Dress You Up

Lyrics

You've got style
That's what all the girls say
Satin sheets
And luxuries so fine
All your suits
Are custom made in London
But I've got something that you'll really like

Gonna dress you up in my love
All over, all over
Gonna dress you up in my love
All over your body

Feel the silky touch
Of my caresses
They will keep you looking so brand new
Let me cover you
With velvet kisses
I'll create a look that's made for you

Gonna dress you up in my love
All over, all over
Gonna dress you up in my love
All over your body

Gonna dress you up in my love
In my love
(All over your body), all over your body
In my love
(All over, all over)
From your head down to your toes

Gonna dress you up in my love
All over, all over
Gonna dress you up in my love
All over your body

Gonna dress you up in my love
In my love
(All over your body), all over your body
In my love
(All over, all over)
From your head down to your toes

(Gonna dress you up in my love)
Gonna dress you up in my love
(All over, all over)
Dress you up in my love
(Gonna dress you up in my love)
In my love
(All over your body)
All over your body

(Gonna dress you up in my love)
Gonna dress you up in my love
(All over, all over)
Dress you up in my love
(Gonna dress you up in my love)
In my love
(All over your body)
Oh yeah, oh lucky boy

(Gonna dress you up in my love)
All over your body
(All over, all over)
From your head down to your toes
(Gonna dress you up in my love)
Gonna dress you up in my love
(All over your body)
Dress you up in my love
(Gonna dress you up in my love)
In my love
(All over, all over)
Oh yeah, oh lucky boy

(Gonna dress you up in my love)
(All over your body)
(Gonna dress you up in my love)
(All over, all over)

Credits

Written by Peggy Stanziale and Andrea LaRusso
Produced by Nile Rodgers
Drum programming by Jimmy Bralower
Guitar by Nile Rodgers
Assorted synthesizers and bass synthesizer by Rob Sabino
Background vocals by Curtis King, Frank Simms and George Simms

Album

Single

Dress You Up was released as final single from Like A Virgin on July 31, 1985 in the US, and on December 12, 1985 in Europe. This uptempo dance song was perfect to put the attention to Madonna's fashionable style. It hit the #5 spot in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. In the 90's the song was rediscovered when GAP Clothing used it in one of their TV commercials.

Video

There was no official music video made for this single. However, Director Danny Kleinman recorded the live performance at the Virgin Tour, which served as promotion for both the single and the tour VHS.

Tour

This fun dance track opened Madonna's very first live show, the Virgin Tour. Dressed up very colourfully, Madonna danced energetically with her two dancers.

It was performed again on the Who's That Girl Tour as part of a medley. During the guitar intro, Madonna jumps into a goofy dress, hat & glasses. Playfully she bows down, lifts up her skirt and shows off her underpants which reads 'KISS'. She changes the lines of the first verse that make them refer to herself: "I've got style/That's what all the boys say''. Halfway through the song she skips to Material Girl.

Though rehearsed but later dropped (in favour of Material Girl) from the Re-Invention Tour setlist, Dress You Up only makes its comeback on the 2009 leg of the Sticky & Sweet Tour. Just like Borderline, the song that held this spot in the 2008 setlist, this oldie was revisited in a rock version. Building on the baseline from 'My Sharona' (by The Knack) and the guitar riff from 'God Save The Queen' (by The Sex Pistols), Madonna throws down a heavy rock performance, much to the delight of the fans.

The Rebel Heart Tour would stand out among Madonna's tours due to the use of impressive costumes. Thus the aptly titled Dress You Up is performed in the middle of the show when Madonna changes into one of her most elaborate tour outfits. Designed by Givenchy, Madonna shines onstage in the Frida Kahlo-inspired colourful ensemble which includes a hat and a long skirt as the dancers take over the spotlight in a Day of the Dead-like group performance. Being the only radical reinvention of the night, Dress You Up becomes a groovy salsa number and London gets replaced by Barcelona in the first verse to fully complete the Latino theme. The excitement mounts when Madonna does snippets of Into The Groove & Lucky Star (the first three shows included Everybody as well), inbetween she takes shots and the girls also in colourful dresses shake their maracas. The song ends with the guys holding up high and a speech follows featuring a countdown in Spanish and throwing the maracas into the audience. This performance is so exhausting as confessed by Madonna herself that it got skipped on several European and most Asian shows.