TrivialPursuit said:

PJMcGee said:

TrivialPursuit said: By that logic, any "gay" is already a sinner and doesn't need to be turned into one.

To "turn a gay man straight" is already its own thing, though. The sinner part isn't an element in that. It's like every guy thinking he can turn a lesbian straight if he fucked her. No religious element there.

The religious element is Sinner connotes to a Preacher. "Turning" relates to gays.

Is this still seriously being debated? Haha. The person who referenced the Stones lyric got it. In theory, what would be more difficult or least likely? To get a straight male priest to have sex with a woman? Or to get a gay, male priest to have sex with a woman? The latter. Prince is saying this woman is so hot that even the least likely person would go for her. Again, just reference all the other lines in the song. When he says "She made me... Glad to be a man" he's not stating two separate thoughts that 1) The woman made him and 2) That he's glad to be a man. He's stating that SHE made him glad to be a man. Same logic applies to allllll the other lines in this song that are broken up like that.

SpookyPurple said:

Is this still seriously being debated? Haha.

No debate here. I'm just stating what I believe.

TrivialPursuit said:

gsmith5678 said:

I've always presumed he's using 'gay' in this context as meaning 'happy', reflecting the line in Chaos & Disorder. I know they were recorded some time apart but they always felt of a piece to me, I guess because of the way they were played together live.

"Turn a happy preacher into a sinner."

Who knows.

.

.

The lyric is straight forward and it's already been clearly explained.

.

Turn a gay [man] - Meaning she's so got even a gay man would want her.

Preach her to sinner - Separate line, comparing her hotness to holiness, she's so 'holy' a sinner would convert/repent.

.

.

I looked back at my earlier post in this thread, I must've been high or something, when this topic has already been covered and the above is the lyric, making the meaning crystal clear imo.

Strange.

This coming from Prince.

A ''gay preacher''... makes me wonder...

in this song context :

- even if he was not gay, he would also turn into a sinner, right?

- why ''gay'' then (to fill the song line)?

- or ''gay'' as in happy like someone said. So why didn't he used ''great'' or ''cool'' or ''sane''?

- why the word ''gay''?... for a ''preacher''?

- was it a already a hint towards the abuse in religion in general ?

- ''gay teacher''? ... LOL

- ''lesbian teacher or preacher'' wouldn't work in the rhyme. )))

- whatever

anyway, she's so hot she can turn whatever to cross any line - according to Prince.

NouveauDance said:

LoveGalore said:

By the way, a friend took a pic of the sheet music from The Hits songbook.

Even more laughable - and we have to remember that these transcriptions were often wrong in lyrics, chords, etc., and would go un-vetted by the artist - the songbook said,

"Turn up gay,

preacher 2 a sinner."

I mean, I turn up gay everywhere, so I'm down with that. 🍑

TrivialPursuit said:

LoveGalore said:.

"Turn a gay" is not the lyric. It's "turn a gay preacher to a sinner."

NouveauDance said:

LoveGalore said:.

"Turn a gay" is not the lyric. It's "turn a gay preacher to a sinner."

Ok dear.

This thread is GOLD. An actual debate about a near 30 year old lyric, when there has never in the history of Prince message boards been a debate about it. Show me if there has been. I've been around for a bit.

It always has been, is, and always will be "Turn a gay preacher 2 a sinner." Period. Not an opinion, but a solid, inarguable FACT.

Ridiculousness.

[Edited 9/30/21 12:08pm]

TheBigBang said:

Glad I clicked on the thread. Because this is, well, interesting.

It's one phrase. "Turn a gay preacher to a sinner." While it's true that she could turn a gay man straight and that she could turn a preacher to a sinner, Prince wants you to understand that she's way more tempting than that. She can do both things at the same time, to the same man. He doesn't want women, and he's morally opposed to engaging in the act--but it doesn't matter. He's gonna give in.

That is the definitive answer.

Now, continue talking, and I'll just watch.

LoveGalore said:

The official lyric book for emancipation says jam of the year's prechorus says "when the groove rubber baby's hot" and I have no idea how Prince approved that

Yeah, that was likely the mistake of whoever put that book together. I'm like, "You're literally in Paisley Park. You can't ask the fancy lesbian what the lyric is?"

TrivialPursuit said:

LoveGalore said:

The official lyric book for emancipation says jam of the year's prechorus says "when the groove rubber baby's hot" and I have no idea how Prince approved that

Yeah, that was likely the mistake of whoever put that book together. I'm like, "You're literally in Paisley Park. You can't ask the fancy lesbian what the lyric is?"

What is that lyric? groove robber?

TheEnglishGent said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Yeah, that was likely the mistake of whoever put that book together. I'm like, "You're literally in Paisley Park. You can't ask the fancy lesbian what the lyric is?"

What is that lyric? groove robber?

Isn't it "the groove of a baby's heart?"

TrivialPursuit said:

TheEnglishGent said:

What is that lyric? groove robber?

Isn't it "the groove of a baby's heart?"

That doesn't seem right, especially in context

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove of a baby's heart

I'm givin' it all I got.

Last word really sounds more like hot to me, which does directly rhyme with got.

When the groove of my baby's hot

That would make sense. But there sounds like there's an R sound in there somewhere between groove and baby.

I've been listening to a number of live versions and it still sounds to me most like, "When the groove rubber babies hot", but that doesn't make sense either.

TheEnglishGent said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Isn't it "the groove of a baby's heart?"

That doesn't seem right, especially in context

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove of a baby's heart

I'm givin' it all I got.

Last word really sounds more like hot to me, which does directly rhyme with got.

When the groove of my baby's hot

That would make sense. But there sounds like there's an R sound in there somewhere between groove and baby.

I've been listening to a number of live versions and it still sounds to me most like, "When the groove rubber babies hot", but that doesn't make sense either.

but groove of a baby's heart fits in with "sex in the summer" I think he said when he heard it that it was a "groove."

TheEnglishGent said:

TheEnglishGent said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Isn't it "the groove of a baby's heart?"

That doesn't seem right, especially in context

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove of a baby's heart

I'm givin' it all I got.

Last word really sounds more like hot to me, which does directly rhyme with got.

When the groove of my baby's hot

That would make sense. But there sounds like there's an R sound in there somewhere between groove and baby.

I've been listening to a number of live versions and it still sounds to me most like, "When the groove rubber babies hot", but that doesn't make sense either.

But he's sorta sideways talking about Mayte. It should be "with the groove," not "when." A baby's heart is fast and strong, just like how he's living. The phrase you quoted comes across more like a summation of his situation. He's got a new girl, a dancer, a baby's heartbeat is in their future. He's running with all burners on blast. The girl and the baby are giving him full energy and are his motivation.

And what does "the groove of my baby's hot." His baby's hot what, exactly?

That "groove rubber babies hot" is ridiculous, we can all agree. I don't know who put that in the book or how it got past him, but it's 100% wrong.

[Edited 10/2/21 10:36am]

TrivialPursuit said:

Mackopolis44 said:

LoveGalore said:

TrivialPursuit said:

TheEnglishGent said:

That doesn't seem right, especially in context

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove of a baby's heart

I'm givin' it all I got.

Last word really sounds more like hot to me, which does directly rhyme with got.

When the groove of my baby's hot

That would make sense. But there sounds like there's an R sound in there somewhere between groove and baby.

I've been listening to a number of live versions and it still sounds to me most like, "When the groove rubber babies hot", but that doesn't make sense either.

But he's sorta sideways talking about Mayte. It should be "with the groove," not "when." A baby's heart is fast and strong, just like how he's living. The phrase you quoted comes across more like a summation of his situation. He's got a new girl, a dancer, a baby's heartbeat is in their future. He's running with all burners on blast. The girl and the baby are giving him full energy and are his motivation.

And what does "the groove of my baby's hot." His baby's hot what, exactly?

That "groove rubber babies hot" is ridiculous, we can all agree. I don't know who put that in the book or how it got past him, but it's 100% wrong.

[Edited 10/2/21 10:36am]

The babies heart stuff could all make sense considering the time period, except he's definiely saying when, not with, there's no th sound in there. There's definitely an R sound after groove, so it can't be groove of. So the groove of a babies heart definitely isn't the lyric, but I finally got it

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove from my baby's hot

I'm givin' it all I got.

She's on the dance floor, in the groove and she's hot. It all makes sense and is all in context and ties up with all the sounds you can hear him singing. I believe this is 100%. Go listen to the album track, Brixton performance, Freedom concert, Cafe De paris or any other performance and this sits with all of them.

TheEnglishGent said:

LoveGalore said:

TheEnglishGent said:

The babies heart stuff could all make sense considering the time period, except he's definiely saying when, not with, there's no th sound in there. There's definitely an R sound after groove, so it can't be groove of. So the groove of a babies heart definitely isn't the lyric, but I finally got it

I got a new Peurto Rican score

And she's doing it on the floor

When the groove from my baby's hot

I'm givin' it all I got.

She's on the dance floor, in the groove and she's hot. It all makes sense and is all in context and ties up with all the sounds you can hear him singing. I believe this is 100%. Go listen to the album track, Brixton performance, Freedom concert, Cafe De paris or any other performance and this sits with all of them.

Nope.

Well it is. 🤷🏻‍♂️

*edit* According to Princevault.com, Jam Of The Year was recorded late 95/early 96, which would be before Mayte was even pregnant. For reference, Sex In The Summer was recorded summer '96.

[Edited 10/3/21 14:58pm]