Press Rewind: A Prince Lyrics Podcast

On episode 150 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  Arthur Turnbull from The Music Snobs Podcast returns to the show to chat about another of Prince’s 1981 vault recordings, “Strange Way.” We dig into the context around the songwriting and who he had in mind when writing the lyrics. Episodes of The Music Snobs podcast can be found through the website: THE MUSIC SNOBS C...

Prince opened each show on the  Controversy  tour by playing an acapella gospel hymn, “The Second Coming,” over the PA system for concert attendees. What is this song actually about, though? On episode 149 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I talk about the spirituality found within this short but effective track. Check out the Press Rewind discord at discord.gg/f8Ueuym an...

On episode 148 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I talk about the unreleased companion to Dirty Mind’s “Gotta Broken Heart Again,” “Broken.” Prince still isn’t over being dumped, but at least he knows how to throw an awesome old-fashioned rave-up to celebrate his woes. Check out the Press Rewind discord at discord.gg/f8Ueuym and join us in discussin...

On episode 147 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  Micah Simpson from the Purple Underground YouTube Channel joins me in discussing the Dirty Mind/Controversy era vault track, “She’s Just a Baby.” We discuss who is the often-cited inspiration for this song as well as carefully navigate the age gap issue that this song addresses.  The Purple Underground: https://www.you...

On episode 146 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I head to Prince’s home studio in Orono, MN, where Prince recorded much of his Dirty Mind LP and a couple of unreleased gems, “Lisa” and “Rough.” Was “Lisa” written about his new keyboardist, Lisa Coleman? Was “Rough” intended for the first Time album? Listen to the episode and decid...

On episode 145 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I travel back to July 1979, Boulder, Colorado, to talk about the pseudo-side band project, The Rebels. Prince and his new touring band take time away from Minneapolis to write and record new music that never saw the light of day. I focus the episode on four Prince-penned tracks, “Hard to Get,” “If I Love You Tonight,&#...

On episode 144 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I cover an enjoyable disco banger, believed to have been recorded in 1979, “Kiss Me Quick.” Prince sings from a female perspective, possibly the first time he used pronouns to fit a prospective singer other than himself. Check out the Press Rewind discord at discord.gg/f8Ueuym and join us in discussing all things Prince. Pr...

On episode 143 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I’m talking about five songs pulled from Prince’s vault recorded in late 1978 or early 1979 at his France Avenue home in Edina, MN. “Donna” and “Nadara” (or Nadera or Nadeara) are sensitive ballads written about mysterious (to us at least) women. “Baby, Baby, Baby” and “Down a Long...

The convoluted recording history of “Wouldn’t You Love to Love Me?” takes front and center on episode 142 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast .  Besides who Prince offered this song to and how many times he recorded it over the span of 10 years, there are some lyrics worth discussing as well.  Check out the Press Rewind discord at discord.gg/f8Ueuym and join us in discuss...

Prince lets his freak flag fly on “Neurotic Lover’s Bedroom,” the song he recorded after receiving a drum machine as a gift from his new manager. On episode 141 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  I’ll be diving into the depravity alone, no spotter on standby, to help me navigate the kinky side of Prince’s teenage mind. Let’s rock! Check out the Pres...

After the New York City setback in 1976, Prince hired a manager and returned to the studio. Two songs recorded in 1977 that were never officially released by him, “Make It Through the Storm” and “We Can Work It Out,” are the focus of episode 140 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast . With lyrics by Chris Moon, “Make It Through the Storm” doesn’t ge...

I take a step back in time on episode 139 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast . A time before Prince was signed to Warner Bros. Records and a time before Prince even had a place of his own to live. I’ve journeyed back to 1976, when he was living at the Anderson home in Minneapolis, a recent high school graduate making home demos and practicing his craft. Part two of these rough aroun...

I take a step back in time on episode 138 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast . A time before Prince was signed to Warner Bros. Records and a time before Prince even had a place of his own to live. I’ve journeyed back to 1976, when he was living at the Anderson home in Minneapolis, a recent high school graduate making home demos and practicing his craft. Part one of these rough arou...

