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.

rightbluecheek said:

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.

lPoeticl said:

Nasalhair said:

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.

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.

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.