What is he singing?

- If ever, whenever you need someone to take a shower with, call me up, please

or

- If ever honey you need someone to take a shower with, call me up, please

or

- Remember whenever you need someone to take a shower with, call me up, please

For that matter, is he even singing "call me up, please"? I always thought he might be singing "call me up and scream".


The booklet in my copy of HitNRun Phase Two doesn't have the lyrics for this and other songs, but I've heard that the orginal batch manufactured did have lyrics for all the songs. Does anyone have the booklet with all the lyrics? And if so, have you verified what he's saying?

Hi Lurker.

I never bought Hit 'n' Run 2 on CD so I'm as in the dark as you are when it comes to the first part of the line, but going by ear Prince is clearly singing "call me up, please" in the modern version, and I've always assumed the line was "call me up and scream" in the 80s version. In fact I'm convinced it is.

I never realised he changed this lyric. I'm guessing in his older years the idea of women screaming down the phone at him wasn't as appealing.

"IF EVER OR EVER U NEED SOMEONE 2

TAKE A SHOWER WITH

CALL ME UP PLEASE"

According to the booklet.

jaawwnn said:

"IF EVER OR EVER U NEED SOMEONE 2

TAKE A SHOWER WITH

CALL ME UP PLEASE"

According to the booklet.

Wow, that's a weird, akward line. Not even sure what it means. "If ever or ever"???

Of the suggestions I'd written above, "Remember, whenever" made the most sense to me, but I was pretty sure that that was wrong and the first word was "If".

jaawwnn said:

"IF EVER OR EVER U NEED SOMEONE 2

TAKE A SHOWER WITH

CALL ME UP PLEASE"

According to the booklet.

Much like the estate allowed massive reberb on the tracks ruining many songs, the booklet here is incorrect as well, it indeed is "if ever or whenever"

The printed lyrics to a couple 'Sign "O" The Times' tunes are wrong, too.

VaultCurator said:

Hi Lurker.

I never bought Hit 'n' Run 2 on CD so I'm as in the dark as you are when it comes to the first part of the line, but going by ear Prince is clearly singing "call me up, please" in the modern version, and I've always assumed the line was "call me up and scream" in the 80s version. In fact I'm convinced it is.

I never realised he changed this lyric. I'm guessing in his older years the idea of women screaming down the phone at him wasn't as appealing.

In the 80s version, I hear 'call me up - it's free' and rhymes with 'take a bath with me'.

leadline said:

jaawwnn said:

"IF EVER OR EVER U NEED SOMEONE 2

TAKE A SHOWER WITH

CALL ME UP PLEASE"

According to the booklet.

Much like the estate allowed massive reberb on the tracks ruining many songs, the booklet here is incorrect as well, it indeed is "if ever or whenever"

Well i'm not saying you're wrong (I can hear either depending on how i'm listening) but this was an NPG Records release, practically hand made by Prince at that point in his career. I ain't blaming anyone but him for this one.

jaawwnn said:

leadline said:

Much like the estate allowed massive reberb on the tracks ruining many songs, the booklet here is incorrect as well, it indeed is "if ever or whenever"

Well i'm not saying you're wrong (I can hear either depending on how i'm listening) but this was an NPG Records release, practically hand made by Prince at that point in his career. I ain't blaming anyone but him for this one.

Very true,I was living in a magical ficticious world where extraloveable was released on 1999 SD for a moment

sulls said:

VaultCurator said:

Hi Lurker.

I never bought Hit 'n' Run 2 on CD so I'm as in the dark as you are when it comes to the first part of the line, but going by ear Prince is clearly singing "call me up, please" in the modern version, and I've always assumed the line was "call me up and scream" in the 80s version. In fact I'm convinced it is.

I never realised he changed this lyric. I'm guessing in his older years the idea of women screaming down the phone at him wasn't as appealing.

In the 80s version, I hear 'call me up - it's free' and rhymes with 'take a bath with me'.

Yes, I can hear it that way as well.

jaawwnn said:

leadline said:

Much like the estate allowed massive reberb on the tracks ruining many songs, the booklet here is incorrect as well, it indeed is "if ever or whenever"

Well i'm not saying you're wrong (I can hear either depending on how i'm listening) but this was an NPG Records release, practically hand made by Prince at that point in his career. I ain't blaming anyone but him for this one.

Right, which makes me think that maybe it really is "ever or ever". The fact that Prince himself made it is not 100% definitive (he could makes mistakes), but gives it weight.


But whether it's "ever or ever" or "ever or whenever" it's an awkward phrase to sing and doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I've always heard it as:

"If ever, oh ever you need someone to take a shower with...

Call me up, it's free..."

To me it sounds like he's lifting a little off of "We're Off to See the Wizard" from Wizard of Oz.

"If ever, oh ever a wiz there was..."

If Ever Or Whenever I hear clearly in both versions, and, it really is the only lyric that makes sense.

Call Me Up, It's Free is the other lyric. Prince loves talking about how much phone calls cost, or don't cost.

Perhaps you are all listening to sh*tty versions.

[Edited 1/9/20 2:33am]

dannyd5050 said:

BlueShakooo said:

dannyd5050 said:

I've always heard it as:

"If ever, oh ever you need someone to take a shower with...

Call me up, it's free..."

To me it sounds like he's lifting a little off of "We're Off to See the Wizard" from Wizard of Oz.

"If ever, oh ever a wiz there was..."

Almost same here. But I always heard "Call me up and scream".

A buddy of mine back in the day used to think the line in LRC that goes "girl you got an ass like ive never seen" was "girl light a match cause I just cant see"

It's definitely interesting how we all hear things differently over the years.

leadline said:

If Ever Or Whenever I hear clearly in both versions, and, it really is the only lyric that makes sense.

Call Me Up, It's Free is the other lyric. Prince loves talking about how much phone calls cost, or don't cost.

Perhaps you are all listening to sh*tty versions. Try this one, you should be able to hear the lyric very clearly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEBLHFIPwyg

Yes, in the original version it sounds like he's saying "call me up, it's free" (though I can also hear "call me up and scream"). But in the HitNRun version it does sound like he's saying "call me up, please".

And while he might indeed be saying "if ever or whenever" that lyric does not make sense. It's redundant and no one would use that phrase in conversation.

lurker316 said:

lurker316 said:

leadline said:

A buddy of mine back in the day used to think the line in LRC that goes "girl you got an ass like ive never seen" was "girl light a match cause I just cant see"

LOL. That makes me think of that interview Prince did with Tavis where he was talking about how people mishear his lyrics. He said he knew someone that thought "Little Red Corvette" was "pay the rent collect." Man, I miss Prince....

Wow, was I wrong...

I've always heard (in the 80s version): If you're horny or need someone to take a shower with (mama), call me up, and scream.

...and funny you mentioned LRC, as I always (until a couple of years ago) though that line was: "girl, it's gotta last like I've never seen" as that line is right after "you need to find a love that's gonna last"


It's weird (and fascinating) how we all hear different things in songs...

There's a KISS song called 'I Want You' and there's a line in the song that sounds *just* like he says "You can live in a dream, but your Apple Possum Pie" (I know he doesn't say that, but it *sounds* like he does). The actual line is "You can live in a dream, but your life will pass you by"

[Edited 12/21/19 13:00pm]

lurker316 said:

leadline said:

If Ever Or Whenever I hear clearly in both versions, and, it really is the only lyric that makes sense.

Call Me Up, It's Free is the other lyric. Prince loves talking about how much phone calls cost, or don't cost.

Perhaps you are all listening to sh*tty versions. Try this one, you should be able to hear the lyric very clearly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEBLHFIPwyg

Yes, in the original version it sounds like he's saying "call me up, it's free" (though I can also hear "call me up and scream"). But in the HitNRun version it does sound like he's saying "call me up, please".

And while he might indeed be saying "if ever or whenever" that lyric does not make sense. It's redundant and no one would use that phrase in conversation.

Actually it is not redundant.

If ever implies there is a chance it won't happen.

Whenever implies it will happen, but not at a specified time.

PacManPlus said:

Wow, was I wrong...

I've always heard (in the 80s version): If you're horny or need someone to take a shower with (mama), call me up, and scream.

...and funny you mentioned LRC, as I always (until a couple of years ago) though that line was: "girl, it's gotta last like I've never seen" as that line is right after "you need to find a love that's gonna last"


It's weird (and fascinating) how we all hear different things in songs...

There's a KISS song called 'I Want You' and there's a line in the song that sounds *just* like he says "You can live in a dream, but your Apple Possum Pie" (I know he doesn't say that, but it *sounds* like he does). The actual line is "You can live in a dream, but your life will pass you by"

[Edited 12/21/19 13:00pm]

We all hear things the way we want to hear them, even Prince mentioned in interviews that people always get his lyrics wrong. A month doesn't go by where I don't learn something new about a Prince song, be it lyrics, or, meaning behind the lyrics. He will be keeping all of us on our toes for a long time to come.

leadline said:

BlueShakooo said:

dannyd5050 said: Almost same here. But I always heard "Call me up and scream".

A buddy of mine back in the day used to think the line in LRC that goes "girl you got an ass like ive never seen" was "girl light a match cause I just cant see"

It's definitely interesting how we all hear things differently over the years.

Still though, the stand out lyric in the song is "whats behind door number pants (explosion sound)"

2 hilarious.