English is not my mother lenguage, so i have to admit that i've never understand the "Starfish And Coffee" chorus lyrics.

Could you help me to understand it?

Thanks.

"Starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds and a tangerine, a side order of ham
If U set your mind free, baby, maybe U'd understand
Starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam"

I don't really but I guess He is just explaining what the girl had for breakfast and what was in her lunch box.

Hope that helps
[Edited 3/22/07 16:37pm]

"...If U set your mind free, baby, maybe U'd understand ..."

Do you really think he is talking about what the girl had for breakfast?

I thought it could be some kind of hidden messagge.

Anyway, thak you.

staxowax said:

No, he's saying that this is not what was literally in her lunch box but that this is what she would tell you.

Thanks LleeLlee.

Maybe i didn't use the right words.

What i'm traying to say, it's that I can't set my mind free to understand.

My take on this is that the story is about a girl who is viewed as "different" or "wierd", but eventually they see she is just like everyone else.

The part that says "Lucy cried, I almost died, you know what we found?" is the point in the song where they open their minds and see her point of view (which is the fantasy "Starfish And Coffee" contents of her lunchbox, but it could just as easily be religion, politics, art . . .)

I love the part that says "She always stood at the back of the line, a smile beneath her nose" . . . meaning, she was in no hurry, and enjoyed every moment and was just happy to be alive.

Thaks Se7en, you've got the point of waht i was looking for.

staxowax said:

^^
seven's reply is a good one. Also interesting to note that Prince takes the role of a "normal" or regular, non-weird kid in this song.

LleeLlee said:

Actually it IS what's in her lunchbox and it IS also what she would tell you.


That's the beauty of it.

They steal her lunchbox, look inside and ....!!!!! OMG!

You must be one of those unbelievers like Lucy.

"Me and Lucy opened it when Cynthia wasn't around. Lucy cried. I almost died. Do you know what we found?"

And yes, Stax ... you do have to open your mind to understand.

Never too late, Synthia
Never too late.

Very Beatles

All of us were ordinary compared to Cynthia Rose... a beautiful lyric indeed.

Has anyone else covered this song? yesterday morning at starbucks I could have swore I heard someone else's voice singing it on the radio. I only heard the last line...as I walked in. Then again could have been the fact I had not had my caffiene fix yet.

PaisleyPark5083 said:

This guy maybe? (Kinda doubt it, because I don't think Starbucks would let the F bombs fly in their stores). http://hypem.com/track/181953

Also, this page lists two other bands that have covered it.
http://home.earthlink.net...overs.html

Thanks Efan, I am not as crazy as I thought..I knew it wasn't Prince I heard!

I view this song as a bit of a children's fairytale. There's no way she's got what she claims to have in her lunchbox - but then the children find she does, like they are opening a magical box or something. It is a Beatle-esque psychadelic lyric. I kind of imagine that if Prince had ever done that album of children's songs, it would contain music and lyrics like this.

But what does it say at the very end as the song is closing???

There are a couple of Prince tracks that have, for want of a better word, mumbling at the end

metalorange said:

I would be worried than awed if this were true.
Cuz you know that it would only be a matter of time before ol' girl would start substituting starfish with things like kitten heads, human thumbs and what-not.

PaisleyPark5083 said:

i know john mayer did a cover of it on one of those "made for tv" live concerts.

spontane said:

I would love to have seen that! I am a huge John Mayer fan! Was it an mtv unpugged, you think?

purpledoveuk said:

I always heard "STARFISH ON A ROLL, BRAND NEW FUNK 4 YOUR SOUL" but I could be wrong. It's something like that though.

AdmiralAdama said:

The DTT lyric people have it as: Starfish and coffee, love 4 the soul but they are not always right...

Efan said:

I have a decent cover done by Soulwax ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulwax ). A few years back I swear Campbell's soup ganked the melody and used it in one of their tv commercials.

*EDIT* On topic....I always thought the lyrics meant something sexual, but the whole starfish=butthole interpretation absolutely does NOT fit in with the rest of the song or its tone. All of the characters are waaaaay too innocent for those kind of interpretations, but I've been hung up on the starfish image ever since.
[Edited 3/23/07 15:27pm]

It always bothered me how on I think the 2nd chorus, one vocal track says "if you set your my free baby" and the other says "honey" instead of baby and it end up sounding like...a mistake...

i love the music video he did for "Starfish and Coffee" in The Muppets Tonight show. it was tre cute!

tznekbsbfrvr said:

Me too. I was watching this earlier today & my daughter was dancing & jumping up & down. I was like a new conformer!

shaedove99 said:

Prince's last great moment. I love it.

shaedove99 said:

And that she's willing to destroy convention (school & walls= convention, structure, rules), imposing her own views (smilies).

Very cool song about nonconformity.


(and yes ... everyone has diff interps and I think people should follow their hearts about what art means. Art to me always has mutiple levels of interpretation and should -- even beyond what the artist intends ...because great creation has always struck me as part human, part oracle of the Divine)

He's showing you how different she is from her peers...some eat breakfast in the morning to wake up and she eats breakfast too but with her mind and 5 sences by studying other things like starfish (which can symbol stars in the sea or in the sky) touch/sight, coffee (which can symbol hot things that keep our minds stimulated) touch/smell, Maple syrup (can symbol sweet things or sticky situations)taste/touch, Jam (which can symbol music or things that wiggle to vibrations)sight/touch, Butterscotch clouds (which can symbol sunsets or sunrises or the end or begining of things) stimilates the sight/smell. Tangerines are things that are awakens the mind through smell/touch/taste. Side order of ham (which can symbol the beauty in gross and yucky things) Life/ touch/taste b/c some eat it/ smell/sight/sound. She's not slow but people think she is b/c she's smart and abstract...Hope that helps....