"Like a Prayer" by Madonna

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone... except for everyone listening to this episode, because we're traveling together through doubt and deliverance with Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Kirk takes a look at the high-contrast drama of the megastar's 1989 megahit, with its cathedral-like verses, bus-driving guitar rhythms, bouncy basslines, and perfectly placed Latin percussion flourishes. The music video got a lot of attention back in the day, but there's plenty in the song itself to celebrate, from Prince's mystery guitar to Madonna's vulnerable vocals to the joyful power of the Andraé Crouch Choir.Band/Artist: MadonnaAlbum: Like a Prayer, 1989Composed by: Madonna and Patrick LeonardListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Open Your Heart To Me" by Madonna from True Blue, 1986"Like a Prayer" as covered by the cast of GleeThe music video for "Like a Prayer": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA983t3RdzsThree excellent music documentaries: "Muscle Shoals," "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," and "20 Feet From Stardom." (Seriously, watch all three!)OUTRO SOLOIST: Steve PardoThis episode's outro soloist is the one and only Steve Pardo. Steve and Kirk met when they were both jazz saxophone students at the University of Miami; Steve currently lives and performs around the Nashville, TN area. He's a producer, composer, and does work in the world of video games, having spent several years at Harmonix, where he helped make music games like Rock Band and Dance Central. You can find out more at his website: https://www.stevepardo.com/--------------------SEPTEMBER 2019 WHOLE NOTE PATRONSandrew walters - CALEB ROTACH - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn - Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Sara WalshSEPTEMBER 2019 HALF NOTE PATRONSAlexander Polson - Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Bill Thornton - Brett Douville - Brian Amoebas - Chas Lednicky - Chris Brown - Cyrus N. White - Dominik Schmitt - Earl Lozada - Eero Wahlstedt - Elliot - Jay O'Neill - Emily Williams - FlSHBONES - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeffrey Olson - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O'Keefe - joujou - Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua - Jules Bailey - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kate Albury - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Matt Gaskell - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Miriam Juskowicz - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Richard Toller - samuel gardner - Shane DeLeon - Shaun Wiese - Tim - Tom Clewer - Tom Lauer --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here (Livestream Tix Now Available!)----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics