Stereogum Home
August 14, 2004

Britney Covers Bobby Brown's 'My Prerogative'

From MTV News...

The singer has chosen to remake the 1988 song for the first single off her next project, a greatest-hits album due November 16 that is now to be called, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, according to her label. The cover, according to those who've heard it, doesn't sound much like the original and has a Bloodshy & Avant touch to it, a reference to the Swedish production team of Christian "Bloodshy" Carlsson and Pontus Avant. The pair produced the song and last worked with Spears on "Toxic," where they embellished her vocals with a techno-lite beat.

The choice of this particular song could also be interpreted — like "Overprotected" and "Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" — as a statement on the singer's life and the media reaction to some of her recent decisions, including her engagement to dancer Kevin Federline "It's True: Britney's Engaged"). The song's lyrics read, "Everybody's talking all this stuff about me/ Why don't they just let me live/ I don't need commission/ Make my own decisions/ That's my prerogative."

The song, which will hit radio on September 14, will be one of two new tracks on the collection. A separate greatest-hits DVD will be released on the same day as the album.

Thanks Chad for the link!

Posted at 5:21 PM




-->

19 Comments

Bloodshy & Avant + New Jack Swing + Cracksmoking New Edition member = SO BEST!


Posted by: nick at 08/14/04 7:58 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Isn't it "I don't need permission/make my own decisions?"

Posted by: Tim at 08/14/04 9:29 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

This should be one helluva cover. Thanks, Stereogum. Maybe next she can do that Ghostbusters II theme song.

Posted by: fairest at 08/15/04 12:10 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Tim, I was thinking the same exact thing.. Not that I'm a closet Bobby Brown fan or anything..

Posted by: Kristina at 08/15/04 1:17 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I am really kinda looking forward to this, in that car wreck sort of way.

here's the lyrics:
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Get Busy!
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need commission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Getting girls is how I live
Some messy questions
Why am I so real?
But they don't undersand me
I really don't know the deal about her brother
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Before I win this fight, sing
Chorus:
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
Tell me why I don't need commission
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
'Cause what I'm doing I'm doing for you
Don't get me wrong
I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really gets me down
I see nothing wrong in spreading myself around
(chorus)
I can do what I wanna do (it's my prerogative)
I can live my life (it's my prerogative)
And I'm doing it just for you (it's my prerogative)
Tell me, tell me why can't I live my life
Live my life without all of the things
That people say oh
Yo, teddy kick it like this
Oh no no I can do what I wanna do
Me and you together together together together together
(chorus)

Posted by: chad at 08/15/04 12:13 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

maybe the "my perogative" video will be like the jlo video with bennifer paparazzi shots...

Posted by: Tylla at 08/15/04 3:27 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

all she needs now is a slanted high top fade, and an extra half hour in the tanning booth.

Posted by: yvette at 08/15/04 11:20 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Ooooooooooh, well I guess she'll tell us!

Personally, I don't give a flying fuck what she does with her private life, as long as she stops being so phony in her public life.

Come to think of it, I really don't care what she does with her public life either. So sing away, ya little homewrecker, I'm not gonna buy the album anyway.

Posted by: Puddin' at 08/16/04 6:42 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

That is some funny stuff.Britney Spearz With a Z y'All!!
Im not sure that people care what she does anymore.Perogative Smagotive have it at Brit.

Posted by: FredSays at 08/18/04 10:39 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

PUDDIN u ignoramus! EVER call britney again and there will be hell to pay! and can you define just HOW britney is a "little homewrecker" ... ? she should be classed as a goddess she has done nothing to harm you so you should be a little less obnoxious ... sorry... did i say a little? i meant a shit load! I am gonna be buying both the CD and the DVD

Posted by: lord_brademort at 08/19/04 6:11 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I can't believe in this day and age how low have we sunk when a talentless slut thinks she is something as great as Janis Joplin or the countless female artists we had in the past 20 years.
Britney, get your knee pads and practice the phrase 'can I get you fries with your order?' because I can see that's gonna be your destiny in the next 10 years when your money and friends run out because of being so stupid and full of yourself (SHIT)

Posted by: Carlos at 08/19/04 4:44 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I really think that her singing is pretty good. I liked the Toxic video. I don't understand what fascinates her about Kevin and I have been shocked by the difference between planned and unplanned photos. I'm sure she's frustrated with the fickle nature of her fans and the micro-inspection of her day-to-day existence, thus this attempt to rebel with B.B.'S remake. I just hope she doesn't follow him in other ways. It would be surreal if she is continually arrested for beating up defenseless, financially-dependent Kevin. LOL

Posted by: Aloysia at 08/19/04 6:00 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I THINK SHE IS DOING A GRATE JOB ON CHOOSEING A REAL MAN MUSIC AND NOW SHE UNDERSTANDS WHAT BOBBY WAS TALKING ABOUT AND SHE IS FEELING HIM MORE.

