Composition
Musically, "Holiday" is set in the time signature of common time with a medium tempo of 116 beats per minute. The song is composed in the key of D major and is six minutes seven seconds in length. Madonna's vocal range spans from B3 to C♯5. The song follows in the chord progression of G–A–A–Bm in the first line, when Madonna sings "Holiday!" and changes to G–A–F♯m–G in the second line, when Madonna sings "Celebrate!". The four bar sequence of the progression continues and features instrumentation from guitars, electronic handclaps, cowbell played by Madonna, and a synthesized string arrangement. A side-by-side repetitive progression is achieved by making use of the chorus. Towards the end of the song, a change in the arrangement happens, where a piano break is heard. Lyrically the song expresses the universal sentiment—that everybody needs a holiday.
Read more about this topic: Holiday (Madonna Song)
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—Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890)
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—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861)
“It is my PRIDE, my damn’d, native, unconquerable Pride, that plunges me into Distraction. You must know that 19-20th of my Composition is Pride. I must either live a Slave, a Servant; to have no Will of my own, no Sentiments of my own which I may freely declare as such;Mor DIE—perplexing alternative!”
—Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770)