Vogue (Madonna Song) - Composition

Composition

"Vogue" is a dance-pop and house song with visible influences from disco music. The song has also been noted by Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine to have a "deep house groove" and to have a "throbbing beat" by Mark Coleman of Rolling Stone. J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his book Madonna: An Intimate Biography, wrote that the song was a "pulsating dance track". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com at Alfred Publishing, the song is written in the key of A♭ major, has a tempo of 116 beats per minute, and in it, Madonna's vocal range spans from C₄ to E♭₅. Lyrically, song has a theme of escapism, and talks about how any person can enjoy himself. Later on, the song has a rap/spoken section, in which Madonna names numerous "golden era" Hollywood celebrities.

The lyrics of the song's rap section features the names of 16 stars of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Ordered as sung in the song, they are Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Joe DiMaggio, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean, Grace Kelly, Jean Harlow, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Lana Turner and Bette Davis.

"Vogue" contains samples of some songs from the disco era. The bassline is from "Love Is the Message" by MFSB. The horns and strings appear in the song "Ooh, I Love It (Love Break)" by the Salsoul Orchestra. Some vocal samples from "Love Break" are also in the 12" remix and dubs. "Like a Virgin" (the intro hook) is also in one of the dubs. It also contains a slowed sample from the synth start of "Lucky Star"