Bfunkthe1 said:

Jboogiee said:

The extended version is a funk workout!

La La La Hee Hee Hee and Hello extended versions,

major funk workouts! I always called it Power Funk.

I have to be honest and say that, until recently, I thought "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" was EXTREMELY overrated.

But...

Four months ago, I heard the extended version for the first time, and it blew my mind! IMO, the song reaches a whole other level once the verses are over. The FUNKINESS and the SHEER ENERGY are just killer!

Tracks like this one and "Feel U Up (Long Stroke)" really make me see why folks were (and still are) outraged that the b-sides on the Hits collection are abridged versions. I loved "Feel U Up" from the first moment I heard it on there, yet once I heard the "Long Stroke" version, I could never listen to the Hits track again!

EDIT: I clearly have no concept of time. I heard it four months ago, not 2 weeks ago.

[Edited 7/24/10 18:03pm]

bluefish said:

Bfunkthe1 said:

La La La Hee Hee Hee and Hello extended versions,

major funk workouts! I always called it Power Funk.

I have to be honest and say that, until recently, I thought "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" was EXTREMELY overrated.

But...

Two weeks ago, I heard the extended version for the first time, and it blew my mind! IMO, the song reaches a whole other level once the verses are over. The FUNKINESS and the SHEER ENERGY are just killer!

Tracks like this one and "Feel U Up (Long Stroke)" really make me see why folks were (and still are) outraged that the b-sides on the Hits collection are abridged versions. I loved "Feel U Up" from the first moment I heard it on there, yet once I heard the "Long Stroke" version, I could never listen to the Hits track again!

yes the long versions were the true gems

Lyrically and musically it was a sign of the times to come - the last 15 years. The bad times, people!

bluefish said:

Bfunkthe1 said:

La La La Hee Hee Hee and Hello extended versions,

major funk workouts! I always called it Power Funk.

I have to be honest and say that, until recently, I thought "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" was EXTREMELY overrated.

But...

Two weeks ago, I heard the extended version for the first time, and it blew my mind! IMO, the song reaches a whole other level once the verses are over. The FUNKINESS and the SHEER ENERGY are just killer!

Tracks like this one and "Feel U Up (Long Stroke)" really make me see why folks were (and still are) outraged that the b-sides on the Hits collection are abridged versions. I loved "Feel U Up" from the first moment I heard it on there, yet once I heard the "Long Stroke" version, I could never listen to the Hits track again!

StonedImmaculate said:

I always took the "you've got nine lives" line as an AIDS reference as well. Coulda been anything though. As for the song...

What does a cat's 9 lives have to with AIDS?

Also, a cat and dog together is not interracial, it's interspecial, and not relevant to the song anyway.

Good lord, that bass solo is fantastic.

yeah great song with the extended version...he was really in fine form there. I never over-analyzed the lyrics like some of you and tried to find meaning where there is probably one. It's just a fun song.

The song is about courtship, flirting, seducing, making passes, tryig to hook up, all done with a funk mentality.

billymeade said:

StonedImmaculate said:

I always took the "you've got nine lives" line as an AIDS reference as well. Coulda been anything though. As for the song...

What does a cat's 9 lives have to with AIDS?

Also, a cat and dog together is not interracial, it's interspecial, and not relevant to the song anyway.

Good lord, that bass solo is fantastic.

pzlyprk said:

It was written on a dare (I think it was posed by Sheena Easton).

And the story goes that they were discussing the simplicity of the Barney theme song "I Love You, You Love Me", which La, La, La, He, He, Hee actually uses as the basis for its melody.

squirrelgrease said:

pzlyprk said:

It was written on a dare (I think it was posed by Sheena Easton).

And the story goes that they were discussing the simplicity of the Barney theme song "I Love You, You Love Me", which La, La, La, He, He, Hee actually uses as the basis for its melody.

U wont fool me!

Original run April 6, 1992 (1992-04-06) – present

billymeade said:

StonedImmaculate said:

I always took the "you've got nine lives" line as an AIDS reference as well. Coulda been anything though. As for the song...

What does a cat's 9 lives have to with AIDS?

Is it really worth one night of fun...you've got nine lives, I just got one

Can that not be taken as a reference for the dangers of casual sex? Sure, he's talking about cats and dogs, but that's not what he's really talking about.

As I said, coulda been anything...someone posted earlier about cat's having nine orgasms

[Edited 7/23/10 21:54pm]

minneapolisFunq said:

squirrelgrease said:

And the story goes that they were discussing the simplicity of the Barney theme song "I Love You, You Love Me", which La, La, La, He, He, Hee actually uses as the basis for its melody.

U wont fool me!

Original run April 6, 1992 (1992-04-06) – present

The Barney Theme Song was on the video tape series long before there was a TV show. I'm pretty sure that annoying song was also part of a children's album around 1987.

squirrelgrease said:

minneapolisFunq said:

U wont fool me!

Original run April 6, 1992 (1992-04-06) – present

The Barney Theme Song was on the video tape series long before there was a TV show. I'm pretty sure that annoying song was also part of a children's album around 1987.

the music for barney is basically "This Old Man"

and Barny did start out in 87 but I doubt Prince was aware of it.

rialb said:

I believe the song is about temptation. I'm not talking about any ol' kind of temptation, people, I'm talkin' about, I'm talkin' about... sexual temptation. Prince (the dog) wants to nail some chick (the cat) and for whatever reason the girl is unobtainable. In the song Prince is using a metaphor about a dog wanting to have sex with a cat and being frustrated that it is not going to happen to explain his relationship with the girl the song is about.

I don't think it's anymore complicated than that. Don't read to much into things when Prince is just having fun.

Musically, I think it is a BLATANT attempt on Prince's part to make his own Atomic Dog (George Clinton). The message of the song is pretty much the same as Atomic Dog as well.

"Why must I feel like that, why must I chase the cat? Nothing but the dog in me!"

Get it?

[Edited 7/24/10 7:38am]

mano said:

rialb said:

I believe the song is about temptation. I'm not talking about any ol' kind of temptation, people, I'm talkin' about, I'm talkin' about... sexual temptation. Prince (the dog) wants to nail some chick (the cat) and for whatever reason the girl is unobtainable. In the song Prince is using a metaphor about a dog wanting to have sex with a cat and being frustrated that it is not going to happen to explain his relationship with the girl the song is about.

I don't think it's anymore complicated than that. Don't read to much into things when Prince is just having fun.

Musically, I think it is a BLATANT attempt on Prince's part to make his own Atomic Dog (George Clinton). The message of the song is pretty much the same as Atomic Dog as well.

"Why must I feel like that, why must I chase the cat? Nothing but the dog in me!"

Get it?

so he only has sex with dogs?

pzlyprk said:

It was written on a dare (I think it was posed by Sheena Easton). In discussing his ablitity to write songs, she dared him that he couldn't write a song using that title. What you hear is the result (dogs and cats in heat). I think Sheena even has a co-writing credit on the song. Definitely one of his many great 80s b-sides, I might add.

The booklet for the hits/b-sides says that Sheena dared him that he couldn't craft a full song with those basic syllables as its core.

mano said:

rialb said:

I believe the song is about temptation. I'm not talking about any ol' kind of temptation, people, I'm talkin' about, I'm talkin' about... sexual temptation. Prince (the dog) wants to nail some chick (the cat) and for whatever reason the girl is unobtainable. In the song Prince is using a metaphor about a dog wanting to have sex with a cat and being frustrated that it is not going to happen to explain his relationship with the girl the song is about.

I don't think it's anymore complicated than that. Don't read to much into things when Prince is just having fun.

Musically, I think it is a BLATANT attempt on Prince's part to make his own Atomic Dog (George Clinton). The message of the song is pretty much the same as Atomic Dog as well.

"Why must I feel like that, why must I chase the cat? Nothing but the dog in me!"

Get it?

[Edited 7/24/10 7:38am]

Starfish and Coffee is a fun song with a message.

And like I said it is not about any deep thought. It just the first thing I thought of.

Much like the line in "America" She may not be in the black, But she's happy she ain't in the red' has double meaning to communism and debt.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

squirrelgrease said:

The Barney Theme Song was on the video tape series long before there was a TV show. I'm pretty sure that annoying song was also part of a children's album around 1987.

the music for barney is basically "This Old Man"

and Barny did start out in 87 but I doubt Prince was aware of it.

Prince loves purple dinosaurs.

mano said:

Musically, I think it is a BLATANT attempt on Prince's part to make his own Atomic Dog (George Clinton). The message of the song is pretty much the same as Atomic Dog as well.

"Why must I feel like that, why must I chase the cat? Nothing but the dog in me!"

Get it?

WasItGood4U also pointed this fact out. I've always been of the same opinion that it was a nod to George's funk masterpiece. Both songs are classics as far as I'm concerned.

squirrelgrease said:

PRNelson said:

squirrelgrease said:

WasItGood4U also pointed this fact out. I've always been of the same opinion that it was a nod to George's funk masterpiece. Both songs are classics as far as I'm concerned.

Itake the point but I personally regard 'scarlet pussy' as his nod to George.

half his catalog is a nod to George!

PRNelson said:

squirrelgrease said:

WasItGood4U also pointed this fact out. I've always been of the same opinion that it was a nod to George's funk masterpiece. Both songs are classics as far as I'm concerned.

Itake the point but I personally regard 'scarlet pussy' as his nod to George.

That too.

squirrelgrease said:

minneapolisFunq said:

U wont fool me!

Original run April 6, 1992 (1992-04-06) – present

The Barney Theme Song was on the video tape series long before there was a TV show. I'm pretty sure that annoying song was also part of a children's album around 1987.

I stand corrected.

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere!