The word "pussy" per se is not a swear word. You're allowed to say it on most TV stations, even when you're not allowed to say "fuck" (because that's a blatant swear word).

What's so bad about Soft And Wet? He's not the only artist who sung about vaginas and many others were also played on the radio.

Conroversy IS the shit but I'm not sure which titles caught your eye.

Sexuality maybe?

muirdo said:

kewlschool said:

Innuendo is the bedrock of the rock'n'roll lyric.

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I've recently listened to the ENTIRE Controversy Album, and I've fallen in love all over again <3 That album is THE SHIT! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Anyway....... As I was glancing over the album's song list a COUPLE of songs caught my eye How did he get away with stuff like that? I watched the VH1 Fashion show and they let him perform PUSSY Control live!!! This was aired on TV right? Now, your not even aloud to say" FUCK" on television without it being bleeped out. I was listening to the radio (V. 103) and some guy named Herb Kent said "Next we gonna play some hits from Prince." And Soft And Wet started to play. Yeah, I danced around, but Soft And Wet on the radio? I never though that day would come. After the song ended Herb said "Man, Prince was a strange dude" Somethin' like that....... Was it just his pure sexiness that got him what he wanted or what???? PUSSY Control on TV REALLY???!!!!!!! -_- lucky asses

For all of his raciness Prince was still subtle when it came to lyrics. You knew what he was taalking about but it wasn't as overt as everyone made it out to be(in most cases). Pussy Control while percieved as a track that would make cenosors nervous is still about female empowerment(don't be a victim of the 30 second byte). It's a far more advanced than making some 'pussy talk'. Today's artists are just flat out vulgar and then think they're being seductive with it. Prince's racy lyrics were like a whisper on the back of your neck, smooth and sexy. Today it's like getting hit in the head with a brick with dudes talking about 'breaking your back' and bragging about they dicks! Style and delivery have a lot to do with it.

Prior to the G. W. Bush years radio and TV were a lot more loose about what they played. People filed complaints here and there, but if you weren’t a four networks, a top 40 station, or Howard Stern, the FCC usually just blew it off. Then Bush appointed Michael Powell—the crazy motherfucker who wanted to regulate HBO—and that’s when the screws tightened.

HonestMan13 said:

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I've recently listened to the ENTIRE Controversy Album, and I've fallen in love all over again <3 That album is THE SHIT! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Anyway....... As I was glancing over the album's song list a COUPLE of songs caught my eye How did he get away with stuff like that? I watched the VH1 Fashion show and they let him perform PUSSY Control live!!! This was aired on TV right? Now, your not even aloud to say" FUCK" on television without it being bleeped out. I was listening to the radio (V. 103) and some guy named Herb Kent said "Next we gonna play some hits from Prince." And Soft And Wet started to play. Yeah, I danced around, but Soft And Wet on the radio? I never though that day would come. After the song ended Herb said "Man, Prince was a strange dude" Somethin' like that....... Was it just his pure sexiness that got him what he wanted or what???? PUSSY Control on TV REALLY???!!!!!!! -_- lucky asses

For all of his raciness Prince was still subtle when it came to lyrics. You knew what he was taalking about but it wasn't as overt as everyone made it out to be(in most cases). Pussy Control while percieved as a track that would make cenosors nervous is still about female empowerment(don't be a victim of the 30 second byte). It's a far more advanced than making some 'pussy talk'. Today's artists are just flat out vulgar and then think they're being seductive with it. Prince's racy lyrics were like a whisper on the back of your neck, smooth and sexy. Today it's like getting hit in the head with a brick with dudes talking about 'breaking your back' and bragging about they dicks! Style and delivery have a lot to do with it.

Whilst I agree, Prince has been overt too and even in the style you dislike.

"We can dance if you want to,

But I might break your back,

More fuck for your buck,

You can bet on that"

He was/is fearless, go Prince!

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I've recently listened to the ENTIRE Controversy Album, and I've fallen in love all over again <3 That album is THE SHIT! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Anyway....... As I was glancing over the album's song list a COUPLE of songs caught my eye How did he get away with stuff like that? I watched the VH1 Fashion show and they let him perform PUSSY Control live!!! This was aired on TV right? Now, your not even aloud to say" FUCK" on television without it being bleeped out. I was listening to the radio (V. 103) and some guy named Herb Kent said "Next we gonna play some hits from Prince." And Soft And Wet started to play. Yeah, I danced around, but Soft And Wet on the radio? I never though that day would come. After the song ended Herb said "Man, Prince was a strange dude" Somethin' like that....... Was it just his pure sexiness that got him what he wanted or what???? PUSSY Control on TV REALLY???!!!!!!! -_- lucky asses

aardvark15 said:

muirdo said:

Conroversy IS the shit but I'm not sure which titles caught your eye.

