Yeah, I'm talking about Computer Blue, the fourth song off of Prince's epic Purple Rain album. We all know it from the opening "Wendy?" to the final screams. As great as the song is on the album, it pales in comparison to the unedited versions that weren't released. There are actually four studio versions and a live version that were recorded. All are different lengths and some contain additional lyrics and instrumentation. Here is what the folks over at the Prince Vault have to say about the song:
Computer Blue is the fourth track on Prince's sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.
Before a studio recording was made, Prince and the Revolution recorded the song live on 3 August, 1983 at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA (during the same concert where I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm A Star and Purple Rain were also recorded).
Later in August, 1983, a studio version was recorded at The St. Louis Park Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA, with the full Revolution, before at least three other versions were recorded on 15 August, 1983 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, with only Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman participating (during the same set of sessions that produced Let's Go Crazy).
These versions would be edited down for the album. They are largely similar at the beginning and end of the song - differences are noticeable in the middle of the track. A longer version of the track was included as the third track on the 7 November, 1983 and 23 March, 1984 configurations of the album, but this was edited down for the final 14 April, 1984 configuration to make room for the inclusion of Take Me With U.
All recorded versions of the song contain a segment of the track Father's Song during one of the instrumental breaks. It is likely that John L. Nelson's credit on the track comes from this inclusion.
Now, most of you already know all of this so why am I wasting your time? Because it's my blog and I have been listening to the 12 minute hallway version on repeat for the last hour and I decided to write about it. I searched the matrix and found a site that transcribed the lyrics to this version and decided I would share those here also.
Computer Blue by Prince
Wendy?
Yes Lisa
Is the water warm enough?
Yes Lisa
Shall we begin?
Yes Lisa
Ow!
Where is my love life?
Where can it be?
There must be something wrong with the machinery
Where is my love life?
Tell me, where has it gone?
Somebody please, please tell me what the hell is wrong
CHORUS:
Till I find the righteous one
Computer blue
Till I find the righteous one
Computer blue
Oh
Where is my baby?
Where can she be?
Somebody please, please tell me what is wrong with me
Where is my baby?
Where has she gone?
Somebody please, please tell me what the hell is wrong
CHORUS
Yeah
The computer’s on the verge of breakdown!
Come on
Oh baby, don’t make me
Poor lonely computer
It’s time someone programmed U
It’s time U learned love and lust
They both have 4 letters
But they’re entirely different words
Poor lonely computer
Poor, poor lonely computer
Do U really know what love is?
(Na, na, na, na, na)
Wave your hands in the air!
Now everybody sing it! (Na, na, na, na, na)
Everybody work out
Work out, work out (Na, na, na, na, na)
Everybody work out
Work out, work out (Na, na, na, na, na)
Everybody work out
He didn’t like living alone
The house where he lived had many hallways
It was a long walk 2 his bedroom
Because 2 him each hallway represented an emotion
Every one vastly different from the next
One day while she was with him
He decided 2 name each one
She walked by his side, one hand on his thigh
No – she was sort of half a step behind him
Yeah, the grip on his thigh intensified
As they walked slowly through the corridor
He named the hallway “Lust”
And as they passed through the next one
He named it “Fear”
The grip she now loosened
So he walked faster
Her hands now trembling
She let them drop 2 her side as he wrote the word “Insecurity”
He looked into her eyes and smiled a demon smile
And quickly walked onto the next
Corridor after corridor
He named almost all when suddenly… he stopped
He picked up the word “Hate”
She was gone
So he picked up another – “Pain”
On the verge of a breakdown
What is life without love?
It’s hell, Computer Blue!
Father, Father, the sun is gone
(Father, Father) The Dawn, the Dawn
Father, Father, where is the Dawn?
(Where is the Dawn, Father?)
(Na, na, na, na, na) {x2}
Na, na, na, na, na
Shall I go 2 church on Sundays?
Shall I stay home and pray?
Shall I try 2 make her happy?
Shall I try 2 make her stay?
Where is my love life?
Tell me, where can it be?
Narrow-minded computer
(Somebody please, please tell me…)
It’s time someone programmed U
(Somebody please, please tell me what’s wrong with me)
It’s time U learned women are not butterflies
They’re computers 2
Just like U Computer Blue
(Where is my baby?)
Chauvinistic computer
It’s time someone programmed U (Na, na, na, na, na)
U fall in love 2 fast and hate 2 soon
And take 4 granted the feeling’s mutual
(The feeling’s mutual!)
We’re computers 2
Just like U, Computer Blue
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
(Somebody please, please tell me…)
It’s time someone programmed U
(Somebody please, please tell me what’s wrong with me)
It’s time U learned women are not butterflies
They’re computers 2
Just like U Computer Blue
(Where is my baby?)
Chauvinistic computer
It’s time someone programmed U (Na, na, na, na, na)
U fall in love 2 fast and hate 2 soon
And take 4 granted the feeling’s mutual
(The feeling’s mutual!)
We’re computers 2
Just like U, Computer Blue
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Now, I have come up with some off the wall writing in my time, but where did that hallway speech come from? This version is so complex that it is insane. I don't want to say I think it's genius but, well, it is. That's the only way I can describe it. But that is just my opinion.
Well, it's time to leave this poor lonely computer. I have a castle to head to so I can meet a girl named Nikki!!!!!
