34 years ago, on March 26 1986, Live To Tell was released..!!

"Live to Tell", showing her first image makeover

In December 1985, Madonna starred in the film Shanghai Surprise, where she toned down her appearance, inspired again by Marilyn Monroe. Madonna held the look for the "Live to Tell" video. In it her make-up was pale and subtle, her shoulder-length hair was wavy and golden blond, and her clothes consisted of a simple 1930s-style floral dress. In an interview with music critic Stephen Holden from The New York Times, she commented about her new look:
Video
Tour

"After a while I got sick of wearing tons of jewelry—I wanted to clean myself off. I see my new look as very innocent and feminine and unadorned. It makes me feel good. Growing up, I admired the kind of beautiful glamorous woman—from Brigitte Bardot to Grace Kelly—who doesn't seem to be around much anymore. I think it's time for that kind of glamor to come back. In pop music generally, people have one image. You get pigeonholed. I'm lucky enough to be able to change and still be accepted. If you think about it, that's what they do in the movies; play a part, change characters, looks and attitudes. I guess I do it to entertain myself."

 Single

After the wild Boy Toy-look from the first album and Like A Virgin, Live To Tell was Madonna's first attempt to become a serious artist. This great ballad was written for the movie 'At Close Range', starring Madonna's then-husband Sean Penn, (which flopped disastriously). The song was also used as the lead-off single for True Blue. It shot to #1 in the States (her third #1 hit), Canada and Japan and reached a cool #2 in the UK (the #1 was for Falco's 'Rock Me Amadeus').

For the video director James Foley used mainly scenes from the movie At Close Range, but also shots from Madonna, who is sitting all by herself on a chair surrounded by darkness. She's wearing a tight flower dress, rather conservative compared to the videos of Like A Virgin and Material Girl. No controversy, this is an emotional, more vulnerable Madonna.

During the Who's That Girl Tour Madonna built in a quiet moment in between the uptempo songs Where's The Party and Into The Groove. All alone on stage she did an emotional version of Live To Tell. At the end she lays down on the ground and then slowly gets up and disappears in the dark. It was one of the very few slow and moving performances of the concert with Madonna showing off her already improved vocals.

Live To Tell was performed on the Blond Ambition Tour as part of the church medley. Dressed in a black gown, Madonna sings this beautiful ballad as she kneels down on a confession bench. During the instrumental part she twirls around, then stands still with her head tilted back, building up the tension. As she continues the song, it flows into Oh Father.

This gorgeous masterpiece was performed 16 years later on the Confessions Tour as it's Madonna's most confessional song. First we hear tales of 3 dancers about how they survived tough times and how they ended up dancing professionally. Then, with some organ music, the most talked about moment of the show arrives: a mirrored cross emerges from beneath with Madonna hung up on it. She's wearing a red blouse and velvet pants with a crown of thorns on her head. The whole audience is amazed by that iconic image while she starts her sorrow rendition of the ballad. After the second chorus, the counter above her stops at 12 million (number of children in Africa who die of aids in a year), she climbs off the cross and sings the inspiring bridge as a beautiful acapella. She then takes off her crown of thorns and as the screens behind her show explosions, she lies down on stage as if she's dying, mirroring the fate of those who raise their voices but never get understood. It truly is one of the best performances of her entire career.