Madonna | Manuscript lyric sheet for early draft of “Erotica,” ca. 1991

Lynch, Joe. “Madonna’s ‘Erotica’ Turns 25: An Oral History of the Most Controversial ‘90s Pop Album.” Billboard, 20 October 2017, https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-erotica-album-sex-book-oral-history-8006663/. 2025

A manuscript page of early draft lyrics for Madonna’s 1992 single “Erotica”—one of the pop star’s most provocative songs

A scrap of notebook paper, with struck through lines and a tiny doodle in the left margin, the present lot is view into the writing process of Madonna, the iconic pop music provocateur. An early draft of “Erotica”—the lead single on the mononymic star’s 1992 album of the same name—this page contains no lyrics that appear in the studio version of the track, making it possibly one of the earliest versions of the song in progress.

“what’s beautiful / what’s exciting / what wakes you up inside / what pierces your senses”

In Madonna’s messy, punky script, these four brief opening lines establish the direct address that would later define the final recorded track. “Erotica’s” album version introduces Madonna as “Dita,” a dominatrix alter-ego that alternately coaxes out and demands her lover’s submission over a sleek bassline and vibrating, pure 90’s house mix. From this early draft to the final lyrics, we can see the song’s tone become more explicit and less coy—transitioning from these cajoling appeals to lines like: “Give it up, do as I say / Give it up and let me have my way.”

Madonna reportedly recorded “Erotica” no less than four times in order to achieve the sleazy sexuality of the official release. Erotica collaborators Tony Shimkin and Shep Pettibone reflected on producing the lead single on the album’s 25^th anniversary, sharing:

“Pettibone: ‘Erotica’ was four different songs throughout the process. She loved the groove. She would sing it one way, background vocals harmonies and all, then decide to erase everything and start over again. Every version was very good. Shame she made me erase stuff.

Shimkin: The original version of “Erotica” wasn’t as slinky and sexy and grimy and dirty sounding until we were in the mixing process of the record, [which was] more toward the final stages. It was experimentation. When we realized it was going to be the first single and started working on the remix, it took on a different, darker vibe. That’s when the character emerged, this Dita, when she ad-libbed the speaking parts. Then the character became something that took over. (Lynch)”

“forget yourself / forget the rules / forget the fears / forget the fools”

Even as “Erotica” represents a conversation with a lover, these final drafted lines embody Madonna’s own artistic mission at the time of this release. Erotica was Madonna’s fifth studio album, and her first release after forming Maverick, a multi-media entertainment company in a $60 million deal with Time Warner. The deal stirred up controversy amongst fans and critics alike—who would the sexually-liberated, unabashedly political pop star become with a huge corporation like Time Warner on the scene? Rather than shrink back, Madonna exploded forward with Erotica—a fearless, mature raw sexual statement that aligned her vision with the Downtown scene that welcomed her to the world of art and performance when she first arrived to 1980’s New York City.

Combined with a simultaneous release of her now-iconic coffee table book, Sex, Madonna’s Erotica era shattered previous conceptions of herself as an artist—and set the tone for a new genre of intimately explicit music by women.