What is a generalized meaning of this song? I know "Delores" is the Spanish name for sadness...can someone explain the whole song to me?

brontosaurus is not a used term anymore!

I WISH I COULD TELL YOU, I'M LOOKING FOR ANSWERS MYSELF. THE WORDS WERE WEIRD BUT THE SONG WAS GREAT!!!

Hmmm. To me, basically the song is about a pretty pathetic girl throwing herself at P or whoever the character in the song that Delores is on a date with. Maybe there's a bigger message to it. I'll have to listen to it again.

It's about vaginas.

AsianBomb777 said:

Dinner With Clitoris?

sitruk7 said:

I see where this is going!

sitruk7 said:

must be some kinda snatch...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

nothing left 4 guessing
Lord knows just what u'd catch

sitruk7 said:

sitruk7 said:

x 1 billion

sitruk7 said:

You possibly could argue that the song is a dig at Warner Bros. Delores could be an allegory for them - she's fat from her successes, but is always demanding more, and she'll say anything to keep Prince on-board but he won't fall for her lines anymore, he won't be suckered by their false promises. He admits Delores is 'made up' in the lyrics, suggesting she is not to be taken literally.

metalorange said:

What a cool take - I'd never considered it that way. Always loved this song, one of the best on the album.
[Edited 3/25/05 2:43am]

RazzBeret said:

two people who are hungry.....shit, easy isn't it?

It's basically about Prince rejecting a woman he has been seeing because he, of all people, thinks she's a whore. He admonishes her to introduce the carpet to something other than her knees... complains there's nothing left for guessing, etc. The attitude behind this song is not original : Delores is the girl you sleep with but don't introduce to your parents, and the song is about Prince's reasons for discontinuing the relationship. It's noticably mysoginistic, but great musically.

metalorange said:

U nailed it...this has always been the true meaning of the song to me. The song is a veiled dig at Warners. Look at the symbolism, why would her bell be broken since 1984? Maybe because Warners wanted and expected to generate/exceed Purple Rain type revenue with every subsequent release and they would do anything to accomplish that goal. Good job metalorange....
[Edited 3/25/05 9:20am]

I always thought the song was expressing his deep-seated hatred for Andre Cymone.

Dinner= I want to punch out

With= that bandana-wearing

Delores=Andre Cymone

Of course, I genuinely suck at song interpretation.


Are there any other words, besides clitoris and brontosauras, that rhyme with Delores? It plagues my mind.

GottaLetitgo said:

Orange.

Menorahs?...

Fedorahs (as in hat)

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

There are many lines that don't fit this theory, , for instance when he says "control yourself" and the carpet/knees line. I don't think Prince viewed Warner has being in that position, quite the contrary.

Aerogram said:

Personally I think that line is metaphor about someone that will do anything for money, like the whore he referenced in the previous verse. The lyric: "Showin' dirty movies, Like some kind of whore..But she was wastin' her time 'Cause there wasn't a line, That would make me come 'round her door"seems to reference that during this point in his life/career he could not be seduced by the methods he fell for in the past. Also, the "I'd call u a friend, But it must be a sin, And I've run out of cheeks 2 turn" line is a metaphor and its literal as well. Running out of cheeks to turn as far as his personal struggle, sacrifice and singular movement to get out of the music business and out of his contract (i.e. his on non-violent struggle so to speak). It's also literal in the sense that he had scrawled slave on one of his cheeks at the time, leaving another free cheek that he refused to turn. But this is just my interpretation. I still say this song is about so MUCH more than a woman.
[Edited 3/25/05 14:13pm]

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

The only problem is that Delores is overeager to please and it's clear Warner was not in Prince's eyes after he signed his big contract in the 90's. He made no secret of the fact he felt enslaved by a corporation insensitive to the artist's vision and needs. I don't buy it alludes to past methods of luring him into a contract.

In any case, there's this very old rumour it was about Carmen Electra, but I've never seen a confirmation.

metalorange said:

Wow. Great theory. You're probably right!