this is one funky jam that never once gets boring, who else loves it?

Love it still

the addition of the Our Father prayer

added a level of danger to this opening somehow

This is one of my all time favorite Prince songs. I could hear the main part of the song over and over for ten hours straight!

I agree it never gets boring.

It also has a nostalgic / good ol days / classic Prince kind of feel for me.

Especially live this funky song is great! i love the version he did on the French Le grand journal show (check Prince canal Paris )a few years ago...with the heavy guitar

Co sign, its one of the prime reasons I am a Prince fan, this jam has it all, funk, bass, chicken scratch guitar, ass humping grooves, cool lyrics, falsetto and the Lords Prayer.

One of his first truly epic songs and now its 32 years old, it still does not sound dated. Why else does he play it most tours and shows and use this song as an opener.

Because its a classic!

of course I love Controversy, it's a classic.. timeless.

It has really held up well after all these years - one of the songs that defines what Prince's music is about.

Where is Rdhull?

Absolutely love it. He put the themes, and questions out there. I do love this sound and time period.

Oh Yes, have to comment on this, "Controversy" just comes at you with full steam ahead and it just kicks ass all the way to the very end.......Just heard it yesterday on the radio and cranked it all the way up rolling down 680. My son also loves this song, he's only 20, but the first time he heard it about 3 or 4 years ago, I was playing the LP and he came running outta his room and was like "I can't believe he's saying "count your pussy"....well anyway he knows better now and still just loves this song almost as much as I do?..........

MadamGoodnight said:

Absolutely love it. He put the themes, and questions out there. I do love this sound and time period.

AlexNevermind28 said:

This is one of my all time favorite Prince songs. I could hear the main part of the song over and over for ten hours straight!

It is what we call 'timeless classic'.

No one can create a song so good, that it still sounds fresh and new 32 years later.

------

A PUNK PROPHET OF SEXUAL ANARCHY

I'm still frightened of Prince allured by the promise, alarmed by the chintzy crud of his live routine, partially assuaged by this new "Controversy". -NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS November 14, 1981

Released September 2, 1981

• Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
• Lisa Coleman - backing vocals

Controversy" is the title track and lead single to the 1981 album by Prince.[1] One of his most respected classic funk songs, "Controversy" addresses certain speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, religion and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity about him. The song has two main verses, a few choruses, with the title repeated throughout the track. Towards the middle he recites the Lord's Prayer in full, which fueled the fire for some to say the song was blasphemous. Toward the end is a repeating chant of doggerel: "People call me rude / I wish we all were nude / I wish there was no black and white / I wish there were no rules." The song is straight funk with a steady drumbeat, synthesized bass, "chicken grease" guitar and keyboards. The song was backed with "When You Were Mine", from his previous album, Dirty Mind.

Controversy

I just can't believe all the things people say (Controversy)
Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay? (Controversy)
Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? Yeah (Controversy)

CHORUS:
Controversy
Controversy

I can't understand human curiosity (Controversy)
Was it good 4 U? Was I what U wanted me 2 be? (Controversy)
Do U get high? Does your daddy cry? (Controversy)

CHORUS

Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? (Yeah, ooh yeah)
Some people wanna die so they can be free
I said, life is just a game, we're all just the same
Do U wanna play? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

CHORUS {x3}


Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever

Love ya, love ya, baby

Listen...
People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were no rules
People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were (was) no rules


Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?
Let me tell U, some people wanna die so they can be free
I said life is just a game, we're all just the same
Don't U wanna play?
© 1981 Controversy Music - ASCAP

OldFriends4Sale said:

Released September 2, 1981

• Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
• Lisa Coleman - backing vocals

Recorded	Uptown, Sunset Sound, Hollywood Sound, 1981 (Original)

Controversy" is the title track and lead single to the 1981 album by Prince.[1] One of his most respected classic funk songs, "Controversy" addresses certain speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, religion and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity about him. The song has two main verses, a few choruses, with the title repeated throughout the track. Towards the middle he recites the Lord's Prayer in full, which fueled the fire for some to say the song was blasphemous. Toward the end is a repeating chant of doggerel: "People call me rude / I wish we all were nude / I wish there was no black and white / I wish there were no rules." The song is straight funk with a steady drumbeat, synthesized bass, "chicken grease" guitar and keyboards. The song was backed with "When You Were Mine", from his previous album, Dirty Mind.

Controversy

I just can't believe all the things people say (Controversy)
Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay? (Controversy)
Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? Yeah (Controversy)

CHORUS:
Controversy
Controversy

I can't understand human curiosity (Controversy)
Was it good 4 U? Was I what U wanted me 2 be? (Controversy)
Do U get high? Does your daddy cry? (Controversy)

CHORUS

Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? (Yeah, ooh yeah)
Some people wanna die so they can be free
I said, life is just a game, we're all just the same
Do U wanna play? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

CHORUS {x3}


Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever

Love ya, love ya, baby

Listen...
People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were no rules
People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were (was) no rules


Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?
Let me tell U, some people wanna die so they can be free
I said life is just a game, we're all just the same
Don't U wanna play?
© 1981 Controversy Music - ASCAP

great info, you're a terrefic poster. Thanks.

chriss said:

Oh Yes, have to comment on this, "Controversy" just comes at you with full steam ahead and it just kicks ass all the way to the very end.......Just heard it yesterday on the radio and cranked it all the way up rolling down 680. My son also loves this song, he's only 20, but the first time he heard it about 3 or 4 years ago, I was playing the LP and he came running outta his room and was like "I can't believe he's saying "count your pussy"....well anyway he knows better now and still just loves this song almost as much as I do?..........

MadamGoodnight said:

Absolutely love it. He put the themes, and questions out there. I do love this sound and time period.

This is hands down one of my top Prince songs and I hear something new every time I hear it and my favorite lines are probably going to be my signature line...

I can't understand human curiosity (Controversy)

Was it good 4 U?

Was I what U wanted me 2 be? (Controversy)

Summarizes a plethora of issues for me into one concise view point...so love Prince's insight. It's as if he knew me and wrote these lines just with me in mind. ...from the funk filled intro to the intropective body and the thoughts of personal emancipation & freedom to his last question, notes and the banging musical arrangement this song just does it for me...so appreciate this man's gifts

Am I black or white? Black.

Am I straight or gay? Straight.
Do I believe in God? Yes.

Do I believe in me? Yes.
Was it good for you? Yes.

Was I what you wanted me to be? Yes.
Do you get high? No.

Does your daddy cry? Yes.
Do I believe in God? Yes.

Do I believe in me? Yes.
Do you wanna play? Yeah, yeah, yeah.