Hey Fans, Can anybody explain the Lyrics to Starfish and Coffee Maple Syrup and Jam by Prince. It is an old song and I can't even remember what cd it is on but if you all remember it, Please try to give me an explanation.

Some of the Lyrics are
If you asked her what she had for breakfast she's say Star fish and coffee maple syrup and jam butter scotch clouds a tnagerine and a side order of ham, and if you think .... maybe you'd understand star fish and coffe maple syrup and jam.... something like that

she's [Mentally challenged would be more appropriate snip - luv4u]

Jakeasaurus said:

really??? how'd you get that?

Jakeasaurus said:

Seriously? I guess that does make sense.....

I thought this was common knowledge.. it's about a girl he went to school with. A she's [Mentally challenged would be more appropriate snip - luv4u] girl.

I just remember that little refrain I don't even remember the rest of the song, does anybody have the lyrics so that I can look at the whole song again in it's context?

Jakeasaurus said:

well Jake this is HOT Information to me, I'd never heard any backdrop information about why he wrote that song... But has been a question in my mind off and on for quite some time now... Thank you for clearing that up
what cd was that song on

It's from the Sign O the Times album :]

never known what it was about but i love the song i always end up with it in my head normally when i am trying to do something important

teeangel said:

Prince's girlfriend Susannah Melvoin -- Wendy's Melvoin's (Revolution Guitarist) sister -- told Prince about a girl she went to school with named Cynthia Rose who was mentally challenged, which inspired the song. Underlying theme is opening up one's mind to other possiblities.

I alwayz believed that Cynthia Rose, had an innocent imagination, and a smile beneathe her nose.
I wondered if He thought Cynthia was color blind, or if she intentionally wore different colored sox.
If she was color blind, they could have been red and green...If not...maybe pink and purple.

i love this song it reminds me when i was kid in elementry school

Tame said:

Thank you Tame, for saying such beautiful words about a very beautiful song, unlike some of the aforementioned posts relating to the R word, sometimes makes me feel we all live in

teeangel said:

It was 7:45 we were all in line
2 greet the teacher miss cathleen
First was kevin, then came lucy, third in line was me
All of us where ordinary compared to cynthia rose
She always stood at the back of the line
A smile beneath her nose
Her favorite number was 20 and every single day
If u asked her what she had 4 breakfast
This is what shed say
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, baby
Maybe youd understand
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

Cynthia wore the prettiest dress
With different color socks
Sometimes I wondered if the mates where in her lunchbox
Me and lucy opened it when cynthia wasnt around
Lucy cried, I almost died, u know what we found?

Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, honey
Maybe youd understand
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

Starfish and coffee

Cynthia had a happy face, just like the one shed draw
On every wall in every school
But its all right, its 4 a worthy cause
Go on, cynthia, keep singin

Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, baby
Maybe youd understand
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

(starfish in your coffee, you will love it, told ya so)
(starfish in your coffee, you will love it, told ya so)

compliments of lyric freaks

Whitnail said:

Retarded is the correct term.

.
[Edited 2/27/08 11:53am]

Starfish >>> cookies

Butterscotch clouds >>> candy

the rest U know

Volitan said:

I think you'll find it's not.

I also think you'll find that the line you're trying to quote in your signature is "Let me touch your body 'til your river's an ocean.".

Can't get everything right, eh?

It was 7:45 we were all in line
2 greet the teacher miss cathleen
(they were in school)
First was kevin, then came lucy, third in line was me
All of us where ordinary compared to cynthia rose
(They were friends but she was new so she stood out)
She always stood at the back of the line
A smile beneath her nose
(She was friendly and shy)
Her favorite number was 20 and every single day
If u asked her what she had 4 breakfast
This is what shed say
(They were young-she described things in an artistic way)
Starfish and coffee (ruff/shapely stuff - hot/stimulates smell and taste)
Maple syrup and jam (sticky/sweet/solid/jelly liquid)
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine (colorful soft things, orange-color/smell)
And a side order of ham (something dirty/stinky can be beautiful/tasty)
If u set your mind free, baby
Maybe youd understand
(she's saying think about it)
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

Cynthia wore the prettiest dress
With different color socks
(she's an artist)
Sometimes I wondered if the mates where in her lunchbox
Me and lucy opened it when cynthia wasnt around
(He's wondering if she had the extra pair of sock and did that on purpose cuz he knows that her parents would not let her out the house like that)
Lucy cried, I almost died, u know what we found?
(They saw things that she seen when they possesed her possession)

Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, honey
Maybe youd understand
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

Starfish and coffee

Cynthia had a happy face, just like the one shed draw
On every wall in every school
(they were young-young kids draw all the time)
But its all right, its 4 a worthy cause
Go on, cynthia, keep singin
(she's a young artist)

Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, baby
Maybe youd understand
Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam

(starfish in your coffee, you will love it, told ya so)
(starfish in your coffee, you will love it, told ya so)



This is what I got from the song

jacobpb said:

yep .. that's it

sounds like a genius to me

quarterwit said:

What do you mean trying to quote...you wrote the same thing I have

Mental Retardation is a medical term.
[Edited 2/17/08 2:38am]

K, I know what the song has been alluded to mean, but to me, when I listened to that song, it always seemed to me like Cynthia Rose was Prince's version of the Little Red Haired girl (like from Peanuts), just cuz of the words "Cynthia had a happy face just like ones she draws on every wall in every school." Either that, or she was a girl who didn't live an easy home life, but chose to have a happy face.

I don't get the retarded child aspect at all...

What I hear (and read) is a song about a girl who dares to be different.
Nothing in the world will make her conform, with having starfish and coffee
for lunch a metaphor for her ideals.

I've read some interviews with Prince in the past that basically says him and his boys had the same attitude with their clothes in MPLS. You were made fun of if you looked and dressed ordinary.
[Edited 2/17/08 5:30am]
[Edited 2/17/08 5:30am]

thank you for bringing up this song, its very beautiful!

I think its about the literal lyrics nothing more nothing less, about being at school and noticing a strange kid, i love the lookin in the lunchbox thing to see if her other matching sox are there and gettin surprised that shes tellin the truth about what she eats! inspired and fun!

I always think his observational lyrics are the best like red beret and the in through the out door bit!

Whitnail said:

the words they are looking for are ' special educational needs'

but i dont think thats what the song is about - surely all of us can recall one kid in our year who everyone thought was 'different' for whatever reason some have old parents some have hippy parents some have no parents just grandparents, some have parents who dont/cant care for them hence maybe the odd socks? all these kinds social things lead to kids appearing 'different' to the 'norm'. its just an observational song about something that happened. probably not exactly that way but coloured up to be interesting like poetry is, drawing on personal experience and creating a mental picture for people about it.