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Thread started 04/28/16 9:07am

rightbluecheek

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The ballad of Dorothy Parker

Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation.
Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?
"No one plays the clarinet the way U play my heart"
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Reply #1 posted 04/28/16 9:14am

Nasalhair

rightbluecheek said:

Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation. Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?

To me, "pants" means underwear. "Bubble bath" is soap you put into your bath water while it is running and it makes bubbles.

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Reply #2 posted 04/28/16 9:14am

lPoeticl

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rightbluecheek said:

Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation.
Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?


pants mean pants
This better antonb and PurpleSpirit319
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Reply #3 posted 04/28/16 9:18am

Lianachan

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I assume that "pants", since Prince was American, was a reference to trousers.

Incidently, the unreleased extended version of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker is one thing I'm particularly hoping will see the light of day eventually.*

* I'm assuming it hasn't. I'm certainly not aware of it leaking.

"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge"" ~ Isaac Asimov
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Reply #4 posted 04/28/16 9:18am

rightbluecheek

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lPoeticl said:

rightbluecheek said:

Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation.
Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?


pants mean pants


I don't think so, in this particular case, but thank you for the answer.
[Edited 4/28/16 9:18am]
"No one plays the clarinet the way U play my heart"
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Reply #5 posted 04/28/16 9:20am

rightbluecheek

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Nasalhair said:



rightbluecheek said:


Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation. Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?


To me, "pants" means underwear. "Bubble bath" is soap you put into your bath water while it is running and it makes bubbles.


Thanks for the answer...the meaning I was referring to is not literal.
"No one plays the clarinet the way U play my heart"
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Reply #6 posted 04/28/16 10:51am

NorthC

Okay. A bubble bath (getting wet) with your pants on (keeping your private parts private) means he didn't want to shag this girl at this particular moment. The bubble could refer to the bubble in his pants and him keeping his pants on means...well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?
"Let me get a fruit cocktail, I ain't to hungry" can also be interpreted as:"I'm not interested in you right now."
These are just from the top of my head, I'd have to listen to it again to dig into this deeper, but yes, it would be a very interesting song to analyze..
[Edited 4/28/16 10:54am]
[Edited 4/28/16 10:57am]
[Edited 4/28/16 10:58am]
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Reply #7 posted 04/28/16 11:16am

fmarasco

Meanings of songs are often personal and we put into it our own perspective. Great songs allow for multiple interpretations..so there's no right version. Unless Prince himself stated what it was about but even then it does not prohibit personal conjecture.

That said this is what it means to me by way of catharisis over his death.

The Ballad of Dorothy Parker was his way of moving on from the disappointment of Under The Cherry Moon.

The violent room is metaphor for the creative process/place. The taking of the buble bath is metaphor for creating/recording and at the same time the bath represents a purging/cleaning.

Of course this all follows along to the sexual inuendo brilliantly overshadowing the more subversive meaning.

He needed someone with a quicker with than his and Dorthory Parker was of course known for her quick wit. And he needed that because he was down.

Another key line for me is "she didn't see the movie because she hadn't read the book first. Instead she pretended she was blind..."

So she was avoiding the subject all together.

Now I have no idea when the song was actually written and if this is even close but that's what it means to me and that is what great music is all about.

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Reply #8 posted 05/05/16 6:35pm

PURplEMaPLeSyr
up

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rightbluecheek said:

Being one of my favourite Prince tracks, I have been looking here for a thread with this subject but did not find any. I have Been trying to dig into the lyrics of this song when it was published, and I also wrote an "article" hoping that it would be published in Controversy magazine (an English fanzine published in the 80). I am not a native English speaker, so I wish someone could share with me what they think the "pants" and the "bubble bath" in that song refer to, hoping they will match my interpretation. Or, if there's a discussion somewhere about this subject, could you please give me the link?

do u think bubblebath is some sort of baptism? perhaps pants refers to the girdle of truth mentioned in the bible. i had a feeling i would understand the song if i knew all of joni mitchell's lyrics, but still working on that.

flowing through the veins of the tree of life...purplemaplesyrup
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Reply #9 posted 05/05/16 7:03pm

Grog

Most of Prince's references to water, baths, showers, rain, etc can be interpreted as metaphors for some form of baptism or cleansing, as others here have stated. "Purple Rain" is an obvious example. Check out "Extralovable" as well and let me know what you think. There are other examples. I can get back to you with some of them if you're interested.

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