Dinner With Delores – English Lyrics

• By: Prince
• Album: Chaos and Disorder

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Prince's "Dinner With Delores" – a fascinating track from a pivotal moment in his career. Beyond its catchy pop-rock hooks, this song offers a unique glimpse into Prince's lyrical wit and his powerful use of metaphor. By exploring its clever wordplay and double meanings, you can uncover layers of cultural and biographical context, making it an excellent song for English learners to enhance their understanding of nuanced expression and figurative language. What makes it special is its ability to convey deep personal and professional frustrations through an outwardly humorous and seemingly lighthearted narrative, providing a rich text for language analysis.

[English]

Dinner with Delores

Must be some kind of sin

Like a Brontosaurus

She was packin' it in

The first night we dined

And by the next time

This girl was eatin' all but the tip

And by the stroke of midnight

She wanted some more (more)

Showin' dirty movies

Like some kind of whore

But she was wastin' her time

'Cause there wasn't a line

That would make me come 'round her door

Dinner with Delores

Must be some kind of sin

Her bell's just a-broken (bell's just broken)

Since 1984

(Dancin') Dancin' like a white girl (white girl)

On disco dirty floors

Damn, Delores, pick another subject please

Introduce the carpet to something other than your knees

Like a real confession

No one could be more made up than u

Nothin's left for guessin'

What a shame

(Boo hoo) Boo hoo

...

(Delores)

(Delores)

I'd call u a friend

But it must be a sin

And I've run out of cheeks 2 turn

Dinner with Delores

No more

That's the end

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dinner /ˈdɪnər/ A1	noun - the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening
sin /sɪn/ A2	noun - an act considered wrong or immoral
Brontosaurus /ˌbrɒntəˈsɔːrəs/ C1	noun - a large, long-necked dinosaur (note: now often referred to as Apatosaurus)
packin' /ˈpækɪn/ B1	verb - slang for eating a lot
stroke /stroʊk/ B1	noun - a specific point in time
midnight /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/ A1	noun - 12 o'clock at night
whore /wɔːr/ B2	noun - a derogatory term for a person who engages in sexual activity for money
wastin' /ˈweɪstɪn/ B1	verb - spending time or resources unnecessarily
line /laɪn/ A1	noun - a phrase or approach used to persuade someone
bell /bɛl/ A1	noun - a device that makes a ringing sound
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - damaged and not working correctly
disco /ˈdɪskoʊ/ A2	noun - a style of dance music popular in the 1970s
subject /ˈsʌbˌdʒɛkt/ A2	noun - a topic of discussion or conversation
confession /kənˈfɛʃən/ B1	noun - an admission of guilt or wrongdoing
guessin' /ˈgɛsɪn/ A2	verb - to form an opinion without certain knowledge
shame /ʃeɪm/ A2	noun - a feeling of guilt or regret
cheek /tʃik/ A1	noun - the soft area below the eye and above the jaw