Joint Review: “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” by Prince

Artist Gems

Feb 7

Album: Sign o’ the Times (1987)
TG : 5 stars
DLT: 4.5 stars

Article written by TG, incorporating review commentary from both TG and DLT. (The conversation is color-coded.)

Prince’s “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker”—released on 1987’s classic Sign o’ the Times—is unlike any other Prince song. It’s a surreal recollection of his dream of encountering an attractive, flirty waitress after walking away from an intense lovers’ spat—and the awkward series of interactions that follows as the two attempt to have a one-night-stand that doesn’t quite go as planned.

Aside from its intentionally vague narrative, the song’s most notable characteristic is how the funky groove is drowned in a thick, hazy vibe. “Dorothy Parker” is quirky and unconventional…but utterly genius.

Initial Thoughts

DLT: First, I’ve heard this song various times over the years, and had no clue what the lyrics were, who Dorothy Parker was, or what was going on in the song/lyrics. Upon listening to the song while reading the lyrics for this review, I was kinda...tickled! 🤭 What the heck is going on there?

TG: The lyrics do tell an intriguing story…even if that telling is somewhat “cloudy.” But to me, that’s the charm of the song. I won’t rob anyone the joy of experiencing and interpreting Prince’s dream in your own way, for yourself. (Spotify link above.) But as you do, keep in mind that when we’re invited into someone’s private dreamworld, it’s a special privilege. A look into the inner-thoughts of the person. That’s what’s going on there.

Having used my dreams as a jumping-off point for short stories and songs, I know and respect the power of dreams as a creative source and narrative vehicle.

DLT: Dream or not, this is quite a nice, relaxing track—but also somewhat questionable and ambiguous. (Typical and expected of Prince.) Sexual, flirty, dubious lyrics, laced across beautiful, soulful, hypnotic music, with that astounding signature “The Time”-esque rhythm and drumbeat! IT’S SO PRINCE…I love it all!

TG: “Dorothy Parker” has a stream-of-consciousness vibe that hooked me immediately. (I’ve been a fan of the song all my life.) But just as intriguing is the story of how the song was recorded into existence. Check it…

Background: The Legend of Dorothy Parker

This song’s thematic meaning may have origins in Prince’s romantic relationship with Susannah Melvoin, twin sister of Wendy Melvoin. (Guitarist in his legendary band, The Revolution.) The lyrics about “fighting with lovers past” in a “violent room”—and the dream overall—were likely inspired by their passionate but unstable courtship.

Interesting if true. But what’s more intriguing is the following…

One night in 1986—or maybe one morning—Prince awoke from this fantastic dream with a need to turn it into music...immediately! His engineer, Susan Rogers, was still installing his new mixing board, and not all the bugs had been worked out yet. But he didn’t care.

Prince was about capturing the moment—wait too late, and the moment might pass. So once he’d jotted down song lyrics, he insisted Susan put up “fresh tape”...and the magic-making process began. He was happy to be recording new music—truly in his element—but could hear that something was off.

The problem was one with the new equipment. A more-than-noticeable lack of high-end in the EQ—technical talk for muffled sound—across the entire recording. But to Prince’s credit and musical instinct, he let it ride. It just felt right, adding to the song’s surreal, dreamlike vibe.

The lesson? It takes an artist with great vision and superb ears to 1) know when they have a “happy accident” on their hands, and 2) be bold enough to keep it in the mix!

Analysis: The Sound of Dorothy Parker

DLT: There are several elements to love about this track, such as the blend of all the carefully selected instruments that complement each other and stand out on their own. It’s the drum sessions that woo me most / first. But then the guitars and keyboards take over and woo me differently, yet just as nice. LOVE IT!

TG: I get just as enthusiastic over the song’s instrumentation and arrangement. But it’s not a typical Prince song…it ain’t “Minnesapolis Funk.” Dorothy’s funk is punchy where it needs to be…nuanced in other places. But overall, dreamy and laidback. Let’s take a deeper dive.

The beat. The song features one of Prince’s most intricate and challenging drum machine performances. It’s not just a drum pattern on loop. Many of the parts—such as the fills, flams, and possibly the subtle hi-hats—were played in real time while recording. This spontaneity adds feel to any electronic rigidity. Savvy drum work.

The bass. In other reviews, much is made of the sparse, fluid bassline. But few point out what sounds, to my ears, like two separate bass parts stacked on each other...although one may be a synth. This second, less prominent bassline is kinda buried in the mix. (Likely due to the murky, “no high-end” effect.) It’s frustrating that I can hardly discern the two basslines from each other. But like a pair of worn, faded jeans, that’s part of the song’s psychedelic charm.

