The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
The underwater ballad from Sign o' the Times that almost became a single.
The Ballad of Dorothy Parker is a song written and performed by Prince. It is the fourth track on his 1987 double album Sign o' the Times.
Quick Facts
- Album
- Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lore & Background
The track was recorded on newly installed equipment at Prince's home studio. Engineer Susan Rogers recalled that Prince insisted on recording despite the console not being fully operational, resulting in a recording that sounded 'underwater' due to only half of the bipolar power supplies being on. The issue was not fixed for the track. Lyrically, the song mentions a waitress who offers a bath, which fits the underwater sound. The track references Joni Mitchell's song 'Help Me' with the lyric '...and it was Joni singing "help me, I think I'm falling"...'.
Reader's Guide
The track was planned to be the album's fifth and final single, but this never came to fruition and remains unreleased in that format.
Did You Know?
- Prince sent Joni Mitchell the track 'Emotional Pump' to sing, but she rejected it as too risqué.
- Despite the rejection, Prince and Joni Mitchell continued to praise each other's work even after Prince's death.
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