"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on her third studio album True Blue (1986). It was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray. "Papa Don't Preach" combines pop and classical styles, with lyrics about teenage pregnancy, and the choices that come with it. Elliot was inspired by the teen gossip he heard outside his recording studio.

True Blue is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 30, 1986, by Sire Records. In early 1985, Madonna became romantically involved with actor Sean Penn, and married him six months later on her 27th birthday. Additionally, she met producer Patrick Leonard while on the Virgin Tour, and formed a professional relationship with him. The first songs they created together were "Love Makes the World Go Round", and the ballad "Live to Tell", which was featured on At Close Range, a film which Penn starred. On late 1985, Madonna and Leonard began working on her third studio album; she also enlisted the help of former boyfriend Stephen Bray, with whom she had worked on her previous record Like a Virgin (1984). Titled True Blue, the record saw Madonna co-writing and co-producing for the first time in her career. Inspired by Madonna's love for Penn, to whom she dedicated it, True Blue is a dance-pop album that features influences of Motown sound, girl groups, and Latin pop.