It looked bad. Very bad. At the top of a tier of stairs, she leaned back and some hapless dancer pulled her cape before it was completely untied. She stumbled backward, down a few steps and fell hard onto the floor. For anyone else, it would have proven disastrous, if not a reason to stop the show. But Madonna’s never been anyone. She is Someone. She is The One – the one who carried on. She caught her breath, got back up, and kept going.
I defy anyone who dares to mock her after that to do the same. You know you wouldn’t. You know you couldn’t. She’s Madonna, and you’re not. (I’m not either, and if I took a spill like that I’d still be lying where I landed.)
As for the aftermath, it feels eerily like the fall-out of similar “disasters” ~ the Playboy photos, the ‘Like A Virgin‘ MTV Awards performance, the ‘Like A Prayer‘ controversy, the ‘Justify My Love‘ brouhaha, the ‘Sex‘ book, the adoptions, the younger boyfriends, and the audacity to continuing to do what she wants to do ~ so think for a moment about how those things turned out. In the end, Madonna’s latest song ‘Living For Love’ (her, ahem, 44th Number One Dance single) is the final word on the matter.
I let down my guard, I fell into your arms
Forgot who I was, I didn’t hear the alarms
Now I’m down on my knees, alone in the dark
I was blind to your game
You fired a shot in my heart
Took me to heaven and let me fall down
Now that it’s over I’m gonna carry on
Lifted me up, and watched me stumble
After the heartache I’m gonna carry on
Living for love
Living for love
I’m not giving up
I’m gonna carry on
Living for love
I’m living for love
Not gonna stop
Love’s gonna lift me up
I could get caught up in bitterness
But I’m not dwelling on this crazy mess
I found freedom in the ugly truth
I deserve the best and it’s not you
You’ve broken my heart, but you can’t bring it down
I’ve fallen apart, I was lost, now I’m found
I picked up my crown, put it back on my head
I can forgive, but I will never forget…
