The lyrics to this song are..odd, to say the least. Lil dude speaks of jacking off a girl.

I've heard it said that when Prince wrote the song, he didn't really know what the term "jack you off" actually referred to. I find this damn hard to believe.

Controversy was released in 1981. That means Prince was 23 years old at the time. How does anyone get to be that age and not understand such common, well-known slang? Either he wrote the song when he was 12, or he's some sort of social retard.


Any input?

Ummm I'm sure he knew what it ment. What I don't think he understood is that Jacking someone off usually refers to masterbating a man. Not too many people back then used that term to refer to masterbating a woman. I don't think Prince was aware of how other people would percive it.

Krystal666 said:

That was kinda my point. I don't believe that he didn't know that no one uses that term to refer to pleasuring a woman though. I have no idea why he would've used the term regardless. (well, there's that whole maybeGay thing, but I'm not getting into that as it's a damn touchy subject around here...)







afterthought: NO, I'm not saying Prince is gay. I really shouldn't have to have a disclaimer for this, but certain Orgers have shown they can't behave like adults when this topic comes up....
[Edited 4/11/05 22:56pm]

Basses Mark Brown said although he knew Prince to be straight, "When you talk about street lingo, where I come from, guys don't jack girls off," Brown noted. "Prince didn't understand that-Prince was in his own world."

I think Prince damn well knew what "Jack U Off" meant but chose to use that choice of words to stir up mystery and controversy. The album was even called "Controversy".

vainandy said:

I always thought the same thing.

"Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay?"

This was the era where Prince loved fucking with the media and confusing ppl with his image.

rudeboynpg said:

See, I don't believe that. I'm more inclined to follow the "he wanted to confuse people and create controversy" line of thought.


'Cuz I just can't believe a 23 year old honestly wouldn't have heave undertsood what it meant to jack someone off.

vainandy said:

The rest of the lyrics make sure we know he's with a woman, but taking just taking the title out of context of the rest of the lyrics make it more ambiguous.

meow85 said:

[b]That's what Mark Brown said in Dance Music Sex Romance by Per Nilsen

and Possessed by Alex Hahn. Mark Brown would know. Mark Brown knows Prince.

well the song would make more sense if it was called finger bang. But it just doesnt have the same ring.

Never liked this song tho the music is too corny.

Soulchild82 said:

That's exactly why I like it. It's got somewhat naughty (if confused) lyrics, set to something it sounds like P. stole from The Muppet Show.

meow85 said:

yeah its like the retarted cousin of Delirious

when 'Controversy' came out in 1981,I didn't even know what "jack u off" meant


but hey,I was only 11 years old

Me neither. I was 13 and only knew the term "beat your meat". I remember my mother used to like the song "Controversy" and went thumbing through my records for me to make her a tape of different songs. When I came home, she had the album in her hand and was mad as hell. I didn't know what she was mad about because I didn't know what it meant.

Soulchild82 said:

at any friggin rate, the song's still hot. it's even hotter live (houston '81, anybody?).

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

YES! Houston, December 9 1981, I got that concert (& it aint for sale, so don't anyone ask).

I don't care what people say
I luve that song

I even sing it in the shower

any song about massterbatein is cool in my book oh as long as it doesnt involve animals

the entire album was made 2 stir it's title.....

and if u all haven't figured it out yet....

Prince got a side 2 him that just aint like other folks....

Soulchild82 said:

But then Eric Cartman and the Southpark kids would need to sue his ass for ripping off their boy band name!

Averett said:

Soulchild82 said:

Anyway, everybody's right. Prince was being coy, Prince lives in his own fucking world, AND you can jack a girl off. Hell, I jack off all the time.

'Kay?

FunkMistress said:

-
-

Image anyone?
[Edited 4/12/05 10:04am]

FunkMistress said:

Hmmm, can I watch?

blackguitaristz said:

Look ya'll. P knew what people would think. For some odd ass reason, P wanted folks to think he was saying "I'll jack u off" to some dude, cuz he knew people would link that to male self- satisfaction. Which if P is saying it, then there's the gay overtone, which P also used in Controversy.

I always thought it was like some cute response to a girl if she was like
"Baby let me jack you off"

"No, I'd rather jack you off"

"ehm, uh okay!"

HAHA. Prince knew that JAck u Off was a male term and that is why he got off using it to describe giving a woman an orgasm. He does the same shit with "Head." He says, "I'll give u head." He wasn't talking bout a guy. But, Prince wanted the audience to think it.

Well actually I don't necessarily think Prince wanted people to be all that confuseing if he was talking about a boy or a girl he was doing sexual things to. In Head he clearly is having back and forth banter with Lisa and In Jack you off he clearly says "girl..". Honestly I just think he say the stupidity of reserving slang words like head and jacking off as strictly for males. We live in such a male dominated society that sexual slang is/was only reserved for men after all they are the only ones where it is acceptable to be sexual and like sex right If you are a woman and enjoy head or jacking off you are somehwow less respected...after all that is just not normal for a woman to enjoy those things :sarcasm; I just think Prince saw the silliness in just reserving sexual slang for men when women like oral sex just as much as men and he knew you can masterbate a woman too...so he was like "well not only can a man be masterbated but a woman can to so why can't jack you off just be a genral term?? Fuck it I'm gonna use it to mean masterbating a woman. See this is what I love about Prince....saying to hell with societies rules that are sexist, homophoic and just plain segregating and doing whatever he wanted...all a while thinking about pleasing women. I LOVE that man!!!!!

FunkMistress said:

Aw lawd.