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After Hi School​The Time

Released: July 29, 1981

Songwriter: Dez Dickerson

Producer: Prince

[Verse 1]
Seems like nothing's ever gonna change in my world
Every day is more the same old thing
But in the spring
I'm gonna graduate from hi school
Then I won't have to live by anybody else's rules
Everybody tells me things don't stay the same
If you wanna live
You gotta play the game

[Chorus]
And they say
Hey you, what you gonna do after hi school?
Hey you, what you, what you gonna do?
And they say
Hey you, what you gonna do after hi school?
Hey you, what you, what you gonna do?

[Verse 2]
But there's a lot of stuff that I could learn to do in my world
Learn to drive a truck or maybe even join a band
My parents tellin' me I got to go to college
I won't get anywhere if I don't have the knowledge
Uncle Sam keeps sending letters in the mail
If you don't register
You're gonna go to jail
Gonna go to jail

[Chorus]
And they say
Hey you, what you gonna do after hi school?
Hey you, what you, what you gonna do?
And they say
Hey you, what you gonna do after hi school?
Hey you, what you, what you gonna do?

Listen to me, listen to me!
Hey you, what you gonna do?
Hey you, what you gonna do after hi school?

[Outro]
Hey you! (Hi school)
Hey you! (Hi school)
Hey you! (Hi school)
Hey you! (Hi school)

I'm talkin' to ya, you stupid slob!
Get a job, you bum!

I'm talkin' to you

​The Time

The Time grew from the seeds of the Minneapolis music scene in the early 1980’s, galvanized by the creative drive and commercial success of rock-soul juggernaut Prince. The band began as the fruit of a wager Prince made with band leader Morris Day over the song “Partyup” (originally by a band called Enterprise). After the song’s success, Prince agreed to help Morris put together a band.

The nucleus of The Time consisted of drummer Jellybean Johnson, keyboardists Jimmy Jam and Monte Moir, and bassist Terry Lewis, pulled from their local band Flyte Tyme. Guitar demigod Jesse Johnson endeavored to join Prince’s band, but that band didn’t need a guitarist, so he shuffled into The Time’s lineup. Jerome Benton was a promoter from the aforementioned band Enterprise, and was eventually brought on as a comic foil to Morris Day for their stage act.

The band’s debut self-titled album featured two Top 10 R&B hits with “Get It Up” and “Cool.” Their follow-up What Time Is It? delivered an even higher chart peak with “777-9311”. But the band truly hit their stride once featured in Prince’s blockbuster music film Purple Rain. Their songs “Jungle Love” and “The Bird” from the film would become huge R&B and dance hits and propel their third album Ice Cream Castle to #3 on the R&B charts.

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