Posted by: abiy at 08/20/04 12:40 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

can any one tell me how to down load it

Posted by: sam at 08/25/04 7:03 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Most importantly wtf is going on with her outrageous video...i mean isnt it finsihed? is she going to finish it? when the fuck is it coming out?

Posted by: Stephen at 09/13/04 5:14 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Come on... Kevin isn't a Real Man. That's Thomas Haden Church's title... Thomas Haden Church: He's a Man...

As for Britney covering Bobby Brown, has she been rubbing her nose, snorting and flaring her nostrals lately?

To quote Britney on an MTV special from this past weekend: "I don't like people, but I like Madonna..." Well, if you don't like people, why did you become a PERFORMER (God help us if she's called an actual ARTIST), for God's sake?!?

Posted by: AngeFaitore at 09/22/04 5:17 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

"I saw nothing wrong in spreading myself around." <= from Britney's mouth to your ears.

LOL

Posted by: Remmington at 09/26/04 5:45 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

*.UMM.. I have the lyrics to Brittney's version and it says permission it doesn't say commision do you people even know what commision means? Please I'm more than likely younger than any of yuns and I know what it means....So go get out old Mr.Webster and look it up...P.S. HERE ARE THE RIGHT LYRICS.*.[Spoken:]
People can take everything away from you
But they can never take away your truth
But the question is..
Can you handle mine?

They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Getting boys is how I live
Some ask me questions
Why am I so real?
But they don't undersand me
I really don't know the deal about my sister
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Before I won this fight

[Chorus:]

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
that's my prerogative
(it's my prerogative)

It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
You can't tell me what to do

Don't get me wrong
I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really gets me down
I see nothing wrong in spreading myself around

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
That's my prerogative

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
that's my prerogative

It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
You can't tell me what to do

why can't I live my life
without all of the things
That people say
oh oh

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative (they say I'm crazy)

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (they say I'm use to)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
(it's my prerogative).*

Posted by: TiNkEr at 10/06/04 8:54 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

guestebeseasapi

Posted by: brandy at 07/27/06 1:31 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


 

The 'Gum Drop

Get our newsletter. MP3s and giveaways weekly.

Search




Sort by:date relevance

Information

  • Contact:
  • About
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Stereogum RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon
  • MP3-Only RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon

Staff

Founder/Editor-In-Chief
Scott Lapatine
Executive Editor
Amrit Singh
Senior Writer
Brandon Stosuy
Columnist
Jon McMillan
Technology & Operations
Jim Jazwiecki
Angela Williams

The Cool Kids

All Stereogum Posts

Band to Watch logo

Band To Watch: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band are a new Seattle quintet with a long name. We've been enjoying their self-released Weepy EP, so we thought we'd post something from it. "Dull Reason"'s a an angular, noodling summertime pop jam with hills...

MORE »

Quit Your Day Job logo

Quit Your Day Job: Human Highway

Human Highway is the collaboration between Islands' Nick Thorburn and Royal City-associated songwriter and solo artist Jim Guthrie. Their debut Moody Motorcycle is out next week. A little while ago we posted about two of the album tracks, hushed toe-tapper...

MORE »

Premature Evaluation logo

Premature Evaluation: The Verve - Forth

Ever since Richard Ashcroft flashed us his impressive cheekbones along with "Sit And Wonder" during the Verve's Coachella set, there's been a pretty steady flow of material from the band's forthcoming comeback album Forth. Just yesterday we debuted "I See...

MORE »

Video Hangover logo

Video Hangover: Marcy Playground - "Saint Joe On The Schoolbus"

Every week, we dig in the archives for videos that we find noteworthy, memorable, or just unbelievably stupid. And then, Jon McMillan breaks 'em down for you. This week: Marcy Playground blows their one chance at video immortality.

MORE »

Oldstand logo

OldStand: Rolling Stone, September 13, 1984

Take our ink-stained hands and join us at the OldStand, where Jon McMillan goes to remind everyone what an honest-to-goodness music magazine is supposed to look like. Lots of Huey Lewis (and the News) news lately, so let's go back...

MORE »

The Outsiders logo

The Outsiders: Vol. 17: Bird Show, Hair Police, Hush Arbors

Not all of Stereogum's favorite sounds conform to what folks expect us to cover. In this space, resident Bananafish fetishist Brandon Stosuy focuses on bands, albums, singles, and villages in Sweden that may otherwise pass by unnoticed. This installment's virtual...

MORE »

The 'Gum Drop logo

Centro-matic - "Christmas 83 (Make Fun Of My Sweaters)"

This week's Drop comes from Texas indie rockers Centro-matic. The previously unreleased wintry tune was produced by the band and Matt Pence during sessions for double-LP Dual Hawks, which is composed of half Centro-matic songs and half South San Gabriel...

MORE »