonna has too, in some ways, but in some ways not.
Interesting fact. The beautiful little girl in the video I think didn’t awesome job acting turned out to be a professor in therapy. I know because she was my professor in my marriage and family therapy grad program :-) she’s really nice and she looks the same!
@@formerlyarandompropernameb9327 Wow! Thanks for sharing that. Glad to hear she's doing well and is quite successful.
Ah, back in the days when popular music actually had intelligent lyrics, broached difficult subjects and had meaning.
But but but what about Tay Tay? Swifties would disagree 😂
Yes. Exactly 💯. 😊
A masterpiece. Truly.
Madonna has so many masterpiece songs and its videos: Bad Girl, Ghosttown, Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Papa Don't Preach, The Power of Goodbye, Rain , This Used To be My Palyground, Crave, Batuka, ...
Manajaj aí love you cuerno de discraça v
Facts
Those who grew up with this are SHAPED BY THE MUSIC. when she passes, a part of me will go as well.....my god it all feels so surreal....2020 is monumental and I know she's not like dying or anything but it's just all so raw.....
Because its a sia song
Listening to a lot of Madonna lately.
She's fantastic.
She has an amazing body of work - music , tours and videos . You are in for a treat 😍
@@garycambridge5513 Madonna
1989
Madonna Love The 1989
x100
Madonna doesn't sing with high notes, she sings with her soul tho, that's more important
Yes
This isn't one of Madonna's best songs, it's simply one of the THE best songs ever made. The opening chord progression carries more emotion with it than any other I've ever heard. The video really adds to the song fantastically. Brilliant piece of work.
This song is so much better than all the Billboard top 10 hits right now!
Right?! 90% of what they call "music" these days is just garb anymore! It all slowly went downhill after the 90's
And right now too!
I remember watching this video as a kid when my mother was being abused by a live-in boyfriend. As young as 10 years old I was suicidal and hated my life. This is one video that got me through. Thanks Madonna.
By my dad not a boyfriend...
@@tammyfields4270 ??? They are right?
I hope you are in a much better place now 💜💜
Madonna
@Gorgeous George why are you talking about genes???
“maybe someday, when I look back I’ll be able to say, you didn’t mean to be cruel, somebody hurt you too” 😥
My brother... Was hurt by my father now it is he whom hurts his family...
Thats applicable alot of times not even just in the case of a father...alot of people never shown ANY love or someone that hurt them, they either are not capable of real love or go on to hurt someone else who doesn't deserve because they themselves were hurt..
@@marswmnwhoever2188 The lines “You didn’t mean to be cruel...somebody hurt you too” is the dictionary definition of moving.
And that's the line that I thought of about my Dad and it was true. And we have the best relationship ever now. Not saying that it was down to Madonna lol, but those particular lyrics always resonated with me.
Yes, that part breaks my heart
This song feels different after losing my Mother. The pain never goes away. You just learn to live with it.,
❤😔😔
@@crtpitt3722❤❤❤❤¢#№¢¢¢❤
Yes
I lost my mom a year ago. Besties. The pain will never leave. But, she would be the one to say (carry on)
Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I lost my mom two months ago and this video has me crying like a baby, it just hurts so bad sometimes. Mom, if you're watching over me, I love you so much and I will miss you forever.
Madonna has reinvented herself so many times and created so much, but her exceptional talent for ballads has always remained with us xx
❤
A true artistic achievement. In the span of a few minutes, we are told a story about childhood pain carrying over into adulthood, and finally forgiveness. An incredibly sensitive and sad video.
Madonna's true artistry has always been showcased in her ballads. You can feel the pain and longing in her voice.
So true!! And without the annoying vocal range battle like most of her female peers
and plus she writes her own lyrics
Absolutely
I totally agree with all of you
Very true
This is was the most haunting songs Madonna did. Her father took out all his rage over her mother's death. Absolutely beautiful music and lyrics.
Yea, that's how itcwas for me . I can fully relate to what she sings about.
I have heard otherwise. Her brother disputes this
the queen of marketing - she got all of us broken kids. Im sure her mothers death really messed her and her father up.
