| "Cherish" | ||||
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| Single byMadonna | ||||
| from the albumLike a Prayer | ||||
| B-side | "Supernatural" | |||
| Released | August 1, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:03 (album version) 4:03 (single version) | |||
| Label | ||||
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| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Cherish" onYouTube | ||||
"Cherish" is a song by American singerMadonna from her fourth studio album,Like a Prayer (1989). It was written and produced by Madonna andPatrick Leonard, and was released bySire Records as the album's third single on August 1, 1989. "Cherish" was built around the themes of love and relationships, withWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet being one of the major inspirations. The track also included a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s bandthe Association. Musically constructed as adoo-wop-stylepop song, it is regarded as a light-hearted track by critics and includes instruments such as adrum machine,percussions,keyboards and asaxophone. Lyrically, it speaks of Madonna's devotion to her lover, and her promise to be always by his side. "Cherish" was included on Madonna's greatest hits compilationsThe Immaculate Collection (1990) andCelebration (2009).
After its release, the song received positive feedback from reviewers, who were surprised by the change of content and the lighter image of Madonna's music in contrast to her previous singles fromLike a Prayer, which incorporated themes such as religion and sexuality. They compared certain lyrics of the song toJuliet's lines inRomeo and Juliet. "Cherish" was a commercial success, topping the Canadian music chart and reaching the top ten of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the combined European chart. In the United States, "Cherish" peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100 and number one on theCash BoxTop 100, giving Madonna the record for the most consecutive top-five singles by any act with 16.
A black-and-whitemusic video for the song was directed by photographerHerb Ritts at the Paradise Cove Beach inMalibu, California. In the video, Madonna plays herself, while three co-actors dressed asmermen swim in and out of the sea. Academics noted that the mermen became symbols for the homosexual community and the oppression it faced. Madonna performed "Cherish" on herBlond Ambition World Tour (1990), where the performance included her dancers dressed up as mermen. Its symbolism was seen to de-sexualize men, relegating them to objects of desire.
"Cherish" was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and released as the third single fromLike a Prayer (1989). The song is built around the themes of love and relationships, withWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet one of its major inspirations.[1] Madonna was readingRomeo and Juliet during the breaks during rehearsals forSpeed the Plow, a Broadway show in which she was starring in 1988. On the third day of theLike a Prayer recording sessions, she presented Leonard with the lyrics of "Cherish", and explained that she had written the song "one sunny afternoon by the beach", but later confessed that it was actually written in her make-up room.[2] "I wrote it in a superhyper-positive state of mind that I knew was not going to last", the singer recalled.[3] Leonard introduced one line fromthe similar titled song by the 1960s bandthe Association, "Cherish is the word I use", after which Madonna decided to include it onLike a Prayer.[4] TheB-side of the single release of "Cherish" was a previously unreleased track called "Supernatural", initially composed during the recording sessions of her third studio album,True Blue and later completed in 1989.[5] In 2009, during an interview withRolling Stone, Madonna confessed that she had never been able to predict if her songs would be successful, irrespective of her personal opinion of them. As an example, she cited "Cherish" as one of the most "retarded" songs she had written, but noted it became a commercial success.[6] The song was also included on the 1990 compilation albumThe Immaculate Collection and the two-disc edition of her 2009 compilationCelebration.[7][8]
"Cherish" is adoo-wop stylepopshuffle song and opened the second side ofLike a Prayer.[5][9] It begins with the sound ofsynths andkeyboard and Madonna repeatedly singing the words "cherish, cherish". This is followed by the sound fromdrum machine, aspercussion and guitars accompany her voice.[5] During thebridge, Madonna sings the line "Cupid please take your aim at me", as the keyboard sound becomes pronounced. The drum changes its rhythm and Madonna moves into thechorus, "Cherish the joy/of always having you here by my side", accompanied by background vocals and abass guitar.[5] The secondverse continues in the same way, with Madonna singing the line "Romeo and Juliet/they never felt this way I bet/So don't underestimate my point of view."[10]
