Till Death Do Us Part (song)

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"Til Death Do Us Part" is a song by American pop star Madonna. Released on the singer's 1989 album Like a Prayer, the song's lyrics deal with her tumultuous relationship with and divorce from actor Sean Penn, her husband of four years.

"Till Death Do Us Part" marks the first and only time that Madonna has sung about the abusive aspects of her failed marriage to Sean Penn. In particular, the song seemingly confirms rumors of Penn's physical and emotional abuse with the line, "The bruises, they will fade away / You hit so hard with the things you say."

[edit] Musical tone

The lyrics and music rapidly alter back and forth between first person and third person as well as from an upbeat and inspirational tone to that of fast-paced melancholy and darkness.

The first person verses feature upbeat music, with Madonna defiantly proclaiming that she is leaving her abusive husband while lamenting the love that the abuse has destroyed. The darker, faster-paced third person verses detail the pattern of abuse between herself and Penn and bitterly acknowledge their relationship's abusive nature; in using the third person narrative, Madonna seems to be distancing herself emotionally from abuse.

The song ends abruptly, as the music stops and Madonna (in third person) cynically proclaims that the pattern of abuse is unbreakable and that the two will be stuck together, repeating the same pattern of abuse, rejection, reconciliation, and regression "...till death do us part." Only in the final lyrics does Madonna fuse the first and third person into a single stanza.

[edit] Release

"Till Death Do Us Part" was never released as a single, although it was included as the B-side to "Dear Jessie" in Europe in December 1989.