“Hanky Panky” was the second single released from Madonna’s I’m Breathless (Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy). The jazzy pop number is an ode to the sexual joys of getting spanked; it was inspired by a line of dialogue in Dick Tracy delivered by Madonna (as Breathless Mahoney): “You don’t know whether to hit me or kiss me.” Earlier versions of the song contained even more explicit reference to S&M, but Disney (the company behind Dick Tracy) asked the singer to tone down the content because the film was being marketed to pre-teens.
The single was released as a follow up to “Vogue” on June 12, 1990, while Madonna was in the midst of her legendary Blond Ambition World Tour. Despite some radio stations objection over the sexual content of the song, “Hanky Panky” would reach the Billboard Top 10 in the U.S. and #2 on the U.K. Singles Chart.