Just an appreciation thread for "If I Was Your Girlfriend".

Of all the songs Prince has written, I think I find this to be his most complex and affecting.

To me, it encapsulates what Prince is (or perhaps was) all about. Prince's willingness to challenge the accepted standards of gender roles is such an integral part of his artistry. As a straight man, he was willing to dance around the stage in his underwear, even cross-dress (circa SOTT and Lovesexy), so utterly confident in his sexuality and identity. He was able to make grown straight men admire his strident presence as well as his artistry; challenging the archetype of what a "rock star" could be.

And while his lyrics may initially sound silly and flimsy to the unaccustomed, Prince's sexual poetry is almost Hemingway-esque in its directness as well as multi-faceted in its simplicity.

His lyricism seems to find its apex in this song, in which he imaginatively muses on the possibility of becoming his lover's girlfriend to know her better; to brush her hair, make her breakfast, e.t.c...

When you think about the situation, it is an enthralling concept, and ultimately a utterly affecting one; Prince's desire to know his lover is so great that he should want to become someone else, as well as their best friend simply to become closer to them.

Musically, it's an odd song. About as minimal as it gets, backed with a simplistic beat. It's a mid-tempo song that seems to lazily revolve around a keyboard riff, matched to one of Prince's most heartfelt Camille deliveries. The beginning transposition of a slowly tuning orchestra Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" with the shouts of a salesman ("Look at the bargains over here ladies!")... there is a pressure immediately applied to the song, a pressure that seems to boil within a series of pleas ("Could I see you naked then?...Laugh and Laugh Laugh...Together we'll stare into the silence),until the synth seems to emulate a kettle boiling over. At this, Prince offers one of his most lyrically creative moments; "and we'll try to imagine what silence looks like"

In all, its an amazing song, and perhaps my most favorite of all Prince songs. What do you think?
[Edited 6/29/09 8:19am]

Just an appreciation thread for "If I Was Your Girlfriend".

Of all the songs Prince has written, I think I find this to be his most complex and affecting.

To me, it encapsulates what Prince is (or perhaps was) all about. Prince's willingness to challenge the accepted standards of gender roles is such an integral part of his artistry. As a straight man, he was willing to dance around the stage in his underwear, even cross-dress (circa SOTT and Lovesexy), so utterly confident in his sexuality and identity. He was able to make grown straight men admire his strident presence as well as his artistry; challenging the archetype of what a "rock star" could be.

And while his lyrics may initially sound silly and flimsy to the unaccustomed, Prince's sexual poetry is almost Hemingway-esque in its directness as well as multi-faceted in its simplicity.

His lyricism seems to find its apex in this song, in which he imaginatively muses on the possibility of becoming his lover's girlfriend to know her better; to brush her hair, make her breakfast, e.t.c...

When you think about the situation, it is an enthralling concept, and ultimately a utterly affecting one; Prince's desire to know his lover is so great that he should want to become someone else, as well as their best friend simply to become closer to them.

Musically, it's an odd song. About as minimal as it gets, backed with a simplistic beat. It's a mid-tempo song that seems to lazily revolve around a keyboard riff, matched to one of Prince's most heartfelt Camille deliveries. The beginning transposition of a slowly tuning orchestra Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" with the shouts of a salesman ("Look at the bargains over here ladies!")... there is a pressure immediately applied to the song, a pressure that seems to boil within a series of pleas ("Could I see you naked then?...Laugh and Laugh Laugh...Together we'll stare into the silence),until the synth seems to emulate a kettle boiling over. At this, Prince offers one of his most lyrically creative moments; "and we'll try to imagine what silence looks like"

In all, its an amazing song, and perhaps my most favorite of all Prince songs. What do you think?
[Edited 6/29/09 8:19am]

total brilliance! this song always perplexed my friends and just cemented in their minds he was gay.they thought he was singing from a girls perspective and singing in the camille voice didn't help my arguement.they all hated it and never gave it a chance. if they would of listened to the lyrics, they would of understood the point he was making.one of my favorites.