The keys. In the world of jazz, if you want a mellow sound, you go with something like the Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano. And though I’m pretty sure that’s not what Prince is playing here, it might as well be. Those smoked-out, mellowed-out chords that hang in the air—with enough space between them to get totally lost inside—they’re hypnotic. Of all the instrumentation, the keyboards add the most to the chill mood.

The vocals. On this song, Prince’s vocal delivery is stripped-down, unhurried, and conversational. He sounds like someone recalling a hazy, fading memory.

One of my favorite vocal parts is each time Prince calmly goes, “Well...” before starting the next verse. It’s only a handful of instances, but just enough to help move the story forward...and keep the listener glued to the lyrics. Musical storytelling at its best.

DLT: For this review, I was compelled to pay close attention to everything, including the details. I even found the need to review the instrumental version of the track, on repeat. All I landed was a “karaoke” version, which still includes much of the background vocals, but I can still feel and hear the sweetness of the instruments. Lovely.

Sidenote: Susan Rogers

The story behind this song would be way less interesting if Susan Rogers were not part of it.

Among Prince diehards, Ms. Rogers is a legend. She was Prince’s personal recording engineer for much of the 1980s, considered his most prolific period. She’s since crafted a career as a multiplatinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, and award-winning professor at Berklee College of Music. Ms. Rogers’ firsthand knowledge of, and direct involvement in, the making of some of Prince’s greatest music—as well as her deep knowledge in psychoacoustics—is mindblowing. Of the people from Prince’s world I’d love to meet, Ms. Rogers remains at the top of that list.

The Last Word

TG: “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” has always been an immersive listening experience for me. When I want something that’s going to take me to another place but also keep me calm and focused, this song does it every time. It’s my perfect Prince track for getting work done…or just spacing out.

My only negative is that, on the Sign o’ the Times CD, it gets kinda “buried in the mix” with all the other great music. It’s a better listening experience on LP, since the song falls at the end of Side 1…which just feels more intentionally placed. `Still, kind of unfortunate for the CD.

DLT: Speak for yourself, man! I feel this song fits and flows beautifully with the album on which it’s a member. Plus, it feels quite nice to revisit a familiar album with a not-so-worn, not-as-publicly saturated track.

Even though I’m a sucker for great words, unique lyrics, rhythmic rhyming, lyrical timing, metaphors, symbolism, lyrical depth, and all—I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of this song’s lyrics. “Ms. Dorothy” was just okay; thus, my rating does not reflect a perfect 5.

TG: I will forgive that. The song’s “dreamscape” narrative is pretty surreal. (Like a TV episode of Lost or Severance!) I can even see how that might have frustrated fans when the album came out in ’87. Casual listeners didn’t really know what to do with “Dorothy Parker.” It was just too different…even coming from Prince.

Ironically, “Dorothy” was planned to be the fifth single off Sign o’ the Times but never made it that far. Why? My guess is that Warner Bros., not sensing a bonafide “hit”—and probably correct in their assessment—shelved those plans. (An indication of Prince’s souring relationship with Warner Bros. during that era—a lot of which had to do with their “creative differences.” But that’s a whole other article!)

In any case, this decision made room for the song to quietly become a “hidden classic”…and a favorite among Prince-heads. My, how times change.

DLT: True dat. To our beloved Brother, Prince Rogers Nelson! 😍 #PRINCE4LIFE!

For Your Edification

If I haven’t said it already, “The Ballad of Dorothy” is one of my favorite songs of all time! In fact, I’m currently working on an expanded, more in-depth review, coming to TRH in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I’ve listed a few of the media resources consulted for my review of this song. Knowledge is king...

Books:

Prince: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track by Benoît Clerc, 2022.

Prince and the Parade & Sign o’ the Times Era Studio Sessions: 1985 and 1986 by Duane Tudahl, 2022.

33 1/3: Prince’s Sign o’ the Times by Michaelangelo Matos, 2004.

Websites & Blogs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Dorothy_Parker

https://princevault.com/index.php?title=The_Ballad_Of_Dorothy_Parker

https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/03/the-ballad-of-dorothy-parker

Podcasts:

Prince | Official Podcast: The Story of Sign o’ The Times Episode 2: The Dream Factory. Host: Andrea Swensson. Air date: 9/3/2020.

Press Rewind – A Prince Lyrics Podcast: The Ballad of Dorothy Parker. Host: Jason Breininger. Air date: 5/16/2021.

Video Interview: