Inspiration for great music can come from the unlikeliest of places. Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” was inspired by a vegetarian restaurant and a server who worked there. One of the song’s co-writers said the track’s prominence was literally a dream come true.
Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ was originally named after a restaurant
“Open Your Heart” was co-written by Madonna, Peter Rafelson, and Gardner Cole. During a 2005 interview with Madonna Tribe, Cole discussed the origin of the song. “The song was started with my good friend Peter Rafelson, we worked on the song for over a year,” he said. “The original title was ‘Follow Your Heart,’ which is the name of a vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles. I was in love with a waitress there named Lisa, and she was the original inspiration for the lyrics.”
Cole recalled the Queen of Pop’s contribution to the song.
Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ was originally named after a restaurant
“Open Your Heart” was co-written by Madonna, Peter Rafelson, and Gardner Cole. During a 2005 interview with Madonna Tribe, Cole discussed the origin of the song. “The song was started with my good friend Peter Rafelson, we worked on the song for over a year,” he said. “The original title was ‘Follow Your Heart,’ which is the name of a vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles. I was in love with a waitress there named Lisa, and she was the original inspiration for the lyrics.”
Cole recalled the Queen of Pop’s contribution to the song.
- 12/28/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Madonna and Cyndi Lauper are two 1980s divas who will always be associated with one another. Around the same time, they made some of the most famous dance songs ever, revolutionized the music video as an art form, and became major LGBTQ icons. Notably, one of Madonna’s biggest songs was initially meant for Lauper. Here’s a look at how the Queen of Pop came to record one of her hits.
A pair of songwriters wrote Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ for Cyndi Lauper
Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” is one of her most famous dance-pop tunes. According to Stereogum, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson penned the original version of “Open Your Heart” for Lauper. Originally, “Open Your Heart” was going to be a synth-rock song. Considering Lauper has a background in that style of music, having been a member of the band Blue Angel, the song might have worked for her.
A pair of songwriters wrote Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ for Cyndi Lauper
Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” is one of her most famous dance-pop tunes. According to Stereogum, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson penned the original version of “Open Your Heart” for Lauper. Originally, “Open Your Heart” was going to be a synth-rock song. Considering Lauper has a background in that style of music, having been a member of the band Blue Angel, the song might have worked for her.
- 12/28/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The year 2011 is going to be a good one for divas. New albums from Britney Spears and Lady Gaga are already within view, and it's quite likely that we could end up getting new music from Beyoncé before these 12 months are up. Madonna could also check in with new music this year, perhaps adding to her already-large docket of chart-topping hits (she has a dozen to her name so far). On this day in 1987, she picked up her fifth career number one on the Billboard Hot 100 when "Open Your Heart" ascended to that position.
"Open Your Heart" was the fourth single to come from Madonna's massive third album True Blue (which was released back in the summer of 1986). Two of those singles — "Live to Tell" and "Papa Don't Preach" — had already topped the chart, and the title track from True Blue came up just short (it ended up at...
"Open Your Heart" was the fourth single to come from Madonna's massive third album True Blue (which was released back in the summer of 1986). Two of those singles — "Live to Tell" and "Papa Don't Preach" — had already topped the chart, and the title track from True Blue came up just short (it ended up at...
- 2/7/2011
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
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