This song always makes me cry😪
me too, and promise to try
Me too. 😥
Me too when she says oh father if you never wanted to live that way if you never wated to hurt me why am i runned
Whe can shake hands.
I think more people than you think world wide.
This song and video are a work of art.
Oh Father should've been a bigger hit than Like a Virgin.
Different music genres. Like a Virgin is 100% pop and catchy. Oh Father is a pop ballad
Mark Millsaps yes but oh father is way deeper and more powerful and moving.,
One of Madonna's masterpieces. I always cry when I listen to and watch this video. 😢❤❤❤
@@ginasousabranco5637 live to tell was also a pop ballad and was a hit. This should've been a hit. All her songs deserved to be hits
This was the first Madonna video I'd had exposure to, as a young teen. Oh, I'd heard her songs on the radio before but I didn't watch a lot of TV until 1989/90. Basically it's the song that got me "into" Madonna. For that reason this song has always struck a very nostalgic chord with me. Definitely her most emotional song, and at the same time so very different than anything else she'd recorded up to that point aside from Live To Tell. It's almost like it came from a different artist, it was so different. But I agree, it should have been a much bigger hit, I was shocked when I started doing chart research it basically broker her top 10 streak. But that may be nostalgia speaking, and still speaking 30 years (ugh!) later.
One of the best music videos of all time. This music video packs more story and emotion than some 2 hour films. There is so much to unpack here: death of a parent, grief, parental neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, abusive relationships, forgiveness, resilience, and in a metaphorical sense, conflicting emotions about God and religion. This video and the song that inspired it are masterpieces.
I read an interview where she talks about not expecting to see her Mother's lip sewn together, Haunted her.
@d I'm not sure if he was abusive. But it does seem like they had a difficult relationship. Papa Don't Preach was another song that dealt with her daddy issues.
@d Italian Catholic dad, deeply religious and emotionally unavailable
An amazing analysis 👌💯
@@grantkyle8823 l often wonder would things have been better for if her mother had not have passed away.
This will forever be Madonna’s best song and video
Pravdu máš
It breaks my heart that people don't know this song...
I knew the SIA version but didn't know it was a cover till now!
There are songs that are not meant to be hits, just little treasures for those who loves the artist that made them... this is one of these
I'm today's years old for this...
This was a TOP20 HIT on Billboard HOT100 in 1989-1990
ikr
I don't understand the ones who say Madonna isn't important. I don't understand the ones who think Madonna career is over. For the ones who think the last points, I want you to say that she's creating music all the time. She's a Music genius and a really great female. No one does it like she did . NO ONE HAS THE SAME IMPACT SHE HAD WHEN SHE RELEASED HER ALBUMS IN THE 80'S AND 90'S. PLEASE, GOD.
Agree . Her catalog from the 80s n 90s is incredibly unique n timeless .
Whoever is saying that is full of it. Madonna is ICONIC. The press never understood her, and still don’t. Sadly they ignore her now. Her influence in music is everywhere.
If she never releases another Song noone Alive can surpass her!
Im.sorry how could you forgot her 2000s stuff thats how she turned into art
It's that she's so trashy" she's been a slut her whole life. She's blasphemed the Holy spirit. Yes her talent is undeniable" no doubt about it.
Haunting and ridiculously underrated. Live to tell is another fav
braktuun Stop! Don't use the word "Underrated" when you talk about a Madonna 👑 song she never gonna have nothing underrated is the most selling female artist all time! Come on....
@@grard4141 but this song is underrated, is a beautiful song with one of the best music videos OF ALL TIME, yet it was overlooked by: Grammys, MTV VMAS, AMAs, The Charts, and even Madonna herself who only performed it once and no even the full version of in a medley. DEF UNDERRATED.
IThinkTheFuckNot YoutrickassBitch Is a Classic bro and Classics don't need awards or whatever you think 🙄 and again Madonna don't now the word underrated she is the most excess full artists all time 💎💎💎
@@grard4141 calm down bobo
Her two best songs
This must be Madonna's best song though underrated. She touched many people with it. And you can feel she sings from the bottom of her soul.
