I Wanna Be Your Lover – English Lyrics

• By: Prince
• Album: Prince

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Prince's breakout hit, "I Wanna Be Your Lover," a captivating blend of funk, disco, and pop that served as his first major mainstream success. This track offers a fantastic opportunity to explore English through its playful lyrics, often featuring clever double entendres, and Prince's iconic falsetto delivery. Its raw, yet polished sound, combined with a youthful vulnerability and audacious confidence, makes it a special piece of music history that encourages listeners to embrace the expressive power of language.

[English]

I ain't got no money

I ain't like those other guys you hang around

And it's kinda funny

But they always seem to let you down

And I get discouraged, mmm

'Cause I never see you anymore

And I need your love, babe

That's all I'm living for, yeah

I didn't wanna pressure you, baby

But all I ever wanted to do

I wanna be your lover

I wanna be the only one that makes you come running

I wanna be your lover

I wanna turn you on, turn you out

All night long, make you shout

Oh, lover, yeah

I wanna be the only one you come for

I wanna be your brother

I wanna be your mother and your sister, too

There ain't no other

That can do the things that I'll do to you

And I get discouraged

'Cause you treat me just like a child

And they say I'm so shy, yeah

But with you I just go wild, woo-hoo-hoo

I didn't wanna pressure you, baby, no

But all I ever wanted to do

I wanna be your lover

I wanna be the only one that makes you come running

I wanna be your lover

I wanna turn you on, turn you out

All night long, make you shout

Oh, lover, yeah

I wanna be the only one you come for, yeah

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lover /ˈlʌvər/ B1	noun - someone who is in a loving or sexual relationship with another person
wanna /ˈwɑːnə/ A1	verb - want to; desire to
be /biː/ A1	verb - to exist or live; to have the specified quality
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move or travel toward the speaker or toward a specified place; approach
turn /tɜːrn/ A1	verb - to cause to move around an axis or center; rotate
discouraged /dɪˈskɜːrɪdʒd/ B2	adjective - having lost confidence or enthusiasm; disheartened
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A1	verb - present participle of run; to move quickly on foot
shout /ʃaʊt/ A2	verb - to say something very loudly
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
guys /ɡaɪz/ A1	noun - plural of guy; people or persons
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - uncontrolled or unrestrained; passionate
shy /ʃaɪ/ A2	adjective - being reserved or having or showing nervousness or timidity
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty
mother /ˈmʌðər/ A1	noun - a woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth
sister /ˈsɪstər/ A1	noun - a woman or girl in relation to other daughters and sons of her parents
pressure /ˈprɛʃər/ B1	verb - to attempt to persuade or coerce (someone) into doing something
treat /triːt/ B1	verb - to behave toward or deal with in a certain way
living /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ A1	verb - present participle of live; to be alive

Key Grammar Structures

• I ain't got no money

  ➔ Double negative

  ➔ The use of "ain't" and "no" together emphasizes the lack of money, a common colloquial expression.

• And it's kinda funny

  ➔ Informal contraction

  ➔ The phrase "kinda" is a colloquial contraction of "kind of", used to express a casual tone.

• I didn't wanna pressure you, baby

  ➔ Informal contraction of 'want to'

  ➔ The phrase "wanna" is a colloquial contraction of "want to", used in informal contexts.

• I wanna be your lover

  ➔ Present simple with modal verb

  ➔ The use of "wanna" (want to) expresses a desire or wish in the present tense.

• I wanna be the only one that makes you come running

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that'

  ➔ The relative clause "that makes you come running" describes the specific person being referred to.

• There ain't no other

  ➔ Double negative with 'ain't' and 'no'

  ➔ The double negative emphasizes the exclusivity, though it is non-standard in formal English.

• And they say I'm so shy, yeah

  ➔ Reported speech

  ➔ The phrase "they say" introduces reported speech, indicating what others have said about the speaker.

• But with you I just go wild, woo-hoo-hoo

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction

  ➔ The conjunction "but" contrasts the speaker's shyness with their behavior around the addressee.