Madonna Referencing Previous Lyrics

[RUADJAI 14,964]

 

It's always been interesting to me how much she seems to reference her previous work in her new work. Some are blatant and obvious like the end of Deeper and Deeper using the same outro lyrics as the outro lyrics from Vogue. "Let your body move to the music, let your body go with the flow". 

Other times it can be a bit more subtle or not recognized. Like her reusing the lyrics from Love Song on Hung Up. "Time goes by so slowly for those who wait and those who run seem to have all the fun"

Or perhaps more obscure... Not necessarily done on purpose but it may invoke a previous song for the listener.  Like the humming from Secret and the humming in Frozen. 

What are some other examples that some people might have missed?

[Dazedmadonna 16,423]

Like a moth to a flame enters the chat

[deathproof 10,607]

Isn't Shanti in To Have and Not to Hold?

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

this song is full of references to her past songs

 

Life is so crazy
You've been through a lot
I'll tell you stories sometimes, you know?

Seemed like yesterday
I was a baby on the street, I took a holiday
I was steppin' to the beat, I had to pay my rent
On the Lower East Side, I threw my tag around
Let B-boys take me for a ride, I started writing songs
I kinda got into the groove, they tried to criticize
My every single move, but then I realized
I had nothing left to lose, it took me by surprise
When I became the news (whoa)

I was fearless like a renegade
I had a feeling that I can't explain
I didn't listen to what people said (whatcha do?)

I came, I saw, I conquered
I was constant as a northern star
I had a fire burning in my heart
I never gave up fighting in the dark (yeah)
I came, I saw, I conquered (let's go)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered (yeah)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered (uh)

I expressed myself
Came like a virgin down the aisle, exposed my naked ass
And I did it with a smile, and when it came to sex
I knew I walked the borderline
And when I struck a pose, all the gay boys lost their mind
I justified my love, I made you say a little prayer
They had me crucified, you know I had to take you there
I opened up my heart, I learned the power of goodbye
I saw a ray of light, music saved my life (music saved my life)

I was fearless like a renegade
I had a feeling that I can't explain
I didn't listen to what people said (whatcha do?)

I came, I saw, I conquered
I was constant as a northern star
I had a fire burning in my heart
I never gave up fighting in the dark (yeah)
I came, I saw, I conquered (let's go)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered (uh)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered (uh)

In 1994 (what?)
I came through the door with that born beats versus scratches
Verbally murdered rappers (murdered, murdered, murdered)
My mom's from the Carolina's, pops from Natchez
And QB's where I started flowing, but

I was scared the cops was gonna kick my apartment door in (uh)
Had a baby girl by a crazy girl
Then I got married, heavily accosted
That ended in a bad divorce, I know how to pick 'em, don't I?
Never gave a fuck about public pressure
Or the ridicule, I'm too big to lose

Now who's the fool?
And I ain't never been happier, no lie
I'm just your humble servant, I'm Nas
If y'all burn down Ferguson, I'ma riot
My life cannot be compared to anybody
Any trapsters (trappers), any rapper (rapper)

Any politician, beautician, a musician
Anybody, saw many bodies
Many coffins, heads or tails
Penny tosses, either dead or in jail
Not many options on the block I came from
And I turned to a rap messiah, spit rapid fire
And I roll right back to the block I came from (one)

I was fearless, like a renegade (try to tell 'em)
I had a feeling that I can't explain
I didn't listen to what people said (whatcha do?)

I came, I saw, I conquered
I was constant as a northern star
I had a fire burning in my heart
I never gave up fighting in the dark (yeah)
I came, I saw, I conquered (let's go)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I came, I saw, I conquered

Madonna on the track
Nas in the back

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

In the last two album mdna and rebel heart i found different references to her past songs...... in veni vidi vici you can find : Express myself, i struck a pose, i justified my love , i saw a right of light......

[survivalartist 6,480]

I noticed the other day the chick-chicka guy from Why's It So Hard is also in Keep It Together 12'' Extended Mix. (Is this a sample from Yello - Oh Yeah?).

 

[survivalartist 6,480]

There is a line in She's Not Me that sounds like it should be in Incredible:
If someone wants to pimp your style
And hang with you a little while
And make up for the things you lack
You're gonna have to watch (does she say your back)

[survivalartist 6,480]

The hey! what! from True Blue are also in Keep It Together 12'' Extended Mix at :45 from the end and Rescue Me (Houseboat Vocal) at the beginning. 

[survivalartist 6,480]

Waiting samples Justify My Love right (Waiting, for you)

[survivalartist 6,480]

Fuzzy dreams in I'm So Stupid and Miles Away

[Alibaba 1,519]

“Whether it’s heaven or hell I’m gonna be living to tell.” Survival, 1994

A stretch perhaps, but the line in Frozen “you’re frozen when you’re heart’s not open” is an indirect throwback to Open Your Heart.

[survivalartist 6,480]

Freedom is what you choose to do with what's been done to you (I Rise/Freedom RH Demo)

[survivalartist 6,480]

39 minutes ago, Alibaba said:

“Whether it’s heaven or hell I’m gonna be living to tell.” Survival, 1994

A stretch perhaps, but the line in Frozen “you’re frozen when you’re heart’s not open” is an indirect throwback to Open Your Heart.

She also gets into hearts being not open in The Power of Goodbye

[mr00mister 893]

the Don't Tell Me lyrics in Future, the "on my knees for you like a prayer" on Crazy, "like a virgin, sweet and keen" in Some Girls, she's started to reference herself more and more since MDNA, on Rebel Heart she was her own inspiration, and this tendency continued into Madame X. it's not like her main work ends with Hard Candy, but I feel she saw it wasn't really successful and started seeing into herself form more inspiration.

[Madant 921]

A 'ray of light' lyric in "Supernatural"

[itzjak 136]

Lyrics from "Everybody" In "Don't Stop"

Let the music shake you, let the rhythm take you

Switching "dj" For "music" and "rhythm" For "music" i guess

[RUADJAI 14,964]

Even though it's just one word, I always associated the word 'traveling' in Sky Fits Heaven with Bedtime Story. 

[LoveAffair 258]

Nobody's Perfect, i guess I Deserve It.

[Anapausis 5,912]

4 hours ago, RUADJAI said:

Other times it can be a bit more subtle or not recognized. Like her reusing the lyrics from Love Song on Hung Up. "Time goes by so slowly for those who wait and those who run seem to have all the fun"

I've always understood 

Time goes by so slowly for those who wait

And those who run seem to have all the fun

is an English idiom which means

"why you can long for a thing if you can have it in a blink of an eye?"

In Brazilian Portuguese we have an idiom with similar meaning

"Não deixe para amanhã o que você pode fazer hoje"

which literally is

"Don't leave to tomorrow what you can do today."

[TheGoth 499]

"Don't cry for me" in Hung Up

"Erotic" in GGW?

 

[A. A. Aardvark 4,842]

like a...
i count 3

 

[mr00mister 893]

1 hour ago, LoveAffair said:

Nobody's Perfect, i guess I Deserve It.

oh i never noticed this

[RUADJAI 14,964]

1 hour ago, A. A. Aardvark said:

like a...
i count 3

 

You forgot one. Maybe Flower?

[lennyleonard 1,458]

Does "I'm gonna be living to tell" in Survival count?

 

[DiegoLCL 5,057]

It doesn't matter if you win or lose. It's how you play the game so get into the groove.