Prehaps Purple Rain, Thieves In The Temple, Endorphine Machine, or Something In The Water....

Free is one of my all time favorite songs on here. I have written at least 2 threads about this song. One of them titled "All Those Motherfuckers..." about where Prince screams that towards the end of the song. Gotta listen for it. I have always championed this song. Not many P fans like this song either. As a kid, I was the only person that I knew of that loved it. Everybody else, even back then, hated this song. This was definately the least favorite song on the 1999 album. But I dug it. Always have. Prince takes it to church when his purple choir joins in on the hook; Vanity, Lisa, J.J and her debut performance, Wendy. Prince is singing his ass off during that section of the song.

Love this song too, big time. And I hadn't even thought about it for a while, glad this came up to remind me!

How could anybody hate this song? I mean, I could maybe understand being indifferent towards it or something, but to hate it?? Those people have no heart and/or soul!

free is one of my favorite songs! i especially love the purple rain era live and rehearsal takes on it. at the piano, with the kick drum and the backing vocals. prince always kills it! gotta check out the studio version to see what blackguitaristz is talking about, haven't listened to it in the longest!

When I first bought 1999, I played this song more than any other and it's one of his most under rated songs. I love it.

I love Free.... I said in the 'funeral' thread That's what I would have played at my funeral, there's a clip of him singing it at the O2 (somewhere ) he was incredibly emotional, I've never seen him looking so emotional!

Don't sleep until the sunrise, listen 2 the falling rain
Don't worry 'bout 2morrow, don't worry 'bout your pain
Don't cry unless U're happy, don't smile unless U're blue
Never let that lonely monster take control of U

4bjb said:

Free is absolutely great. listened to ot on ONA yesterday. it's one of my favourites on 1999!

I never dug "Free" - least favourite track on my favourite Prince album. "Moonbeam Levels" is not necessarily better but I prefer that song.

It's okay but not on my list of favorites.
[Edited 7/18/08 3:34am]

The song that I put up there with emotional songs that all people can be moved by if they really listen..is "Paisley Park."

If you are as selfish as I can be, when your tubes are tied...it would be..."Future Baby Mama."

I thought this song expressed a developed political perspective for a musician. I always took the intent of the song to be a reminder that we are free and many are not.

i've always thought he was listening to Queen by the time he was writing and recording "Free"...

i would say that either anna stesia or still would stand all time would rank as one his more emotional songs

...huh???

This is one of the first Prince songs I learned to play on the piano. I simply love it.

Free hooks you right in from the opening marching sample. those opening lyrics set that emotional tone from the get go. The 1999 album was an amazing piece of work. Prince's minneaopolis sound at its zenith.

PurpleKnight said:

I like your take on it.

Personally, I see it as Prince's most philosophical moment, though there are others (especially within the Rainbow Children).

We're all social creatures, and like it or not even the biggest recluse likes to be recognised by others as being so. Our actions, thoughts and reactions are influenced by those around us probably far more often than we'd like to admit. It's this sort of influence that leads to many having a belief that free will, or agency, is something of a myth.

What "Free" points towards is the freedom we have to choose our reactions. Phrases like "I'm having a bad day" or "Mr X is annoying me" always imply that something or someone else is at fault for this feeling and reaction. Prince is reminding us not only that we choose to feel that way, but that we have to take responsibility for it as well.

As we know, Prince believes in a creator of some kind, though I'd suggest his views on what this is have changed and are changing constantly. However, if you believe in a God in the traditional sense, it becomes very difficult not to follow from that the existence of fate or destiny. An all powerful, all knowing creator would surely know and see the future. If so, everything is fated to happen, and if not, he's not all knowing (I agree this is sketchy, but I'm trying to keep it brief!). If everything that happens is meant to happen, who's truly responsible for anything? Do the murderers, rapists and child abusers get to say "Well, it was meant to be....."???

To me, "Free" is a justification for a belief in free will, a piece of evidence to show that we're all responsible for our reactions and feelings at all times. It's ironic that this message doesn't seem to have been remembered by him at times, but future songs and speeches really lead me to the conclusion that Prince has considered and searched for the answer to the question of free will and agency for a long time now.

alxndrstff said:

I couldn't agree with u more, and I feel that passion in Prince as he sings the song. I only wish I could get my hands on the studio version. Again, I love this song as it speaks volumes to some of us.

blackguitaristz said:

I remember that thread, but that's not what Prince says there. It's "Oh, I'm so glad, I'm so glad I'm free, yeah" which is also verified at dtt-lyrics.com. I can hear how you heard "All those mother..." but you really have to stretch f*ckers into foo-uckers to make it work. It also wouldn't make sense with the next lyrics, "Free 2 change my mind."

Anyway, I always loved this song and never understood the grief it gets. I guess it doesn't blend as well with the other tracks on 1999 but that's part of what always made it stand out to me. Love it.

What about How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?

With P doing that one live with just him on the piano during the Jam of the Year tour it was awesome. He was rolling on the floor in pain reaching up to hit the keys.

renfield said:

It is what he says. On that thread, there were others who also said that they heard it as well. Then a few stated that they didn't. That's the beauty part about it for me. Anyways, P tries to "disguise" that line with a sustained guitar note. You can hear him shout "All those motherfuckers....yeah" underneath that. Prince actually doesnt sing "are free" after that. He skips those two words and sings "free 2 change my mind." It's there renfield...You've just got to listen for it. Put on your headphones...you can't miss it.

blackguitaristz said:

Can u give me the min. and sec. on "All those m.....yeah. I have Bose headphones and have turned them up louder than normal and I still don't hear that. Thx.

Whatever Blackg. says I believe...Gosh I have THE biggest crush on him. When are you coming to NYC so I can take you out on a date..

4bjb said:

I was going to mention the exact spot like I did on my thread that I wrote awhile back. But I have a new cd player and it doesn't have a timer on it. If u can find that old thread I wrote..I belive the title was "Z Cult Favorite/Free/All Those Motherfuckers". In that , I gave the exact time where I heard it. Like I mentioned earlier, some posted saying they were able to hear it...others said they couldn't.

4bjb said:

It's at 3:26. And I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree blackguitaristz. Again, I can see how it sounds like "all of those motherfuckers..." if that's what you're listening for, but he says "Oh I'm so glad, I'm so glad I'm free, yeah..." which, again, makes more sense with the tone of the song and the next lyric. "All of those motherfuckers, yeah...free 2 change my mind" doesn't make any sense. Try listening to it and hearing "Oh I'm so glad, I'm so glad I'm free, yeah...". Google the lyrics and that's what you'll find everytime.

renfield said:

I KNOW it doesn't make any sense BUT that's what I've always heard. It was never about me "listening for it" because nobody ever pointed this out to me. I heard this on my own. And don't know if it's at 3:26 or not cuz like I said, I don't have a counter on this cd. I'm not even sure if where u THINK I'm talking about is it. All I can state right now is when he says this lyric, if u you hear a sustained guitar note over P's singing, then THAT'S the spot I'm talking about. If u don't hear a sustained guitar note, then that's not the spot that I'm refering to.

blackguitaristz said:

And understand me, I'm cool with the fact if nobody else hears it or not. That's totally fine. Although funkpill was one of the cats that said he heard it on my initial thread about it. It was some others too, but I can't remember who they were. Oh well.

nammie said:

Sorry, he can't make it, I've got him tied to the bed ...