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"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna. It is the title track from her second studio album ''Like a Virgin'' (1984), and was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums ''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990) and ''Celebration'' (2009). It was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and produced by Nile Rodgers; Steinberg said that the song was inspired by his personal experiences of romance. "Like a Virgin" was chosen for Madonna by Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records after listening to a demo sung by Kelly. However, Rodgers initially felt that the song did not have a sufficient hook and was not suitable for Madonna, but subsequently changed his opinion after the hook was stuck in his mind. Musically "Like a Virgin" is a dance-oriented song, composed of two hooks. Madonna's voice is heard in a high register while a continuous arrangement of drums are heard along the bassline. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous and consist of hidden innuendo. In sexual terms, the lyrics can be interpreted in different ways for different people. "Like a Virgin" received positive reviews from contemporary as well as old critics, who frequently called it as one of the defining songs for Madonna. It became her first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Canada, and Japan, and the top-ten of the other countries. The music video portrayed Madonna sailing down the canals of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a palace wearing a white wedding dress. With the video, scholars noted Madonna's portrayal of a sexually independent woman, the symbolism of the appearance of a man with lion's mask to that of Saint Mark, and compared the eroticism of the video to the vitality of the city of Venice. Madonna has performed the song in six of her concert tours, most recent being the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015. Most of the time, her performances of "Like a Virgin" were associated with strong reaction and uproar from the media. "Like a Virgin" has been covered by a number of artists and has appeared or referenced in feature films such as ''Reservoir Dogs'', ''Moulin Rouge!'' and ''Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason''. Family groups sought to ban it as they believed the song promoted sex without marriage. On the other hand, Madonna's public persona of an indomitable, sexually unashamed, supremely confident woman was widely accepted by the younger generation who emulated her style and fashion. Scholars have credited "Like a Virgin" as the song which cemented her position as a pop culture icon. ==Background== "Like a Virgin" was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. In an interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'', Steinberg explained that the song was not only not written for Madonna, it was not even written for a female singer but was inspired by his personal experiences. He elaborated: "I wasn't just trying to get that racy word ''virgin'' in a lyric. I was saying ... that I may not really be a virgin — I've been battered romantically and emotionally like many people — but I'm starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it's healing all the wounds and making me feel like I've never done this before, because it's so much deeper and more profound than anything I've ever felt." Kelly recorded the demo, and invited Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records' A&R department to his house to listen to it. Steinberg and Kelly played four or five tunes for Ostin, and further discussed "Like a Virgin"they were not sure for which artist the song would be suitable.〔 Due to meet with Madonna the next day to discuss her second album, Ostin intended on playing the demo to her, believing the lyrics and the groove of the song were perfect for Madonna. "When I played it for Madonna she went crazy, and knew instantly it was a song for her and that she could make a great record out of it," Ostin recalled.〔 In 2009, ''Rolling Stone'' interviewer Austin Scaggs asked Madonna what her first impressions were after listening to the demos of "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl". Madonna replied: I liked them both because they were ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me. I am not a materialistic person, and I certainly wasn't a virgin, and, by the way, how can you be ''like a virgin''? I liked the play on words; I thought they were clever. They're so geeky, they're cool. I never realised they would become my signature songs, especially the second one. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Like a Virgin (song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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