i'm addicted to The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and i understand the lyrics (like the words) but i can't figure out the real meaning of the song, what's it about (for example: what's a violent room?).
and what do you guys think of this song? In my opinion it's the greatest Prince made but hey, thats my opinion

sussanah.

After an argument they had

Love The Ballad of Dorothy Parker.Great song!

Never cared what it was about so I don't know. What I do know is that is one of my favorite jams! I love that song!

kingdingeling said:

I always pictured the "violent room" being like an old fashioned,barely lit party room with couches and frills on the lamps.This is the room wher all the people are lying to each other,drinking,smoking,and seeking physical activity.This is the kinda' setting that Dot parker would have been in.However,P didn't really know who she was so it was probably a bedroom to him.This is where people can damage each other physically and mentally.

I love this song so much! I just about died when he did that jazzy version on Jay Leno a few years back. So sexy...

I take the 'violent room' simply to mean a room in which Prince and his girlfriend were angrily arguing in.

So basically Prince has an argument with his girlfriend, storms out to a bar, meets a girl, goes back to her place, wants to sleep with her, but she knocks him back, and then learning from his experience he goes back to his original girlfriend and gets back with her. Nothing too deep I don't think.

hmm if you look at it that way, my english is still bit crappy. I hate it when i don't understand the lyrics of a song. especially of this song, thanks for the help

i remember that it wasn't until 1992, five years after i first heard the song, that i realized what he meant by "she didn't see the movie cause she hadn't read the book first."

I think it's just a feel good song, I like it a lot!

JPMcGee said:

So what is the meaning?

kingdingeling said:

Yes, what is it?

i always thought the "hadnt seen the movie..." line meant she didnt see the move coming as she was nieve, move meaning coming on2 her or a pickup line kinda thing

kingdingeling said:

I always thought it meant that they didn't have sex because she didn't know him

aubergine said:

Yeah, I think that probably is the metaphor he is going for. This woman likes to do things in the proper order, so to speak, read the original book, then see the movie of the book, get to know Prince, then later have a relationship.

what movie?

metalorange said:

Oh I get it. Good grief, 20 years and I have been thinking, "I wonder which movie." Dullard

Oh I get it. Good grief, 20 years and I have been thinking, "I wonder which movie." Dullard [/quote]

how nice, everybody's learning, post other complicated (and interesting) metaphors here

I get it now!!!

I always thought it was a great song too. I had an idea about some of it, but your notes helped me piece together a better theory.

I acually never really got the meaning of the song....

sj1600 said:

ha! Same here!!!

ThreadBare said:

Good to know I'm not alone on this one