Music Friday: Eddie Murphy Buys His Girl Champagne, Roses and Diamond Rings in 1985’s ‘Party All the Time’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun — and often nostalgic — songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title.

Comic actor Eddie Murphy is America’s fourth top-grossing movie star, with worldwide box office sales of $6.8 billion. But did you know that he also came this close to topping the Billboard music charts in 1985 with his hit song, “Party All the Time”?

The disco-era ditty he penned with Rick James is about a heartbroken lover who wonders why his girlfriend likes to party without him even though he lavishes her with expensive gifts, including diamond rings. He sings, “I buy you champagne and roses and diamonds on your finger (Diamonds on your finger) / Still you hang out all night / What am I to do?”

Coming off a successful run on TV’s Saturday Night Live and a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Axel Foley in the movie Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy found himself in an exciting, but strange, new venue — James’ music recording studio in Buffalo, N.Y. Besides co-writing “Party All the Time,” the famed “Super Freak” artist produced and arranged the song, provided backup vocals and even appeared in the music video.

The catchy hook, "My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time," proved irresistible to the masses and the song quickly ascended to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It could have been #1, but failed to nudge Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” out of that spot.

Now, nearly 30 years after its release, “Party All the Time” is trying to find its rightful place in music history. While VH-1, Blender and AOL Radio ranked it on their lists of the “Worst Songs Ever,” FOX TV’s Glee featured Gwyneth Paltrow (as Holly Holliday) singing “Party All the Time” in a March 2014 episode.

Please check out the music video of Murphy performing “Party All the Time.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along:

"Party All the Time"
Written by Rick James and Eddie Murphy. Performed by Eddie Murphy.

Girl
I can't understand it why you want to hurt me
After all the things I've done for you.
I buy you champagne and roses and diamonds on your finger -
Diamonds on your finger -
Still you hang out all night
what am I to do?

My girl wants to party all the time

Party all the time
party all the time.
My girl wants to party all the time
party all the time.

She parties all the time party all the time
She likes to party all the time party all the time
Party all the time she likes to party all the time
Party all the time.

Girl
I've seen you in clubs just hanging out and dancing.
You give your number to every man you see.
You never come home at night because you're out romancing
I wish you bring some of your love home to me.

But my girl wants to party all the time
My girl wants to party all the time

Party
Party
party she likes to party all the time.
She likes to party all the time
She lets her hair down
she lets her body down,
She lets her body
She lets her body down.
Party all the time do you want to get any party
Yeah.

Party all the time party all the time..