My Prerogative
New Edition Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's love
It's love
Love... Get busy
Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me (now now)
Why don't they just let me live (oh oh oh)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative

They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Gettin girls is how I live
Some ask me questions
Why am I so real
But they don't understand me
I really don't know the deal
About a brother
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Befo' I win this fight
Sing!

Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative
(It's my prerogative)

It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
Cause what I'm doin
I'm doin for you now

Don't get me wrong
I'm really not zooped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships
Really gets me down
I see nothin wrong
With spreadin myself around
Sing!

Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me (yeah)
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission (i don't need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative
(It's my prerogative)

I can do what I wanna do (it's my prerogative)
Truly live my life (it's my prerogative)
I'm doin it just for you (it's my prerogative)
Tell me, tell me

Why can't I live my life (live my life)
Without all of the things that people say (oh oh)

Yo tell it, kick it like this
Oh no no

I can do what I wanna do
Me and you
Together, together, together, together, together

Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin)
Why don't they just let me live (why)
(Why don't they just let me live girl)
I don't need permission (i don't need permission)
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative

Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin)
Why don't they just let me live
(Why don't they just let me live)
I don't need permission (i don't need)




Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to New Edition's song My Prerogative are a declaration of independence and a refusal to conform to society's expectations. The singer asserts that he does not need anyone's permission to make his own decisions and live his life his way, even in the face of criticism from others. He acknowledges that people may think he's crazy or nasty and question his authenticity, but he refuses to let their opinions influence him. The singer also acknowledges that he enjoys the attention of women and is not ashamed of his promiscuous behavior, declaring that he sees nothing wrong with spreading himself around. Overall, the song is a defiant rejection of social norms and a celebration of personal autonomy.


Line by Line Meaning

It's love
Love is the theme of the song


It's love
Love is the subject matter of the song


Love... Get busy
The song is urging people to get active and pursue love


Everybody's talkin all this stuff about me (now now)
People are gossiping about the singer


Why don't they just let me live (oh oh oh)
The singer wants the gossipers to leave him alone and stop telling him how to live his life


I don't need permission
The singer does not require anyone's approval to do what he wants


Make my own decisions (oh)
The singer is responsible for the choices he make


That's my prerogative
The choice of how to live his life is entirely up to the singer


They say I'm crazy
People think the singer is insane


I really don't care
The singer is not bothered by other people's opinions of him


They say I'm nasty
People think the singer is vulgar


But I don't give a damn
The singer does not care about what other people think of him


Gettin girls is how I live
The singer enjoys the company of women


Some ask me questions
People inquire about the singer's behavior


Why am I so real
They want to know why the singer is true to himself


But they don't understand me
The singer's answers do not make sense to the inquirers


I really don't know the deal
The singer is not sure how to make people understand him


About a brother
The singer is referring to himself in a brotherly way


Trying hard to make it right
The singer is working to do what feels right to him


Not long ago
The singer made this decision recently


Befo' I win this fight
The singer made this decision before he overcame the challenges he faced


Sing!
The singer is encouraging the audience to sing along


It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
The singer wants to live his life his way


I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
The singer will act according to his desires


No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
The singer will not follow anyone's orders


Cause what I'm doin
The singer's actions


I'm doin for you now
The singer is doing what he does for the sake of someone else


Don't get me wrong
The singer does not want to be misunderstood


I'm really not zooped
The singer is not trying to be someone he is not


Ego trips is not my thing
The singer does not have a big ego


All these strange relationships
The singer is not interested in unconventional romantic relationships


Really gets me down
The singer finds these relationships depressing


I see nothin wrong
The singer does not find anything illegal or immoral about his behavior


With spreadin myself around
The singer is comfortable flirting with many women


I can do what I wanna do
The singer is free to act according to his desires


Truly live my life
The singer is living life in a way that feels authentic to him


Tell me, tell me
The singer is requesting that someone communicate with him


Why can't I live my life (live my life)
The singer wants to know why he cannot act according to his desires


Without all of the things that people say (oh oh)
The singer is tired of hearing what others think of him


Yo tell it, kick it like this
The singer is telling someone to start singing


Oh no no
The singer is expressing fear or disbelief


Me and you
The singer and a romantic partner


Together, together, together, together, together
The singer and his partner are united




Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Teddy Riley, Gene Griffin, Bobby Brown

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Redaxe83

2024 anybody ๐Ÿ˜Ž

@Nicolette8380

๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰

@pezzyartz383

Yeasss

@elbanoriega5182

I'm 67 and love, love this video..

@truckabob

always

@shaddyraddy92

Greetings from the future!

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@motherof2wifeof18

This song got my ass beat! I told my mother "I'll do my homework when I felt like because it was 'My 'Prerogative." Every time I hear this, I think about that beat down....I'm 40 now

@kanuri

๐Ÿ˜‚

@tkaitv8184

K Bouie no way ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’€

@motherof2wifeof18

@@tkaitv8184 I have a "southern" mother, so she didn't play getting smart at the mouth!

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