On Episode 21 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, Christy from The Mountains & the Sea and Killer Fun podcasts joins me to discuss what “it” means and how Prince intends to convince a pretty lady that he’s the guy to do “it” with on “Do It All Night” from his 3rd album, Dirty Mind.
“I’m so easy, so easy when it comes to loving you.”
Prince wants to do it. Do it all night. But what is “it?” We know from context clues that this keyboard-heavy bass guitar funk track has fun and sex written all over it. Prince intends to get people dancing through the music, and if the mood strikes, have sex afterward.
The brilliance of a song like “Do It All Night” from a lyrical standpoint is that it’s not explicit, which means that it can be played in mixed company without anyone being taken aback (ahem, “Head”-looking at you). Anyone can pretend what this song is about if they want to suspend belief for a few minutes. Dance all night? Party all night? Only Prince knows for sure, but I think Christy from The Mountains and the Sea Podcast and I have a pretty good idea.
This won’t be the last time that Prince uses the term “it” to describe sex. Seven years later, he will record an entire song using the word to describe his infatuation with the act with the release of “It” on Sign o’ the Times. Indeed, as a way to ensure a song will get proper airplay or inclusion on any record Prince was trying to release at the time, the act of fornication can only be alluded to in the most generic of terms. Can you imagine if this song was titled “Fuck All Night?”
The goal of each episode of Press Rewind is to:
- Take a track by track look at the lyrical content of Prince’s discography
- Discuss my own interpretation of each song’s lyrics along with any guest I may have
- If submitted, discuss listener’s interpretations of each song’s lyrics
Thank you for joining me on this journey through Prince’s catalog!
