nursev said:

beachy said:

beachy said:

bigtimefan said:

This is weird. I googled the same thing this morning and this came up:

http://prince.org/msg/7/279230 which pretty much says Mayte.

well, since Prince himself is the one who said it referred to the 80s, I think I'm gonna go with that.

That was just a little joke for the audience. He even phrases it as a question.

.

The song is in the present tense, references a period of monogamy (that surely doesn't apply to the Vanity years), and being 'tricked', I assumed, was the marriage (a ring is also mentioned).

.

Then again, being composed around '83, with updated lyrics in '98/'99, matches what I said upthread (re: A Case Of You).

beachy said:

He played this song at his very last concert in Atlanta and after the phrase "good old days" said "the 80's?" so he was directing the song to his favorite protege in the 80s, not Mayte. I think it was Vanity. She cheated on him after he cheated on her. And she got married without telling him.

He's said that before, definitely also said the 80's at one of the 2009 Montreux shows.

gatorgirl said:

TheEnglishGent said:

beachy said:

He played this song at his very last concert in Atlanta and after the phrase "good old days" said "the 80's?" so he was directing the song to his favorite protege in the 80s, not Mayte. I think it was Vanity. She cheated on him after he cheated on her. And she got married without telling him.

He's said that before, definitely also said the 80's at one of the 2009 Montreux shows.

yeah 'good old days' refers to the past not the present, I'm gonna stick with the 80s. Favorite protege that period I would say Vanity. He didn't meet Mayte until 1990 in Europe.

[Edited 5/18/16 5:15am]

mynameisnotsusan said:

gatorgirl said:

For some reason I thought his parents and their relationship was at least part of the inspiration. I could be wrong though.

I remember reading that at the time it came out as well

axxording to the Vault (book) he mentioned that when his mother would come home from shopping and her dress would be on wrong because she had been trying on clothes that his father would have a jealous fit. i'm sure he takes details like this from lots of places and weaves them together into a coherent song

monkeytennis said:

beachy said:

Indifference too? ouch. I was thinking that was for Mayte. Although I also thought it might be Vanity.

Is indifference the acoustic song that's on Tidal? I love that song. Is there a studio recorded version available?

yes

nursev said:

beachy said:

I just had to watch the Montreux 2009 live performance of this song. Mind-blowing is an understatement.

(He also makes that reference about the 80's)

stinasings said:

nursev said:

I love it....the montreux version is in my car Im just amazed I how he took such pain and made such a beautiful song.

I love Montreux version especially how it go goes into Elixir is just beautiful

He goes into Love Like Jazz and She Spoke To Me on the Montreux performances of I Love You But... Elixer follows Empty Room.

Unless I'm missing a Montreux, which would be good to know!

beachy said:

TheEnglishGent said:

He's said that before, definitely also said the 80's at one of the 2009 Montreux shows.

yeah 'good old days' refers to the past not the present, I'm gonna stick with the 80s. Favorite protege that period I would say Vanity. He didn't meet Mayte until 1990 in Europe.

[Edited 5/18/16 5:15am]

It's just a humourous, almost self-deprecating, interjection into the song both times.

McD said:

beachy said:

yeah 'good old days' refers to the past not the present, I'm gonna stick with the 80s. Favorite protege that period I would say Vanity. He didn't meet Mayte until 1990 in Europe.

[Edited 5/18/16 5:15am]

It's just a humourous, almost self-deprecating, interjection into the song both times.

I think you are trying to force it to mean Mayte. But hey, you can think what you want.

beachy said:

McD said:

It's just a humourous, almost self-deprecating, interjection into the song both times.

I think you are trying to force it to mean Mayte. But hey, you can think what you want.

Mayte or not, you really think saying 'the eighties?', as a question to the audience after the line 'the good old days', means he is singing about an event in the 80's? It's just a remark about that being his peak. Infact, he was already acknowledging this when the song came out. He announced before release that RaveUn2 would be produced by an act who was 'big in the 80's'. Turned out to be 'Prince'.

.

The later years of his career are full of these remarks. And, like a comedian on tour, he repeated them night after night. I mean, some of them you CAN take literally. Prince did indeed have more hits than Madonna had kids.

That Montreaux performance might be the best vocal performance I've ever heard from anyone.