Agreed, it's doubtlessly one of her best songs, but not her best song... And I'm getting tired of the word "underrated". Who determines which songs are underrated?
@@GeorgeKuenzli underrated because generally not the 1st song that comes to mind when thinking about this artist. Just an opinion.
@mriyefa2196 Totally agree with you. It's a criminally underrated song. If this song was given its due upon release it would have gone to number 1 immediately. But it didn't do as well as all the other singles from Like. A Prayer, maybe the subject matter was deemed too heavy at the time. That being said, the song is amazing regardless of its commercial appeal. You can just gage by reading these comments how much this song means to countless people.
This is her masterpiece in my view. It's here that we glimpse the real woman and her feelings. It's such a powerful song, perhaps too much so, which is why it didn't do well on release. The Madonna we see today is a million miles away from this, sadly.
Everything about this is perfect: the lyrics, Madonna's tone, the melody, the video, the story behind the song... absolutely snubbed and underrated song.
Agree. Madonna was early here... It was really in the 90s when Tori Amos and Fiona Apple tapped into this level of dark, brutal honesty that songs of this kind actually gained broad acceptance...
And of course the angry christians hated it back then, which makes it even better!!!
There's a lot of redemption in this song. My relationship with my Father was beyond difficult throughout my childhood and adolescence, but as an adult we've learned to communicate openly. We don't get to choose our parents, and must remember they aren't perfect either. I understand now, he didn't mean to be cruel...somebody hurt him too.
xoxo
Can I get another Amen?!
Powerful comment & I've felt your words
Honest
Articulate & heartfelt thanks for sharing 💜❤
I love you! Thank you for sharing, and forgiving, and never giving up! Perspective is rich!
The chain has to be broken at some point. If you accept that a father was cruel because someone had hurt him, so you accept you can be a bad father yourself, because you've been hurt too, and so on... I do understand your point, but this goes on and on if we just accept it! All the best to you!
If you listen to the entire Like A Prayer album, you'll notice that vocally, Madonna sounds like she's on the verge of tears on nearly every song- including "Oh, Father". Even on the happier songs like "Dear Jessie" and "Cherish", there's this bittersweet tinge of sadness to her vocals; it sounds like her voice is breaking and she's trying so hard to sound hopeful.
That is actually a trait that her voice always has had (to me at least, I also noticed it clearly on the True Blue album, but even in earlier songs like 'Love don't live here anymore', 'Crazy for you', etc.)
It's the very reason she has gotten away with being not the most technically gifted singer, but what she lacked (though she got much better over the years) technically, was more than outweighed by her ability to convey an emotion; it's why I like her voice so much :)
Great pick up!
that might me true, according to her she was very emotional while making this record because her marriage ended and she turned 30, the age her mother died
I am touched
I'm sure she was emotional during the recordings of a certain songs, but it's her voice at the time. she has that same tone of voice on the erotica album. and later it began to change as she was grown and took lessons for the evita picture, so that has changed the way she used to use her voice.
I always prefer her early vocals with much less technical things, but much more heart & soul she used to put on it.
This whole LP was a huge step forward for Madonna. Profound and personal. She lost her own mother as a child. Timeless masterpiece.
i'm a classic rock and punk fan but man this is one of the most powerful songs ever! Madonna has a wonderful voice and meaningful lyrics. thanks Madonna.
It's incredible but lots of hard rock or punk fans love Madonna. I have been a fan of hers forever and she has always kept a punk attitude no matter what kind of songs she has written and produced. She started playing and singing rock/ska/pop punk songs in New York before she got a superstar and that background has never gone away from her. You can feel that attitude in everything she says and does, that's possibly why lots of rock and punk fans respect her. And yes, this song is an absolute masterpiece ❤
Progressive metal fan here. Still eagerly listening to several songs of her, the one included.
@@sebastianocostantino1 Madonna
Same here, bro.
@@garycarr3857😊
The fathers grief for the mother dying, was taken out on her.....she then has abusive relationships later in life with men but then goes on to forgive her father , when she's a woman and he's an old man..a beautifully, sad, dark classic from Madge.
