I knew a girl named Nikki
I guess U could say she was a sex fiend
I met her in a hotel lobby
Masturbating with a magazine
She said, “How'd U like 2 waste some time?”
And I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind

She took me 2 her castle
And I just couldn't believe my eyes
She had so many devices
Everything that money could buy
She said, “Sign your name on the dotted line,”
The lights went out...and Nikki started 2 grind

Ow, Nikki!

The castle started spinning
Or maybe it was my brain
I can't tell U what she did 2 me
But me body will never be the same
Her lovin' will kick your behind
Oh, she'll show U no mercy
But she'll sho'nuff, sho'nuff show U how 2 grind

Darlin' Nikki, oh!

Woke up the next morning
Nikki wasn't there
I looked all over
All I found was a phone number on the stairs
It said, “Thank U 4 a funky time --
-- call me up whenever U wanna grind.”

Yeah, Nikki, oh!
Oh, come back Nikki, come back!
Your dirty little Prince wanna grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind

{backwards at the end}
"Hello, how r U? I'm fine, 'cause I know
that the Lord is coming soon...coming, coming soon."



Lyrics submitted by OldSkoolPrinceFan

Track duration: 04:14


Darling Nikki song meanings
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28 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I love that people are trying to find a deeper meaning. The sad thing is that it's a weird little Prince fantasy and nothing more. It's about sex, pure and simple, and it works. It's an awesome song. But the lyrics are beyond absurd. How do you meet someone in a hotel lobby while they're masturbating? Why would a woman be using a magazine to masturbate? (I've never met one who did.) Why would she be doing it in public? Why didn't hotel security throw her out? It's absurd.

    Afterwards he's in her "castle" and he's lost contact with her. Why not just wait for her to come home?

    As for the question of whether she's a prostitute or not, I think it's fair to say she's probably a dominatrix. If you want to call her a prostitute, then fine, but either way, she blew little Prince's mind.

    It's hilariously 80s bad in many ways, but it's also utterly amazing and I love it.
    Flag JohnnyWon December 12, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:She a ho.
    Flag redshiftdazzleron December 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wow! love your interpretation of this song.I would love to get your take on a couple more of Prince's songs!
    Flag ntercd4uon July 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yes, "Sign your name on the dotted line" could be a reference to selling your soul to the devil, but could also be to a professional hooker, couldn't it be? like someone who makes massages and he signs for the payment. Anyway, one of the two
    Flag somekindanameon July 02, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this song is hot.
    Flag conolacagueon June 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's funny how in the movie "Purple Rain" Prince's character caught heat for playing this song in that night club, yet in real life a lot of "Prince" fans actually love it!
    Flag jtm101583on February 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Seriously mr-monopoly,...If ur judging anyone keep the facts straight...that's how prince's lyrics should be written my dear. :D
    Flag MaytePfamson October 15, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I think that this song is an intentional jab at the Moral Majority. I don't feel that this song is about having sex with a hooker. In truth, I believe that Nikki is the Devil. Old Nick is one of Satan's nicknames. The singer signs on the dotted line to seal the contract on his soul. What he is selling it for is unknown - maybe just an amazing sexual experience? However, "my body will never be the same," makes me think that he sells his soul for some physical change or attribute, and that the sex is either a bonus to the actual transformation, or else a a metaphor for the change.

    The use of the word "castle" indicates one of royalty (Satan being the leader of hell), and to tempt people, there is everything that money could buy.

    His head is spinning, not knowing what he's in store for - this is a hallmark of the individual that undergoes a transformation.

    Her love will kick your behind - she'll show no mercy --- could be attributes of Satan.

    The backmasking at the end? Certainly a wink at religious zealots who claim that rock is evil, and that Satan hides messages in backwards lyrics. In this case, Prince laughs at them by telling them what they already believe - that The Lord is coming soon.

    The word grind makes me think, though. Rather than being a euphemism for sex, I wonder if the word GRIND is using the definition "WORK" -- The Devil works His magic.

    Interestingly enough, and this is probably just a few irrelevant coincidences, but in 1985, there was a Broadway play that bombed called GRIND. First coincidence, the director was Hal Prince. Second coincidence, it was about an African-American, nineteen-thirties burlesque house. Third, it featured a character that is a stripper, named Satin (satan?).
    Flag Sir_Larrikinon September 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:such a sexy song.
    Flag mollyjaynon September 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:mr-monopoly, he wasn't being lazy typing the lyrics. Interestingly enough in Prince's lyric books he always uses 'U' instead of you, '2' instead of two...its just the style he uses.
    Flag Lhyzon June 12, 2008   Link

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