On the Couch
Prince Lyrics


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Come on, baby
Don't make me sleep on the couch
Love Jones is on the TV again, baby
Eye want to go down south, yeah

Oh come on, baby
It's undignified to sleep alone
That's what all the people that
Ain't got nobody do,
Talkin' on the telephone

Don't make me crash
Don't make me sleep
Without you're kiss
Tossin' and-a-turnin'
With every inch of me yearnin'
Don't make me, don't make me
Don't cha make me, don't cha make me
Don't cha make me suffer this

Eye know we agreed
Eye know we agreed to be married
you shouldn't have let me unzip you're dress
Why'd you do it, baby?
Confess you tease
Unless you please




Don't make me, don't make me
Sleep on the couch

Overall Meaning

Prince’s On the Couch is a song that captures the feelings of a person who wants to make amends with their partner after a tiff, but the partner is not ready to forgive them yet. The chorus of the song emphasizes this, as the singer pleads with his partner not to make him sleep on the couch. The singer begs his partner to hear him out and give him another chance, telling her that he doesn’t want to sleep alone, as that is what people who do not have anyone to talk to do. He emphasizes that it’s undignified to sleep alone in this way, making it clear that he doesn’t want to be left out in the cold.


The song contains a lot of sexual innuendo, for example, the line “I want to go down south”, which could be interpreted both as him wanting to go on vacation with his partner, but also as a reference to oral sex. The last verse, however, is where the song takes a turn as the singer becomes more assertive, asking his partner why she let him unzip her dress if she didn't plan on following through. The song ultimately is a desperate plea from someone who is willing to do almost anything to get back with their partner.


Line by Line Meaning

Come on, baby
Prince is urging his lover to be more open-minded


Don't make me sleep on the couch
He's asking his lover to consider his feelings and come to bed with him


Love Jones is on the TV again, baby
He's trying to create a mood of intimacy and is making an indirect reference to their love life


Eye want to go down south, yeah
He's referring to oral sex, a sexual fantasy he wants to fulfill with his lover


Oh come on, baby
Prince is trying to get his lover to empathize with his need for closeness


It's undignified to sleep alone
He's trying to appeal to her sense of pride and suggesting that sleeping apart is not a sign of a healthy relationship


That's what all the people that Ain't got nobody do, Talkin' on the telephone
He's arguing that sleeping alone is something that single people do and suggesting that being in a committed relationship means staying close even at night


Don't make me crash Don't make me sleep Without you're kiss Tossin' and-a-turnin'
He's expressing his need for affection and suggesting that he can't sleep without his lover's touch


With every inch of me yearnin' Don't make me, don't make me Don't cha make me, don't cha make me Don't cha make me suffer this
He's pleading with his lover not to make him suffer and expressing the depth of his longing for her


Eye know we agreed Eye know we agreed to be married you shouldn't have let me unzip you're dress Why'd you do it, baby?
He's accusing his lover of leading him on sexually and suggesting that they are married and should not tease each other


Confess you tease Unless you please Don't make me, don't make me Sleep on the couch
He's offering his lover an ultimatum: confess that she's teasing him or come to bed with him so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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