so wrong

[Babs]

Today I heard a church choir perform a choral arrangement of Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Um, they know what that song's about...right?

[il Padrino Ute]

Wow.

Just, wow.

[Shaka]

My friend plays in the band and one of the local charismatic churches. He comes to me every Monday and we have a good laugh about the set list. These guys have a habit of changing the lyrics to suit their purposes. I think it's somewhat comical to do so.

[Babs]

My friend plays in the band and one of the local charismatic churches. He comes to me every Monday and we have a good laugh about the set list. These guys have a habit of changing the lyrics to suit their purposes. I think it's somewhat comical to do so.

They didn't change any. They did omit some of the lines, but I still thought it was totally bizarre. And I grew up in non-denomination churches that borrowed lyrics from the Eagles and the Cheers theme.

[LiveCoug]

Babs, I want you to go to your local Mormon church on a fast sunday and report on open mic sunday from a non member perspective. Will you do that for me?

[Katy Lied]

When you call my name, it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there.
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power.
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there

[Solon]

When you call my name, it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there.
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power.
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there

I love this song, as I love pretty much anything Madonna.

Babs' story reminds me of Reagan using "Born in the USA" as a rousing patriotic anthem in '84, or of the millions of people yelling the lyrics to "YMCA" at ballgames across America.

(this one's for Il Pad)

An older example is "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Written as a plea by Katie Casey for someone to offer her some entertainment, the deliciously ambiguously unspoken implication is that she will do ANYTHING for a date. In the 1910s and 1920s, so-called "treating girls" were young, single, factory-working girls who had very little pocket money for entertainment. So, they would often exchange "favors" for a night on the town.

There was a good deal of debate among the moralists (who were still holding onto Victorian ideals in the face of the upheaval of the 1920s) as to whether or not this exchange was in fact prostitution. Eventually, someone came up with a "spectrum" of female categories that started at "courting couples" and then denigrated from there to treating girls, mistresses, and professional prostitutes.

As Beth Clement (U of U prof.) wrote,

Charity girls engaged in “treating,” exchanging sexual activities (sometimes including sexual intercourse) for entertainment expenses like theater tickets, dance hall admissions, and late-night dinners at the automat.” .Beth Clement, Love for Sale: Courting, Treating, and Prostitution in New York City, 1900-1945 (Chapel Hill: 2006), pg. 1

Link to Beth's book: http://books.google.com/books?id=c78...page&q&f=false

So, think about it next time you're enjoying the "seventh-inning stretch."

[YOhio]

I love this song, as I love pretty much anything Madonna.

When did you become Camille Paglia?

[Katy Lied]

When did you become Camille Paglia?

Actually, it's less about putting out and more about just bein' a tease in return for a good time.

'Cause it's one--two--three strikes yer out, at the end of the ball game.

[Babs]

or of the millions of people yelling the lyrics to "YMCA"

you can do whatever you feel!

[Solon]

you can do whatever you feel!

I think Mormon Red Death tried propositioning young men once outside of his local YMCA, but then the cops showed up and he had to split.

I could be wrong, though.

[Solon]

Actually, it's less about putting out and more about just bein' a tease in return for a good time.

'Cause it's one--two--three strikes yer out, at the end of the ball game.

Nice. Katie's walking home.

IIRC, Beth says in her book that the men and women often were quite frank in laying out the terms of their date beforehand. Sometimes it wasn't even a bona fide date, but more of a "what will you do for a couple of drinks?" type of proposition. I like the transparency.

Also, the girls lived in dorms and would sometimes discuss the "going rate" for whatever.

Aaah, the roaring 20s. Good times.

[Jacob]

Today I heard a church choir perform a choral arrangement of Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Um, they know what that song's about...right?

I don't. Guess I never thought about it.
Googling it resulted in this http://www.shmoop.com/like-a-prayer/meaning.html which doesnt seem too bad.

When you call my name, it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there.
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power.
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there

I read the full lyrics. Seems open to interpretation. I don't think your implication is the obvious interpretation. Maybe I'm. Just naive.

Same goes for YMCA. There's not much in the lyrics that leads to some nasty interpretation. Its just fun to stay there...I wouldn't know.

[Jacob]

An older example is "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Written as a plea by Katie Casey for someone to offer her some entertainment, the deliciously ambiguously unspoken implication is that she will do ANYTHING for a date. In the 1910s and 1920s, so-called "treating girls" were young, single, factory-working girls who had very little pocket money for entertainment. So, they would often exchange "favors" for a night on the town.

There was a good deal of debate among the moralists (who were still holding onto Victorian ideals in the face of the upheaval of the 1920s) as to whether or not this exchange was in fact prostitution. Eventually, someone came up with a "spectrum" of female categories that started at "courting couples" and then denigrated from there to treating girls, mistresses, and professional prostitutes.

As Beth Clement (U of U prof.) wrote,



Link to Beth's book: http://books.google.com/books?id=c78...page&q&f=false

So, think about it next time you're enjoying the "seventh-inning stretch."

I had to check this one out. Look at the original 1908 lyrics on wiki. Your story doesnt pass the smell test. The song is about a girl whose boyfriend asked her to go to a show, but she wanted to go to the ball game instead because she loves the home teams, knew all the players' names, etc. No implications of sex favors whatsoever.

You guys are as bad as that seminary teacher who warned me about stairway to heaven and playing Queen backwards.

[Babs]

I read the full lyrics. Seems open to interpretation. I don't think your implication is the obvious interpretation.

I don't know...it's awfully hard to miss. It's certainly the most widely accepted interpretation, anyway.