On episode 137 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast ,  Ernie Wyles & I declare that the 80s are over, and the time has come for us to discuss the lyrics to  The Scandalous Sex Suite  B-side, “Sex.” Do the lyrics live up to our deviant expectations for a song with this simple yet scandalous title? Check out the episode and find out! Check out the Press Rewind discord at disc...

On Episode 136 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Dr. Tara Betts & I talk through the lyrics to “I Love U In Me,” a B-side from the Batman era. This quiet storm ballad replaces Prince’s commonly used innuendos and metaphors with frank sexual language. We also ponder the intent of a strange analogy he uses for the chorus.  Dr. Betts’ published works, Refuse to...

On Episode 135 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Aisha Staggers & I talk about the lyrics to Prince’s sex-pest anthem, “Feel U Up.” This long-gestating track dates back to late 1981 and was intended for the abandoned 1986 Camille project before finally finding a home as the B-side to Batman’s “Partyman.” Aisha and Jill Jones’ podcast, State...

On Episode 134 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , we discuss the “Batdance” B-side, initially intended for the film but replaced at the last minute. While it has clear literal connections to the  Batman  scene it was intended for, did Prince sprinkle his spiritual leanings towards the end? I, and my guest for this episode, Angel Monique, believe it’s possible. It’s party time, ya’ll, s...

On Episode 133 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Prince scholar, author, and #PrinceTwitterThread co-founder,  Edgar Kruize  and I gush over “Batdance,” the chaotic, sample-heavy, #1 dance/pop hit from the  Batman  soundtrack. For a song with barely any lyrics, we somehow manage to discuss a lot more. Get the funk up! Edgar’s YouTube channel can be found here: (1) Pu...

On Episode 132 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Chris Lacy joins me to talk about one of Prince’s most effective sexy-time ballads, “Scandalous,” from the Batman soundtrack. This quiet storm of seduction (thanks for the killer phrase, Chris) is a top-tier baby-making song from the man who has a whole subgenre of slow-jams of this kind.  Chris’s music articles...

On Episode 131 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , new podcast guest Kevin Evans and I try to make sense of the cryptic and possibly double-entendre-filled  Batman  track, “Lemon Crush.” Is our interpretation train of thought for the lyrics framed by our gender? That’s for the listener to decide; however, Prince may have had several influences in mind when coming up wi...

On Episode 130 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , I welcome Roy Turner (@TrickyKid2 on Twitter) of  Tricky Kid Media  on  iHeart Radio  back to the show to talk with me about what Prince is trying to tell us on “Trust” from the  Batman  soundtrack. Prince has a few relevant questions for his prospective romantic partners, and we want to get to the heart of the matter. Check...

On Episode 129 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Julian Long and I attempt to make sense of a song that Prince wrote for a budding ingenue but repurposed for the  Batman  soundtrack, “Vicki Waiting.” We toss around ideas of what the lyrics could have been in its original incarnation and debate whether this is a Bruce Wayne song at its heart or if it’s more suitable a...

On Episode 128 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcas t , Richard Cole from the Amari Purple Talk Podcast ( AmariCommunications.com ) joins the show to talk about “Partyman” from the  Batman  soundtrack. We talk about Richard’s history with comics, our assessment of the song’s lyrics as they pertain to it being a song sung by the Joker, and touch briefly on the fantast...

On Episode 127 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Jerry Bonner and I look to the stars for inspiration as we discuss the Prince and Sheena Easton duet, “The Arms of Orion” from Batman . This love ballad relies heavily on astrological metaphors, so join us in the Sea of Tranquility and stay for the playful keyboard outro. Check out the Press Rewind discord at discord.gg/f8Ueu...

On Episode 126 of the  Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast , Karen Shedrick returns to the show to chat with me about the sexy, dangerous, and rockin’ “Electric Chair.” This  Batman  track gets into some sci-fi thought police territory as a song about the sin of lustful thoughts. Plus, it’s sung from the perspective of the Joker, so there’s a whole extra dynamic at p...