This video is very personal, about her mothers death as a child, her troubled relationship with her father and then her marriage to Sean Penn.
I spent years as a child singing this song at the top of my voice trying to exorcise the ghosts, pain, grief and fear of child abuse (I still do when the memories get too much). This song was the only way I could express my emotions, my pain and memories. It gave me an element of control over those emotions. Although my abuser wasn't my dad but another family member, it still spoke to me, still articulated the things I didn't dare say
Music can be such a catharsis, help us capture and express the pain and torment deep within us which is seeking expression and a way out!! It meant a lot to me, too, helped me dispel some of my own anger and grief and pain.
...I wish it is all long gone away from You now 😙
@@cathylindeboo.9598 Madonna
I'm sorry you had to go through it, too. But I'm glad you are still here.
All I can day is..same here
I miss these days when so much time and attention was put into music videos.
Essa música me lembra um passado não muito distante em as músicas eram românticas e boas de se ouvir.
Yes! This video was truly a work of art, imo!!
It's over but go one in TH-cam
@@paulosidney3692 es verdad
1989: Hit.
💗
2020: Still a Hit.
💗
2083: Hit forever.
💗
TIMELESS!!!
Oh, Madonna... how I wish people would pay more attention to your songwriting abilities. Your words are powerful.
So are you.
She is a low key poet.
She didnt write this though
Kelle Nicole Smith Really? Because she’s credited as a writer for the song along with Patrick Leonard on the album. So I’d like to know who you think wrote this.
Kelle Nicole Smith Madonna did write this song.
It's been said before but certainly bares repeating: This video and song are masterpieces. This ought to have at least 100 millions views.
I agree. It stirs up so much emotion in me, something videos don't do for me anymore. I remember crying when I was a teen seeing this for the first time, and now at 39, I am having the same reaction. I want to meet her to tell her this is the song she should define her talent
Ursine ComicGeek You are so right.
Katie Didyk I Cry inside for the young girl or women who is being abused when I hear this song
Its her own fault for not adding her videography onto her vevo page
EAB82 Warner Bros,who has her material from 1982 to 2009,doesn't have a deal with VEVO.
This classic needs the 4K treatment asap!
After 14 years of child abuse, I connected with this song like no other. Thank you Madonna for making me feel like you were walking beside me in the late 80s. Nothing but love to you for this song and respective its album. Such soul. Such power xxx
Oh I feel ya hon! It’s been 6 years since I severed ties with my father, a few months after this song came on my car radio & I immediately had to pull over because I was sobbing so hard. It totally resonated with me in all aspects! My father was mentally physically and emotionally abusive to me and I lived through 13 years of hell because of him. So I understand how you feel sweetie. No one ever truly understands how difficult it is to process what happened to us let alone try to cope with the aftermath. I hope that you are well and thriving 🥰❤️ always remember that there is always light 💡 at the end of the tunnel ☺️ god bless you sweetie! ☺️🤜🏼🤛🏼
"You didn't mean to be cruel, somebody hurt you too"... Very deep.
+TRAPPER JOHNSON even when I know my dad was very hurt, I don't excuse him for treating me the way he did. I was a child. It is his reason, not his excuse. I understand him and forgive him. But the child in me can't.
sugar To be honest... I dont have a good relationship with my dad. He and my mom raised the 4 of us, he connects with my siblings, but he's outright hostile towards me every chance he gets. But now at age 25 and with my mothers passing, I realize he's an idiot and i can truly say i couldn't careless about him living or dying. I decided and told him... If you dont want me in your life... YOU GOT IT! Coming up on a year and I haven't spoken to him since. And I truly don't care. Some people have kids, but they should not be parents. Its that simple.
+TRAPPER JOHNSON That lyric kills me every time.
+TRAPPER JOHNSON I feel you mate. my own family were violent con artists, I barely escaped with my life. They did manage to destroy my sanity but at least I am alive, and.where there's life there's hope. you did the right thing, no one has the right to hurt you even if they are blood.
Tommy Morgan I get you. My family isnt violent or criminals. My father is just who he is, and if I can help it, I'm done with him.
