This song needs no introduction as the Prince classic “Raspberry Beret” is known to most young or old. I would link you to the video to this song on YouTube, but a copyright claim by “Prince/NPG” (New Power Generation? Is that the alternative fuel mutual fund I’ve been reading about?) has prevented that. Anyway, let’s take a look and explore the intricacies of this timeless classic devoted to reddish French headwear.

I was working part time in a five-and-dime
My boss was Mr. McGee.
He told me several times that he didn’t like my kind
cause I was a bit too leisurely.

Our protagonist, let’s call him “Prince” because that’s his name, sets up the song by talking about his work at a discount retailer where he was employed by someone likely of Irish decent named Mr. McGee. When not drunk off of whiskey and chasing leprechauns, Mr. McGee made it clear to Prince that he did not “like his kind”, a statement at first seemingly tinged with racism, however we then find out that it was because he perceived Prince to be lackadaisical.

Seems that I was busy doing something close 2 nothing
But different than the day before
Thats when I saw her, ooh, I saw her
She walked in through the out door, out door

Perhaps Mr. McGee, though Irish and curmudgeonly, was not incorrect in his assessment that Prince was not serious about his job as Prince himself admits that he was not being particularly productive in this interlude. His attention is quickly diverted by a female who is probably illiterate given that she walked into a door that is more than likely to have been marked “Do not enter” because it was actually the “Out” door.

She wore a Raspberry beret
The kind you find in a second hand store
Raspberry beret
And if it was warm she wouldn’t wear much more
Raspberry beret
I think I love her

At this point, Prince highlights the main point of this song, which is the raspberry beret worn by the illiterate female. Perhaps the beret was not of high quality as Prince infers that one might find similar berets at a secondhand store like Goodwill or Mervyn’s. Even when the weather is warm, Prince seems to think that this female would still wear the beret but perhaps not much more although these may just be indicative of his own fantasies. Prince also apparently believes in love at first sight because although he has yet to even speak with her, he feels that he might be in love.

Built like she was
She had the nerve to ask me
If I planned to do her any harm
So, look here
I put her on the back of my bike
And-a we went riding
Down by old man Johnson’s farm

This particular female must be extremely petite if not an actual dwarf as she was somehow intimidated by Prince’s stature, asking if he planned to harm her. Should she be green, she may want to steer clear of Mr. McGee. Any intimidation likely had more to do with his outfit at the time which resembled an urban pirate rather than his physical prowess. In true pirate fashion, Prince somehow whisked her away on the back of his motorcycle and went riding down by the farm of an older individual with the surname Johnson who probably would have argued the merits of British rule with the Irishman Mr. McGee if they ever met. They would have got drunk, had a fistfight, then sang songs and become friends.

I said now, overcast days never turned me on
But something about the clouds and her mixed
She wasnt too bright
But I could tell when she kissed me
She knew how to get her kicks

Prince tells us that he doesn’t much care for clouds and rain, however something about this female and the weather was attractive to him. At this point I would like to point out that it probably wasn’t warm, which makes me wonder how he was so sure she wouldn’t wear much more than the beret if it were actually warm as he has yet to see her in warm weather. Moving on, Prince was apparently unimpressed by her intelligence, noting that much like the weather, she wasn’t too bright. This should come as no surprise if she agreed to an impromptu motorcycle jaunt with a short urban pirate. Her lack of intelligence was no deal killer however because her kissing ability was impressive although it is unclear if Prince received as much satisfaction from it as she did.

She wore a Raspberry beret
The kind you find in a second hand store
Raspberry beret
And if it was warm she wouldn’t wear much more
Raspberry beret
I think I love her

Prince once again highlights her characteristic beret and for some reason chooses to reinforce his conviction that she will wear it even on warm days. He still thinks he might be in love, although we now know that it is an attraction based mostly on her attire as other redeeming qualities of hers besides perhaps kissing have yet to be revealed.

The rain sounds so cool when it hits the barn roof
And the horses wonder who u are
Thunder drowns out what the lightning sees
U feel like a movie star

It is surprising that someone who has written so many hit songs like Prince could be intrigued by the sound of rain hitting a barn roof, but nonetheless, he likes it even though previously he stated he does not care for cloudy weather. Nearby horses do not deter Prince from his romantic intentions with the unintelligent, illiterate, thrifty, excessively short beret-wearing lady, and this somehow makes him feel like a movie star, perhaps like the guy who played the lead in “Willow”.

Listen
They say the first time ain’t the greatest
But I tell ya
If I had the chance to do it all again
I wouldn’t change a stroke
Cause baby I’m the most
With a girl as fine as she was then

In this passage Prince confirms that he was satisfied with the experience that transpired in the barn in front of on-looking horses, and there may be a double entendre in that which he says he wouldn’t change. The rest of the song goes into repetition of the chorus, extolling the virtues of the easy, unintelligent, illiterate, thrifty, excessively short beret-wearing lady. Sadly, we never again hear of Mr. McGee, and I’m sure some of the Irishman’s ire was a result of never being invited on a bike ride down to old man Johnson’s farm. Understandable…