The single was a critical darling and was described by Rolling Stone magazine as "riveting" and describes "the mind of a girl who'd rather mess herself up than end a relationship she's too neurotic to handle". Entertainment Weekly reviewed it as a "lonely-at-the-top, lovesick-victim song."
The video features Madonna as "Louise Oriole" (Madonna's middle name is Louise and Oriole is a street she once lived on), a high-powered Manhattan female executive who is an alcoholic and has a penchant for one-night stands with many different men (from affluent yuppies to shady low-lifes).
She behaves this way in order to try to deal with her depression and sadness over a relationship with someone she loves deeply, but ultimately has no future. Through her days, Louise gets distracted by cigarettes, cocktails, and random hook-ups, as lamented in the song's lyrics.
Christopher Walken plays her guardian angel (or the angel of death), who watches over her activities and delivers Louise with a "kiss of death" before her final encounter with a man, during which... (you will see in the video)
After Ellen von Unwerth and Tim Burton had rejected the offer to direct the music video, it was eventually directed by David Fincher, who worked with Madonna in her videos for "Express Yourself", "Oh Father" and "Vogue", and filmed on location in New York City from January 12–18, 1993. The video also features an uncredited cameo appearance from Matt Dillon, who plays a crime scene cop.
Was she setting the standard?
Is it under or overrated?
Discuss.