Oh Father, Ghosttown, Secret, The power of good-bye, This used to be my playground, Bad girl, Live to tell, Rain, Take a bow, You'll see, Masterpiece ♥
yes !,absolutamente
+Miłosz Płóciennik i suggest adding "Look of Love" to that list.
And frozen,nothing fails,falling free,...
+Miłosz Płóciennik She maybe known for her dance records but the woman writes spectacular ballads.. Oh Father is no exception.
Pray For Spanish Eyes, Crazy For You, Messiah, Love Don't Live Anymore, Time Stood Still
I'm a metalhead and even to me this song alone sends a strong message,well done.
Not a Madonna fan, but always felt this was one of her most underrated songs.
Madonna's most beautiful, soulful and heart-wrenching song. The video belongs to Madonna's "Icon" phase when she lifted the music video from a form of promotion to an art form deserving of the highest praise. I played this for my father when I was a teenager but he was too distracted by work to know what the lyrics were or how deliberate I was being. This wasn't a big hit for Madonna - nothing this personal and powerful ever is. But only a person with the tinnest of ears and shallowest of hearts can say a negative word about this song.
still giving goosebumps in 2024..
👏👏👏 Everything you said x 💯!
When I lost my mother… My father totally changed into a very abusive man… He didn’t deal with his grief and essentially he left me as my father. He started to date very quickly and basically abandoned his family he was grieving. This is a weak man. And therapy I’m learning he was weak all along. It took me 50 years to realize it. And now everything’s come full circle…I’m able to see how my relationship with my father my whole life was behind all the horribly abusive relationships I had with men. This song is so healing
It’s a song simultaneously sad and empowering. A rare achievement in music. I remember hearing it when it came out when I was a child and it has never ceased to make me cry since.
The song makes me cry always as well. But the brilliance of the video is perfection. From the casting of that beautiful little girl, to all the imagery... I could go on and on about that. I wish the world could see this. I think it would be very healing to a lot of people
@@Rainbow-yh6ov Madonna Like A Prayer 1989
Yep
This video should have 500 million views. I love Madonna today but her older videos, like this one are masterpieces
Her like a prayer album is such a masterpiece
True Madonna fans can tell it was sped up at some points. Saw her live when I was 9.
what do you mean?
like at 2:44 and on?
Isobel Rapso the version on in bed with madonna is pretty cool it's a little different it's good
This song is a prime example of what separates Madonna from all of her wannabees, and all the mainstream female acts that came before her.
Amen
Right on!
+Allison Le
totally she was ahead at this time in her life writing meaningful songs
Totalmente de acuerdo, entre Madonna y las demás hay un gran abismo
It is certainly a powerful song. Like many of you, this song also saved me. It gave me the strength to go on and leave my home where I suffered child abuse and sexual abuse. Many of us have undergone horrible traumas since we were just kids, now that we are all grown-ups, know how to deal and many of us have healed from this painful trauma. Thank you Madonna for indirectly save life of hundreds of young boys and girls with your powerful music. I will always love you, Lady Madonna.
I used to dislike Madonna's singing in this song. I've finally realized that her voice, though not perfect, is raw, honest and successfully conveys her sadness.
Madonna is no-nonsense singer. She never belt it out her voice just to sugarcoat an average song.
