Story of the Song: Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna

Madonna prefaced the release of “Papa Don’t Preach” with a warning: it was, she said, “a message song that everyone is going to take the wrong way.” Some heard in it Madge's pleas to her father for acceptance of her then beau, Sean Penn. Others assumed it was the words of a confused, pregnant teenager, turning to her caring papa with a tough decision.

“When I first heard the song, I thought it was silly,” Madonna said. “But then I thought, wait: this song is really about a girl who is making a decision in her life. To me, it is a celebration of life.”

“Papa Don't Preach”, more recently a hit for Kelly Osbourne, came from the charmed pen of the songwriter and producer, Brian Elliot. It was originally intended for Christina Dent, a new signing to Madonna's label, Warner Bros, in 1986. Elliot ran his demo past Michael Ostin, Warner's A&R executive. But Ostin had other ideas: he slipped Elliot's tape into the drawer marked “Madonna”.

Reluctantly, on the promise of untold riches, the composer was persuaded to hand his song over to the star, and Dent's recording career faltered at the first hurdle. It was lyrically customised for Madonna and a video was shot, featuring Danny Aiello as her father.

Anti-abortion groups praised Elliot, especially for the line: “I've made up my mind, I'm keeping my baby.” But many people were upset. Gloria Allred, a Los Angeles attorney committed to sexual equality, demanded that Madonna either make it clear that kids have other choices, including abortion, or make another record supporting that point of view. Whatever Madonna thought, Elliot seemed happy with his role as hero of the New Right: “If Madonna has influenced young girls to keep their babies, I don't think that is such a bad deal. I just wanted to make this girl a sympathetic character.”