“Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” by P.M. Dawn

P.M. Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” has been described as a hodge-podge of different musings, indicative of the psychedelic raps which were popular in the early 1990s. However, there is an discernible yet embedded shall we say narrative being relayed in “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”. That is for the most part, it is centered on a lady whom Prince Be has feelings for. 

And what seems to be going down is that said lady is an ex-girlfriend he has run into or perhaps even more likely is seriously contemplating re-dating.  And due to his interactions with her, the vocalist is compelled to take a trip down memory lane in a romantic sense.

The second verse is more indicative of what we referenced earlier, as in its seemingly-disjointed nature reads a lot like a freestyle. Yet there is definitely a sub-theme of romance. And near the end of the passage the overall narrative becomes much clearer.

Romance is an Impossibility

In that regard what Prince Be seems to be saying is that a certain lady has caught his eye – and vice versa. However, after ‘staring at the ring finger on her hand’, he has decided that they can’t go there. And all lyrics considered, what he may be saying is that he ran into an ex-girlfriend that he still has feelings for. However, she is now engaged or married, which means they cannot get re-involved romantically.

Indeed at the beginning of the first verse, he describes his romantic interest as possessing a “fat diamond ring”. So maybe the storyline that actually runs through “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” is akin to the rapper being tempted to mess around with a married lady. And said lady is actually one of his ex-girlfriends. And once again, interacting with her in the here and now is causing him to conjure up ‘blissful memories’ from days past.

Conclusion

So despite this song reading at points as if it is a freestyle, there is something romantic going on throughout “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”. And generally speaking, what actually seems to be going down is that, after interacting with what is most-likely an ex-girlfriend, Prince Be recollects of the memorable moments they shared. Moreover it should be noted that at the end of the day, it seems he does in fact conclude to keep his romantic interactions with this lady in the past.

Release Date and Writing Credits for “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”

Island Records and Gee Street Records released this track on 6 August 1991.  It served as the second single from P.M. Dawn’s maiden album. That album is lengthily entitled “Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience”.

This track samples three old school songs. They are:

• “Ashley’s Roachclip” (1974) by The Soul Searchers
• “Take Me to Mardi Gras” (1975) by Bob James
• “True” (1983) by Spandau Ballet

And the first two tracks on that list are actually instrumentals.

The credited writers of this song are P.M. Dawn’s Prince Be (1970-2016) and Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp. Indeed in further acknowledgement of the sampling of “True”, the music video to “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” features a cameo from Tony Hadley, Spandau Ballet’s lead singer.

P.M. Dawn – which at the time consisted of Prince Be and his younger sibling, Jarrett Cordes – is credited as the track’s producer.

Signature Song

“Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” is considered to be P.M. Dawn’s signature song.  For instance, it marks the only time that the group, which was really popular in the 1990s, had made it to the top of the Hot 100. It also scored a number one on the RPM’s Canada Dance/Urban chart and in New Zealand.

And generally speaking it charted in almost 15 countries, which included peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart. Moreover at the end of it all “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” has been certified Gold in the United States.

Backstreet Boys Cover

The mega-popular music group Backstreet Boys actually covered this song in 1997. And it is featured on their second album, “Backstreet’s Back”.