Le Chef-d'oeuvre Ray of Light...

 

Au premier semestre 1998 (différentes dates entre l'Europe, USA et le Japon), sort dans les bacs; "Ray Of Light", le 7ème album de The Queen Of The Pop. Au Japon, il sort le 22 février, en Europe il sort le 2 mars et aux Etats Unis, il sort le 3 mars. Madonna sera très impliquée dans l'écriture des textes et fera appel aux producteurs suivants; William Orbit, Marie De Vries et Patrick (avec qui elle a déjà collaboré). L'écriture de l'album se déroule pendant l'année 1997, et Madonna est alors maman d'une petite fille; Lourdes qu'elle a eu en 1996. L'album prend donc une tournure importante: elle parle de l'amour, de la peur, et de la mort ainsi que ses propres expériences. La maternité a fait de Madonna, une artiste plus mûre. Dès lors, pour assurer l'aspect avant gardiste de Ray of Light, elle fait appel comme nous le disions ci dessus, à William Orbit. C'est un musicien spécialisé dans la musique électronique qui commence à percer dans le milieu musical. L'album est enregistré dans la ville de Los Angeles en 4 mois, ce qui est un record pour Madonna. 

Beaucoup d'aspects sont décrits dans cet album très intime. Le titre Drowned World (Substitute For Love) parle du monde de la célébrité, Mer Girl évoque le décès de sa mère dont elle ne parle que très peu. Les Nothing Really Matters ou encore Little Star parle de maternité et le titre comme Frozen parle davantage de spiritualité. L'album mélange différentes sonorités; aussi japonaises, américaines qu'indiennes ou gothiques. La voix de Madonna a beaucoup évolué: elle se veut plus grave, cela est notamment du aux cours de chants qu'elle a pris pour perfectionner sa voix lors du film Evita, en 1996. 

Les critiques seront plus que positives à l'égard de Ray Of Light, du fait de la qualités des textes et de la voix de Madonna. L'album se vendra à plus de 18 millions d'exemplaires. En France, il se vend à plus de 900.000 exemplaires, au Royaume Uni, il se vend à 1.8 million et aux USA, l'album écrase tout avec 3.8 million d'exemplaires vendus. En Suisse, il est même n°1 pendant 7 semaines.  Le photographe qui sera en charge des clichés sera Mario Testino, qui est un spécialiste des magazines de mode. Pour promouvoir cet excellent album, Madonna change encore une fois de look et se réinvente totalement. Le style se veut davantage naturel avec les cheveux bruns, et des tenues plus sobres qu'auparavant. Elle va même recevoir trois Grammy Awards dont celui du "meilleur album pop", "meilleure pochette" et "meilleur enregistrement Dance". Le titre Ray of Light remporte le Grammy du "Meilleur VideoClip". 

Pour aussurer la promotion de cet album, Madonna va sorter 5 singles: Ray of Light, Frozen, Nothing Really Matters, Drowned World/Substitute For Love et The Power Of Good-Bye. Le titter "Frozen" va bénéficier d'un somptueux clip. Il faudra attendre 2001, pour que l'album soit transporté lors d'une tournée mondiale: Drowned World Tour. Pour la majorité des fans, Ray Of Light est à ce jour le meilleur album que notre Queen Of The Pop est réalisée. 

 

    

 

Singles promus pour l'album "Ray Of Light"

 

1. Frozen - 23 février 1998

2. Rayf Of Light - 11 mai 1998

3. Drowned Word/Substitute for Love - 24 août 1998

4. The Power of Good-Bye - 19 novembre 1998

5. Nothing Really Matters - 05 mars 1999

 

 

 

 

Listes des titres

Drowned World/Substitute For Love 5:09 - Madonna, William Orbit & Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr & David Collins

Swin 5:00 - Madonna & William Orbit

Ray Of Light 5:21  - Madonna, William Orbit, Clive Muldoon, Dave Curtis, Chrisine Leach

Candy Perfume Girl 4:34 - Madonna, William Orbit et Susannah Melvoin

Skin 6:22 - Madonna & Patrick Leonard

Nothing Really Matters 4:27 - Madonna & PatricK Leonard

Sky Fits Heaven 4:48 - Madonna & Patrick Leonard

Shanti/Ashtangi 4:29 - Madonna & William Orbit 

Frozen 6:12 - Madonna & Patrick Leonard

The Power Of Good-Bye 4:10 - Madonna & Rick Nowels

To Have And Not To Hold 5:23 - Madonna & Rick Nowels

Little Star 5:18 - Madonna & Rick Nowels

Mer Girl 5:32 - Madonna & William Orbit 

Has To Be 5:15 - Madonna, William Orbit & Patrick Leonard

 

 

 

 

 

Informations supplémentaires

 

Durée: 66 minutes 50

Label: Warn Bros. Records

Genre musical: Pop, Dance, Electro

Producteurs: Patrick Leonard, William Orbit & Marius De Vries

Ingénieurs: Endert, John Indoldsby, Silva Mat, Patrick McCarthy et Dave Reitzas

Effets électro: William Orbit 

Direction artistique: Kevin Reagan 

Photographie: Mario Testino 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paroles des titres

Drowned World/Substitute For Love

I traded fame for love
Without a second thought
It all became a silly a game
Some things cannot be bought

I got exactly what I asked for
Wanted it so badly
Running, rushing back for more
I suffered fools so gladly

And now I find
I've changed my mind

Chorus:

The face of you
My substitute for love
My substitute for love
Should I wait for you
My substitute for love
My substitute for love

I traveled round the world
Looking for a home
I found myself in crowded rooms
Feeling so alone

I had so many lovers
Who settled for the thrill
Of basking in my spotlight
I never felt so happy

(chorus)

Mmmmm, ooohhh, mmmmm
Famous faces, far off places
Trinkets I can buy
No handsome stranger, heady danger
Drug that I can try
No ferris wheel, no heart to steal
No laughter in the dark
No one-night stand, no far-off land
No fire that I can spark
Mmmmm, mmmmm

(chorus)

Now I find I've changed my mind
This is my religion

******

Swim

Put your head on my shoulder baby
Things can't get any worse
Night is getting colder
Sometimes life feels like it's a curse

Bridge:

I can't carry these sins on my back
Don't wanna carry any more
I'm gonna carry this train off the track
I'm gonna swim to the ocean floor

Chorus:

Mmmmm
Crash to the other shore
Mmmmm
Swim to the ocean floor

Children killing children
While the students rape their teachers
Comets fly across the sky
While the churches burn their preachers

Bridge2:

We can't carry these sins on our back
Don't wanna carry any more
We're gonna carry this train off the track
We're gonna swim to the ocean floor

(chorus)

Let the water wash over you
Wash it all over you
Swim to the ocean floor

So that we can begin again
Wash away all our sins
Crash to the other shore

Mmmmmm

(bridge)
(chorus)
(bridge2)

Crash to the other shore
Swim to the ocean floor

******

Ray Of Light

Verse:
Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder
Do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun
She's got herself a universe gone quickly
For the call of thunder threatens everyone

Chorus:

And I feel like I just got home
And I feel
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel

Faster than the speeding light she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
She's got herself a little piece of heaven
Waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one

(chorus)

Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light

(verse)

And I feel
Quicker than a ray of light
Then gone for
Someone else shall be there
Through the endless years

She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel

Quicker than a ray of light she's flying
Quicker than a ray of light I'm flying

******

Candy Perfume Girl

Young velvet porcelain boy
Devour me when you're with me
Blue wish window seas
Speak delicious fires

I'm your candy perfume girl
Your candy perfume girl

Moist warm desire
Fly to me

I'm your candy perfume girl
Your candy perfume girl
I'm your candy perfume girl
Candy, candy

Rush me ghost you see
Every center my home
Fever steam girl
Throb the oceans

Your candy perfume girl
Your candy perfume girl
Your candy perfume girl
Candy perfume girl

Did I lie to you?
Candy perfume girl
Did I lie to you?
Magic poison

You're a candy perfume boy
A candy perfume boy
You're a candy perfume boy
You're candy

Candy perfume girl

The sacred nerve is magic poison
It's candy, it's candy

I'm your candy perfume girl
I'm your candy perfume girl
Boy, girl, boy, girl, boy
Candy

******

Skin

Chorus:

Do I know you from somewhere?
Why do you leave me wanting more?
Why do all the things I say
Sound like the stupid things I've said before?

(Put your hand on my skin)
(repeat twice)

Kiss me, I'm dying
Put your hand on my skin
I close my eyes
I need to make a connection
I'm walking on a thin line
I close my eyes
I close my eyes

(chorus)

Touch me, I'm trying
To see inside of your soul
I've got this thing
I want to make a correction
I'm not like this all the time
You've got this thing
You've got this thing

(chorus)

Kiss me, I'm dying
Put your hand on my skin
I close my eyes
I need to have your protection
I close my eyes
I close your eyes

(Kiss, kiss, kiss me)

(chorus, repeat)

Kiss me, I'm dying
Touch me, I'm trying, ohhh
I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time

Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin

Touch me, I'm trying, ohhh
Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin

I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time

******

Nothing Really Matters

When I was very young
Nothing really mattered to me
But making myself happy
I was the only one

Now that I am grown
Everything's changed
I'll never be the same
Because of you

Chorus:

Nothing really matters
Love is all we need
Everything I give you
All comes back to me

Looking at my life
It's very clear to me
I lived so selfishly
I was the only one

I realize
That nobody wins
Something is ending
And something begins

(chorus, repeat)

Nothing takes the past away
Like the future
Nothing makes the darkness go
Like the light

You're shelter from the storm
Give me comfort in your arms

(chorus)

******

Sky Fits Heaven

Sky fits heaven so fly it
That's what the prophet said to me
Child fits mother so hold your baby tight
That's what my future could see

Fate fits karma so use it
That's what the wise man said to me
Love fits virtue so hold on to the light
That's what our future will be

Chorus:

Traveling down this road
Watching the signs as I go
I think I'll follow the sun
Isn't everyone just
Traveling down their own road
Watching the signs as they go
I think I'll follow my heart
It's a very good place to start

Traveling down my own road
Watching the signs as I go
Traveling down my own road
And I'm watching the signs as they go

Traveling, traveling
Watching the signs as I go

Hand fits giving so do it
That's what the Gospel said to me
Life fits living so let your judgments go
That's how our future should be

(chorus)

Traveling down my own road
Watching the signs as they go
Traveling down my own road
And I'm watching the signs as I go

Traveling, traveling
Watching the signs as I go

******

Shanti/Ashtangi

Vunde gurunam caranaravinde
Sandarsita svatma sukhavabodhe
Nihsreyase jangalikayamane
Sansara halahala moha santyai
Hala hala
Ahahu purusakaram sankha cakrasi
Ahahu purusakaram sankha cakrasi
Dharinam dharinam sahasra sirasam
Dharinam dharinam sahasra sirasam
Vande

Om Shanti, Om Shanti
Shanti shanti
Shantay Om
(repeat)

******

Frozen

Verse:

You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen
When your heart's not open

You're so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You're broken
When your heart's not open

Chorus:

Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart
Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart
Mmmmmm, give yourself to me
Mmmmmm, you hold the key

Now there's no point in placing the blame
And you should know I suffer the same
If I lose you
My heart will be broken

Love is a bird, she needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside of you die
You're frozen
When your heart's not open

(chorus)
(verse)
(chorus, repeat)

If I could melt your heart...

******

The Power Of Good-Bye

Your heart is not open so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
Freedom comes when you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no

You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress you had to burn
Pain is a warning that something's wrong
I pray to God that it won't be long
Do ya wanna go higher?

Chorus:

There's nothing left to try
There's no place left to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Your heart is not open so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress

Chorus2:

There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Learn to say good-bye
I yearn to say good-bye

******

To Have And Not To Hold

To have and not to hold
So hot, yet so cold
My heart is in your hand
And yet you never stand
Close enough for me to have my way

To love but not to keep
To laugh, not to weep
Your eyes, they go right through
And yet you never do
Anything to make me want to stay

Chorus:

Like a moth to a flame
Only I am to blame
Ba ba da ba ba ba
What can I do?
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I go straight to you
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I've been told
You're to have, not to hold

To look but not to see
To kiss but never be
The object of your desire
I'm walking on a wire
And there's no one at all
To break my fall

(chorus)

You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold

(chorus)

You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold
To break my heart

******

 Little Star

Never forget who you are
Little star
Never forget how to dream
Butterfly

God gave a present to me
Made of flesh and bones
My life, my soul
You make my spirit whole

Never forget who you are
Little star
Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky
Never forget how to dream
Butterfly
Never forget where you come from
From love

You are a treasure to me
You are my star
You breathe new life
Into my broken heart

Never forget who you are
Little star
Never forget how to dream
Butterfly

May the angels protect you
And sadness forget you
Little star

There's no reason to weep
Lay your head down to sleep
Little star

May goodness surround you
My love I have found you
Little star

Shining bright

You breathe new life
Into my broken heart

Never forget who you are
(Whispered:) Little star
Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky
Never forget how to dream
Butterfly
Flying higher than all the birds in the sky

Never forget who you are
Little star
Never forget where you come from
From love

Little star
Little star
(Whispered:) Little star
From love

****** 

Mer Girl

I ran from my house that cannot contain me
From the man that I cannot keep
From my mother who haunts me, even though she's gone
From my daughter that never sleeps
I ran from the noise and the silence
From the traffic on the streets

I ran to the treetops, I ran to the sky
Out to the lake, into the rain that matted my hair
And soaked my shoes and skin
Hid my tears, hid my fears

I ran to the forest, I ran to the trees
I ran and I ran, I was looking for me

I ran past the churches and the crooked old mailbox
Past the apple orchards and the lady that never talks
Up into the hills, I ran to the cemetery
And held my breath, and thought about your death

I ran to the lake, up into the hills
I ran and I ran, I'm looking there still
And I saw the crumbling tombstones
All forgotten names

I tasted the rain, I tasted my tears
I cursed the angels, I tasted my fears

And the ground gave way beneath my feet
And the earth took me in her arms
Leaves covered my face
Ants marched across my back
Black sky opened up, blinding me

I ran to the forest, I ran to the trees
I ran and I ran, I was looking for me
I ran to the lakes and up to the hill
I ran and I ran, I'm looking there still

And I smelled her burning flesh
Her rotting bones
Her decay

I ran and I ran
I'm still running away

******

Has To Be

Breathe in, breathe out
I say a little prayer
How the gods above
Could be so unfair

Chorus:

I know there's someone out there
Waiting for me
There must be someone out there
There just has to be

Go on, go on
Don't sit there like a fool
You've graduated from
A different kind of school

(chorus, repeat)

I should be glad that I'm alive
It could have been much worse
I might have never loved at all
And never known what I am worth

How the gods above
Could be so unfair

(chorus, repeat)