“Raspberry Beret” by Prince
It’s not like back in the 1980s berets were necessarily fashionable in mainstream American society. Yes, in terms of individuals they may have been worn, particularly by women, in the name of fashion. But wearing one, even back then, would be more of an individual stylistic choice.
Or stated differently if you see a lady rockin’ a beret, perhaps she is a bit more unusual or less afraid to stand out than the average woman. And it is apparently such an idea which serves as the premise to Prince’s “Raspberry Beret”, that the girl at hand is some sort of a rebel.
Addressee
This is someone whom the narrator, an idle worker in a variety store, comes across unexpectedly one day. Indeed he appears bored out of his mind, as usual, until this girl walks into the establishment.
And to set things off she actually comes in “through the out door”, i.e. the doorway designated for exiting the store, not entering. So it’s like from the onset the implication is given that she doesn’t give AF.
Furthermore her “raspberry beret” isn’t even anything fancy but rather “the kind you find in a secondhand store”, as in one that she bought already used.
So it’s like instantly, they become friends/lovers and begin embarking on carefree adventure. And with this in fact being Prince, the singer also implies that they do the do using the ‘ol’ man Johnson’ and other clever, Tipper Gore-proof metaphors.
Verily, this is a song of overt infatuation. This girl “wasn’t too bright”, but she looked damn good and knew how to make love.
So the singer met the girl with the raspberry beret, and they went on to have sort of a frivolous fling, and he regrets absolutely nothing about it.
And the reason that he relishes the experience so much is once again because this chick, if you will, is very attractive. Indeed transcending the realm of momentary lust, the singer actually concludes the song by speculating that he may be in love with her.
Prince and The Revolution
Prince performs this song with The Revolution. The Revolution is actually a band that Prince (1958-2016) put together as his backup in his hometown of Minneapolis in 1979.
They were most notably active from 1979 to 1986, the era which also served as the Purple One’s musical heyday. For instance, “Purple Rain” (1984), an album that sold 25 million copies worldwide, is technically a Prince and the Revolution undertaking. And so is the project, “Around the World in a Day” (1985), which this song is taken from, which itself topped the Billboard 200.
When did Prince release “Raspberry Beret”?
May 15th, 1985 was the date Prince released this classic. He did so via the assistance of Warner Bros Records and his own label (Paisley Park). The song was the first of four singles Prince released from his seventh studio album (“Around the World in a Day”).
Success of “Raspberry Beret”
And Raspberry Beret did its thing in terms of contributing to the album’s success. For example, it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart. It’s chart success didn’t end in the United States alone. It charted handsomely in several other countries, including Australia, New zealand and Canada. In Britain, it was also a hit (actually a top-40 hit).
And when Prince passed away in 2016, the song reappeared on the Hot 100 in addition to charting for the first time in France.
The Revolution Members that appear on “Raspberry Beret”
The members of The Revolution who participated on this track are as follows:
- Bobby Z
- Lisa Coleman
- Dr. Fink
- Brown Mark
- Wendy Melvoin
However, according to other reliable sources, only Coleman and Melvoin participated, both serving as background vocalists.
And all instruments, with the exception of the cello (David Coleman & Suzie Katamaya) and violin (Novi Novog) were played by Prince.
Writing Credits
“Raspberry Beret” was written and produced by the multi-talented Prince. Up until today, Prince is generally regarded to be one of the best musicians to come out during the late-20th century.
And according to IMDb, Prince also directed the music video to the song.
Justin Timberlake samples “Raspberry Beret”
Justin sampled this track on his 2006 offering titled “Until the End of Time”.
I don’t necessarily think his love interest walking “in through the out door” represents strong rebellion or ah act of being “too cool” to follow rules, as much as it does give an example of her intelligence level, or lack there of. Accidentally going inside through an exit proves her lack of smarts, as he also mentioned something about her not being “too bright” but he could tell by the way she kissed him that she knew how to get her kicks. So let’s see, we have a young lady who tries making fashion statements with second hand store fashion accessories (raspberry beret) who’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but still manages to turn Prince on by sharing his first time with him. Or was the first time referencing their first time together, not necessarily his first time in general? Obviously she was no virgin or inexperienced girl, as we hear him compliment her experience/expertise throughout the lyrics.