Someone asked in another thread what was Sheila saying in this song. I couldn't find the original thread, so here's what I got from http://www.princelyrics.co.uk/ :

Said the table 2 the chair
"You can hardly be aware
How I suffer from the heat
And from chillblains on my feet!
If we took a little walk
We might have a little talk!
Pray let us take the air!"
Said the table to the chair (can't nobody)

Said the chair to the table
"Now you know we are not able! (fuck with us)
How foolishly you talk
When you know we cannot walk!" (can't nobody)
Said the table with a sigh
"It can do no harm to try (fuck with us)
I've as many legs as you
Why can't we walk on two?" (say, can't nobody)

So they both went showly down (fuck with us)
And walked about the town
With a cheerful bumpy sound (can't nobody)
As they toddled round and round
And everybody cried
As they hastened to their side (fuck with us)
"See the table and the chair
Have come 2 take the air!" (y'all - say it y'all)

But in going down an alley
To a castle in the valley
They completely lost their way
And wandered all the day
Till, to see them safely back
They paid a ducky-quack
And a beetle and a mouse
Who took them to their house.

When they whispered to each other
"O delightful little brother! (can't nobody fuck with us)
What a lovely walk we've taken!
Let us dine on beans and bacon!"
So the ducky and the little browny- (say it, y'all)
mousey and the beetle dined,
And danced upon the heads
Till they toddled to their beds. (can't nobody fuck with us)
Good God [repeated in the background]
[This message was edited Mon May 17 22:21:09 2004 by Janfriend]

Edward Lear, The Table and the Chair

Credit, where credit's due

I remember '86-87? sitting in my attic w/ my turntable, pen, and pad.. trying to figure out what the hell she was saying..I came fairly close I think... I think I might have had 2 much time on my hands..

NouveauDance said:

Who's Edward Lear?

Janfriend said:

The author of The 'Table & The Chair' - the 'trans-mississippi rap' that Sheila does in the song.

http://www.poets.org/poet...?prmID=141

Now can someone please explain to me why this is called a "trans-mississippi rap?"

okaypimpn said:

because shelia was on one side of the mississippi river and prince was on the other when he called her. that's the only thing i can think of. that whole rap was recorded over the phone.

JasmineFire said:

Oh, okay! Cool! I guess that would explain why it sounds like that then, huh?

NouveauDance said:

After reading the first few lines, I knew P did could not have written this...seemed more nursery rhyme than anything. Thanks for the info on who wrote this.

He also did the Owl and the Pussycat! Thanks nouveaudance again.

okaypimpn said:

i always thought i sounded strange, too so i did a little research. i even located the poem online and posted it here a year or so ago.

Was the version available on SOTT one of the last live concerts Prince did with The Revolution?

okaypimpn said:

August 25th 1986 - Le Zenith, Paris.

NouveauDance said:

When exactly did The Revolution break up?

Is it just me or could the song have done without the literally phoned in rap?
I would have preferred the bass solo and "can't nobody fuck with us" to stand alone.

Other than that, I don't mind the overdubs, and I love the song.