Back in 1986 Madonna entered a new era, and fans were surprised when the singer returned with a new look and an emotional ballad.
Live to Tell was the first single from the star’s third record True Blue, and it was featured on the soundtrack of the film At Close Range, which starred her then‑husband Sean Penn and Christopher Walken.
Producer Patrick Leonard originally wrote an instrumental piece of music for another film, Fire with Fire, but the studio rejected it. This prompted Madonna to add lyrics to the piece and suggest it to director James Foley for his upcoming film.
The song was the second track that Madonna and Patrick Leonard worked on for her album. They’d previously completed “Love Makes the World Go Round,” which Madonna had played at Live Aid the previous summer. The finished song features the vocals Madonna recorded for the demo.
At the time Madonna had just finished The Virgin Tour, her first major US tour, and Madonna Mania was in full swing. She’d also found success with the film Desperately Seeking Susan and enjoyed a string of hits not only from her Like a Virgin album, but additional songs recorded for film soundtracks including Crazy for You, Gambler, and Into the Groove.
The video showed Madonna with blonder hair, neatly coiffed, and she wore a simple, demure dress. It was a conservative look that departed from the midriff‑baring, belly‑button‑revealing, tangled‑hair‑and‑lots‑of‑jewelry look that the singer had sported previously. This was Madonna’s first reinvention, and there would be many more to come over the decades.
Madonna has performed the song several times on subsequent tours, but one of the most memorable was her presentation during the Celebration Tour, where people lost to AIDS were highlighted.
Other artists have also covered the song, most notably jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, who has delivered an impressive instrumental version. Little Wings has done a stripped‑down folk version, Lacuna Coil gave the song a heavy metal treatment, while Tori Amos has been known to add it into her set list for live shows.
There’s also a poignant version by Australian artist Kate Ceberano. Berlin has also recorded the song, and stage star Ruthie Henshall has added it to her repertoire.
Today we mark 40 years since the song was released.
