Sometimes when i'm sad or down, listening to "Free" lifts me up and takes me out of my funk. Any of you love "Free" as well?

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

Be glad that U r free
Free 2 change your mind
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime
Be glad that U r free
There's many a man who's not
Be glad 4 what U had baby, what you've got
Be glad 4 what you've got

I know (my?) heart is beating, my drummer tells me so
If U take your life 4 granted, your beating heart will go
So don't sleep until you're guilty, 'cuz sinners all r we
There's others doing far worse than us, so be glad that U r free

Be glad that U r free
Free 2 change your mind
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime
Be glad that U r free
There's many a man who's not
Be glad 4 what U had baby, what you've got
Be glad 4 what you've got

Soldiers are a marching, they're writing brand new laws
Will we all fight together 4 the most important cause?
Will we all fight 4 the right 2 be free?
Free (Be glad that U r free)
Free 2 change my mind (Free 2 change your mind)
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime (Free 2 go most anywhere,anytime)
I'm just glad, I'm just glad I'm free, yeah (Be glad that U r free)
There's many a man who's not (There's many a man who's not)
Glad 4 what I had baby, (Be glad 4 what U had and)
Glad 4 what I got, oh yeah (for what you've got)
Oh I'm just glad, I'm just glad I'm free,yeah (Be glad that U r free)
Free 2 change my mind (Free 2 change your mind)
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime (Free 2 go most anywhere,anytime)
(Be glad that U r free)
(There's many a man who's not)
I'm so... (Be glad 4 what U had and for)
(what you've got)

any early fav of mine... it spoke to me way back then.

The hate it gets is not deserved.The prototype for Purple Rain. Free is great. I love the coda to it with the heavy geetar playing and regular voice Hendrix style used.

I've always loved it myself =)

Love it

One of Prince's best songs and the Live version at First Avenue is just beautiful.

nursev said:

One of Prince's best songs and the Live version at First Avenue is just beautiful.

Agreed

Perfection!!!

Well, duh, MissFee..lol

Purple Rain is good as well. lol

This song is my absolute favorite track from the album.

Love the melody of the song but I really like how he starts off the idea of freedom as something rather simple, and throughout the song, he gradually builds it up and make it a grand concept, "we will fight for the right to be free". I think anyone can easily relate to the lyrics.

I think this song and International Lover really saved the album from being overly cohesive.

Love it

rdhull said:

The hate it gets is not deserved.The prototype for Purple Rain. Free is great. I love the coda to it with the heavy geetar playing and regular voice Hendrix style used.

There was a time when I thought it was just a hocky 80s ballad. It wasn't until I listened to the 26th B-Day performance that I truly appreciated the sincerity of this song, with Prince being backed up by just a piano and David Z' drum.

Here's a question for ya'll though,,,

Do you think that Free should've been in the configuration, or do you think that its replaced sister song "Moonbeam Level" should've been in the original configuration instead?

Harlepolis said:

rdhull said:

The hate it gets is not deserved.The prototype for Purple Rain. Free is great. I love the coda to it with the heavy geetar playing and regular voice Hendrix style used.

There was a time when I thought it was just a hocky 80s ballad. It wasn't until I listened to the 26th B-Day performance that I truly appreciated the sincerity of this song, with Prince being backed up by just a piano and David Z' drum.

Bobby Z (David is his brother)

like Rdhull said it seriously feels like a PR era track, but not on the PR soundtrack. the original Screams of Passion (with the PR era sound) feels like this 1999 album cut.

Moonbeam Levels feels more like 1999

I like it on 1999 it could fit on Controversy too. It could have helped to concept of that album.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Harlepolis said:

There was a time when I thought it was just a hocky 80s ballad. It wasn't until I listened to the 26th B-Day performance that I truly appreciated the sincerity of this song, with Prince being backed up by just a piano and David Z' drum.

Bobby Z (David is his brother)

like Rdhull said it seriously feels like a PR era track, but not on the PR soundtrack. the original Screams of Passion (with the PR era sound) feels like this 1999 album cut.

Moonbeam Levels feels more like 1999

I like it on 1999 it could fit on Controversy too. It could have helped to concept of that album.

Right

Free is okay. Moonbeam Levels is better.

Harlepolis said:

Here's a question for ya'll though,,,

Do you think that Free should've been in the configuration, or do you think that its replaced sister song "Moonbeam Level" should've been in the original configuration instead?

No. 1999 is perfect imo. Moonbeam is a great song but I lived and breathed 1999 the way it was. Plus we got to hear Peggy Mac, Poochie and The Count!

Love it.

1999 was the first Prince album i ever bought.

It takes me back to a nice place everytime I play it.

It also was the debut of the beautiful Vanity on background vocals....

I was a sophmore in high school when 1999 was released. "Free" was a very big deal to many a high schooler back then. Had just the right amount of melodrama in that song for the kids to rally around. "Free" is, in a lot of ways, a precursor to "Purple Rain" (the song).

Never had a problem with it.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

It also was the debut of the beautiful Vanity on background vocals....

Yep, that's right, wish there was more of that kind of interaction then

Also the debut of Wendy Melvoin + Irresistable Bitch

i love free!.. the melody, his voice is beautiful.. the chorus moves me very much

OldFriends4Sale said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

It also was the debut of the beautiful Vanity on background vocals....

Yep, that's right, wish there was more of that kind of interaction then

Also the debut of Wendy Melvoin + Irresistable Bitch

One of my all time favorites. I can see why some are not so into it, but the song likely was a major building block in making me a Prince fanatic. I wish he would've done a full blown version on the Purple Rain tour with the guitar part played by Prince, and not Wendy.

It's possible to think of it as just a corny, overblown power ballad that doesn't quite belong on 1999. However, the production is quite raw and his guitar playing is great on it.

What I find strange about the lyrics is that many other songs from the same period suggest that he didn't feel the society was free enough.

"Moonbeam Levels" would have been better on the album though.

the '1999' album is perfect.Every song belongs on there,including "Free".

Initial tracking for Free took place on 25 April, 1982 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, (five days after D.M.S.R., the day before How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore).

Jamie Starr & The Starr ★ Company

Backing vocals: Lisa Coleman, Jill Jones, Vanity, Wendy Melvoin