On episode 166 of the Press Rewind – Prince Lyrics Podcast, I welcome a new guest, India M, to the show to chat about the metaphor-laden “Katrina’s Paper Dolls,” released as a vault track from the Purple Rain Deluxe.
https://press-rewind.blubrry.net/2023/05/28/katrinas-paper-dolls-press-rewind-prince-lyrics-podcast/
“Katrina makes paper dolls. It’s better than bein’ lonely.”
Not nearly bombastic enough for the Purple Rain album and movie, this quirky little tune is an interesting footnote in Prince’s 80s vault catalog. The song appears to be about or was inspired by then-girlfriend Denise (Vanity) Katrina Matthews. We’ll never know if there’s any autobiographical content in the lyrics. This musically simple and lyrically evocative track gives us what we need anyway.
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!
