Editing Papa Don't Preach (section)

== Background and recording ==
{{Quote box|width=20%|align=right|quote="[The song] just fit right in with my own personal zeitgeist of standing up to male authorities, whether it's the pope, or the Catholic Church or my father and his conservative, patriarchal ways [...] that's why I thought it was so great".|source=—Madonna on why she was drawn to "Papa Don't Preach".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Scaggs |first1=Austin |author1-link=Austin Scaggs |title=Madonna looks back: The ''Rolling Stone'' interview |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-looks-back-the-rolling-stone-interview-197575/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725111155/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-looks-back-the-rolling-stone-interview-197575/ |archive-date=July 25, 2018 |date=October 29, 2009}}{{subscription required}}</ref>}}

Brian Elliot wrote "Papa Don't Preach".<ref name="Stereogum" /> Based on teen gossip he would hear outside his recording studio, which had a large front window that was used as mirror by schoolgirls from the Los Angeles' [[North Hollywood High School]], Elliot described the track as a "love song, maybe framed a little bit differently [...] about a young girl who found herself at a crossroads in life and didn’t know where to turn".<ref>{{cite news|title=Gossip Composite|date=September 18, 1986|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] }}</ref><ref name="Sermon">{{cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=Patrick |author1-link=Patrick Goldstein |title=Everyone has a sermon on 'Papa Don't Preach' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-ca-14823-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904081740/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-ca-14823-story.html |archive-date=September 4, 2019 |date=August 31, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> In 1986, Elliot ―who'd previously attempted a singing career to no avail― was working and writing songs for Christina Dent, an upcoming singer signed up to [[Warner Records|Warner Bros. Records]].<ref name="Stereogum" /><ref name="IndependentStory">{{cite web |last1=Webb |first1=Robert |author1-link=Robert Webb |title=Story of the Song: Papa Don't Preach by Madonna |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/papa-dont-preach-madonna-b1922022.html |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919003029/https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/papa-dont-preach-madonna-b1922022.html |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |date=September 17, 2021}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Elliot then played the [[demo (music)|demos]] he'd created for Dent, among them "Papa Don't Preach", to Warner Bros. [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] executive Michael Ostin.<ref name=Easlea1>{{harvnb|Easlea|2012|p=52}}</ref> Ostin had discovered "[[Like a Virgin (song)|Like a Virgin]]", and asked Elliot if he could play "Papa Don't Preach" to Madonna, who at the time was working on ''[[True Blue (Madonna album)|True Blue]]'', her third studio album, alongside [[Patrick Leonard]] and [[Stephen Bray]].<ref name=Easlea1 /><ref name="MusicBusinessWorldWide">{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Dave |title='People have asked, can you write a hit? Answer: No. I mean obviously I can, but not because I've tried to' |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/patrick-leonard-people-have-asked-can-you-write-a-hit-answer-no-i-mean-obviously-i-can-but-not-because-ive-tried-to/ |work=[[Music Business Worldwide]] |access-date=June 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203101445/https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/patrick-leonard-people-have-asked-can-you-write-a-hit-answer-no-i-mean-obviously-i-can-but-not-because-ive-tried-to/ |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |date=February 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name=TaraTB1>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|pp=117–119}}</ref> Madonna heard and liked the song, so Ostin talked Elliot into letting her record it.<ref name="Stereogum" />  Elliot had been working with Dent for six months and was reluctant to let the song go to another artist, but he eventually gave in, finding the idea of Madonna recording one of his songs "hard to resist".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bronson |first1=Fred |title=Chart beat |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=July 20, 2002 |volume=114 |issue=29 |page=4 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2002/BB-2002-07-20.pdf#page=4 |access-date=April 12, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093146/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2002/BB-2002-07-20.pdf#page=4 |url-status=live }}</ref> Madonna's contribution was limited to a few altered and added-on lyrics, making "Papa Don't Preach" the only song on the album that she did not have a strong hand in writing; nonetheless, she managed to get a songwriting credit.<ref name="metz">{{harvnb|Metz|Benson|1999|p=48}}</ref>

"Papa Don't Preach", along with the rest of the ''True Blue'' album, was recorded at Los Angeles' Channel Recording studios.<ref name=mckeen1>{{harvnb|McKeen|2000|p=233}}</ref>  When they met at the studio, Madonna allegedly asked Elliot if she had "wrecked his song", and the two got into a brief discussion that was eventually resolved.<ref name=Easlea1 /> Personnel working on the song included Bray on keyboards and percussions, alongside [[Fred Zarr]] and [[Jonathan Moffett]]; [[David Williams (guitarist)|David Williams]], [[Bruce Gaitsch]] and John Putnam played guitars, while background vocals were provided by [[Siedah Garrett]] and Edie Lehmann.<ref name="LinerTB" /> Zarr had worked on Madonna's 1983 [[Madonna (album)|debut]], and she called him back to work on ''True Blue''.<ref name="bego1">{{harvnb|Bego|2000|pp=154–155}}</ref> When working on the song, Zarr came up with a string sequence while "doodling around" on an Emulator II synthesizer.<ref name="bego1" /> After Madonna heard it, she liked it and decided to use it as [[Introduction (music)|introduction]], putting it at the beginning of the song; Zarr, however, remained uncredited.<ref name="bego1" />