Like a Prayer (song) the lyrics, "Like a Prayer" sounded religious to him but has an undertone of sexual tension. This was achieved by the gospel choir, whose voice heightens the song's spiritual nature, while the rock guitar sound keeps it dark and mysterious. For O'Brien, the lyrics describe Madonna receiving a vocation from God. Certain portions of the lyrics also alluded to Sean Penn and their failed marriage. According to Priya Elan from "NME", the line "Just like a muse to me, You are a mystery" was an example of this, befitting the description of an unattainable lover. This was also evident in
Like a Prayer (album) on it. On July, 1989, it was certified Platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipments of 300,000 copies, and once again on 2001, for shipments of 600,000 copies. In the Netherlands, "Like a Prayer" entered the MegaCharts at number four during the week of April 4, 1990. It eventually reached the top position, staying a total of thirty-two weeks on the chart. In Germany, "Like a Prayer" topped the Media Control albums chart for one month, and was later certified there times gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for having shipped over 750,000 copies. The album