The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Look at the bargains over here, ladies
Ooh, oh
Ooh, hoo, oh yeah
Ooh, hoo
If I was your girlfriend, would you remember
To tell me all the things you forgot when I was your man?
Hey hey, when I was your man
If I was your best friend, would you let me
Take care of you and do all the things that only a best friend can?
Oh, only best friends can
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, ho ooh
If I was your girlfriend
If I was your girlfriend, would you let me dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out?
Not that you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
If I was your one and only friend
Would you run to me if somebody hurt you even if that somebody was me, yeah
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be, please
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, hoo
If I was your girlfriend
Would you let me wash your hair?
Could I make you breakfast sometime?
Well then, could we just hang out
I mean, could we go to a movie and cry together?
'Cause to me baby, that would be so fine (that would be so fine), ooh
(If I was your girlfriend)
Baby, can I dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out? (if I was your girlfriend)
Listen girl, I ain't sayin you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
Sugar
Sugar, do you know what I'm saying to you this evening? (If I was your girlfriend)
Maybe you think I'm being a little self-centered
But I, I said I want to be all of the things you are to me (if I was your girlfriend)
Surely, surely you can see
Is it really necessary for me to go out of the room
Just because you want to undress?
We don't have to make children to make love
And we don't have to make love to have an orgasm
Your body's what I'm all about
Can I see it?
I'll show you
Why not?
You can do it because I'm your friend
I'd do it for you
Of course I'd undress in front of you
And when I'm naked, what shall I do?
How can I make you see that it's cool?
Can't you just trust me?
If I was your girlfriend, you could
Oh yeah, I think so
Listen, for you naked I would dance a ballet
Would that get you off?
Tell me what will
If I was your girlfriend, would you tell me?
Would you let me see you naked then?
Would you let me give you a bath?
Would you let me tickle you so hard you'd laugh and laugh
And would you, would you let me kiss you there
You know, down there where it counts
I'll do it so good, I swear I'll drink every ounce
And then I'll hold you tight and hold you long
And together we'll stare into silence
And we'll try to imagine what it looks like
Yeah, we'll try to imagine what, what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll, we'll try to imagine what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll try
Ooh, oh
Ooh, hoo, oh yeah
Ooh, hoo
If I was your girlfriend, would you remember
To tell me all the things you forgot when I was your man?
Hey hey, when I was your man
If I was your best friend, would you let me
Take care of you and do all the things that only a best friend can?
Oh, only best friends can
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, ho ooh
If I was your girlfriend
If I was your girlfriend, would you let me dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out?
Not that you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
If I was your one and only friend
Would you run to me if somebody hurt you even if that somebody was me, yeah
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be, please
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, hoo
If I was your girlfriend
Would you let me wash your hair?
Could I make you breakfast sometime?
Well then, could we just hang out
I mean, could we go to a movie and cry together?
'Cause to me baby, that would be so fine (that would be so fine), ooh
(If I was your girlfriend)
Baby, can I dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out? (if I was your girlfriend)
Listen girl, I ain't sayin you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
Sugar
Sugar, do you know what I'm saying to you this evening? (If I was your girlfriend)
Maybe you think I'm being a little self-centered
But I, I said I want to be all of the things you are to me (if I was your girlfriend)
Surely, surely you can see
Is it really necessary for me to go out of the room
Just because you want to undress?
We don't have to make children to make love
And we don't have to make love to have an orgasm
Your body's what I'm all about
Can I see it?
I'll show you
Why not?
You can do it because I'm your friend
I'd do it for you
Of course I'd undress in front of you
And when I'm naked, what shall I do?
How can I make you see that it's cool?
Can't you just trust me?
If I was your girlfriend, you could
Oh yeah, I think so
Listen, for you naked I would dance a ballet
Would that get you off?
Tell me what will
If I was your girlfriend, would you tell me?
Would you let me see you naked then?
Would you let me give you a bath?
Would you let me tickle you so hard you'd laugh and laugh
And would you, would you let me kiss you there
You know, down there where it counts
I'll do it so good, I swear I'll drink every ounce
And then I'll hold you tight and hold you long
And together we'll stare into silence
And we'll try to imagine what it looks like
Yeah, we'll try to imagine what, what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll, we'll try to imagine what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll try
Lyrics submitted by Cool_Dandy
If I Was Your Girlfriend Lyrics as written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is probably one of Prince's most misunderstood songs eva. However from the first time I heard it I knew what it's message was... It was a man's plea to his woman for her to give him the closeness she share with her best friend while speaking from the point of view as if he and she (the friend) have already switched roles. Much like "Male Bonding", women share a mutual closeness that mean could never rival and at times even rationalize!!! So from the onset he beg...
"If I was your girlfriend Would U remember 2 tell me all the things U forgot when I was your man?"
Women will admit they tell their friends, especially lifelong friends secrets their man may never know!!!
Towards the end Prince is so desperate to be everything and then some for the object of his desires he states...
"Sugar do U know what I'm saying 2 U this evening? Maybe U think I'm being a little self-centered But I, I said I want 2 be (All of the things U are 2 me) Surely, surely U can see "...
to show that if for one moment if he could be her girlfriend, she would realize that with some people boyfriends may come and go(good and bad), and friends last a lifetime... with him: she would have both rolled up into one!!! People probably would have had a better chance at understanding this song and not make any incorrect sexual biases about the subject matter if Prince would have named this song "If i Was u'r Best Friend" would they?? Which in all actuality could be an unofficial title for this track. What do you think???
That pretty much hit the nail on the head methinks. I love how he jsut adds in the little pervy bits at the end though. He ain't taking anything too sereiously. However, I think that the ultimate version of this song is the live at paisley park version (sometimes credited on file sharing programs as being played with Miles Davis). I don't know if miles is on that one or not... But it has the same epic live feel as other prince songs like noting compares and purple rain. It's a lot longer, more instrumental, has an incredible atmosphere... seriously. It's my personal favorite prince song and it ain't too hard to find. Heck it's what started me on him.
Orgasmic song!
This song is to my knowledge written for Susanna Melvoin, Wendy Melvoin's twin sister, with whom Prince had a long relation during the mid eighties.
tmtation is right- it was written for Susanna Melvoin. I also agree with Joey Coco... that sums it up. A funky-romantic song.