On episode 148 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, I talk about the unreleased companion to Dirty Mind’s “Gotta Broken Heart Again,” “Broken.” Prince still isn’t over being dumped, but at least he knows how to throw an awesome old-fashioned rave-up to celebrate his woes.
https://press-rewind.blubrry.net/2022/10/31/broken-press-rewind-prince-lyrics-podcast/
“Broken” is a fascinating Dirty Mind–Controversy era demo that sounds very little like the rest of the music that came out during this period. Prince does the jazzy big band thing on this fun vault track dating back to early 1981. Musically, it’s bouncy and upbeat despite it being a song about his broken heart. Prince would create a (somewhat) similar-sounding song for the Controversy album closer, “Jack U Off,” later that same year. “Broken” feels like an experiment in creating music in a new style. A touch of jazz. A touch of rockabilly. A touch of old-school R&B.
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!
