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Act Of Contrition is the eleventh and final song from Madonna's third studio album "Like A Prayer" released in March 21, 1989. Little has been known about the track. Most of the people who listened to this track in the album considered this song as "mysterious, confusing and haunting."

 

I am one of the people who considers this track as weird and mysterious at the same time. I was so confused when I listened to it. However, after many repetitions of listening to this song, I did my best to analyze what this track meant.

 

So here are my personal analysis. You may agree to it or you may state your own analysis.

 

Here is the link to the song: 

 

The track has two sides of the story: one is the ability of a person to sin or commit mistakes again and one is showing how everything happened that led to that moment.

 

The first part of the song is Madonna whispering the final part of the prayer. For those who don't know, the Act Of Contrition is a prayer recited more often during confessions when you ask forgiveness from God and promise to not commit the same mistake again. The prayer is said after telling the priest your sins and hearing his advise. This part of the song is the start of two possible stories.

 

STORY ONE: A person sins again.

 

After hearing her whispering the "Hail Mary" prayer that comes after the Act Of Contrition, a reversed distorted guitar (played by the late Prince) could be heard. Few seconds later, a reversed singing and clapping of a choir could be heard, overlapping the guitars. The guitars could be some sort of strong temptation or urge while the choir could be angels, reminding her that she has to fight the urge to sin again having recited the prayer in the first place. As the song continues, the guitars and choir voices are trying to overlap against each other, creating a wild conflict in the story as Madonna tries to concentrate on reciting the prayer.

 

The kick drums come in as the conflict seems to intensify even more along the way. However, as Madonna recites the prayer again, you will clearly hear the distorted guitars fading out, giving way for the choirs to have their part. This means that she is truly reciting it with full concentration and she is clearing out any urges, temptations or thoughts that could lead to her sinning again later. As she finishes the first part of the prayer, the distorted guitars come in again for a brief moment. This could mean that Madonna might have thought of something that could disturb her in her moment of reflection but she comes back to concentrate more in her thoughts.

 

After reciting the first part of the prayer, she recites the first part again but through singing it. However, the guitars are back again, trying to overlap the choirs. Madonna tries to concentrate on her prayer so perhaps singing it could work but it did not work as the guitars intensifies, disturbing her. As she sings the prayer, she slips out saying: "...like I knew you would." This means that she is starting to surrender to her disturbing thoughts.

She starts to repeat the phrase: "I reserve" which means that she is trying the best she can to fight the temptations to commit a big mistake again. As she repeats it, her voice goes deep from her singing voice, being immersed in the prayer. The guitars suddenly cuts out, meaning that she has felt her thoughts in prayer and concentration. Suddenly, she says: "I resolve." She has a decision but what is it?

 

She decides to reflect and think if she can go to heaven. Thus she says this line "I have a reservation." This means that since she said the prayer, her sins are forgiven and she can go in. However, her voice agitates a little bit as she repeats the line again, trying to let St. Peter know that she is pure again like she was before (referring to her first three eras in her solo music career). After that, the guitars come in briefly. Yes, she is finally angry. The guitars come in and overlaps the choir, intensifying itself. Finally, she snaps and shouted the line that scared the living daylights out of us: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?!"

 

So what does this mean? Well, it might be that she needs to do more work in Earth for her to go to heaven or she has given up being good, having surrendered herself to her darkest thoughts in the middle of praying. Personally, the latter meaning fits more, since this song oddly enough follows to her single "Justify My Love" wherein she finally embraces her sexual thoughts and finally starts her Erotica Era, which remains to be the most controversial era in her career.

 

This story tells us that we sin again even after a confession but hey, we are humans who are perfectly imperfect.

 

Now to the other side:

 

STORY TWO: A person recalls having sinned.

 

This side of the story is actually what I imagined when I heard the ending part of the song. Unlike the first story, this story is way shorter.

 

Both the guitars and the choirs come in like a flashback kind of a effect. Madonna starts to recite the prayer again and again. As she says the line "...like I knew you would," in the singing part, she recognizes God to be forgiving and caring.

 

She repeats the line: "I reserve" which means that she won't do it again following to her line: "I resolve." She locks in her decision to never sin again.

 

In the last part of the song, we can imagine what she did that made her sin. In the last part, Madonna is in the restaurant saying that she has a reservation. However, she want to clarify that she made a reservation days ago. As the person in charge checks her name, it is no where to be found, leading to Madonna yelling the line: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?!"

