as much as i love this song, i dont quite understand the story Prince is telling

He liked 2 frequent this club down up on 36th
Pimps and thangs like 2 hang outside and cuss 4 kicks (Did U see that?)

Talking 2 no one in particular, they say - "The baddest I am 2night"
4 letter words are seldom heard with such dignity and bite

All the poets and the part-time singers always hang inside
Live music from a band plays a song called "Soul Psychodelicide"
The song's a year long and had been playing 4 months
When he walked into the place
No one seemed 2 care
An introverted, "This is it," look on most of their faces
Up on the mic repeating 2 words over and over again
Was this woman he had never noticed before
He lost himself in the articulated manner in which she said them
These 2 words - a little bit behind the beat
I mean just enough 2 turn U on
4 every time she said the words
Another one of his doubts were gone
Should he try 2 rap 2 her?
Should he stand and stare?
No one else was watching her
She didn't seem 2 care
So over and over she said the words
Till he could take no more (No more)
He dragged her from the stage
And 2gether they ran through the back door
In the alley over by the curb he said - "Tell me, what's your name?"
She only said the words again and it started 2 rain (Rain, rain, rain)
2 words falling between the drops and the moans of his condition
Holding someone is truly believing that there's joy in repetition
There's joy in repetition {x4}

She said - "Love me, love me"
What she say? She said - "Love me, love me"
Joy in repetition {repeat till end}
Why don't U love me, baby?
Why can't U love me, baby?
Come on and love me, baby
Alright {x3}

All my wishes add up 2 one
Love me {repeat}
I wanna say it again
I think I wanna say it again
I'd like 2 go way up high and say - "Love me"
Ha ha, I'll say - "Love me"
"Love me"
There's joy in repetition

could someone explain it

It's about a man(Prince) who is totally over confident in himself walking into a club that has the same boring people in it all the time like any regular club you go to and he sees a beautiful girl on stage that completely takes his breath away and he loses all confidence asking himself if he should talk to her. So he finally decides to talk to her and he finds that there is Joy In Repetition in the mere words of "Love Me."

Song was written/recorded in 1986 with no intended album at first. Maybe Prince had it in mind for the first incarnation of the 1988 version of GB but I think it would have be better served on the Original Crystal Ball or SOTT without the segue from the ball because it ruins the intro to the song which has a hypnotic long bass drum and some smooth guitar work in the beginning.

My personal favorite all time Prince song

it's about him encountering a lost soul, the girl singer, who has been reduced to a mantra of her most basic need, and by saying that mantra she hangs on to life. Then at the end Prince personalizes it by recounting an unrequitted (possibly quite different girl) and ths turns the song around to say that in a way he too is trapped in that mantra. Possible we are all saying that mantra silently...

This is one of my favorite songs of all time!

I thought it was pretty self explanatory, but the previous 2 posts pretty much explained it to a T

What's so hard to understand, haven't you seen Graffitti Bridge? Probably not

ufoclub said:

Beautiful interpretation, n' spot on as far as i can .
Would like 2 add that, although isaw it v. much in this way also, i was strongly aware of amore immeadiate, physical undertone.

Contrary 2 the frequent monotony of everyday tasks, certain human pursuits ie; love making, eating, singing, dancing etc, are all enhanced in repetition!!! (without which life most certainly would not b worth the dying!!)

Also occurred 2 me that the words could easily have been (without wanting 2 b 2 vulgar!?!) "Fuck me, Fuck me"... I guess it's kind of about being transported away from oneself, and simply existing within an emotion or sensation, if only momentarily...?

Princes funk is definately multi-layered, n' I guess thats why we love him so..!

joyinrepetition said:

Great insite. This is, also, one of my all time favorite Prince songs.

One of my favs also....this number never gets old, i mean it never ages. Never particularly paid to much attention to the lyrics just his amazing playing on this joint.

joyinrepetition said:

thanks

Celeste7 said:

true, and especially could be true with Prince who has time and time again lyricized sexual details like thrusting, cumming, as a natural driving force of life and his spirit in particular.

ufoclub said:

Hey! Don't we all? Maybe it's just that guy and I.

Mine too. Although I prefer the bootleg version - the guitar is a lot more forward in the mix.

FarrahMoan said:

naw... not just you.