On Episode 116 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, Prince scholar, author, and #PrinceTwitterThread co-founder, Edgar Kruize and I talk about “Glam Slam” from his Lovesexy album. The song that introduced the name of Prince’s future nightclub also gave us “flicka nipple” and “baby scam,” so you can’t win them all.
“This thing we got, it’s alive! It seems to transcend the physical.”
Prince gives us a wham-bam, thank you, ma’am sort of pop-rock track on the album’s second single, “Glam Slam.” It’s a little bit of glam-rock, a little bit of ’80s dance, with some baroque-pop elements, thanks to the strings. Even if the string sounds are only keyboard effects and not the real deal, it still gives the song that vibe of sophistication. Now the lyrics are a completely different subject. The chorus is a hook and a half, good enough for Prince to keep the title and repurpose it for Graffiti Bridge and in real life. The rest of the lyrics, specifically those found in the bridge, are where he loses me. Turn your brain off during the verses, sing-a-long to the choruses, and dance with the music. Just don’t google flicka-nipple or cum a butterfly.
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!
