| "Papa Don't Preach" | ||||
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| Single by Madonna | ||||
| from the album True Blue | ||||
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| Released | June 11, 1986 | |||
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| Composer(s) | Brian Elliot | |||
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| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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| "Papa Don't Preach" on YouTube | ||||
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, True Blue (1986). Written by Brian Elliot, it was produced by the singer and her collaborator Stephen Bray. In the United States, the song was released as the album's second single on June 11, 1986, whereas in most European countries, the release was five days later. A dance-pop track with that mixes elements of baroque, post-disco and classical music, its lyrics deal with teenage pregnancy. Elliot wrote it inspired by teen gossip he'd hear outside his recording studio. Originally intended for a singer named Christina Dent, Warner Bros. Records A&R executive Michael Ostin convinced Elliot he let Madonna record it instead. The singer then added and altered a few of the lyrics, and got a songwriting credit.
Upon release, the song was lauded by critics, with praise being given to Madonna's vocals. Additionally, it became her fourth number one single in the US Billboard Hot 100. "Papa Don't Preach" also topped the charts in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, and peaked within the top-five of multiple European countries. The accompanying music video, directed by James Foley, shows the singer in her first "head-to-toe" image makeover, with a leaner, more muscular body. In it, Madonna plays a teenager who confesses her pregnancy to her father, played by actor Danny Aiello. The scenes are juxtaposed with shots of her dancing and singing in a small, darkened studio.
The song caused controversy because of its lyrical content and video. Women's organizations and others in the family planning field accused Madonna of promoting teenage pregnancy, while groups opposed to abortion saw the song as having a positive pro-life message. Madonna has performed "Papa Don't Preach" in five of her concert tours, the last being 2019―2020's Madame X Tour. The single's performance at the Who's That Girl World Tour (1987) caused Madonna's first conflict with the Vatican, as she dedicated it to Pope John Paul II, who urged Italian fans to boycott her concerts. In 2002, British personality Kelly Osbourne released a cover of the song, which received mixed reviews but achieved commercial success.