As the second chorus ends, asaxophone starts playing as Madonna softly asks the listener, "Who? You! Can't get away, I won't let you", followed by Leonard's Association-inspired line.[5] Background vocals continue repeating words over ahorn, playing inB♭ minor. The drums and thepercussion start again and the chorus is sung twice, beforefading out.[5] According to the sheet music published byAlfred Publishing Co. Inc., "Cherish" is composed in thetime signature of common time, with a moderately fasttempo of 130 beats per minute. Set in thekey ofD major, "Cherish" has Madonna singing between the tonal nodes of A3 to D5. The song follows the sequence of G/D–D–Em7–D in the beginning as itschord progression, which changes to D–Dm–C–Em7 during the verses and shifts to G–D/G–A–D/F♯ in the chorus.[11]
The lyrics of "Cherish" makes it a simple love song, where Madonna talks about devotion and having her lover by her side, whom she would never leave.[12] According tosemioticianThomas Sebeok, the backbone of "Cherish" is constructed by incorporating titles of previous romantic pop hits.Songs such as "Cupid" (Sam Cooke), "You Are My Destiny" (Paul Anka) and "I Can't Let Go" (The Hollies) are used within the first verse, while other verses use the words of such song titles as "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley) and "Two Hearts" (Bruce Springsteen). Other instances include the Association song reference and Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet.[13] Richard Burt, author ofShakespeare After Mass Media, deduced that the lines onRomeo and Juliet and "I Can't Let Go" makes the speaker alternate between assertiveness and dependency.[10] Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine felt that although "Cherish" was a "radiant" song invoking the pop music of the 60s, "in the grand pop scheme, [it] pales only in comparison to their glorious counterparts, makingLike a Prayer one of the quintessential pop albums of all time."[14]
"'Cherish' was a particular triumph for the Madonna/Patrick Leonard partnership. A delightful confection of radio-ready proportions, the song had it all—strong, positive, remarkably dysfunction-free lyrics about love, a memorable, singalong vocal melody, and a tight, pungent rhythm arrangement. It remains, quite simply, one of the best songs Madonna has ever written; sweet and happy, but by no means corny, it's a perfectly constructed pop song which Madonna delivered beautifully, and with undeniably sassy charm."
Wayne Robins fromNewsday believed that "Cherish" exemplified the "kind of random pop we'd get if [postmodern author]William Burroughs were the program director of a Top 40 radio station."[13] Burt compared the song and Madonna's delivery of the lyrics with the dialogues spoken by Shakespeare'sJuliet, and found similarity in the, "Sweet so would I, Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing" from the play, with the lyrics of "Cherish".[10] Allen Metz, one of the authors ofThe Madonna Companion, felt that "Cherish" as the opening song of the B-side ofLike a Prayer, reaffirmed the sweet and happy romanticism that was missing from the A-side of the album adding, "As much a child of pop as of the church, Madonna is restored by music's healing power, in this case with a mixture of classic sweet soul and L.A. pop moderne."[15]
Music criticJ. D. Considine, while reviewing theLike a Prayer album forRolling Stone complimented the song for creating an effective balance, contrasting its lighthearted nature with the trauma of "Oh Father", the next song. Considine also found retro-rock references in the song.[16] Freya Jarman-Ivens, one of the authors ofMadonna's Drowned Worlds, felt that the song was one of the last works on pure romanticism by Madonna. "She should come back to the formula from time to time, but I guess she has moved beyond all of that", Jarman-Ivens added.[12] Carol Clerk, author ofMadonnastyle noted that the "refreshing" nature of the song was particularly noticeable if one follows Madonna's catalog chronologically, especially embedded between the anthem like nature of the previous release, "Express Yourself", and the lament of the succeeding release, "Oh Father".[17]
Scholar Maria Raha wrote in her bookCinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground that the song was full of "trite" lyrics.[18] Andy Goldberg fromThe Jerusalem Post said that "Cherish" took "Madonna back to her old stomping grounds, the lively bass line and lilting melodies of hit albums past."[19] Kevin Phinney fromAustin American-Statesman was surprised by Madonna's contribution to the song and confessed that he "[found] it difficult to be believe that she even wrote this?" Phinney continued that he wanted Madonna to go in a more mature direction and compose songs musically similar to "Cherish".[20] Writing forThe Washington Post, Richard Harrington explained that "while songs onLike a Prayer dealt with matters opening her heart, with 'Cherish' Madonna dealt with matters which were close to her heart."[21] This view was also shared by Ian Blair fromChicago Tribune who categorized the song as being sung for the "happy-go-lucky lovers and dreamers".[22]
