Released July 10, 1985 Genre Psychedelic pop Funk | Format 7" single
12" single | |
B-side "Hello" (U.S.)
"Girl" (UK) Recorded Sunset Sound, February 19, 1984 Length 7"/album: 3:42
US 12" single: 6:16
UK 12" single: 9:05 | ||
"Pop Life" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It was the second US (and final UK) single from their 1985 album, Around the World in a Day, reaching number 7 in the US charts. The song starts with a faded-in synth line and quickly starts the main tune. The easy groove is achieved with a smooth bass guitar and piano embellishments. A drum machine provides handclaps to make the song danceable. "Pop Life" was recorded before Purple Rain was completed, indicating the new direction Prince wanted to take after the success of that album and film. Drums on the song were played by Sheila E. in tandem with Prince's then-drummer Bobby Z., bass was played by Brownmark, keyboards were played by Matt Fink and Wendy & Lisa provide backing vocals in addition to guitar and keyboards respectively, Jonathan Melvoin played tambourine and the rest of the song was performed by Prince.
The song includes a part that features the sound of bell ringing for a boxing match. After that, there's the sound of a restless crowd with someone yelling "throw the bum out!" This was rumored to be an actual concert in 1981 when Prince opened for The Rolling Stones in Los Angeles. Relatively unknown at the time, the crowd booed him off stage. He returned for the second show, getting a better reception, but still some booing. He quit the tour shortly after. This however is a false rumor. In reality the sounds are from a sound effects library and the same riot crowd sound effect can be heard in the 1982 horror film "Alone in the Dark" in the scene where a store is being looted. Even the line "throw the bum out" can be heard at 35min and 50 seconds into the movie.
Unlike most Prince hits, no music video was produced for this song.
The song was released in two extended versions. The UK 12" single version is a 9-minute extension of the tune, and ends with a similar synth sound as the beginning. The US received a "Fresh Dance Mix", which is a remix (by Sheila E.) that included some portions of the longer UK version. It clocks in at 6:16, and was included on the 2006 compilation album, Ultimate.
The US B-side of the track was "Hello", written quickly as a response to those who criticized Prince's lack of participation in the "We Are the World" event. The angry lyrics lambaste the prying media and false friendships, and is driven by a pulsing beat. The extended version of the song ends with a spoken word by Prince, which contain some self-humor about his high-heeled shoes. The UK B-side was "Girl", which the US had as the B-side of "America".
The song became a top 10 hit in the US, becoming Prince's eighth top 10 hit in a two-year span.
Elvis Costello once planned to do a cover version of the song, with altered lyrics, but Prince refused. Costello later recorded the song "The Bridge I Burned", which borrows the chord sequence from "Pop Life". Alternative rock band Local H recorded a cover of the song, but it has since gone unreleased.