This is one my all time favorite Prince songs, like in his Top 40 best songs. I always though this song would've been a hit if it had been released as a single or given to another artist, it's got a nice modern (at the time) feel, a catchy hook juxtapose with some beautiful, wistful lyrics of regret. Furthermore, it features one of Prince's most riveting vocals; his falsetto was rarely more powerful or agile, a Top 10 vocal for him. The crescendoes he builds up to are epic.

Is it true he wrote this for Wendy & Lisa? I've read that in some places. It definitely adds a new layer to it if true.

Hi Wendy!

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

2 these walls I talk
Tellin' 'em what I wasn't strong enough 2 say
2 these walls I talk
Tellin' 'em how I cried the day U went away

How do we ever lose communication?
How do we ever lose each other's sound?
Baby, if U wanna, we can fix the situation
Maybe we can stop the rain from coming down

Yeah

In this bed I scream
Lonely nights I lay awake thinking of U
And if I'm cursed with a dream
A thousand times I feel whatever I've put U through

Tell me, how're we gonna put this back 2gether?
How're we gonna think with the same mind?
Knowing all along that life is so much better
Living and loving 2gether all the time

Living and loving

In this bed I, in this bed I, in this bed I scream

In this car I drive
I'm looking 4 the road that leads back 2 the soul we shared
With my very life
I'd gladly be the body upon the cross we bear (Cross we bear)

How do we ever lose communication? (How did we?)
How do we ever lose each other's sound? (I don't know)
Baby, if U wanna, we can fix the situation
Maybe we can stop the rain from coming down

Maybe we can't, maybe we can
Stop the rain, stop the rain

In this bed I, in this bed I, in this bed I scream
I scream

In this bed I scream

dedicated 2 Wendy Lisa & Susannah

hannasuS dna asiL dna ydneW 2 detacided

It is dedicated (in reversed text) in the album's booklet to "Wendy and Lisa and Susannah", and sent the song to Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman prior to its release for their input

"In This Bed" [from Emancipation] is experimental; as we were working on it, I put a guitar on the ground and just let it start feeding back. After a while I hit this button and let the feedback pattern repeat. Does this mean that instruments have a soul or a life of their own? Will they end up writing the song?"

MUSICIAN (1997)

APRIL 1997 * MUSICIAN

The Sound of Emancipation

was my insta-fave from this album upon first listen but it was a bit of a tease that he could so effortlessly bring back 1986 on this one song.

love this one!

Totally agree that this is a great song and 4 him 2 actually admit that it was written for the three ladies makes it even more special. Such a revealing song 4 Prince 2 put out there and acknowledge that he misses them. I wish that I could write lyrics so original and vulnerable. The only issue that I have with the song is that the ending carries on a bit too long. My opinion was this was all part of each cd meeting his 60:00 minutes in length goal. I think it would have been a great single but I also thought If I Was Your Girlfriend was a great single.

A great song i love the lyrics and the guitar at the end.

67Cadillac said:

Is it true he wrote this for Wendy & Lisa? I've read that in some places. It definitely adds a new layer to it if true.

Did you read the liner notes?

one of the highlights of Emancipation this is a great song!

Such a great song, I love it... Unfortunately, I really would listen to it more often if it wasn't on Emancipation. I don't hate the album, but it's not one I would play all the way through.

One of my favorites from Emancipation; the instrumental part in the end is awesome.

I wish that crushing outro went on for another 3 or 4 minutes. It becomes a whole different song there at the end for a second, reminiscent of NiN or something, and then it just fades out.

wishuhvn said:

nextedition said:

wishuhvn said:

Totally agree that this is a great song and 4 him 2 actually admit that it was written for the three ladies makes it even more special. Such a revealing song 4 Prince 2 put out there and acknowledge that he misses them. I wish that I could write lyrics so original and vulnerable. The only issue that I have with the song is that the ending carries on a bit too long. My opinion was this was all part of each cd meeting his 60:00 minutes in length goal. I think it would have been a great single but I also thought If I Was Your Girlfriend was a great single.

Ending could have been even longer. Love love love the ending!

^^^What he said.^^^

It's one of the better songs on the album and probably makes anyone's cut on those "Reduce 'Emancipation' to One Disc" lists. There's a lot of good shit on that record, actually - something for every taste - but I think most fans would put this track somewhere near the top.

Gonna go listent to that fucker now actually. I haven't busted out Emancipation in ages.

nextedition said:

wishuhvn said:

Totally agree that this is a great song and 4 him 2 actually admit that it was written for the three ladies makes it even more special. Such a revealing song 4 Prince 2 put out there and acknowledge that he misses them. I wish that I could write lyrics so original and vulnerable. The only issue that I have with the song is that the ending carries on a bit too long. My opinion was this was all part of each cd meeting his 60:00 minutes in length goal. I think it would have been a great single but I also thought If I Was Your Girlfriend was a great single.

Ending could have been even longer. Love love love the ending!

The ending is great, i wish as well it were longer.

herb4 said:

nextedition said:

wishuhvn said: Ending could have been even longer. Love love love the ending!

^^^What he said.^^^

It's one of the better songs on the album and probably makes anyone's cut on those "Reduce 'Emancipation' to One Disc" lists. There's a lot of good shit on that record, actually - something for every taste - but I think most fans would put this track somewhere near the top.

Gonna go listent to that fucker now actually. I haven't busted out Emancipation in ages.

I can happily skip it. Don't hate it but certainly not a favourite and it wouldn't make my single disc edit. I love the album and that he put so much out there at one time, truly something for everyone.

An incredible song in which every sound, every beat, every melody is so well-thought-out. This might be his most orchestrated song ever. I love it.

I love that entire album. Every song meant something special to Prince. It was a turning point in his life.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

I love that entire album. Every song meant something special to Prince. It was a turning point in his life.

I can sort of see this and agree. I was happy to have what was esentially 3 brand new CD's and see the floodgates unleashed even though it wasn't all to my taste. It really did feel like an Emancipation of sorts, even if it wasn't the Artistic Statement he intended, and I was always in the camp of having more material to weed through as opposed to skipping, say, 1/3 of of Graffitti Bridge or D&P. I wanted to hear it all.