"The Morning Papers" is a song by Prince and The New Power Generation, from the 1992 Love Symbol album. It was released as the fourth worldwide (and fifth overall) single from the album; the B-side was "Live 4 Love", a track from Prince's previous album, Diamonds and Pearls. The UK CD single included "Love 2 the 9's", as well, also from the Love Symbol album.
The lyrics of the song concern Prince falling in love with Mayte Garcia, and sticks to the theme of the movie 3 Chains o' Gold, where Mayte (a princess in Egypt) and Prince meet after her father is assassinated by seven mysterious men. Prince sings about the things they do together and how other people do not value/understand the bond they share. Musically, the song is a pop-rock number with an emphasis on guitar. The video is notable for featuring Prince embracing "the grunge look".
"The Morning Papers" was a moderate success on all the charts on which it appeared. It peaked at #44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #18 on the Top 40 Mainstream, #68 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and #52 in the UK. The song became the first song by Prince released in proper form in the United Kingdom to miss the top forty since "Mountains" in 1986, seven years earlier (this means that 23 of Prince's songs in a row had made the top-40 before "The Morning Papers"). The song, despite missing the Billboard top-40, made the top-40 mainstream chart meaning it received significant radio airplay in America.
He realized that she was new 2 love
Naive in every way
Every schoolboy's fanstasy she was
That's why he had 2 wait
If he poured his heart into a glass
And offered it like wine
She could drink and be back in time for the morning papers
They could take a walk down the oceanside
Make a wish on every wave
They could find a carousel
And ride or kiss in every cave
They could contemplate the entire universe
Or just one star
Or just how far was the walk 4 the morning papers
Let me play it for u one time, oh oh
Well
Shucks
Why is age more than a number when it comes 2 love?
Should we ask the ones who speculate
When they don't know what it's made of?
Should we ask the moonlight on your face
Or the raindrops in your hair
Or should we ask the man who wrote it there in the morning papers?
Should we ask the moonlight on your face
Or the raindrops in your hair
Should we ask the man who wrote it there in the morning papers?
Somebody help me sing it now
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Oh yes
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Go play
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la