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"Joan of Arc" is a song by Madonna from her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart.
Background
Madonna sings here about the pressures of fame. The world expects the American songstress to be a superhero like Joan of Arc but she has her moments of fragility like the rest of us. "Even hearts made out of steel can break down," the superstar sings. Madonna told Billboard magazine: "Even people we look up to have their moments where they are fragile, vulnerable, scared, fearful, not sure, hurt. You can't be a superhero unless you have the other side." Asked by Rolling Stone what drew her to Joan of Arc's story, Madonna replied: "More than anything, drawn to her commitment to what she believed in. In the face of death, she did not back down. And that is a theme that resonates with me."
Composition
"Joan of Arc" is a guitar-led pop and electro-folk ballad, which starts acoustic, but having a "new beat that lifts the BPMs considerably" in the chorus, with the added drums and guitars "turning [it] into a mid-paced radio-friendly pop [song]," but preserving the "string-laden bridge and acoustic denouement."
Live performances
Madonna performed an acoustic version of the song live on The Ellen Show, premiered on March 18, 2015. She also performed the song during the one off concert, Madonna: Tears of a Clown at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia on March 10, 2016.
Lyrics
Each time they take a photograph
I lose a part I can't get back
I wanna hide, this is the part where I detach
Each time they write a hateful word
Dragging my soul into the dirt
I wanna die
I never admit it
But it hurts
I don't wanna talk about it right now
Just hold me while I cry my eyes out
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
But I'm in the dark, yeah
I can't be superhero right now
Even hearts made out of steel can break down
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
I'm only human
Anything they did to me, said to me
Doesn't mean a thing, 'cause you're here with me now
Even when the world turns its back on me
There could be war but I'm not going down
One little lie I can ruin my day
Words are like weapons they betray
When I am afraid, one word of kindness it can save me
I don't wanna talk about it right now
Just hold me while I cry my eyes out
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
But I'm in the dark, yeah
I can't be superhero right now
Even hearts made out of steel can break down
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
I'm only human
Anything they did to me, said to me
Doesn't mean a thing, 'cause you're here with me now
Even when the world turns its back on me
There could be war but I'm not going down
Being destructive isn't brave
They couldn't say it to my face
One day I won't care
But for the moment I'm not there
I'll just close my eyes, and let you catch me now
I don't wanna talk about it right now
Just hold me while I cry my eyes out
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
But I'm in the dark, oh yeah
I can't be superhero right now
Even hearts made out of steel can break down
I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet
I'm only human
Anything they did to me, said to me
Doesn't mean a thing, 'cause you're here with me now
Even when the world turns its back on me
There could be war but I'm not going down
Anything they did to me, said to me
Doesn't mean a thing, 'cause you're here with me now
Even when the world turns its back on me
There could be war but I'm not Joan of Arc
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