| "Private Joy" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Prince | |
| from the album Controversy | |
| A-side | "Do Me, Baby" |
| Released | July 16, 1982 |
| Recorded | August 16, 1981 |
| Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders |
| Genre | Post-disco, dance-pop |
| Length | 4:25 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Songwriter(s) | Prince |
| Producer(s) | Prince |
"Private Joy" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1981 album Controversy, released as the B-side of the single "Do Me, Baby". The song describes how Prince will never reveal the identity of his secret lover. This is the first time Prince used the LM-1 machine, which he would use throughout his career.
In this bouncy disco-pop number, Prince explains that his lover is no one's but his. He sings about what they do together, and the times they share. He claims that he "strangled Valentino", and that she was "his ever since" and that she "belongs to Prince".
The song ends with guitar riffs and feedback from Prince, and segues into "Ronnie, Talk to Russia", the next track on Controversy. These guitar sounds were sampled and used in "Orgasm", a song on Prince's 1994 album Come.