Oh Father
Madonna * Track #8 On Like a Prayer
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Oh Father by Madonna
Release Date
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MadonnaAbout
“Oh Father” was the fourth single released from Like a Prayer; the mournful ballad describes the emotional state Madonna was in after her mother’s death which resulted in a strained relationship with her father at the time.
The unconventional choice to release the song as single was largely the res...
Oh Father Lyrics
[Verse 1]
It's funny that way
You can get used to the tears and the pain
What a child will believe
You never loved me
[Chorus]
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you
I never thought I would
You can't make me cry
You once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
[Verse 2]
Seems like yesterday
I lay down next to your boots and I prayed
For your anger to end
Oh Father, I have sinned
[Chorus]
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you
I never thought I would
You can't make me cry
You once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
[Bridge]
Oh father, you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away?
Oh father, you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away?
[Verse 3]
Maybe someday
When I look back, I'll be able to say
You didn't mean to be cruel
Somebody hurt you too
[Chorus]
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you
I never thought I would
You can't make me cry
You once had the power
I never felt so good about
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you
I never thought I would
You can't make me cry
You once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
Oh Father Q&A
Who wrote Oh Father's ?
Oh Father was written by Patrick Leonard & Madonna.
Who produced Oh Father's ?
Oh Father was produced by Patrick Leonard & Madonna.
What did Madonna say about "Oh Father"?
In a Billboard piece celebrating the 25th anniversary of Like a Prayer, co-producer/co-writer Patrick Leonard recalled:
My favorite thing that we ever recorded, ever – or wrote – is “Oh Father.” That to me is the best thing we ever did. So, it didn’t surprise me because we knew when we did it, that...
Has Madonna ever talked about the song?
Yes. To Craig Rosen, author of The Billboard Book of Number One Albums, she stated:
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 inspirati...