Darlin' Nikki, a cheap tale of a loose girl and a one night stand, or Prince's full and frank declaration that as narrator of the song he enjoys being penetrated anally by a strap-on? Let's examine the lyrical evidence:


She had so many devices
Everything that money could buy -- So many devices, not just the usual things
...
The lights went out
And Nikki started to grind --SHE started to grind, not him. She is takes the active role, which in itself doesn't mean Prince is the one getting fucked, but in conjunction with the wider lyrical context I think that is exactly what is being said...
...
The castle started spinning
Or maybe it was my brain
I can't tell you what she did to me

But my body will never be the same -- He sounds very much like the passive partner here, he was intoxicated from the prostate stimulation
...
Her lovin' will kick your behind -- Does this need explaining?
Oh, she'll show you no mercy -- Again, no explanation needed
But she'll shonuff shonuff show you how 2 grind -- She will show you (and him) how to grind, again she's the active partner and quite experienced it seems
...
Come back Nikki, come back
Your dirty little prince
Wanna grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind -- "Dirty little Prince" tells us he considers their love making taboo, but wants more!


Of course after Prince officially outs himself as a power-bottom with this paean of love for being fucked, he feels guilty and has to make an act of penance to the Christian deity in the form of the backwards ending - Very Princely, the prodigal son of pop too-ing and fro-ing between lust and love, sex and god.

I think it's pretty conclusive, I'm just amazed it didn't come to me sooner, it's all there in the lyrics.

Yep.

She's just teaching him how she wants to be done. Doesn't have to be strapped on and in his arse. Seems unlikely to me.

Imago, is that you?

I agree with the OP.
And with that said I believe ‘The Gold Standard’ is about him experiencing his first golden-shower

I just have to post it again ...

"I think that this song is an intentional jab at the Moral Majority. I don't feel that this song is about having sex with a hooker. In truth, I believe that Nikki is the Devil. Old Nick is one of Satan's nicknames. The singer signs on the dotted line to seal the contract on his soul. What he is selling it for is unknown - maybe just an amazing sexual experience? However, "my body will never be the same," makes me think that he sells his soul for some physical change or attribute, and that the sex is either a bonus to the actual transformation, or else a a metaphor for the change.

The use of the word "castle" indicates one of royalty (Satan being the leader of hell), and to tempt people, there is everything that money could buy.

His head is spinning, not knowing what he's in store for - this is a hallmark of the individual that undergoes a transformation.

Her love will kick your behind - she'll show no mercy --- could be attributes of Satan.

The backmasking at the end? Certainly a wink at religious zealots who claim that rock is evil, and that Satan hides messages in backwards lyrics. In this case, Prince laughs at them by telling them what they already believe - that The Lord is coming soon.

The word grind makes me think, though. Rather than being a euphemism for sex, I wonder if the word GRIND is using the definition "WORK" -- The Devil works His magic...."

From http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/92279/

Sorry i couldnt resist

[Edited 12/9/14 10:23am]

I like the devil idea too, I've read that before. Maybe it's both, Prince was into sex magick back then maybe?

[Edited 12/9/14 10:50am]

hell ya~! Prostate stimulation!!?! rad. Now i like the song even more.

It's time 4 your morning bath, sir
What would U like 2 bathe in this morning?
With all due respect sir, I think that it ..
I think that it might ..
Oh, oh no
I don't want 2 play anymore

The "castle" may be for a (drag) "queen", since we're going there.

Damn... I think you're right.

PUT THE CRACK PIPE DOWN AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY!!!! surely you jest, that's so NOT what the song is about

Soulstar77A said:

I just have to post it again ...

"I think that this song is an intentional jab at the Moral Majority. I don't feel that this song is about having sex with a hooker. In truth, I believe that Nikki is the Devil. Old Nick is one of Satan's nicknames. The singer signs on the dotted line to seal the contract on his soul. What he is selling it for is unknown - maybe just an amazing sexual experience? However, "my body will never be the same," makes me think that he sells his soul for some physical change or attribute, and that the sex is either a bonus to the actual transformation, or else a a metaphor for the change.

The use of the word "castle" indicates one of royalty (Satan being the leader of hell), and to tempt people, there is everything that money could buy.