 
If you would reverse this track, then this story would be clear but do not mind her vocals reversed. Have the thought that she sinned and she goes to church for a confession which means that the last part of the track of you were to reverse it is her reciting the Act Of Contrition.
 
So that is all. I know that the second story is odd but that's what I imagined when I heard it for the first time. I hope you like it. If you have your own analysis to the track, let us know. :)
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I always loved this track. Like A Prayer was always a lost cause to me in content. It's singles (exclude Dear Jessie please) were solid and I felt like more could have been done. Analyzing religion and more angrier songs based upon her divorce should have been present. Aside from that little tangent, Act of Contrition left me stupid afterwards. It made no sense and sounded more like a feverish jumble of prayer and guilt. The ending is what gives it the character it has. What reservation was she yelling about and where was she? I love your dissection! I had thought of the restaurant before. I'd even gone as far to assume maybe that she was singing and someone in the background said some about a song missing in the computer and she abruptly freak if out, lol.

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I think it's just something that came up during the recording sessions. Everything was already there, they just had to flip the track, add some kickdrum and Madonna thought it'd be hilarious to recite a prayer over it to close the album. It's "like" a prayer,but not exactly.

Clever but may be true. XD

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I've interpreted it as a way for her to try to get into heaven. The majority of Like a Prayer focuses upon her blaming others for her issues. In Dear Father, her parents (and lack of a mother) is to blame. Keep It Together pins the blame on others telling her to "keep it together" whilst her life is falling apart. Till Death Do Us Part blames both her and her husband. In Promise to Try, she recognises her responsibility in overcoming these issues. By the time we get to Act of Contrition, she's expecting that she'll make it to heaven by saying a quick prayer. But it doesn't appear to be enough, as she ends up shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!" She expected that the prayer would be enough to get it into heaven. She blamed others for her issues but failed to recognise her own culpability. As such, she is rejected from heaven, no matter how much she claims that she "has a reservation" and thinks she deserves a place there. The irony is that in Act of Contrition, no such Act takes place.

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I've interpreted it as a way for her to try to get into heaven. The majority of Like a Prayer focuses upon her blaming others for her issues. In Dear Father, her parents (and lack of a mother) is to blame. Keep It Together pins the blame on others telling her to "keep it together" whilst her life is falling apart. Till Death Do Us Part blames both her and her husband. In Promise to Try, she recognises her responsibility in overcoming these issues. By the time we get to Act of Contrition, she's expecting that she'll make it to heaven by saying a quick prayer. But it doesn't appear to be enough, as she ends up shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!" She expected that the prayer would be enough to get it into heaven. She blamed others for her issues but failed to recognise her own culpability. As such, she is rejected from heaven, no matter how much she claims that she "has a reservation" and thinks she deserves a place there. The irony is that in Act of Contrition, no such Act takes place.

 

 

omg who knows that album is genius, i love your interpretation  :hearteyes:

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I've interpreted it as a way for her to try to get into heaven. The majority of Like a Prayer focuses upon her blaming others for her issues. In Dear Father, her parents (and lack of a mother) is to blame. Keep It Together pins the blame on others telling her to "keep it together" whilst her life is falling apart. Till Death Do Us Part blames both her and her husband. In Promise to Try, she recognises her responsibility in overcoming these issues. By the time we get to Act of Contrition, she's expecting that she'll make it to heaven by saying a quick prayer. But it doesn't appear to be enough, as she ends up shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!" She expected that the prayer would be enough to get it into heaven. She blamed others for her issues but failed to recognise her own culpability. As such, she is rejected from heaven, no matter how much she claims that she "has a reservation" and thinks she deserves a place there. The irony is that in Act of Contrition, no such Act takes place.

Brilliant! In this light, Like A Prayer has more substance.

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Act Of Contrition is the eleventh and final song from Madonna's third studio album "Like A Prayer" released in March 21, 1989. Little has been known about the track. Most of the people who listened to this track in the album considered this song as "mysterious, confusing and haunting."

 

I am one of the people who considers this track as weird and mysterious at the same time. I was so confused when I listened to it. However, after many repetitions of listening to this song, I did my best to analyze what this track meant.

 

So here are my personal analysis. You may agree to it or you may state your own analysis.

