In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
This will be the day
That you will hear me say
That I will never run away
I am here for you
Love is meant for two
Now tell me what you're gonna do
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
All I can do is just offer you my love
Which one of us is right (woah)
If we always fight? (Ooh)
Why can't we just let love decide? (Let love decide)
Am I the weaker man (mmh, yeah)
Because I understand (woah-whoa)
That love must be the master plan? (Love is the master plan)
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
All I can do is just offer you my love
D to the I to the A to the M
O to the N to the D to the pearls of love
D to the I to the A to the M (to the M)
O to the N to the D to the pearls of love
There will come a time (there will come a time)
You will blow your mind (your mind)
And everything you'll look for you'll find (take a look inside)
That will be the time (that'll be the time)
That everything will shine (forever)
So bright it makes you colorblind (you will be color blind)
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
But all I can do is just offer you my love
If I gave you diamonds and pearls (pearls yeah, yeah)
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world (give you the world)
All I can do (all I can do) is just offer you my (ohh) love
If I gave you diamonds and pearls (diamonds)
Would you be, would you, would you (boy or a girl)
(Would ya, would ya, would ya be happy, little baby?)
If I could I would give you the world
That you will hear me say
That I will never run away
I am here for you
Love is meant for two
Now tell me what you're gonna do
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
All I can do is just offer you my love
Which one of us is right (woah)
If we always fight? (Ooh)
Why can't we just let love decide? (Let love decide)
Am I the weaker man (mmh, yeah)
Because I understand (woah-whoa)
That love must be the master plan? (Love is the master plan)
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
All I can do is just offer you my love
D to the I to the A to the M
O to the N to the D to the pearls of love
D to the I to the A to the M (to the M)
O to the N to the D to the pearls of love
There will come a time (there will come a time)
You will blow your mind (your mind)
And everything you'll look for you'll find (take a look inside)
That will be the time (that'll be the time)
That everything will shine (forever)
So bright it makes you colorblind (you will be color blind)
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world
But all I can do is just offer you my love
If I gave you diamonds and pearls (pearls yeah, yeah)
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could I would give you the world (give you the world)
All I can do (all I can do) is just offer you my (ohh) love
If I gave you diamonds and pearls (diamonds)
Would you be, would you, would you (boy or a girl)
(Would ya, would ya, would ya be happy, little baby?)
If I could I would give you the world
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
It's a pity not many people know this song, but it's one of the very best songs from Prince
This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I think that most of the lyrics are pretty straightforward; he loves her, and if he could, he would give her “diamonds and pearls” and “the world.” But he can’t do that, so he gives her the next best thing: his love. I think it’s pretty obvious that that’s what the lyrics mean. However, I’m also confused by the line “Would you be a happy boy or a girl”. My guess is that they only used those lyrics because they rhyme with the previous ones, and they fit the rhythm of the song. In other words, I think that this particular line is present in the song more for rhythm than for meaning.
@elixir808 He was bisexual or pansexual though (that is identified in the symbol he used to express himself in the 90's that was a mixture of masculine and feminine symbols), so I most definitely think that line in question was directed to either men or women as he saw them as more than their conventional classifiers like gender or sexuality. Everything else is absolutely on point and it is one of his GREATS!
aaah Prince.
"But all I can do is just offer you my love"-maybe that's all he or she is asking of You?
i used to always sing along to this song when i was younger .. memories . very well known song of prince ..
"If I gave you diamonds and pearls Would you be a happy boy or a girl "
I'm confused by the second line.
@Undeniably Nikki I think it;s because he might have been bi
Just means whoever the object of your love is, could be either, could be somewhere between, there are also mentions of love making you blind to colour, they're great lyrics.
It's one of those songs you always knew but never knew who it was by. The ones that you hear as a kid, but never really knew who they were by.
Prince wrote it for his wife's or girlfriend's (i'm not sure what the relationship was at the time but they're divorced now) baby. Sadly she had a miscarriage (I'm not sure how to spell it and too lazy to look it up).
The boy or girl line is slightly confusing, but maybe he's referring to bisexuality or something. o-o I dunno if Prince was or not, for me it seems kinda likely, but perhaps gender boundaries aren't the point in this song. If it was only meant to be about a girl you'd think he would've been able to switch that line around in favor of a better one.
So, perhaps it was written to go either way for everybody. I dunno.
It has nothing to do with bisexuality, hes just reffering if a men or women gave his love diamons and pearls. Would they be a happy boy or a girl? It's just saying that he would give the world to his love if he could. But all he can do is just offer his love.
It's saying that you don't need to give diamons and pearls to show how much you really love them, you can do is just offer them your love without diamons and pearls.