His head is spinning, not knowing what he's in store for - this is a hallmark of the individual that undergoes a transformation.

Her love will kick your behind - she'll show no mercy --- could be attributes of Satan.

The backmasking at the end? Certainly a wink at religious zealots who claim that rock is evil, and that Satan hides messages in backwards lyrics. In this case, Prince laughs at them by telling them what they already believe - that The Lord is coming soon.

The word grind makes me think, though. Rather than being a euphemism for sex, I wonder if the word GRIND is using the definition "WORK" -- The Devil works His magic...."

From http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/92279/

Sorry i couldnt resist

[Edited 12/9/14 10:23am]

I am more apt to believe that interpretation,more so, than the anal stimulation fetish one. But, I'm certain it was meant for dual meanings as well. Certainly sexual on the surface, but spiritual underneath.

"She said, 'Thank u 4 a funky time'"...does this mean Prince's poop chute was dirty and rank?

great analogy

ZahndiFadzhina said:

I believe ‘The Gold Standard’ is about him experiencing his first golden-shower

Ohh lord

NouveauDance said:

It's Darling Nikki, with a G at the end of Darling....

Not Darlin' Nikki.....


Just saying...

We need more thread like this

FragileUndertow said:

elf9933 said:

FragileUndertow said:

We need more thread like this

I'm laughing out loud I agree

Let's anal-ise Tamborine next!

NouveauDance said:

Darlin' Nikki, a cheap tale of a loose girl and a one night stand, or Prince's full and frank declaration that as narrator of the song he enjoys being penetrated anally by a strap-on? Let's examine the lyrical evidence:


She had so many devices
Everything that money could buy -- So many devices, not just the usual things
...
The lights went out
And Nikki started to grind --SHE started to grind, not him. She is takes the active role, which in itself doesn't mean Prince is the one getting fucked, but in conjunction with the wider lyrical context I think that is exactly what is being said...
...
The castle started spinning
Or maybe it was my brain
I can't tell you what she did to me

But my body will never be the same -- He sounds very much like the passive partner here, he was intoxicated from the prostate stimulation
...
Her lovin' will kick your behind -- Does this need explaining?
Oh, she'll show you no mercy -- Again, no explanation needed
But she'll shonuff shonuff show you how 2 grind -- She will show you (and him) how to grind, again she's the active partner and quite experienced it seems
...
Come back Nikki, come back
Your dirty little prince
Wanna grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind -- "Dirty little Prince" tells us he considers their love making taboo, but wants more!


Of course after Prince officially outs himself as a power-bottom with this paean of love for being fucked, he feels guilty and has to make an act of penance to the Christian deity in the form of the backwards ending - Very Princely, the prodigal son of pop too-ing and fro-ing between lust and love, sex and god.

I think it's pretty conclusive, I'm just amazed it didn't come to me sooner, it's all there in the lyrics.

LOL!! I agree with you actually!!

I always interpreted Nikki as a succubus, especially since Prince had--to that point--always played the victim or the victimized in his songs. It was always the female doing him wrong. Thus, the great imagery was exaggeration for the wild woman whose sex was so great that she could cause a man to lose his mind, leaving him longing and heartbroken because he was merely another conquest of hers. And, as for grinding, that was always viewed as something done by two people, such as grinding on the dance floor. And, whether on the dance floor or actually having sex, the hope was to find a woman who would "grind" her hips as passionately as the male. Who wants a woman--or any lover--who just lays there?

Hmmm.... After taking another gander at the song, I couldn't find any

hints of anal sex. Can't say that I am an authority but, the song did

bring to mind voyeurism, with an attitude of look-don't-touch, fall

in love if you want to, and a desperate to wait around for something I

can't have vibe. just

FragileUndertow said:

We need more thread like this

Although this thread was meant to be tongue in cheek. (So to speak)

"The four most overrated things in life are champagne, lobster, anal sex and picnics." – Christopher Hitchens in the New Yorker, 2006.

There really aren't enough threads about Prince and anal stimulation, considering how it's an underlying current in so many of his past songs. He never explicitly talks about it, but it's implied everywhere.

bigd74 said:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Turn Me Loose