 

Here is the link to the song: 

 

The track has two sides of the story: one is the ability of a person to sin or commit mistakes again and one is showing how everything happened that led to that moment.

 

The first part of the song is Madonna whispering the final part of the prayer. For those who don't know, the Act Of Contrition is a prayer recited more often during confessions when you ask forgiveness from God and promise to not commit the same mistake again. The prayer is said after telling the priest your sins and hearing his advise. This part of the song is the start of two possible stories.

 

STORY ONE: A person sins again.

 

After hearing her whispering the "Hail Mary" prayer that comes after the Act Of Contrition, a reversed distorted guitar (played by the late Prince) could be heard. Few seconds later, a reversed singing and clapping of a choir could be heard, overlapping the guitars. The guitars could be some sort of strong temptation or urge while the choir could be angels, reminding her that she has to fight the urge to sin again having recited the prayer in the first place. As the song continues, the guitars and choir voices are trying to overlap against each other, creating a wild conflict in the story as Madonna tries to concentrate on reciting the prayer.

 

The kick drums come in as the conflict seems to intensify even more along the way. However, as Madonna recites the prayer again, you will clearly hear the distorted guitars fading out, giving way for the choirs to have their part. This means that she is truly reciting it with full concentration and she is clearing out any urges, temptations or thoughts that could lead to her sinning again later. As she finishes the first part of the prayer, the distorted guitars come in again for a brief moment. This could mean that Madonna might have thought of something that could disturb her in her moment of reflection but she comes back to concentrate more in her thoughts.

 

After reciting the first part of the prayer, she recites the first part again but through singing it. However, the guitars are back again, trying to overlap the choirs. Madonna tries to concentrate on her prayer so perhaps singing it could work but it did not work as the guitars intensifies, disturbing her. As she sings the prayer, she slips out saying: "...like I knew you would." This means that she is starting to surrender to her disturbing thoughts.

 

She starts to repeat the phrase: "I reserve" which means that she is trying the best she can to fight the temptations to commit a big mistake again. As she repeats it, her voice goes deep from her singing voice, being immersed in the prayer. The guitars suddenly cuts out, meaning that she has felt her thoughts in prayer and concentration. Suddenly, she says: "I resolve." She has a decision but what is it?

 

She decides to reflect and think if she can go to heaven. Thus she says this line "I have a reservation." This means that since she said the prayer, her sins are forgiven and she can go in. However, her voice agitates a little bit as she repeats the line again, trying to let St. Peter know that she is pure again like she was before (referring to her first three eras in her solo music career). After that, the guitars come in briefly. Yes, she is finally angry. The guitars come in and overlaps the choir, intensifying itself. Finally, she snaps and shouted the line that scared the living daylights out of us: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?!"

 

So what does this mean? Well, it might be that she needs to do more work in Earth for her to go to heaven or she has given up being good, having surrendered herself to her darkest thoughts in the middle of praying. Personally, the latter meaning fits more, since this song oddly enough follows to her single "Justify My Love" wherein she finally embraces her sexual thoughts and finally starts her Erotica Era, which remains to be the most controversial era in her career.

 

This story tells us that we sin again even after a confession but hey, we are humans who are perfectly imperfect.

 

Now to the other side:

 

STORY TWO: A person recalls having sinned.

 

This side of the story is actually what I imagined when I heard the ending part of the song. Unlike the first story, this story is way shorter.

 

Both the guitars and the choirs come in like a flashback kind of a effect. Madonna starts to recite the prayer again and again. As she says the line "...like I knew you would," in the singing part, she recognizes God to be forgiving and caring.

 

She repeats the line: "I reserve" which means that she won't do it again following to her line: "I resolve." She locks in her decision to never sin again.

 

In the last part of the song, we can imagine what she did that made her sin. In the last part, Madonna is in the restaurant saying that she has a reservation. However, she want to clarify that she made a reservation days ago. As the person in charge checks her name, it is no where to be found, leading to Madonna yelling the line: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?!"

 
If you would reverse this track, then this story would be clear but do not mind her vocals reversed. Have the thought that she sinned and she goes to church for a confession which means that the last part of the track of you were to reverse it is her reciting the Act Of Contrition.
 
So that is all. I know that the second story is odd but that's what I imagined when I heard it for the first time. I hope you like it. If you have your own analysis to the track, let us know. :)

 

I have always been confused about this song what it means. Specially in the end what do you mean it's not in the computer!! it is very Mysterious.  :thinker:

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I've interpreted it as a way for her to try to get into heaven. The majority of Like a Prayer focuses upon her blaming others for her issues. In Dear Father, her parents (and lack of a mother) is to blame. Keep It Together pins the blame on others telling her to "keep it together" whilst her life is falling apart. Till Death Do Us Part blames both her and her husband. In Promise to Try, she recognises her responsibility in overcoming these issues. By the time we get to Act of Contrition, she's expecting that she'll make it to heaven by saying a quick prayer. But it doesn't appear to be enough, as she ends up shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!" She expected that the prayer would be enough to get it into heaven. She blamed others for her issues but failed to recognise her own culpability. As such, she is rejected from heaven, no matter how much she claims that she "has a reservation" and thinks she deserves a place there. The irony is that in Act of Contrition, no such Act takes place.

 

We should have these kind of threads for every album.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've interpreted it as a way for her to try to get into heaven. The majority of Like a Prayer focuses upon her blaming others for her issues. In Dear Father, her parents (and lack of a mother) is to blame. Keep It Together pins the blame on others telling her to "keep it together" whilst her life is falling apart. Till Death Do Us Part blames both her and her husband. In Promise to Try, she recognises her responsibility in overcoming these issues. By the time we get to Act of Contrition, she's expecting that she'll make it to heaven by saying a quick prayer. But it doesn't appear to be enough, as she ends up shouting "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!" She expected that the prayer would be enough to get it into heaven. She blamed others for her issues but failed to recognise her own culpability. As such, she is rejected from heaven, no matter how much she claims that she "has a reservation" and thinks she deserves a place there. The irony is that in Act of Contrition, no such Act takes place.

 

Brilliant! That's what I always have thought, too!!

 

 

 

After hearing her whispering the "Hail Mary" prayer that comes after the Act Of Contrition, a reversed distorted guitar (played by the late Prince) could be heard. 

 

Isn't that 'Like a Prayer' played backwards?

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...

HOLY SHIT.

Am I a bad Madonna fan and an even worse lapsed Catholic...

if I hadn't realized and interpreted this amazing track as a denial of entry to Heaven, and the computer being St. Peter's list of those guaranteed a spot in paradise? Wow dude lol

OMFG I CANT ANYMORE.

Amazing insights everyone. This thread changed my perception of the whole content and progression of the album. Thank y'all!

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WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?

 

Well, I always thought that this song is one of song which show Madonna's brilliant sense of humor.

Yes I 100% agree that this song is denial of entry to heaven. And Then it goest this funniest climax part, which Madonna screaming "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER?"

That's is such a brilliant and most humorous part of this song.

I mean "I'm Fucking Madonna! you know I'm a MOTHER OF Jesus Christ!! And you tell me now, my name is not on the entry of heaven list? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON THE COMPUTER? you mother fucker! I'm THE MADONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~"

LOL :laughing:

I really love her sense of humor!

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"What do you mean it's not in the computer?" always had me think that they were demoing a musical version of the Act of Contrition (the genuine sacred text of which contains "I resolve", so "I resolve I reserve I have a reservation" is basically a vocal exercise and a play on words that she kept for fun) and the engineer made her believe the computer had failed or he thought it had failed and she went crazy, like she would. When she realized it was a joke, or that the computer had worked, they kept it and they made an outro song out of it with the glitches and software errors (and gospel choir from LAP backwards) that had occurred during the sessions plus the adlib guitars by Prince. 

There was a hot debate at the time about digital recording, was it good, was it bad, was it colder than analogue recording, was it killing creativity, was it changing music ? LAP was one of the first digitally recorded albums from beginning to end... remember computers from the 80s, HELL ON EARTH, so it was her answer : sometimes computers fail and make a nice session useless or sound like crap, but I managed to cut a track out of it.

My theory is that they probably had tried to include the Act of contrition as the intro or the bridge in Like a Prayer (then they changed their minds, or someone came up with the idea of a gospel choir to bring momentum). When she did MDNA, she brought the idea back as nod to old fans, but probably more as a nod to Prince and the people she had worked with on LAP.

 

That's far less poetic than your previous analysis... but I like to think that art also comes from accidents and that the most annoying hard drive failures fuel creativity.

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  • 2 years later...

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