I Wanna Be Your Lover
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| "I Wanna Be Your Lover" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Single by Prince | ||
| From the album Prince | ||
| Single Released | 1979 | |
| Single Format | 7" Single 12" Single | |
| Recorded | Unknown | |
| Genre | Pop, Funk | |
| Song Length | 7" edit: 2:57 Album/12": 5:44 | |
| Record label | Warner Bros. Records | |
| Writer | Prince | |
| Producer | Prince | |
| Lyrics | [External link] | |
| Chart positions | #11 US #1 R&B #41 UK | |
| Prince US single chronology | ||
| "Just as Long as We're Together" 1978 | "I Wanna Be Your Lover" 1979 | "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" 1979 |
| Prince UK single chronology | ||
| ... | "I Wanna Be Your Lover" 1979 | "Sexy Dancer" 1979 |
"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. It also contains lyrics that started rumors about his sexual preference that were to continue throughout his career; "I wanna be your brother; I wanna be your mama and your sister too". He denied being gay and has never been known to have relations with men of any sort, but he did take advantage of the androgynous mystique throughout his career, and was largely responsible for making it a popular fashion in the 1980s. Years later, the song "If I Was Your Girlfriend" would similarly toy with gender roles.
Musically, the track is pop-funk with a prominent 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.
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.
Trivia
- "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a song entitled "Wanna B Ur Lovr" parodying Prince's style of singing in direct reference to his refusal to let Al parody any of his songs.
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