So, I've only heard this song for 20 years and I still have the same question when I hear it:

WTF, is up with "would u be a happy BOY OR A GIRL?"

Who is he singing this to?? Doesn't he know?

Or,if the answer is Rosie is singing to a boy; it still doesn't really make any sense; Or is it just supposed to be a generic song that can't even make up it's mind who is the object of affection?

To this day I still don't really understand the intention.

???

sro100 said:

What he is offering D&P is a metaphor for something valuable in the vein like universal love or empathy etc. Trying to be more of an omipotent giver than just giving a "lover" specifically something of material value so the gender would be of no consequence?

xlr8r said:

Really? What I get from it was that he was struggling for a rhyme. It feels rushed and unfinished in some ways, and I like it all the more for it.

imo he's just adressing the "boy or girl" question to all of us no matter gender.....

I think I agree that Prince very often is singing about "Universal love".

imo...

thedance said:

tree hugger!

erik319 said:

I agree!!
He was a sylable short of completing his sentence.

Yeah, the rushed rhyme explanation is a very likely one.

It's "a happy boy or a girl", because he and Rosie sing it together. I could be about "universal love" as well, although many of the other lines on the song sound more like something from a more typical romantic love song..

Having said that, The Diamonds & Pearls -era did have several strong innuendos of bisexuality. There was the assless pants / faked homosexual gang rape -incident at the MTV awards. Willing & Able also contains the line, "there's some kings in my deck and a queen or two". Supposedly he's "just celebrating his talent" on that one. He must have been perfectly aware that they can be read in several ways though.

erik319 said:

why does talking about universal love mean a person is a tree hugger?
[Edited 3/5/10 4:22am]

cinnamongal said:

We have this thing called humour on planet Earth. That was an example of it, between myself & thedance.

I always hated that lyric: "would you be a happy boy or a girl"

Why would he even suggest giving diamonds and pearls to a boy?!

SoulAlive said:

cos 'Playstation & beer' would have been an odd song name?

I'm so going to record a mock-up version called "Playstation & Beer"

Hang on, maybe it's a test to make sure that whoever he's chatting up is definately a female.

A real girl would definately say 'a happy girl', whereas a sneaky faker might say the wrong answer.

on the same album,he also says "I'm good to cream every boy and girl"

Oh yeah, forgot about that one.

Yeah, no way was he trying to imply anything bisexual with that one.

Eric 319 - Nothing to do with this topic mate, but buying "segue" for £1 and getting four seconds of silence in return?? Ha ha, oh no! Does it help that it's there for a moment of respect for Miles Davis? Thought so, wouldn't help me either.

MrGravyLumps said:

Hehe, didn't really happen to me, happened to a mate of mine a while back, but I found it that funny that I thought i'd steal it as a sig

Same bloke tried to put a track on the jukebox back in 1993, he wanted Sacrifice of Victor and got that odd segue phone conversation instead. That went down really well in our local pub, I can tell you.

Erik

novabrkr said:

He was ticking all the boxes he could back then. Now he abstains from voting.

SoulAlive said:

Well he sang it (the first live presentation?) at the Special Olympics event so again I think its something universal love wise. Almost like I Would Die 4 U (and even that felt somewhat emotionally to a woman imo though)

erik319 said:

Ha ha, I can imagine it didn't!

thedance said:

That's pretty much what I got from it. Kinda lame but whatev.

sro100 said:

boys/girls as in all people

as brother bob marley sang:

the biggest man was once a baby

This was the first track I heard off D&P on the radio (Gett Off was released way earlier as an independent single as afar as I was concerned).

It was the first time I was disappointed and even turned off by the first airing of a P song from a new album. Still don't like it, never have.

And I always felt that main melody part was a repeat of Romance 1600 (which I prefer).

love4oneanother.

This is just an idea.. What if this song is really about the things that are about to happen? Is he talking to Warners between the lines?

I mean, let's look at the lyrics for a second.

"If I gave you diamonds and pearls, would you be a happy boy or a girl? If I could I would give you the words, all I can do is just offer you my love."

- What is he saying? If he gave them hits, would they be happy? All he can offer them though, is the truth, which means, his art. He's not prepared to sell out. And the question of "boy or girl..." Perhaps Warner executives are not all men? (Or boys, but boy and girl rhymes better to pearls)
But then again, Mo Ostin will become a very important figure later in life. This was probably not the case yet at this point.

"Which one of us is right, if we always fight? Why can't we just let love decide? Am I the weaker man because I understand that love must be the masterplan?"

- I interpret this as in his opinion, let's just give it to fans to decide, which means, Prince is calling for Warner to accept his way of working because his fans do. It's all about music, honest music. At this point he's probably even thinking of ways to distribute his stuff himself in the future.

"There will come a time..." etc etc. Prince appears to be an optimist who thinks that eventually, everything is gonna be alright after all. He has a clear conscious and his trust in God is undeniable.


That's it, this is just my opinion. I'm sure this song has a different meaning to all of us, which is kind of the point in discussing interesting music and lyrics, isn't it?
[Edited 3/6/10 22:05pm]
[Edited 3/6/10 22:08pm]
[Edited 3/6/10 22:09pm]
[Edited 3/6/10 22:10pm]

Mr Gravy, I dig it.

God. Love. One Love 4 All of Us.

Diamonds and Pearls can be viewed as "Clarity and Wisdom."

MrGravyLumps said: