Take A Bow

Lyrics

Take a bow
The night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low
The curtains down
There's no one here
(There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd)

Say your lines
But do you feel them
Do you mean what you say
When there's no one around (no one around)
Watching you, watching me
One lonely star
(One lonely star, you don't know who you are)

I've always been in love with you (always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (you know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why (why oh why)
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye (bye bye)
Say good-bye

Make them laugh
It comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you're breaking my heart (breaking my heart)
Hide behind your smile
All the world loves a clown
(Just make 'em smile, the whole world loves a clown)

Wish you well
I cannot stay
You deserve an award
For the role that you played (role that you played)
No more masquerade
You're one lonely star
(One lonely star and you don't know who you are)

I've always been in love with you (always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (you know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why (why oh why)
The show is over, say good-bye

I've always been in love with you (always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (you know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why (why oh why)
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye (bye bye)
Say good-bye

All the world is a stage (world is a stage)
And everyone has their part (has their part)
But how was I to know
Which way the story'd go
How was I to know you'd break
You'd break, you'd break, you'd break
You'd break my heart

I've always been in love with you (I've always been in love with you)
Guess you've always known
You took my love for granted, why oh why (why oh why)
The show is over, say good-bye

I've always been in love with you (always with you)
I guess you've always known it's true (you know it's true)
You took my love for granted, why oh why (why oh why)
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye (bye bye)
Say good-bye

Say good-bye

Credits

Written by Babyface and Madonna
Produced by Babyface and Madonna
Background vocals by Babyface

Album

Single

This ballad was released as second single on November 29, 1994. It stands as her longest running hit single at #1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, holding it for 7 consecutive weeks. It was certified Gold but the real driving force behind the single was its airplay. It also reached the #1 spot in many other countries, including Japan and Canada. The UK was less enthousiastic: the song stalled at #16, making it her lowest peaking UK single. Madonna accentuated the Oriental feel of Take A Bow when performing it in a Chinese gown at the 1995 American Music Awards as a duet with Babyface. It was also the Asian leg of the Rebel Heart Tour that got to hear the song live.

Video

Madonna and director Michael Haussman went to Ronda, Spain to shoot the video. Madonna appears as the lover of bullfighter Emilio Munoz. The video caused controversy, not only with animal rights movements, but also with feminists who accused Madonna of portraying a subservient woman, abused by her macho bullfighting lover. However, in the You'll See video Madonna would get revenge on her scrub boyfriend. She also used the Take A Bow video - in which her look was highly inspired by Evita - to convince Alan Parker to cast her for the 1996 movie Evita. At the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, Take A Bow won Best Female Video. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction, but lost out to Michael & Janet Jackson's 'Scream'.

Tour

After its single release, Take A Bow was performed at German TV show Wetten Dass, at the American Music Awards and at the San Remo music festival. But after that, the #1 hit single was neglected on Madonna's stage tours. It was rehearsed for the Re-Invention Tour but didn't make the final setlist.

It finally made its debut on the Rebel Heart Tour in February 2016, more than 21 years after its release. Madonna first played it as surprise song during her tour stop in Taipei. The feedback from the crowd was so enthousiastic that the song made it back in the setlist for most of the remaining Asian and Oceanian tour stops, as well as the Tears of a Clown show in Melbourne.