Bobby Brown – My Prerogative: Lyrics and Music Video
My Prerogative by Bobby Brown lyrics and music video. You can sing while listening to the song My Prerogative performed by Bobby Brown. Hope you like the music video and song lyrics for My Prerogative.
About the Song
Bobby Brown - My Prerogative: Song Overview
Bobby Brown's *My Prerogative* (1988) is a defiant new jack swing anthem from his second solo album, Don’t Be Cruel. Produced by Teddy Riley, the track became Brown’s signature hit, blending R&B swagger with hip-hop beats and cementing his status as the “King of New Jack Swing.”
Release and Chart Performance
- Released in October 1988 as the album’s third single.
- Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 3 weeks.
- Helped Don’t Be Cruel sell over 7 million copies in the US (7x Platinum), becoming one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s.
Musical Style and Themes
The song combines:
- New jack swing rhythms, synth hooks, and Brown’s charismatic, gritty vocals.
- Lyrics about independence and self-determination, epitomized by the iconic chorus:
“Everybody’s talkin’ 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!”
Legacy and Cultural Impact
- A defining anthem of the new jack swing era, amassing 300+ million streams globally.
- Sampled and covered by artists like Britney Spears (2004) and referenced in TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
- Praised for its rebellious spirit, reflecting Brown’s persona and influencing R&B/hip-hop crossover acts.
Songwriting Credits
Written by Bobby Brown and Teddy Riley, with production by Riley. The track’s fusion of R&B melodies and hip-hop beats became a blueprint for 1980s-90s urban pop.
Summary
*My Prerogative* remains Bobby Brown’s career-defining hit—a bold declaration of individuality that dominated charts and airwaves. Its success solidified new jack swing’s mainstream appeal and cemented Brown’s legacy as a pioneer of 1980s R&B innovation.
Keywords
- Bobby Brown My Prerogative lyrics
- New jack swing 1980s hits
- Don’t Be Cruel album
- Teddy Riley productions
- Best Bobby Brown songs
Bobby Brown: My Prerogative 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 ask me questions
Why am I so real?
But they don’t understand 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
Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me
Why don’t they just let me live?
Tell me why I don’t need permission
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
Sing
Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me
Why don’t they just let me live?
Tell me why I don’t need permission
Make my own decisions
That’s my prerogative
It’s my prerogative (it’s my prerogative)
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
Everybody’s talkin’ all this stuff about me (everybody talkin’)
Why don’t they just let me live (why)
(Why don’t they just let me live girl)
I don’t need permission (I don’t need permission from nobody)
Make my own decisions
That’s my prerogative
Everybody’s talkin’ all this stuff about me (everybody’s talkin’)
Why don’t they just let me live?
I don’t need permission (I don’t need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That’s my prerogative
What is this a Bizzit that
I can’t have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me?
This world is a trip
I don’t know what’s going on these days
Got this person over here talking about me
This person
Hey, listen, lemme tell you something
This is my prerogative
I can do what I want to do
I made this money, you didn’t
Right Ted?
We outta here
It’s my, it’s my, it’s my, it’s my, it’s my
My my my my my my my my my my my
It’s my prerogative, can’t you see baby, don’t?
Why you wanna talk about me?
Tell me, tell me why?
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 ask me questions
Why am I so real?
But they don’t understand 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
Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me
Why don’t they just let me live?
Tell me why I don’t need permission
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
Sing
Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me
Why don’t they just let me live?
Tell me why I don’t need permission
Make my own decisions
That’s my prerogative
It’s my prerogative (it’s my prerogative)
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
Everybody’s talkin’ all this stuff about me (everybody talkin’)
Why don’t they just let me live (why)
(Why don’t they just let me live girl)
I don’t need permission (I don’t need permission from nobody)
Make my own decisions
That’s my prerogative
Everybody’s talkin’ all this stuff about me (everybody’s talkin’)
Why don’t they just let me live?
I don’t need permission (I don’t need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That’s my prerogative
What is this a Bizzit that
I can’t have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me?
This world is a trip
I don’t know what’s going on these days
Got this person over here talking about me
This person
Hey, listen, lemme tell you something
This is my prerogative
I can do what I want to do
I made this money, you didn’t
Right Ted?
We outta here
It’s my, it’s my, it’s my, it’s my, it’s my
My my my my my my my my my my my
It’s my prerogative, can’t you see baby, don’t?
Why you wanna talk about me?
Tell me, tell me why?
