On Episode 32 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, I go it alone to talk about the catchy as hell dance track “Let’s Work” from his Controversy album. This song is notable for being the first Prince 12″ to feature a significant remix plus a non-album B-side!
“Nothing can stop us now, I’m gonna show you how.”
“Let’s Work” is the very first officially released Prince single in 12” form. All other 12” Prince singles up to this point had been Promo only, therefore not available for sale to the general public. On the “Let’s Work” 12”, you are treated to a legitimate remix of the song as well as Prince’s first non-album B-side, “Gotta Stop Messin’ About.” In addition, you have that awesome single cover, showing off the whole band, similar to the Dirty Mind inner sleeve photo. All of this, not to mention the song itself being a bop, makes it one of my favorite singles in Prince’s early discography.
There isn’t a lot to say about this song from a lyrical standpoint, as Prince does the double-entendre thing similar to its sister (no pun intended) track on Dirty Mind, “Do It All Night.” It’s a fun dance song designed to get you on the dance floor without having to overthink what Prince is trying to tell you. No nuclear war fears or psycho-sexual relationship drama here. Just a banging bassline, an earworm synth, and a chorus (“show you how to work”) that everyone can sing along to if you’re not out of breath from dancing so damn much. Keep in movin’ because the epic downer of “Annie Christian” is coming right after.
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!
