On Episode 99 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, Christy Norman from The Mountains & the Sea and Killer Fun podcasts returns to the show to offer her perspective on the at times romantic, but mostly troubling, and brilliant “If I Was Your Girlfriend” off Sign o’ the Times. This BIG IMPORTANT PRINCE SONG deserves all the attention we give it and then some. This song is truly a piece of art.
“Would you run to me if somebody hurt you, even if that somebody was me?”
Prince came up with a brilliant concept expressing the desire to be as close to a woman as her best girlfriend. It is brilliantly written and performed – this is a fact, and that’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” in a nutshell. Despite all of the accolades that I shower this song with throughout the episode, there are still troubling moments of control being delivered here.
To listeners, it may sound like I am being overly critical of Prince’s lyrical perspective and the misguided notions that being this woman’s “one and only friend” is a desirable outcome of true love. However, I want to clarify that I love this song almost because of its obsessive and problematic nature. It’s practically the anti-“Adore,” and an album that can express both sentiments so brilliantly tells me that Prince knew exactly what he was doing when writing this song.
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!
