Express Yourself

Madonna

About Express Yourself

"Express Yourself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989 by Sire Records. The song was included on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), and Celebration (2009). "Express Yourself" was the first song that Madonna and producer Stephen Bray collaborated on for Like a Prayer. Written and produced by them, the song was a tribute to American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. The main inspiration behind the song is female empowerment, urging women never to go for second-best and to always express their inner feelings. "Express Yourself" is an upbeat dance-pop song that features instrumentation from brass, hand claps and drum beats, while the chorus is backed by the sound of saxophone and percussion. The lyrics talk about rejecting material pleasures and only accepting the best for oneself; subtexts are employed throughout the song. "Express Yourself" received positive reviews from critics, who applauded the gender equality message of the song and complimented the song for being a hymn to freedom and encouragement to women and all oppressed minorities. Commercially, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Madonna's sixth number-one hit on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. It also reached the top of the singles charts in Canada and Switzerland, and the top five elsewhere. 


Year:
1990
274 
#7

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

Baby
B-B-B-Baby
Come on girls
You believe in love
'Cause I've got something to sing 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

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

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

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
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
Express yourself

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


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: Stephen Pate Bray, Madonna Ciccone

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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    Express Yourself

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1989

    Billboard #2


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