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: Madonna
Album: Like a Prayer, 1989
Composed by: Madonna and Patrick Leonard
Listen/Buy via Album.Link
ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:
- "Open Your Heart To Me" by Madonna from True Blue, 1986
- "Like a Prayer" as covered by the cast of Glee
- The music video for "Like a Prayer": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA983t3Rdzs
- Three excellent music documentaries: "Muscle Shoals," "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," and "20 Feet From Stardom." (Seriously, watch all three!)
OUTRO SOLOIST: Steve Pardo
This 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/
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SEPTEMBER 2019 WHOLE NOTE PATRONS
andrew walters - CALEB ROTACH - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn - Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Sara Walsh
SEPTEMBER 2019 HALF NOTE PATRONS
Alexander 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, OR
Buy Tickets Here
----LINKS-----
💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | One-Time Donation
🏠 HOMEPAGE
👚 MERCH
📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky
🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
🎨 SHOW ART:
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics
More description
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: Madonna
Album: Like a Prayer, 1989
Composed by: Madonna and Patrick Leonard
Listen/Buy via Album.Link
ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:
- "Open Your Heart To Me" by Madonna from True Blue, 1986
- "Like a Prayer" as covered by the cast of Glee
- The music video for "Like a Prayer": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA983t3Rdzs
- Three excellent music documentaries: "Muscle Shoals," "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," and "20 Feet From Stardom." (Seriously, watch all three!)
OUTRO SOLOIST: Steve Pardo
This 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 PATRONS
andrew walters - CALEB ROTACH - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn - Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Sara Walsh
SEPTEMBER 2019 HALF NOTE PATRONS
Alexander 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, OR
Buy Tickets Here
----LINKS-----
💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | One-Time Donation
🏠 HOMEPAGE
👚 MERCH
📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky
🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
🎨 SHOW ART:
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics