Dick Tracy (Beatty) and Breathless Mahoney (Madonna)
I knew I wanted to choose this song, and I thought it started with Madonna, but wikipedia says otherwise.
Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s.
Voguing gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna’s song and video “Vogue” (1990,) and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning (which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.) In its modern form, this dance has become a global phenomenon that continues to evolve both stylistically and demographically.
A little about the history of the dance, also from wiki:
This style of dance arose from African American Harlem ballroom cultures, as danced by African-American and participating Latino gay men, from the early 1960s through the 1980s. The Harlem Renaissance shaped a distinctly African American and Latino LGBTQ culture in Harlem from 1920 to 1935, which included advancement in literature, arts and music and attempted to demonstrate that aspects of identity like race, gender and sexuality can be fluid and intersecting.
The Balls that began during this time eventually shifted from elaborate pageantry to vogue dance battles. The dance battles consisted of dance learned during prison years. Inspired by the style of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs and the famous images of models in Vogue magazine, voguing is characterized by striking a series of poses as if one is modeling for a photo shoot. Arm and leg movements are angular, linear, rigid, and move swiftly from one static position to another.
As to Madonna’s song, per wikipedia:
Vogue” is a single, released in 1990, by American singer Madonna, from her soundtrack album, “I’m Breathless.” It was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone. “I’m Breathless” was released in May, 1990, to accompany the film, “Dick Tracy.” In the film, Madonna plays a character named Breathless Mahoney alongside her then-boyfriend, Warren Beatty, who played Dick Tracy.
I love the song and I love the video that goes with it.
What are you looking at?
Strike a pose
Strike a pose
Vogue (vogue, vogue)
Vogue (vogue, vogue)
Look around, everywhere you turn is heartache
It’s everywhere that you go (look around)
You try everything you can to escape
The pain of life that you know (life that you know)
When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It’s called a dance floor
And here’s what it’s for, so
Come on, vogue (vogue)
Let your body move to the music (move to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue (vogue)
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
All you need is your own imagination
So use it, that’s what it’s for (that’s what it’s for)
Go inside for your finest inspiration
Your dreams will open the door (open up the door)
It makes no difference if you’re black or white
If you’re a boy or a girl
If the music’s pumping it will give you new life
You’re a superstar
Yes, that’s what you are, you know it
Come on, vogue (vogue)
Let your body groove to the music (groove to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue (vogue, vogue)
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
Beauty’s where you find it
Not just where you bump and grind it
Soul is in the musical
That’s where I feel so beautiful
Magical, life’s a ball
So get up on the dance floor
Vogue (vogue)
Let your body move to the music (move to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue (vogue, vogue)
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty’s where you find it (move to the music)
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty’s where you find it (go with the flow)
Greta Garbo and Monroe
Dietrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katherine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you
Ladies with an attitude
Fellas that were in the mood
Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it
Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it
Vogue, vogue
Vogue, vogue (move to the music)
Vogue, vogue
Vogue, vogue (go with the flow)
Ooh, you’ve got to
Let your body move to the music
Ooh, you’ve got to just
Let your body go with the flow
Ooh, you’ve got to just…
Vogue (vogue)
Songwriters: Madonna and Shep Pettibone
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. Jim says for this week choose:
a song that mentions a dance style or craze, or a song that has its own dance.
Tao Talk 
I love this song!
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Me too, and the video! Madonna made some stellar videos, and her music is pretty danged good also. Glad you like it, Marina :)
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Wow, I didn’t see this one coming, Lisa! :-)
I had no idea about vogue, the dance, and it was interesting to learn about it. I always simply assumed the song was about fashion, fashion magazines and fashion photography. That said, I never bothered to read about it.
In 1990, I was still living in Germany where didn’t have access to MTV, so I never watched the video at the time. I also don’t recall seeing it after coming to the U.S. in 1993.
I always preferred VH1 over MTV. I dug their “Behind the Music” documentaries. Sadly, like MTV, VH1 has abandoned music for reality TV.
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Not my usual pick, Christian, but it had to be a song where a dance is mentioned. Madonna made many excellent videos to go with her pop music. She’s got more class than the young’ns of today who try to emulate her. They say video killed the radio star, but now youtube killed the music TV channels.
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One of my all time favourite madonna songs
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It’s a good’n!
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This is great! I thought voguing was striking a pose; I knew nothing about the dance. What an education!
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Yes, I was quite surprised also!
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I don’t think I could ever do the Vogue, as it looks like it takes a lot of energy to constantly move all of your body parts around like that. Great choice, Lisa as I had totally forgotten how good this song is.
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Best way to exercise is with music. Cmon I bet you could Vogue :)
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Well done it had to be picked and who better than you 💜💜🎉
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Willow, glad you know it and love it. :) <3
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Brilliant track and video 💗💗
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Definitely one of Madonna’s best. There’s a lot of ‘name-checking’ going on in that song.
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Glyn, the song is a time capsule! Glad you like it :)
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Another fave, she is a master of creativity
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Yes, she is! A very talented entertainer and a shrewd businesswoman.
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Yes, Bowie before her, Dylan too, Annie Lennox, there’s a few who seem to be clever.
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Paul, I think you just added some lyrics to the song :)
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I never knew the history. I thought this was about valuing posing over anything real. I associated it with cocaine, disco, and assorted 80s shallow self-indulgence. I remember people striking poses as though they were special. Poseurs were the ultimate in emptiness.
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When your voice is silenced, individuals get creative in communicating. Non-verbal communication is much more rich and complex than mere talk.
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I hadn’t seen this one in a good long while!
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I *love* YouTube! It’s a cultural institution :)
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Isn’t it though? 😁
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This is just the perfect encapsulation of Madonna at her best. (K)
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Yes, it is, K.
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This is one of my favorite Madonna songs. I had no idea where voguing was an actual dance, or that it had such a rich history. I thought it was something made up for the song because the stars were ‘in vogue’ during their time.
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So did I, Michael. When I see the guys in the video I have to believe Madonna was aware of the origins. I tried to find a clip of, “Paris is Burning” that had the song but couldn’t but I did see clips of them voguing.
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Great tune. Every time I hear it I “strike a pose” in its honor. Most often done in private, of course…but I’ve been known to break one out in public situations as well…it’s just a little less “dramatic” lol.
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lol!
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Good one! It’s been awhile since I heard it, but I always did like it, along with lots of her songs. :)
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Barbara, I like so much of her music also. Been awhile since I heard it but it’s the first song I thought of when I saw the prompt.
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Love “vogue”. Had to click. I just thought it was about magazines and Hollywood culture. I feel like Vogue marked the end of an era for Madonna.
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Glad you like that tune, T.
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