This song has so much meaning to me.. having grown up with an abusive father I know what it is like to have no where to run... I am pregnant now and unlike my mother I will do all that I can to protect my child from the scars... I will do whatever it takes and that is a promise
I grew up as a gay little boy with a very abusive dad. He'd hit me with a belt, throw my mother down the stairs, punch us, I was terrified of setting him off. I would get in trouble at school because I couldn't do my homework, and I'd be way to scares to ask my dad for help. And God bless my mother, she was amazing, but she isn't the cleverest. I started to rebel around age 14, I stopped going to school, got into drugs etc. I remember the first ever time I hit my dad back. He battered me for it, but it felt good. I might have been skinnier, but i was taller than u now dad. At 16 the legal age we leave school in the UK, my dad put me out. Now he wasn't obligated by the law to make sure I attend school etc, I could leave. I had nowhere to go. I'd walk the street all night aimlessly. I'd sit in parks, light the bin on fire. I started to sell myself, I'd go to the gay bars in town and would throw myself at any guy who was half decent. I had no respect for myself, I'd always been put down, called stupid, I'd never amount to anything etc. I'd sell myself for anything at first, a bed for the night, some cigs and drinks. I got older and started doing 'well' for myself, I became a good earner within the sex trade. But it never fulfilled me, I was always sad really, no matter how good I looked or how in shape I was. I was obsessed with my image, as I felt because I'm stupid and haven't gotten much to offer if I look good, and people wanna sleep with me, I'll feel better, i never did. So after about ten years, my mum had gotten ill with cancer and passed away. I as devastated. I tried to reconnect with my dad but I just couldn't forgive him. Another few years pass, I end up in jail for 18 months. My boyfriend at the time was dealing, and the police busted our flat. I was sentenced for possession of heroin. I didn't know who to call, I was very ill, I rang my sister and my she got in touch with my dad. He came and visited me. He seemed sad, said my mum would be devastated as she always wanted the best for me. She wanted me to have everything she didn't. As he was going to leave, my dad turned and said to me, I'm sorry boy. As he left the visiting I burst into tears. I didn't see him again til I came out. I went to visit him and he opened the door and again I began to cry. He said I'm sorry Alex. I said daddy I'm sorry too. He went on to tell me how his dad had beat him black and blue, I knew his dad was an alcoholic but he would never talk about him. He told me that an adult male close to my grandmother had sexually abused him as a kid. He told me he never felt like he knew how to show me he loved me. And the fact I was an effiminate little boy made it harder for him. Man I fell off the chair, I couldn't believe what he was saying. He cried, apologised over n over. He told me he'd always been so angry, and it had caused him to loose sight of what really matters etc. I looked at my dad, and I said daddy I'm sorry for letting u down. I'm sorry for embarrassing u, I felt like that little boy again. And then I told him, dad I forgive u. I didn't realise all these years that ur anger had come from a place of deep hurt. U hurt me, coz someone had hurt u too. I cried and balled when I got home. I don't know why my dad mellowed out as he got older, but I'm so glad he did. I was released from prison in 2012 and have rebuilt my life. I'm a hairstylist now. And have a loving amazing boyfriend. And yes, me and my dad are ok. We don't talk all the time, but we're good. He told me he loved me and I don't know why, even as a grown man, I felt so good. I needed to hear it. My mum had always said he loved us, he provides for us etc, but doesn't know how to show it. And I think now that yeah, she was right. Sorry this is so long, I've never ever unburdened myself like this before. Sending love from the UK x
Alex Carlson I don’t know you, but I’m proud of you! Continued success and happiness.
@@kittyglitter5376 thank you ever so much. The same to you! X
me too
Thank you for sharing Alex. ❤️
this song touched my heart incredibly. I started crying.
me too :'(
hellokitty122304 Beautiful song. Very sad too of course!
Me too :c I have a bad relationship with my dad, and that one famous sentence reached deeply in..
Same here
PE Cornal Me too.
Say what you will about this woman ! She is a legend and her songs are so raw . Keep it together , bad girl, til death do us part
This used to be my playground which was really about nyc and aids the power of goodbye ur frozen Spanish eyes and her prequel to oh father her ultimate song LIVE TO TELL
Agree❤❤❤❤❤
For the second and last time, I walked away from my family due to it's toxicity and dysfunction. This song resonates so much with what I was dealing with in my life.
I HOPE you are okay now, Love Always😘
Same here sis
She's a creative genius.
Exactly!
agreed
She is an interpretative genius of a song written by Sia.
Sia did not write this song. Madonna did!
sia? wtf? this song is old
I remember crying and crying to this song when my stepfather was abusing me..in all forms. Listening to it right now..the tears are flowing. I feel those emotions. That despair. But, I made it ❤ This is the most powerful song I know.
