“Every day they have a kind of victory / Blood of innocence, spread everywhere / They say that we need love / But we need more than this.” Madonna has had it with the failures of the United States on one key issue – gun control. Amen sister! Quite socially-driven throughout the course of her 2019 album Madame X, one of the key moments where Madge really drives the message home is on “God Control.” No, she can’t atone for those who lost their lives senseless, but she can serve the role as activist via an intriguing protest anthem. And by intriguing, “God Control” is by no means traditional or predictable. “God Control” is definitely Madonna playing true to self – only she could conceive such an adventurous record as this.
Prior to the aforementioned lyrical ‘knockout’ served up by Madonna on the first verse, she commences the action with some tough words. “Everybody knows the damn truth / Our nation lied, we lost respect,” she sings, before specifically referencing the children (“Get the kids ready, take them to school / Everybody knows they don’t have a chance…”). Further driving home her point, she enlists a children choir (Tiffin Children’s Choir) who ‘bring it on home’ on the titular lyric, “We lost God control.” The thing is, all that happens before this unpredictable record transforms from a slower, pop ballad to a bizarre, totally left-of-center dance joint.
“People think that I’m insane / The only gun is in my brain,” Madonna asserts on the unapologetic chorus, continuing, “Each new birth, it gives me hope / That’s why I don’t smoke that dope.” It’s a fair point she makes given her larger-than-life personality throughout her career, not to mention how some perceive her viewpoints, celebrity and more liberal/progressive viewpoints in general. Furthermore, has it been mentioned this is a very unique song? Regardless, through the eccentricity that is “God Control,” the big takeaway is best summed up at the end of the six-minute-plus juggernaut by the icon herself: “Wake up.”
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About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.