On Episode 124 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, Todd Sanzone (@PRN4EVR on Twitter) and I break down the bawdy Camille track, “Scarlet Pussy.” The B-side to “I Wish U Heaven” couldn’t be further away from the themes presented on the A-side, but that’s ok. At the end of the day, it’s still Prince, no matter what he called himself in this song.
“Pussycat, pussycat, wherefore art thou, puppy?”
In what is essentially a P-funk homage co-starring Sheila E., Prince as Camille, and various other voices, “Scarlet Pussy” ain’t deep. There are plenty of double-entendres in this fable that closely mimics the style of a Sign o’ the Times era B-side, “La, La, La, He, He, Hee,” and all of them require little to no further dive to comprehend. All of that said, the song rolls along its funk-infused path quite effortlessly, making it an enjoyable listen. After all, that’s what we want from a B-side, something new and fun and worth spinning. Get this meow-meow on your turntables now!
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!
