On Episode 73 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, I welcome Leslie Ballard back to the show to discuss the lyrics to the B-side “She’s Always In My Hair.” We talk at length about who the song’s inspiration is reported to be and whether this is a sweet thank you/apology song or something that misses the intended mark.
“And even if I hit the wrong notes, she’s always in my boat.”
Leslie and I talk about how this song can be viewed as a sweet “thank you” song to a ride-or-die kind of woman in Prince’s life, as well as being a song about someone who is maybe always there and always expressing her opinion, even when it’s not welcomed. Prince shows us a glimpse of self-doubt (“whenever I feel like giving up”) and confusion as to what to do (“whenever my hopes and dreams are aimed in the wrong direction”) in the lyrics. It appears as if this is his way of thanking the song’s subject for being the sort of confidante that he needed at that time.
Well, who is the song’s subject? At this point, it is widely known in the Prince fandom community that this song was presented to long-time ’80s musical collaborator and sometimes romantic interest, Jill Jones. If that’s the case, the lyrics can be interpreted as an accidental slap in the face (“maybe I’ll marry her, maybe I won’t”). Is that how you interpret the song, or do you keep the narrative of it being a genuine thank you that hit the mark?
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!
