When Doves Cry

Prince

Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?

Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
Animals strike curious poses
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (she's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

Touch if you will my stomach
Feel how it trembles inside
You've got the butterflies all tied up
Don't make me chase you
Even doves have pride

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (she's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (A world that's so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding (maybe, maybe I'm like my father)
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold (you know he's too bold)
Maybe you're just like my mother (maybe you're just like my mother)
She's never satisfied (she's never, never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other? (Why do we scream? Why?)
This is what it sounds like

When doves cry
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)

Don't cry (don't cry)

When doves cry
When doves cry
When doves cry

When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry, doves cry)
Don't cry
Darling don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't, don't cry


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

When Doves Cry Lyrics as written by Prince Rogers Nelson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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When Doves Cry song meanings
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28 Comments

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  • +7
    General Comment
    A song of 2 lovebirds perfect for each other, finding temselves in a nightmare, of hurt hate and jeulousy gone wrong... this is what it sounds like, when doves cry.
    Rob_98443on February 09, 2002   Link
  • +7
    General Comment
    when doves cry... it's a really sad metaphor when you think about it... something so beautiful that represents peace is mourning... a perfect love is destroyed... at least that's how i take it to mean.
    x_emobangs_xon May 29, 2004   Link
  • +7
    My Interpretation
    The scene opens with a couple engaged in more than a passionate kiss. Animals observe but do not pass judgment ( a recurring motif in Prince’s lyrics) for the creative act is in harmony with the natural world. Violets symbolize delicate love and certain purity, and also can be symbolic of early death. This scene foreshadows the deterioration of the pure passionate love celebrated by the players. When the flush of passion fades, we’re left with the reality of what we are when we are not loving another purely. The union of “us” breaks apart, and we’re left with two individuals with different expectations. He demands what she cannot deliver, she resents not getting what she expected, and so they lash out at each other. Neither can conceive that the expectation is unrealistic, so neither can back down. Pride trumps love. The speaker cries “how can you do this to me?” not recognizing that he’s doing it to her, too. There is almost an acceptance: it’s how my parents did it, now it’s how I do it. “When does cry” is a euphemism for “when love dies.”
    msp201on October 18, 2014   Link
  • +3
    General Comment
    This song is about inheriting the worst qualities of your parents. Prince wanted a song for a particular scene in the movie, and he quickly threw something together. That "throwing together" turned out to be an amazing song.
    jordanson June 16, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    He's saying that no matter how much he hates it, he ended up like his parents, in personality and the fact that he hurt the person he loves. Purple Rain has hands down the best soundtrack ever.
    devilchild8389on October 31, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    There's a quote about "When Doves Cry" from Bennett The Sage's Top 20 Best Number One Songs that I agree with "Sure the subject about a relationship on the rocks isn't new territory but, Prince takes it a whole new direction. Instead of laying the blame squarely on himself or her he approaches it as a means of self examination, and show a level of maturely that is sadly lacking in music in general, not just in pop music"
    OtakuZero52on April 13, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    A very awesome song and my favourite song by Prince. In the film for Purple Rain, Prince's parents fight lots and his relationship with Apollonia is becoming very similar to theirs. Basically the song is talking about how a couple's relationship is going bad and how it's just like their parents bad relationship. It was also really good and meaningful in Romeo and Juliet.
    River Wolfon May 04, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I love this song also. From purple rain, as devilchild said, now matter how much he hates it he ends up like his parents, but i think the difference is that prince uses his musical talent and succeeds and is able to change the way of his father who didnt make it. I love it because its just got a fantastic meaning to it.
    mikhailvon December 23, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    a couple that abuse each other :( but in Romeo&Juliet it was just 2 people in love and the mixed bullshit around them. beautiful song.
    dark_eyez_666on November 10, 2009   Link
  • +1
    Memory
    The intro of this song is the reason I rook up the guitar. You will be missen dearly
    LittleCon April 21, 2016   Link

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