Same, girl. Same. I'm glad you made it. 💜
I feel so sorry for the abuse you have been through and glad and relieved you are over it now (meaning physically as I know the scars never go away).
that backhand I got that a lot from moms hubby number 2. fucker
@@kelleylmiller still does the same thing to me today 😢
@ithakiboy thank you ❤
It doesn’t matter what mood I am in, this song *always* brings the tears. I don’t even necessarily have a personal connection to the themes, it’s just that I feel Madonna’s pain and sorrow coming through so incredibly powerfully
Same for me, I just did my makeup and now I'm crying like a baby.
I feel the same , it's an emotional expression of her life... Something powerful and beautifully written.
Have you seen oh father the dark ballet version?
@@drcokepepper , I haven't I will listen thank you.
they say that when a song makes you cry then is a masterpiece
This song is absolutely gorgeous.... A absolute masterpiece
sorry, but only madonna can do this! she´s pure art!
Listen to sia singing this song you can find it in youtube
Sia did a pretty good cover of this song.
TRUTH!! @Juan Acevedo
love more Cindy Lauper
That image of the mother's lips sewn partially shut and the daughter's reaction . . . always wows me. Grief is humbling but also freeing.
This little gem was hiding in her Like a Prayer album and never got the attention it deserved. I'm flaky when it comes to ranking my favorite Madonna songs over the years, but this one comes out on top frequently. I think it resonates more with people who have gone through this kind of abuse. I lived through a couple nasty stepfathers.
Facts.
@d I don't believe she's ever gotten specific about any abuse in her childhood, but the song is inspired by her childhood being raised by her father after her mother died (when she was just 5).
This song is incredibly healing for me. As someone who suffered abandonment from my biological father this hits home. He left when I was still a toddler. But became involved in my life when I was 17 years old. Unfortunately he was a narcissistc alcoholic. The "relationship" we had was the type of relationship you have with a party friend. And emotionally abusive to say the least. But I took my power back.
I told him I deserved healthy relationships in my life and ended the abuse he subjected me to. Decades later, we still have no contact. But I can truly say I've forgiven him. He was a product of his own upbringing. He didn't love himself, and therefore could not love others. I'm so glad I went through therapy and now see him in a different way. I finally feel free from the bondage I allowed to consume me for decades. I'm sure this song was incredibly healing for Madonna 💜
Very happy for you for surviving and recovering!! We can and do heal and learn to break the destructive cycles!!
It's very difficult not to cry while watching this. Especially when it brings some memories of the past.
You have reason :(. Beautiful and sad song.
Same, and u r not alone
@@narugara9 thank you 😇
Chills every time when the piano and the strings begin. Such a beautiful and moving song about the cycles of familial trauma.
32 years later, this still breaks my heart.
This was one of the most important albums of my life due to this song. Proprs to Madonna to translating such personal, yet universal pain to all of us.
You're here because so much time has passed and it still hits hard. One of her best songs.
ANYONE LISTENING TO THIS FAVOURITE MADONNA MUSIC IN 2023 ?
probably the saddest madonna song. always makes me cry somehow.
It still gets me. It still reveals me. It still strengthens me.
This song and music video are timeless.
Madonna's vulnerable vocals in this songs is the perfect example why her music is so beloved.
Even if she’s singing of characters, her gasps and shivers gave voice to the complex dynamic so many children have with their parents.
Absolutely
This difference between myself and this song is that I don’t feel good about myself after losing my father. She speaks volumes about what he did. My father was an enigma (I learned so much after he passed), but it’s never made me feel good that he’s gone. It’s heartbreaking, soul crushing, mind fucking. I absolutely lose my shit with a weeping ache in my entire being when I hear this song.
I like that at the end you see an adult Madonna standing next to an older man, presumably the father in the video, also symbolizing Madonna's own father and the idea that she has made peace and reconciled with him. The child is spinning in happiness again and has been set free from her demons.
Still the only Madonna song that brings me to tears to this day. This song’s emotional core. I know this feeling all too well.
This song had a huge impact on my life. It can bring tears when I think about my husband who died at 27, or it makes me feel empowered for surviving an abusive childhood. I admire Madonna for her ability to tap into pain to create such a beautiful song that can touch so many people!
one thing i hate child abuse parents who abused there kids for over stupid like spilling the milk or father getting mad cuz the mother of his child is gone and blames the kid cuz he drunk but cycle of abuse will never stop it gose from child to women to animals
I agree. This a song with heart and depth.I know that surviving an abuse childhood is something which requires great inner strength. I wish you well on your continued journey. I was sorry to hear of the loss of your husband at such a young age. God bless you in all that you do.
