username July 10th, 2005 11:22AM  
This song was rumored to be about Warren Beatty. Madonna took a cue from Alanis Morissette and Carly Simon and never revealed just who the song was about, but my money's on Sean Penn. In the movie "Truth Or Dare" (1991) she is quoted saying that she'd always been in love with Sean Penn and he knew that. ("I've always been in love with youuuuu... i guess you've always known its truuuuuueeee...")

bella dea September 6th, 2005 08:37AM  
This song is about personal heartache brought on by someone you love betraying you. It's about someone acting one way with you alone and one way with others present.

"Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Lights are low, the curtains are down
There's no one here
(There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd)"

She's saying your games are getting old. This pretending is getting old. No one is watching you now, so be real.

"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)"

You tell people you love me but do you really? You tell people that we are happy but are we? This is the quintessential couple to everyone on the outside. However, happy they are in public, they are miserable in private.


"I've always been in love with you
I guess you've always known it's true
You took my love for granted
Why oh why
The show is over say good-bye
say good-bye, say good-bye"

I still love you and I always will but you hurt me and we can't live like this. This relationship is over. You don't love me.

"Make them laugh, it comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you're 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
No more masquerade
You're one lonely star
(One lonely star you dont who you are) "

Again, he acts like he is happy and that they are in love but once they are alone, things change. She realizes that he doesn't love her and maybe never did. She has to leave.

"All the world is a stage
And everyone has their part
How was I to know
Which way the story goes
How was I to know you'd break
You'd break, you'd break, you'd break
You'd break my heart"

The story of any relationship. You don't know how anything is going to end. She didn't know he'd hurt her and she took that chance but it's over because he broke her heart.