Like a Virgin

Madonna's history as a performer is one of constant self reinvention and this video (and the album of the same title) were the initial phase of that process.  She earlier had portrayed the image of the quirky street kid who dressed in odd ways, hung out with break dancers on the street and sang light, poppy tunes (see the video for Borderline and the virtually same character in the movie Suddenly Seeking Susan).  However, in both this song and album she makes the turn to the sly seductress - somewhat evident here with the coy double entendre but more blatant with the Marilyn Monroe imagery in another song from the same album - Material Girl.

The musical hooks are several - the opening bass line, the synthesizer chords that accompany it in the intro and persist through the song and, of course the repeated cooing of "like a virgin, ooh".  I seem to remember this being quite controversial when it came out for the mixing of her seductive singing with the white wedding gown imagery in the video. 

I know my mind works in strange ways but I can never listen to this song without thinking of Weird Al Yankovic's hilarious parody Like a Surgeon  http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=notKtAgfwDA