Take A Bow
Madonna · Something To Remember
This masquerade is getting older
Lights are low, the curtains down
There's no one here
[There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd]
Say your lines but do you feel them
Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around]
Watching you, watching me, one lonely star
[One lonely star you don't know who you are]
Chorus:
I've always been in love with you [always with you]
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Make them laugh, it comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]
Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown
[Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown]
Wish you well, I cannot stay
You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]
No more masquerade, you're one lonely star
[One lonely star and you don't know who you are]
(chorus, repeat)
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
All the world is a stage [world is a stage]
And everyone has their part [has their part]
But how was I to know which way the story'd go
How was I to know you'd break
[You'd break, you'd break, you'd break]
You'd break my heart
I've always been in love with you
[I've always been in love with you]
Guess you've always known
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Say good-bye
Take A Bow
Madonna's "Take A Bow" serves as the closing track on her 1991 album *Something To Remember*, marking a pivotal moment in her transition from pop icon to a more mature, introspective artist. Recorded during a period of significant personal and professional evolution, the song reflects themes of self-acceptance and moving past past relationships, delivered with a stripped-back acoustic arrangement that contrasts sharply with her earlier synth-driven hits. As a staple of her discography, the track exemplifies her ability to blend vulnerability with her signature vocal power, solidifying her status as a cultural figure who consistently reinvented her musical identity across decades. Its enduring presence in her catalog underscores its role not merely as a single, but as a reflective statement on growth and resilience within her broader body of work.
