I Wanna Be Your Lover

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" is Prince's first big hit, getting him frequent R&B airplay and chart success. It is taken off his sophomore 1979 self-titled album Prince. The song is rumored to have been written about Patrice Rushen, who Prince had a crush on. The song explains that although he may not be as successful as other men, he will please her like no other. The song also contains lyrics that started rumors about his sexual preference "I wanna be your brother; I wanna be your mama and your sister too". In reality, Prince wants a relationship as close as a family member to the woman. These were sometimes misunderstood as homosexual, an image which would haunt Prince for the rest of his career, even though he denied the charges both in song and interviews. However, he took advantage of the androgynous mystique thoughout his career, especially while it was fashionable in the 1980s. Years later, the song "If I Was Your Girlfriend" would have a similar reaction.

Related Topics:
Prince - R&B - 1979 - Prince - Patrice Rushen - Homosexual - Interview - 1980s - If I Was Your Girlfriend

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Musically, the track is pop-funk with a prominant bass guitar and synthesizers. The track opens with a guitar serving a percussion roll and the keyboard riff from the chorus. The extended version (also on the album) is a funk instrumental.

Related Topics:
Pop - Funk - Bass guitar - Synthesizer - Guitar - Keyboard - Chorus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The B-side of the track was from his previous album, For You, "My Love Is Forever" in the US. However, in the UK, the B-side was "Just as Long as We're Together", also from For You. Please note that this was Prince's debut single in the UK.

Related Topics:
B-side - For You - Just as Long as We're Together

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~