Baby I'm a Star

Infobox Song
Name = Baby I'm a Star
Caption =
Artist = Prince
Album = Purple Rain
Released = June 25, 1984
Recorded = Sunset Sound, 1983–1984
Genre = Rock/Pop/Funk
Length = 4:23
Writer = Prince
Composer = Prince
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Producer = Prince
track_no = 8
prev = "I Would Die 4 U"
prev_no = 7
next = "Purple Rain"
next_no = 9

"Baby I'm a Star" is a song written and recorded by Prince from his album "Purple Rain". It is also the B-side on the "Take Me With U" single.

"Baby I'm a Star" was originally composed and recorded in 1982, a highly prolific period which yielded many songs which Prince released over the years. The version on "Purple Rain" was re-recorded with The Revolution during a live performance in 1983 (the debut performance of Wendy Melvoin). Prince later reworked the live recording in the studio, adding overdubs and other refinements.

The upbeat song is about pop stardom, specifically a rising star as the chorus states "You might not know it now, baby, but I are — I'm a star. I'm don't wanna stop, till I reach the top." This would coincide with Prince's status in 1982. Musically, it's a dance number propelled by a drum machine pattern and an understated bass. The song makes heavy use of rapidly played synthesizers, often made to simulate a horn section (Prince would sometimes add a real horn section to the song in later performances). Revolution member Doctor Fink gets a call-out in the song to deliver a synth solo. The song also contains an unusual backmasking at the beginning ( ) and end of the song.

"Baby I'm a Star" has been played live many times since its inception and was one of the songs Prince played during the Halftime Show of Super Bowl XLI. It was also in the original cut of Tim Burton's 1989 film "Batman", used in the Joker's parade scene. However, when Prince himself took interest in the project, he opted for the song to be replaced by "200 Balloons" (of which when rejected, turned up as a B-side on "Batdance") and later with "Trust", the latter of which seemed the most musically similar to "Baby, I'm a Star", for both songs are about the same length, have a similar drum loop and lyrical pace. "Baby, I'm a Star" is often played in sequence with "I Would Die 4 U", the track prior to it on "Purple Rain".

External links

* [http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/purple.html#star "Baby I'm a Star" lyrics]