"Let's Work" was the second single from the 1981 album, Controversy, by Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

. The song originates from a dance called "the Rock" that local kids were doing at the time in Minneapolis. Prince responded quickly with a track called "Let's Rock", and wished to quickly release it as a single. Warner Bros.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...

 refused, and a disappointed Prince did not include the song on Controversy, saying the phase had passed. Instead, the song was updated with new lyrics and possibly new music and became "Let's Work" — one of his most popular dance numbers to date. The song is based on a funky bass line and features a shouted title throughout the song and relies heavily on keyboards to create a sexy groove in the verses and quick solos for the chorus

Refrain

A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...

es. The lyrics are a tease, equating "working" with having sex. The song was backed with "Ronnie, Talk to Russia", which precedes it on the Controversy album.

The extended remix

Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

 features instrumental solos, samples from "Controversy

Controversy (song)

"Controversy" is the title track and lead single to the 1981 album by Prince. One of his most respected classic funk songs, "Controversy" addresses certain speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, religion and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity...

" and "Annie Christian", two other songs from the same album, and extra, more insistent lyrics. Prince performed the extended version in concert during the Controversy and 1999

1999 (album)

1999 is the fifth studio album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most...

tours. This is the first U.S. Prince single to include a non-album B-side (although it was previously released as a single in the UK). "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)

Gotta Stop (Messin' About)

"Gotta Stop " was the follow-up single in the UK to support Prince's third album, Dirty Mind. The single was not an album track, though it was written at the same time, and possessed a similar sound...

" was written on the Dirty Mind

Dirty Mind

Dirty Mind is the third studio album by American musician Prince, released October 8, 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. Produced, arranged and composed primarily by Prince, it contains prominently sexual lyrics and incorporates musical elements of funk, dance and rock music. The album debuted at number...

tour, and is consistent with the minimalist demo-like quality of that album.