On Episode 72 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, Erica Thompson (APurpleDayInDecember.com) and I discuss the duality of Prince’s manic sexual energy coupled with deep regret on the song “Temptation” from Around the World In a Day. Does Prince learn that love is more important than sex or is this just another exploration into his psyche at a time when his reach was never longer?
“Working my body with a hot flash of animal lust.”
Prince offers up some religious drama in three acts for this strange, bluesy album closer. Sex. Temptation. Lust. It’s all here, along with a dope Eddie M. sax and some of his best screams on the entire album. This little Prince thinks a lot about sex (no, duh), and he’s finally ready to admit his sinful thoughts to the world.
After some stellar guitar work, Prince lays it all down for us in the second part, mimicking the lyrics and how he performed them for audiences on the Purple Rain tour. He’s not talking about just any old temptation, people. He’s talking about sexual temptation that makes you want to do thangs. However, someone important has something to say.
In the third act, Prince is chastised by God for making severe errors in judgment throughout his life by confusing the difference between love and lust. After all, they both have four letters, but they’re entirely different words. God sets him straight, but not before threatening his eternal damnation. Prince quickly backtracks and declares that love is more important than sex before saying goodbye. Erica and I break it all down before saying goodbye to this stellar album.
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!
