On Episode 70 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, author and blogger Laura Tiebert joins me to work through the snarky yet somewhat optimistic lyrics to Prince’s top 10 hit, “Pop Life” from Around the World In a Day. Laura also theorizes what the startling crowd noise stems from and how it relates to the song’s title.
“The river of addiction flows. You think it’s hot, but there won’t be no water when the fire blows.”
Prince’s snarky wit is at full strength on this fascinating song about so many different things. Many of the specific targets Prince aims at on this track remain unexplained, as he was well-known for maintaining the mystery behind some of his more esoteric lyrics. Laura and I have fun speculating who Prince may have been referring to with a biting line such as “What you putting in your nose? Is that where all your money goes?” That doesn’t mean we’re on the money, however.
There was a lot for Laura and me to discuss, but we tried to stay on task. We touch on its somewhat surprising chart success despite its lack of music video and odd production choices (the previously mentioned crowd chant). The song has so many quotable lines that we try to address them all. Just keep living that funky pop life and enjoy the ride.
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!
