While specific recording dates are not known, initial tracking took place in late June, 1984 at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA (during the same set of sessions that produced High Fashion, River Run Dry, Mazarati (later renamed Susannah's Pajamas), and Desire). St. Paul Peterson overdubbed vocals onto the track in late 1984 -early 1985.
On 23 April, 2012, a 9:54 rehearsal version of Mutiny containing an interpolation of Ice Cream Castles by Prince and the New Power Generation and likely recorded around mid-April 2012 was streamed on drfunkenberry.com to promote the forthcoming Welcome 2 Australia Tour. The track was sent to Paul Peterson prior to its online stream, and fDeluxe (as The Family became known) responded the following week by streaming Hot Summer At Menard's (a spoof commercial for Menards , a mid-west homegoods store, using Prince's Hot Summer as background music) on drfunkenberry.com .
Mutiny
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, when U went away
U stayed away 2 long
Baby, what can I say?
No one does me wrong (And gets away with it)
Mutiny!
U gotta give up the ship
U gotta take a little trip
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U should've been a little more hip
Now baby, when U talk 2 me
U don't have much 2 say
Baby, why can't we be
Lost in love like yesterday?
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U gotta take a little trip
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U should've been a little more ...
Darlin', darlin' with unity
Huh, no one, but no one could make us fall
Darlin', now there's mutiny
Huh, maybe U should have called
Get off! {x2}
Mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over, huh
U gotta give up the ship
U gotta take a little trip
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U should've been a little more ...
Get off! {x2}
Baby, U treated me
Like some unwanted child
Baby, it's all over now
I loved U all the while
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I said I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U gotta take a little trip
I'm talkin' mutiny!
I'm takin' over
U gotta give up the ship
U should've been a little more ...
Get off! {x4}
Vogue
All the way vogue {repeat 2 fade}
(Say it y'all)
([U know I'm bullshittin', I'll keep it all])
(Morris, did U give?)
([Miko], did U give?)
(Lord)
In Prince’s song “Mutiny”, the singer is dealing with a broken relationship and is taking control of the situation by declaring mutiny. He is declaring that his partner has treated him badly, and he is fed up with it. The phrase "And gets away with it" is repeated to emphasize the point. He is asserting his power over the situation by using the language of a pirate, demanding that his partner "give up the ship" and take a little trip. The idea of mutiny is a metaphor for the relationship, as he is declaring that he is taking over because his partner has not been a good partner, and he will not stand for it any longer.
The chorus of the song “Mutiny” is catchy, and its repetitive use of the word “mutiny” reinforces the idea of a pirate taking over a ship. The song is also noteworthy for its use of several musical genres, such as funk, rock and pop, which Prince was known for combining in his music. The song is modern in its sound by including electronic drum machines, keyboards, and horns. The lyrics express Prince’s feelings of betrayal, hurt, and anger, but the upbeat tempo and funk groove of the song contrasts with the serious subject matter. Prince's vocals are strong and add to the song's power.
Line by Line Meaning
Get off!
The singer is demanding that the other person leave.
Baby, when U went away
The singer is addressing their partner who left.
U stayed away 2 long
The singer feels that their partner was gone for too long.
Baby, what can I say?
The artist is expressing their frustration with the situation.
No one does me wrong (And gets away with it)
The artist is warning their partner that they will not tolerate being mistreated.
Mutiny!
The singer is announcing his plan to take control of the situation.
I said I'm takin' over
The singer is emphatically declaring that they will be in charge.
U gotta give up the ship
The artist is telling their partner to surrender control.
U gotta take a little trip
The artist is threatening to take radical action against their partner.
U should've been a little more hip
The artist is blaming their partner for causing the situation.
Now baby, when U talk 2 me
The singer is once again addressing their partner.
U don't have much 2 say
The artist is criticizing their partner for not communicating.
Baby, why can't we be
The singer is pleading with their partner to reconcile.
Lost in love like yesterday?
The singer is reminiscing about happier times in their relationship.
Darlin', darlin' with unity
The singer is appealing to the idea of unity and togetherness.
Huh, no one, but no one could make us fall
The artist is expressing their confidence in the strength of their relationship.
Darlin', now there's mutiny
The artist is warning their partner that their actions have led to the current situation.
Huh, maybe U should have called
The singer is blaming their partner for not trying hard enough to save the relationship.
Baby, U treated me
The singer is once again addressing their partner.
Like some unwanted child
The artist feels that their partner treated them poorly.
Baby, it's all over now
The artist has given up on the relationship.
I loved U all the while
The artist is expressing sadness about the loss of their love.
Vogue
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
All the way vogue {repeat 2 fade}
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
(Say it y'all)
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
([U know I'm bullshittin', I'll keep it all])
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
(Morris, did U give?)
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
([Miko], did U give?)
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
(Lord)
This line is likely nonsensical and has no clear meaning.
Contributed by Brayden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.