Sexuality maybe?

Look at track 8 again

lol

of course.

One saturday morning in January of 1980, we saw a man with Diana Ross hair dressed in a shiny gold suit with matching high heeled boots sing his first Top 40 hit which contained the lyrics "I wanna be the only one that makes you come -- running" and "I wanna be the only one you come for"...

"We can fuck until the dawn...makin' love til the cherry's gone"

Yeah, that was on the radio all day long back in the day.

"I wanna fuck you like an animal"

Not so much.

[Edited 6/29/12 14:17pm]

Revolution said:

"We can fuck until the dawn...makin' love til the cherry's gone"

Yeah, that was on the radio all day long back in the day.

"I wanna fuck you like an animal"

Not so much.

[Edited 6/29/12 14:17pm]

Wasn't some slight-of-hand involved in getting Erotic City radio play? I seem to remember that radio stations were given assurances that the lyrics were actually, "We can funk until the dawn...".

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I've recently listened to the ENTIRE Controversy Album, and I've fallen in love all over again <3 That album is THE SHIT! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Anyway....... As I was glancing over the album's song list a COUPLE of songs caught my eye How did he get away with stuff like that? I watched the VH1 Fashion show and they let him perform PUSSY Control live!!! This was aired on TV right? Now, your not even aloud to say" FUCK" on television without it being bleeped out. I was listening to the radio (V. 103) and some guy named Herb Kent said "Next we gonna play some hits from Prince." And Soft And Wet started to play. Yeah, I danced around, but Soft And Wet on the radio? I never though that day would come. After the song ended Herb said "Man, Prince was a strange dude" Somethin' like that....... Was it just his pure sexiness that got him what he wanted or what???? PUSSY Control on TV REALLY???!!!!!!! -_- lucky asses

Soft and Wet was played in everyday rotation when released. At least on NYC radio stations.

Mindflux said:

Revolution said:

"We can fuck until the dawn...makin' love til the cherry's gone"

Yeah, that was on the radio all day long back in the day.

"I wanna fuck you like an animal"

Not so much.

[Edited 6/29/12 14:17pm]

Wasn't some slight-of-hand involved in getting Erotic City radio play? I seem to remember that radio stations were given assurances that the lyrics were actually, "We can funk until the dawn...".

Prince was smart with that song. I'm sure he purposely positioned the drums and vocals so that you'd really have no idea whether Sheila was saying funk or fuck

aardvark15 said:

Mindflux said:

Wasn't some slight-of-hand involved in getting Erotic City radio play? I seem to remember that radio stations were given assurances that the lyrics were actually, "We can funk until the dawn...".

Prince was smart with that song. I'm sure he purposely positioned the drums and vocals so that you'd really have no idea whether Sheila was saying funk or fuck

Exactly!

I think he intentionally positioned that song to bring on the illusion it could have said something else..lol

He's Prince nuff said

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

*Erotic City *We Can Funk Gee Prince sure did enjoy FUNKing ^.^

Oh the innocence of a child

Easy, if you get caught up in the beat, the word can sound like Funk, but hard core fans know what he's saying. But I was tickled when he got away w/PC on live TV except that "P" back then was known as a slang word, so they got away with it.

[Edited 6/30/12 8:43am]

Yes, "Erotic City" was played a lot on the radio; and yes, he got away with "P Control."

What's curious to me is that those songs would NOT be played on the radio nowadays - what do you think? In some ways, pop culture has become more vulgar, but in many ways there seems to be more sanitization too. The general audience for "rock" or "pop" music nowadays seems to be tweens. It used to be for adults, although of course teenagers were attracted to it in droves. But the idea was that it was for adults; the performers were adults and they wrote about things they knew, and they performed to adult audiences in clubs and bars.

I think that the lyrics to a lot of P's songs prevent them from being on the radio. Sure, there's always sex in pop songs, but it's kinda immature or not fully developed. But the way P talks about sexual things in his songs I think are too "adult" (the music also, even without the words, are suggestive). I heard an NPR piece with the songwriters of "What's My Name," and they discussed deliberately making it so that it would appeal to teens (has to be kinda racy) but would pass with their parents, and get by radio. It's very contrived.