On Episode 49 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, the musician Snax (snaxonline.org), and I talk about the dark and foreboding 1999 era B-side, “Irresistible Bitch.” Prince is being used, abused and treated like dirt….but he still comes back for more. A tale of masochistic obsession and terminology ownership happens to also be one of the coolest songs in Prince’s discography.
“All the things I lose, just don’t add up to all the things I gain.”
The abusive, uncaring woman saga continues on this beloved proto-rap “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” B-side. A song that is embellished musically with bells, backward vocals, forward Wendy & Lisa background vocals, and a slappin’ (live) drum beat, “Irresistible Bitch” is one of those songs that could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been a real hit, not just a cult hit in the Prince canon.
Regardless of its cult status, Snax and I gush over our appreciation for the sadomasochistic Prince (“All my partners ask me why I take so much abuse.”) presented here. Verse after verse, he complains about how he’s being treated, yet he keeps coming back and continues to let her walk all over him, thanks to her irresistible qualities.
The fact that Prince calls this domineering woman a “bitch” comes across as an admiration, or compliment, not disdain. I suppose when you love everything about someone, with notable exceptions for how she won’t stay faithful and will take all of his money, the rewards (amazing sex, we assume) outnumber the risks (a dead broke joke). Irresistible women can break a man, case in point, this banging track.
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!
