Deeper and Deeper
"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets, and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality, and includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).
This article is about the song by Madonna. For other uses, see Deeper and Deeper (disambiguation)."Deeper and Deeper"
November 17, 1992
Soundworks (New York)
5:33
- Madonna
- Shep Pettibone
- Anthony Shimkin
- Madonna
- Shep Pettibone
Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics. They often praised the singer for returning to a more dance-oriented nature in comparison to her previous single "Erotica", and singled out the "Vogue" sample. In retrospective reviews, it is now considered one of Madonna's best singles. The song was also commercially successful, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 10 in several other countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, while peaking at number one in Italy. The accompanying music video was directed by Bobby Woods. It was seen as a homage to American artist Andy Warhol and Italian director Luchino Visconti, with Madonna playing a character based on Edie Sedgwick, who goes out to a nightclub to meet her friends and boyfriend. The clip received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. Madonna has performed "Deeper and Deeper" in three of her concert tours, the last being 2015–2016's Rebel Heart Tour.
Background and recording[edit]
In 1992, Madonna founded her own multi-media entertainment company Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions.[1] The first two projects from the venture were her fifth studio album Erotica and a coffee table book of photographs featuring Madonna, entitled Sex.[1][2] For Erotica, Madonna primarily collaborated with American producer Shep Pettibone; Pettibone first began working with the singer during the 1980s, providing remixes for several of her singles.[3][4] Pettibone would build the base music of the songs in a style similar to his remixes, while Madonna wrote the melodies and lyrics.[5] According to the producer in an article titled "Erotica Diaries", published on Madonna's Icon magazine, he created a tape of three tracks for Madonna to listen to; he traveled to Chicago, where she was filming A League of Their Own (1992), played the songs for her and she liked all of them.[4] In October 1991, Madonna met with Pettibone in New York City to start working on demos. The first batch of songs they worked together on were "Erotica", "Deeper and Deeper", "Rain" and "Thief of Hearts".[4] Anthony Shimkin, who also worked on the album, recalled that Madonna had with her a "book full of lyrics and melody ideas".[6]
At first, the singer did not like the songs she had recorded. She wanted Erotica to have a raw edge, as if it were recorded in an alley in Harlem, and not a light glossy production, according to Pettibone.[4] In the case of "Deeper and Deeper", the producer revealed that they tried different bridges and changes, but in the end, Madonna wanted the middle of the song to have a flamenco guitar, an idea he disagreed with; "I didn't like [...] taking a Philly house song and putting 'La Isla Bonita' in the middle of it. But that's what she wanted, so that's what she got", he recalled.[4] He later decided to add castanets to "really take it there".[6] According to Shimkin, while they were recording the song, Pettibone began singing some lines of "Vogue" (1990); Madonna, who heard this and emulated it, liked the sound and decided to keep it.[6] She later explained: "When we were actually recording, doing the final vocals, I just went off into that for a second because ['Vogue'] to me it's just one of those great kind of feel good dance songs."[7]
Composition and lyrics[edit]
"Deeper and Deeper" was written and produced by both Madonna and Pettibone, with additional lyrics by Anthony Shimkin.[9] Recording took place at Astoria's Sound Work Studios; personnel working on the song included Pettibone on the sequencing, keyboard arrangement, and programming, alongside Shimkin; Paul Pesco on guitars, Dennis Mitchell and Robin Hancock were the song's recording engineers, while George Karras was the mixing engineer. Background vocals were provided by Niki Haris and Donna De Lory.[9] Musically, "Deeper and Deeper" is a house-flavored track with disco and Philadelphia soul influences.[4][10][11] Its lyrics talk about sexual desire, but Dan Cadan argued in his text in the liner notes of GHV2 (2001), that they are actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality.[12][13] Madonna herself described the lyrics as "not terribly intellectual".[7] Shimkin said he saw the song as a "big nod" to Madonna's earlier works with John "Jellybean" Benitez; De Lory on the other hand, recalled that, "[Niki and I]'d sung with [Madonna] before so it was just a really comfortable relationship. And oh my God, this song! All Niki and I wanted to do was sing 'sweeter and sweeter and sweeter'".[14]
"Deeper and Deeper" begins with Madonna singing "Deeper and deeper and deeper", followed by the refrain "I can't help falling in love, I fall deeper and deeper the further I go".[8] The song's opening line "When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything" references "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music (1959).[13] Also present are "a juxtaposition of swirling disco synths", a flamenco guitar, and castanets on its bridge.[3][6][8] According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Deeper and Deeper" is set in the time signature of common time with a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of C minor, with Madonna's voice in a high register, spanning between F13 to G. The song has a basic sequence of G7–Cm7/G as its chord progression.[15] Towards the end, the song includes a lyrical sample of "Vogue" which, according to academic Georges-Claude Guilbert, author of Madonna as Postmodern Myth, "enhance[s] the ending of the song, in an ultimate post-modern twist".[16]
Music video[edit]
Background and synopsis[edit]
Bobby Woods, an executive producer at Madonna's companies Boy Toy Inc. and Maverick films, directed the music video for "Deeper and Deeper". Filming took place from November 7–8, 1992, at Ren-Mar Studios and The Roxbury nightclub in Hollywood, California.[77][16] Madonna portrays Andy Warhol protégé Edie Sedgwick.[16] According to the director, the singer wanted to do an "Andy Warhol/Edie Sedgwick styled video. She believed, and I think this is accurate, that there was a similar feel to the times of America in the Roaring 20s and the Disco 70s."[78] Director Sofia Coppola, Madonna's personal friend Debi Mazar, porn director Chi Chi LaRue, porn performer Joey Stefano, music executives Seymour Stein and Guy Oseary, Ingrid Casares, Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, and German actor Udo Kier, all made cameos.[16][77][79][80] Madonna asked former Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro to participate in the video, but he turned down the offer.[81] The dance sequences in the video were, according to Woods, "100% spontaneous. We loaded a dance floor with people, put her record on, and the dancing began."[78]
Described as a "pastiche of 70s images", with scenes both in color and black and white, the video begins with a man (Kier) in a darkened room speaking German with subtitles in English: "Beware! Our idols and demons will pursue us. Until we learn to let them go!"[82][83] Then, Madonna arrives at a nightclub driving a Mercedes-Benz W111 and looks for her lover - also played by Kier. At the nightclub, she leaves some balloons tied to the bar, which then begin to cut loose or burst.[16] Interspersed footage of Madonna meeting and dancing with her friends, being photographed and watching a stripper (Stefano) perform, plays next. At the end, the man from the beginning cuts off the singer's remaining balloon with scissors.[16]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]