I like this song.
Who is this song about. Is this about his Step Brothers ex-wife?

i read once that it was a riff on delores something-or-other...tucker? (was that her name? i forget), some lady who was lobbying to censor music and video games or something like that, and she was in the news around the time this song might have been written.

probably not the real inspiration, though.

I don't know who this is about but I love it.

I like the guitar and all... the vocals r cool

Great Pop Song! The song is a metaphor for his struggles with Warner Brothers. WB is the bloated, tacky, out-of-step dinosaur (Delores) who is stuck in the past. All they want out of Prince are Purple Rain repeats, dirty and non-creative rehashes and cash-ins. Pretty brilliant metaphor and lyrics. The ending of the song is a virtual end to his WB relationship ("no more, that's the end."

I love the line about "dancing like a white girl" on the "disco dirty floors." It conjures the feeling of those nightspots that have overworn their welcome.

A year ago, someone on the org posted a great line-for-line analysis of this song that I wish someone would repost.

This song is so fantastic! I love the classy, smooth style because it contrasts with the biting, sometimes cruel lyrics. It tells a very vivid story, and the video is great as well.

Rhyming Delores and brontosaurus screws the pooch for me on this one.

jdcxc said:

Oh please do!

Whenever I hear this this song,
I remember 's appearance on Letterman, when he performed this song.
It was funny as hell when he pretended that he was "dead" at the end, & was dragged away.

Illustrator said:

That was a different apperance, he was probably doing Dolphin with the playing dead thing.

Dinner with Delores was done at a piano and he had on a long black coat and got up and left the stage as soon as he hit the last note on the piano.

adorable2 said:

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I also believe that WB conspired to kill this single and album. With the proper promotion/marketing this single/album could've done a lot better. The album sold a million copies with WB not pushing it and P doing his anti-promotion game. This album is almost like an underground gem. Is it even in print anymore?

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Oh yeah?
Damn,
the hysterical laughter that resulted from that appearance completely fucked with my memory with what song it was that he sang.

When I listen to it now it seems almost like it could be about the part of his fanbase that wants him to be all raunchy and stuff, when he himself has moved on from singing about sex all the time.

Nikster said:

This could very well be. maybe its about the fans who want him to keep making records like he did in the 80's. Now that I think about it, it makes good sense.

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Wait - is that a good thing? I think it's one of his best rhymes. (I definitely prefer it to Seinfeld's rhyme.)

How about:
Dinner with Delores
Must be some kind of sin
Like Jakeasaurus
She was packin' it in

I love this song...

"damn Delores pick another subject please!!!"

JPMcGee said:

I like it!
[Edited 4/11/07 19:22pm]

jdcxc said:

A million copies? As of around Dec '05 C&D has sold roughly maybe 150,000 copies in the US, maybe 350k in total around the world. It's one of his least successful album EVER. NewPower Soul did better (225k US) and it took The Vault to do worse (120k US).

jtfolden said:

I guess I shouldn't trust Wikipedia but that 150,000 figure seems awful low.

That video is so funny.

Why were the Cancer and Libra astrological signs printed on the promo CD booklet of this song ? Does anybody know ? I never really figured that out.

its written about c delores tucker and wb

Great song,cool video.

jdcxc said:

SoundScan/Billboard lists C&D as selling 131k US copies as of December of 2005. This is low because it had no marketing and no singles played on the radio.

Other sales on albums from that era:
Come 310k US
The Black Album 261k US
The Gold Experience 492k US
Emancipation 628k US

Now, you can keep in mind that SS only accounts for, maybe, around 90-95% of reporting stores and a small number of stores don't report at all so sales will be slightly higher than the SS numbers, but not by a large amount.

I've tried bringing the Wiki figures closer in line with reality, as well.

jonylawson said:

[quote:ccd3624a4c]its written about c delores tucker and wb[/quote:ccd3624a4c]

I am going to have to agree with you. (although his video doesn't portray the message of the song). Imagine what the video would be like if it did.

Delores Tucker was "an unstoppable bell ringer for social change." according to Robert Brady, Democrat.

The reference to "introduce the carpet the something other than your knees" is about her begging him to join her in her crusade to change lyrics.

And when he talks about not having another cheek to turn, the video shows him pointing to the "slave" on his cheek.

Very cool...

I have a good feeling it could possibly be for a number of people.

Delores = Warner Brothers

JPMcGee said:

No it's not good totally messes up the song for me.

Jamzone333 said:

Ya know, I thought the same thing. Don't know for sure though.

Back when this song first came out, I used to sing it "Dinner With a Symbol", just to be a smart-ass. "Symbol" of course meaning Prince, since that was what he was using for his name at the time.