The Dallas Morning News' Lennox Samuels appreciated the light-hearted theme of the song and complimented Madonna and Leonard for not sticking with personal subject matters only on the album.[23] Dale Anderson fromThe Buffalo News opined that the song would become one of Madonna's most forgettable releases, but was also hopeful that it would not.[24] This opinion was shared by Don McLeese of theChicago Sun-Times, who added that "Cherish" was not something expected from Madonna at that point of time. McCleese was disappointed that Madonna went back to the "happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey" kind of songs, which did not match her self-image.[25] Dan DeLuca fromThe Philadelphia Inquirer, while reviewing Madonna'sDrowned World Tour in 2001, compared "Cherish" with songs byChris Robinson, humorously adding that "only if he was gay he would sing something like that."[26]Lucy O'Brien, author ofMadonna: Like an Icon, felt that the song was typical of Madonna's previous musical endeavors, and would have been more suitable for her third studio album,True Blue, whose songs mainly dealt with romance and relationships.[9]
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In the United States, "Cherish" debuted at number 37 on theBillboard Hot 100 singles chart. The next week it moved to number 28 on the chart, becoming the week's "greatest gainer" song.[27] After three weeks, as "Cherish" entered the top-five ofBillboard Hot 100, music industry prognosticators theorized that the song would become Madonna's eighth number-one song on the Hot 100. However, the song started facing competition from fellow singerJanet Jackson's single "Miss You Much", which also moved into the top-ten the same week.[28] The popular media pitted the two women against each other and tried to create rivalry between them.[29] The song eventually peaked at number two on October 7, 1989, the same week "Miss You Much" topped the Hot 100.[30] "Cherish" became Madonna's 16th consecutive top-five single, a record by any artist in Hot 100 chart history.[31] It was present on the Hot 100 for a total of 15 weeks.[32] Unlike previous Madonna singles, "Cherish" was not a dance hit and did not make an appearance on theHot Dance Music/Club Play chart, but was able to top theAdult Contemporary chart, her third after "Live to Tell" and "La Isla Bonita".[33] "Cherish" also helped Madonna to win the Top Adult Contemporary Artist trophy at the 1989Billboard Music Awards.[34] On the year-end charts ofBillboard, "Cherish" ranked at number 59 on the Hot 100 and number 31 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[35] In Canada, "Cherish" debuted at number 80 on theRPM Singles Chart on August 14, 1989.[36] In its ninth week on the chart, the song reached number one, staying there for two weeks.[37] "Cherish" was present on the chart for 17 weeks and was the ninth best-selling Canadian single for 1989.[38][39] The track also reached number-one on theRPM Adult Contemporary chart in its seventh week.[40]
On September 1, 1989, "Cherish" was released in the United Kingdom and entered theUK Singles Chart at number 16. The next week, the song moved to its peak position of number three, becoming Madonna's 21st top-ten single in the United Kingdom.[41] According to theOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 200,000 copies there.[42] "Cherish" entered theAustralian Singles Chart at number 17 on September 17, 1989, and reached a peak of number four, staying on the chart for 16 weeks.[43] In the Netherlands, "Cherish" debuted at number 24 on theDutch Top 40 chart, and reached a peak of number 15, the next week.[44] "Cherish" also reached the top ten on the record charts across European nations, prompting it to reach number five on theEuropean Hot 100 Singles chart.[45] It also became the most played single on radio across Europe during the week of October 21, 1989.[46]
"Cherish" was promoted by a black-and-whitemusic video that wasdirected byHerb Ritts and was filmed on July 22, 1989 at Paradise Cove Beach inMalibu, California. Its world premiere took place onMTV on August 21, 1989.[47][48] Ritts was one of Madonna's preferred photographers at that time and so she asked him to direct the "Cherish" video. Ritts reportedly tried to talk her out of it by saying, "But I'm a still photographer. I don't know anything about film." Undaunted, Madonna replied simply, "Well you have a few weeks to learn."[47] The director practised with aSuper 8 film camera while working on a job in Hawaii and after returning confirmed to Madonna that he could helm the video. "Two weeks later, I was filming 'Cherish'. I directed it and did the camera work as well. It was invigorating," he told art curator François Quintin in a 1999 interview.[49]
