When Prince sings "she might not be in the black, but she happy she ain't in the red"...

Metaphors aside... I am thinking this means, like a financial report, red being in the negative and black in the positive.

Like if you use an Excel spreadsheet and when you document a negative number, it might appear in red.

So, I guess my question is this. We know she "ain't in the red". And she MIGHT NOT be in the black. So, assuming she is in neither, does that mean she is at zero? Neither negative nor positive? What other color do they use in spreadsheets other than black or red?

I assume being in the red means negative profit and black means positive.

I always thought it was a business reference... U know when a company's in the RED they're in debt they owe... and when they're in the BLACK they're profiting. So I took the lyric as... She aint making no money, but she don't owe nonting at the same time... she's just surviving day to day.

This just my opinion, I hope it helps.

In the context of that song I believe "she may not be in black" references her financial situation "but she happy she ain't in red" meaning communist state...You younger folks might not remember the whole Communist threat. I have a strong feeling that's what he was alluding too...

berniejobs said:[quote]When Prince sings "she might not be in the black, but she happy she ain't in the red"...

Well,life was difficult for the lower members of the trickle-down pyramid... So, I understand it is a reference to Reaganomics.

Little sister making minimum wage
Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage
Can't get over, she's almost dead
She may not be in the black
But she's happy she ain't in the red

Ps. you can use tons of colors in Excel custom-wise... Blue comes up in a lot of mine...



Also, the cold war allusion fits the song as well..
[Edited 3/11/09 0:24am]

not making a decent wage and a balanced budget for all including the country.

Prince's Sarah

wishuhvn said:

That's what I thought too. She may not have money but it is always better than being communist.

luckybullet said:[quote]

berniejobs said:

i dont see the cold war link in this at all, is just a financial term an old expression for having/not having money. shes on minimum wage so living hand to mouth and shes not in debt which could of course be lethal depending who you are in debt to.

being in the black and in the red is more likely an old stock market reference seeing as its been around for a very long time, way before anyone had computers.

In short I think your right bernie

At least its what I thought as well
[Edited 3/11/09 3:31am]

It has 2 meanings - it is both a reference to her financial position (no money but not in big debt - just getting by, day-by-day) and also a reference to her preferring to be in a "free" America as opposed to a Communist state.

BLACK and RED have been used as terms to describe a finanical position loooong before EXCEL was ever invented !

You young folk !

I think that it means if his girl was strollin' around with some punk in her black lingere, he'll probably forgive her...If it's the red...forget it.

She might not be rich but she's happy she aint in debt

FunkDr said:

I agree.

THINKTIMM said:

You're right.

wishuhvn said:

I think this is the best analysis.

However, if this is wrong and he is strictly talking "financial", then there is a problem. The problem being, she's not in the black OR the red... so what is she in? Is there a green? A blue? What color would be assigned to a zero or a neutral?

However, I do think wishuhvn is right.
[Edited 3/11/09 12:39pm]

wishuhvn and thinktimm got it doesn't that just make you appreciate Prince the lyricist even more?

financial

After 13-14 years I still don't GET the lyrics to this song... lol

Are they first of all patriotic (you might live a poor life in the USA, but be glad you dont live in the communistic USSR), as most people say?

Or are they an ironic / sarcastic take on people who shout 'america is the best country in the world', as others have suggested?

I still dont know.

Riverpoet31 said:

I always assumed it was the former. Prince's politcs to me always seemed abit right wing, which usually means conservative, pro America bollocks LOL

The lyric has nothing to do with Communism, IMO. It's a reference to the woman's finances. She's just breaking even. She lives paycheck to paycheck. She doesn't have "disposible income", but she's at least she's not in debt.

I can see how being in the Red might be a reference to Communism, but what does being in the black have anything to do with American Patriotism???

This subject seems to come up a lot, and I'm shocked at how many people don't get that lyric.

C'mon guys..He's saying 'It's better to be poor but free...than live in a Communist State'...the Black & Red thing is a play on the often used financial terms. I've always been uncomfortable with this song..When I was little I loved it 'cos it's funky as hell..but the simple minded political stance it (seemingly) takes is dissapointing..Maybe there's a cynical/ironic edge to the whole thing, but apart from his sexual politics, P comes across quite right wing at times, so I tend to think it really is just a funky "USA!! USA!!"

Paris9748430 said:

Oh for goodness sake!!! Who really gets the lyric here? How can it NOT be about Communism? Its what the entire song is about....its mentioned in the very first verse;

"Communism is just a word
But if the government turn over
It'll be the only word that's heard "

Prince, it seems, was/is almost obssessed with the cold war and armageddon, the subject having featured in many of his songs (Ronnie talk to Russia, 1999, SOTT etc). The song is enormously patriotic (even asking God to preserve America and, hence, preserving freedom *wonders if he has the same view these days?* and is opposing capitalism against communism (which are idealogically opposed anyway), but warns that the rabid pursuit of making $, or the lack of education of children and making them "pledge allegiance" is danger-ground for allowing communism to usurp America.

What does being in the black have to do with Patriotism? Not a lot (other than you might feel grateful for the country you live in providing you with the opportunity to make money, but that doesn't fit here, as he's talking about someone on minimum-wage). She is not "breaking even", as you suggest - she lives in 1 room, a "cage" and is "not in the black" - that is, in any financial terms, not in a positive cash situation - ie IN DEBT!

Its part of what helps make a good songwriter - its a stylistic use of language, a play on words if you will. Being in the black and in the red are "financial" terms, even to the layman and Prince is just using it to imply a different statement - that, she may well be in debt, but at least she's not in a communist state.

wishuhvn said:

Exactly right.

double post
[Edited 3/11/09 19:15pm]

I always took the reference to mean:

her life is shit in America (might not be in the black = poor, which goes along with the other references earlier in that verse) but at least she is free here (ain't in the Red = not living in Russia / communist state which goes along with the other references in the song)

this is the same thing that wishuhvn said above
[Edited 3/11/09 19:48pm]

America has its pros and cons as well (country wise)