I like the melody but I think Timbaland's production is a little too heavy.There's too much going on in the background.This song needed a softer approach,like "Miles Away".

Quite a dull one, good thing it's not on HC, it's like "Miles Away" infused with a bit of "Voices" and "4 Minutes".

LiveToTell86 said:

Yeah,I'm not crazy about it.I'm just glad we finally got to hear it All this time,I thought we were missing something fantastic,but it looks like we weren't.

Well I would have chosen easily this one over 'Spanish Lesson' in the album any day. Maybe not single material but a good song all the same

SoulAlive said:

I know what you mean, the same should happen with the LAP/BS/ROL/Music outtakes as well!

When it rains,it pours Madonna apparently! After the Re-Invention tour pro-shot screen footage leaked yesterday, today something else escaped from the vault! This is the highly anticipated Across The Sky demo produced by Timbaland, recorded during the Hard Candy sessions. This is a little too bass heavy (or maybe its just this recording that has it sounding a bit scratchy) but Madonna's voice is pretty on it and I enjoy the melody. It's a nice little addition to the demos collection and something to tide us over until we hear brand new music from the forthcoming album due later this year (fingers crossed!)

"Across The Sky"

I'm no stranger to deception
I've lied and been lied to
I'm no paragon of virtue
But I wanna be with you
I've never been a righteous soul
And I don't pretend I am
But I walk the line when I'm with you
'Cause you make me believe I can

But we're running out of options
And we're running out of time
And I don't know if it's you or me
But it's time to speak your mind

Because I'm travelling across the sky
When you're with me, your hand in mine
Our honesty will make us fly
Baby, travelling across the sky

Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh

I'm not good at keeping quiet
And I can't keep this tied down
But it's got to count for something
That we're still hanging around
If you need an explanation for
What's false and what is true
And I'd rather stop the world and think
That I could not be with you

But we're running out of options
And we're running out of time
And I don't know if it's you or me
But it's time to speak your mind

Because I'm travelling across the sky
When you're with me, your hand in mine
Our honesty will make us fly
Baby, travelling across the sky

Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh

Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh (Travelling across the sky)
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh (Travelling across the sky)
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh (Travelling across the sky)
Across the sky, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh (Travelling across the sky)

jiorjios said:

"Spanish Lesson" and "Voices" should have never made it onto the album,imo.Those two songs just aren't very good.
[Edited 1/22/10 4:30am]

It’s alright but I don’t miss its absence. Wish Tim could take out some of the sound effects including his voice. It’s a little beat heavy for the melody IMO.

Looks more like Brittany Murphy.

JackieBlue said:

Yeah,he loves to play around with all those sound effects and his own vocals.On this song,he went too far,lol.It's a nice melody and the lyrics are good,but the song needed a softer,less hectic approach.The beat is too heavy.

By comparison,he did a superb job on "Miles Away".The song is effectively simple,without alot of distractions.He should have used a similiar approach for "Across The Sky".

SoulAlive said:

Yes, Miles Away is exactly what came to mind. I still always think Pharrell did that one.

JackieBlue said:

It's funny....for months now,"Across The Sky" has been described as being very similiar to "Miles Away" (which is,presumably,why it was left off the album) but I don't hear much of a resemblence.

SoulAlive said:

I don't think they're similar at all. The guitar presence only made me think of Miles Away but I agree that its simplicity makes Miles a better song. The lightness and chord changes remind me more of Pharrell's style.

JackieBlue said:

the only real similarity that I hear is that percolating synth that ends both songs I like the way it brings "Miles Away" to a close.

SoulAlive said:

I didn't even play it to the end. That's how unimpressed I was. But I hear what you mean now that I ran it back. It's just too busy for my tastes.

JackieBlue said:

I'd like to hear "La La (The Coffee Song)",another outtake that Timbaland was bragging about before it got removed from the album.It probably sucks,but my curiosity is driving me crazy...lol...I wanna hear it anyway.

SoulAlive said:

With a name like that, I want to hear it too. Funny how producers talk highly about tracks that never make it.

JackieBlue said:

I actually felt bad for him when the track was removed He spoke so highly of this song.I guess Madonna didn't feel the same way.

SoulAlive said:

Hmm... I need to hear it. I'm not crazy about his stuff the way I used to be. It's either hit or miss. So it could have been a gem or a turd. Maybe we'll get a leak one day.

JackieBlue said:

hopefully

jiorjios said:

Dont mess with my Spanish Lesson




I just wanna fall in love

I'm surprised that people don't like this song more. I love it. I think it's much better than a lot of the songs on HC. The lyrics are good and her voice sounds nice.
But then I'm one of those people who hated most of HC.

i LOVE it!!!!!

but i agree with it not really fitting on "Hard Candy". something about it to me, maeks it more fitting for "Bedtime Stories" or even "American Life". would be nice to have this on the next album even.

cool song. yes, the beat is somewhat blunt but i like the melody a lot.

but i may not be entirely impartial since i just listened to prince's
"purple and gold" three times in a row and right now anything on earth
would sound like a little slice of heaven to my ears.

It's not bad. Could have used a little more tweaking but with "Miles Away", "Voices" and "The Devil...", this sort of terroritory seems covered.

i think it's pretty soild

the more I listen to it,the more I like it

dead link...