The video was conceptualized by Ritts, who wanted to portraymermen in their natural habitat, but Madonna baulked at the idea since she wanted to be portrayed as herself, but keep the mermen also. Four male performers were signed for this, one of them beingTony Ward who would become Madonna's boyfriend later, with the other three being water polo players from nearbyPepperdine University.[47] There were four merman tails created by Global Effects in North Hollywood, California for the video. Three full-size tails for the mermen were cast in a solid highly flexible rubber, each weighing around 40 pounds (18 kg). This was necessary to make them neutrally buoyant in water as lighter tails would have floated, causing the swimmers to be head-down in the sea.[47] Once in these tails, the polo players needed to be carried to and from the water and once in it, they had tremendous swimming power and agility. This was partly due to a plastic spring-like armature cast into the flipper of each tail.[47] One of the reasons this video was shot in black and white is because the water was very cold, causing Madonna's already pale complexion to look even whiter.[50]
According toMaura Johnston ofRolling Stone, following its release "The playful video became an MTV staple, a light jaunt on the beach after the controversy-drenched [clips] for 'Like a Prayer' and the future-shocked 'Express Yourself'."[49] Fouz-Hernandez deduced a relationship between the music and the images in the video for "Cherish", saying that they complemented each other; the author felt that this in turn encouraged the viewer to watch the video repeatedly.[51] Fouz-Hernandez talked about the balancing of height and depth occurring in the video. The visual depictions of the mermen and the lighting used in the video were influenced by Ritts' still photograph known as "The Male Nude Bubble", which showed nude male models inside a giant water tank, with a white cloth entwined around them. Many of the qualities in the photos, including the floating nature of the models, were present during the swimming and the posing of the mermen.[51]
Carol Vernallis, author ofExperiencing Music Video, found homoerotic connotations between Madonna and the mermen. The mermen in the video exist in a self-contained world of their own, where they procreate with their own kind, both biologically and socially. The fact that the mermen did not seem to possess genitalia led Vernallis to believe that the video associated them with other works by Ritts, namely homoerotic sculptural images without penises.[52] Their tails drew different meanings, including sexual ones and Christian symbolism. Since in contemporary art, images of mermen are rare while mermaids are common, they are sometimes called fairies partly because it is not known how they came to be.[52] Vernallis believed that the mysteriousness and the elusiveness of the mermen in the video played a crucial role. They never address the camera directly and are often shown disappearing from view. Since remaining invisible is a central theme in the homosexual community, for the author this actually portrayed oppression and the desire to watch but never be seen.[52]
Madonna has performed "Cherish" live only during the 1990Blond Ambition World Tour. Onstage, the performance mirrored the sequence from the music video, with the appearance of three of Madonna's dancers, dressed as mermen.[53] Author Carol Clerk noted in her bookMadonnastyle that the outfit worn by the singer during this sequence was the simplest and the softest costume of the show. It consisted of a black mini-dress trimmed and stitched with a stuffed West African stork, called the marabou.[53] Madonna gyrated around her dancers, while playing with aharp. During the chorus, the dancers lifted their prosthetic fish-tails and joined them with each other.[53] Guilbert felt that the performance de-sexualizes men, since they are relegated to objects of adoration, like the three mermen dancers.[54] This view was shared byMark Bego, author ofMadonna: Blonde Ambition, who said that "Madonna and her girls go into a very girlish mode, but they give the feeling that they are in charge, be it playing with the mermen, or teasing them."[55] Two different performances were taped and released on video, theBlond Ambition Japan Tour 90, taped inYokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990,[56] and theBlond Ambition World Tour Live, taped inNice, France, on August 5, 1990.[57]
The late Brazilian singerRenato Russo included an acoustic cover of the song on his 1994 albumThe Stonewall Celebration Concert. His version was appreciated by Alvaro Neder ofAllMusic.[58] The 2000 compilation albumVirgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 contains a cover byworldbeat groupLoop Guru.[59] Analternative rock cover of the song by The Prayers was included on the 2007 Madonna tribute compilationThrough the Wilderness.[60]
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Credits and personnel adapted fromLike a Prayer album liner notes.[68]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[89] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| United Kingdom | — | 200,000[42] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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