"Dear Jessie" was released as the fourth single from "Like a Prayer" in Europe, while it served as the fifth single from the album in Australia and Japan; it was never released in the United States. The single cover used a photo from 1987, taken by Herb Ritts. It showed Madonna in bed, clutching a bed sheet to her bosom and sporting a pair of Minnie Mouse ears. The photo was a reference to the early criticism of Madonna's work, when reviewers had described her voice as "Minnie Mouse on helium".