This is Madonna's best song, and I have listened to her songs hundreds of times.
Thrilling and touching.
Brilliant songwriter.
One of Madonnas greatest, if she never did anything else in her life, what a contribution this song is. Seems like she was always there with me, wherever you are in the world, I love you, we all do.
Beautiful, emotional ballad. It's funny how Madonna a primarily Dance/Pop artist can make such rich ballads such as Oh father, Live to tell, Take a Bow, The power of goodbye etc. etc.
Umm, yeah, she lives to sing. Why think otherwise?
she is great at ballads, check : Little Star, Falling Free, Joan of Arc, Bad Girl :) I love all of her ballads, I Love Madonna :)
Totally agree. This video brings out so much emotion. Dark Sad and Beautiful all in one
Sadly people overlook this talent she has. A true chameleon. One moment she’s provocative, the next she’s emotional and vulnerable. True beauty.
"Inside of me" as well great beautiful song
This song has always been my favorite from her. I first saw it as a child and it was like looking at my life with my own father. I didn't understand the part where she says "you didn't mean to be cruel" until I was an adult and forgave him on his deathbed.
forgave him for?
i want to forgive
I love u
zencapri 🙏🏽
Same
WE WANT A 4K VERSION NOW!!! ❤ This is possibly the best song by Madonna.
Pop music simply doesn't get any better than this. This was Madonna at her musical and visual peak. Stunning to behold.
Another great Madonna/ Patrick Leonard collaboration. They were pure dynamite back then....
That child's an amazing actress she makes me cry my eye balls out
+Stephanie Riconda Sorry if this doesn't make me popular, but I didn't think the child acted at all well (not that she can be blamed, as she was a child). Perhaps the reason is the child herself had never been subjected to the experiences in the song, happily. But I didn't find any of her reactions convincing.
daniel meade Who is she? The child
When Madonna was good and in touch with her true artistic self.
"'Oh Father' is like the second half of 'Live to Tell', in a way. It was a combo package-it was about my father and my husband. I was dealing with male authority figures once again. That is a great source of inspiration in my writing. - Madonna
This song has always meant so much to me. My father left my mother brother and I when I was 5. It used to hurt when he wasn't there for all my milestones in my life but then I stopped trying to win his affections and loved those who loved me and I stopped hurting as much.
One of her most underrated songs! The video is perfect for the song.
“You can’t hurt me now. You can’t make me cry. You once had the power. I never felt so good about myself.” Some of the most powerful lyrics I’ve ever heard. As someone who was raised by an abusive alcoholic father, this song resonates so much. Wishing everyone peace and strength. 🙏🏻
To me, this is Madonna's very, very, very best song. I wanted to see if it would make me tear up a little bit when I watched it again, and, like usual, it did.
It's just a beautiful song, with deep meaning, lots of emotion, well-produced, contains a lot of real instruments (something she doesn't do very often), and is in 12/8.
Spot on my friend! This is such a beautiful melancholic piece of music, Madonna's ballads are often magnificent, but this one tops the lot for me.
+Brent R Promise To Try is devastating, i want to cry everytime i hear it. i always skip it so i don't get too emotional.
Indeed. It is my favorite. Barely any radio play. Terribly underrated.
What is 12/8? I'm assuming it's time/tempo but I'm not exactly sure.
James Raymond You can count it in 12; though, now that I think about it, it might be 12/4. The 4 or 8 has to do with comparing it to a 1/4 note or an 1/8 note, so if you can count it quickly, it's more likely to have a /8 at the and, and if it counts out slowly, it's more likely to have a /4 at the end. So in this case, since it can be counted in 12, and it's not that fast of a count, it's most likely 12/4.
I always believe I was the only person who went through child abuse, now I see I'm not alone.
@@olentangyriver1191 You are not alone. I am one of them 🙋