Dark Ballet
Lyrics
It's a beautiful life, but I'm not concerned
It's a beautiful dream, but a dream is earned
I can dress like a boy, I can dress like a girl
Keep your beautiful words, 'cause I'm not concerned
'Cause your world is such a shame
'Cause your world's obsessed with fame
'Cause your world's in so much pain
'Cause your world is...
'Cause your world is up in flames
It's a beautiful plan, but I'm not concerned (oh yeah)
It's a beautiful game that I never learned
People tell me to shut my mouth (shut your mouth)
That I might get burned
Keep your beautiful lies, 'cause I'm not concerned
'Cause your world is such a shame
'Cause your world's obsessed with fame
'Cause your world's in so much pain
'Cause your world is...
'Cause your world is...
I will not denounce the things that I have said
I will not renounce my faith in my sweet Lord
He has chosen me to fight against the English
I am not afraid at all to die 'cause I believe in Him
God is on my side and I’ll be his bride
I am not afraid 'cause I have faith in Him
You can cut my hair and throw me in a jail cell
Say that I’m a witch and burn me at the stake
It's all a big mistake
Don't you know to doubt Him is a sin
I won't give in
They are so naive
They think we are not aware of their crimes
We know, but we are just not ready to act
The storm isn't in the air, it's inside of us
I want to tell you about love and loneliness
But it's getting late now
Can't you hear outside of your Supreme hoodie
The wind that's beginning to howl
It's a beautiful life
Credits
Written by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzai
Produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzai
Album
Song
Madonna premiered the beginning of this song during her performance at the Met Gala in May 2018. The words 'beautiful game' were quickly interpreted as the title. After the album tracklist was released, we got to know the actual title is in fact Dark Ballet.
During the performance at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, Madonna sang the final part from Dark Ballet as an interlude between Like A Prayer and Future.
During a live chat session for the release of the Crave video, Madonna also revealed that Dark Ballet was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's movie 'A Clockwork Orange'. She called the song one of her favourites off the album "because the song changes gears so many times. It starts off one way, then it becomes classical. A lot of modern and classical sounds". The classical sounds used in Dark Ballet are in fact from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.
Dark Ballet was made available as digital download on June 7th. Variety's Jeremy Helligar deemed the track as one of the moments in Madame X where "true weirdness sets in", and "the closest Madonna may ever come to her own 'Bohemian Rhapsody".
Video
'Dark Ballet' was inspired by the story of Joan of Arc. "She fought the English and she won, still the French were not happy," Madonna says. "Still they judged her. They said she was a man, they said she was a lesbian, they said she was a witch, and, in the end, they burned her at the stake, and she feared nothing. I admire that."
The powerful and moving video, directed by Emmanuel Adjei, stars the innovative hip-hop queer pioneer, Mykki Blanco as Joan of Arc and tells the story of the kind of dance we're all dancing in the world right now, this dark ballet. Madonna herself only features briefly, as she looks on from underneath her veil. The video closes with an important message of inspiration from Mykki, "I have walked this earth, Black, Queer and HIV positive, but no transgression against me has been as powerful as the hope I hold within."
Tour
Fragments of the song debuted at the 2018 Met Gala performance, and resurfaced as part of the 2019 Eurovision gig. The full song was performed first performed at Pride Island and then included on the Madame X Tour. Just like on the album tracklist, Dark Ballet got the second position on the tour setlist. The performance featured Joan of Arc references, religious garb and battles with dancers in gas masks reminiscent of the mice in 'The Nutcracker', as well as a ballet breakdown halfway through.