McD said:

beachy said:

I think you are trying to force it to mean Mayte. But hey, you can think what you want.

Mayte or not, you really think saying 'the eighties?', as a question to the audience after the line 'the good old days', means he is singing about an event in the 80's? It's just a remark about that being his peak. Infact, he was already acknowledging this when the song came out. He announced before release that RaveUn2 would be produced by an act who was 'big in the 80's'. Turned out to be 'Prince'.

.

The later years of his career are full of these remarks. And, like a comedian on tour, he repeated them night after night. I mean, some of them you CAN take literally. Prince did indeed have more hits than Madonna had kids.

I think that in fact, the good old days for Prince WAS the 80s and he acknowledges it in the song. So yeah I don't dismiss it as a throw away line, he said it more than once on different occasions because its simply true. we met here in the good old days. its clear. you can argue who is the favorite protege of the 80s, that would be a valid discussion. this isn't.

beachy said:

McD said:

Mayte or not, you really think saying 'the eighties?', as a question to the audience after the line 'the good old days', means he is singing about an event in the 80's? It's just a remark about that being his peak. Infact, he was already acknowledging this when the song came out. He announced before release that RaveUn2 would be produced by an act who was 'big in the 80's'. Turned out to be 'Prince'.

.

The later years of his career are full of these remarks. And, like a comedian on tour, he repeated them night after night. I mean, some of them you CAN take literally. Prince did indeed have more hits than Madonna had kids.

I think that in fact, the good old days for Prince WAS the 80s and he acknowledges it in the song. So yeah I don't dismiss it as a throw away line, he said it more than once on different occasions because its simply true. we met here in the good old days. its clear. you can argue who is the favorite protege of the 80s, that would be a valid discussion. this isn't.

Its not a valid discussion to suggest the Matye breakup album has a break-up song that might be about Mayte? The one from '99, sung in the present tense, with a ring and a monogamous relationship where everything fits Mayte?

.

You win. See ya.

.

monkeytennis said:

I always thought it was Mayte. Fantastic song though.

NO, it was not about Mayte.

McD said:

beachy said:

I think that in fact, the good old days for Prince WAS the 80s and he acknowledges it in the song. So yeah I don't dismiss it as a throw away line, he said it more than once on different occasions because its simply true. we met here in the good old days. its clear. you can argue who is the favorite protege of the 80s, that would be a valid discussion. this isn't.

Its not a valid discussion to suggest the Matye breakup album has a break-up song that might be about Mayte? The one from '99, sung in the present tense, with a ring and a monogamous relationship where everything fits Mayte?

.

You win. See ya.

.

You hatred for Mayte is sick.

keenly said:

Didn't Prince originally meet Mayte in Europe?

He says in the song: "I remember meeting you here in the good old days." I would assume "here" refers to the Twin Cities. Of course, that lyric doesn't necessarily mean that it was the first meeting - it could have been when they met after she flew out to join the NPG.

hold on y'all, the song says "I wouldn't pluck the flower of my favorite protege" Mayte was underage when they met and Vanity definitely was not no virgin. I always took it to mean that he wouldn't pop her cherry because he had too much adoration for her. That wasn't the nature of he and vanity, hell, they probably didn't hesitate to consummate their physical desires.

beachy said:

mynameisnotsusan said:

gatorgirl said: I remember reading that at the time it came out as well

axxording to the Vault (book) he mentioned that when his mother would come home from shopping and her dress would be on wrong because she had been trying on clothes that his father would have a jealous fit. i'm sure he takes details like this from lots of places and weaves them together into a coherent song

Most likely. I don't understand why people think a song have to be autobiographical.

BanishedBrian said:

Didn't Prince originally meet Mayte in Europe?

He says in the song: "I remember meeting you here in the good old days." I would assume "here" refers to the Twin Cities. Of course, that lyric doesn't necessarily mean that it was the first meeting - it could have been when they met after she flew out to join the NPG.

So every time he sang the "here" lyric, he was referring to wherever he was performing? SMH.

DiscoBallz said:

BanishedBrian said:

Didn't Prince originally meet Mayte in Europe?

He says in the song: "I remember meeting you here in the good old days." I would assume "here" refers to the Twin Cities. Of course, that lyric doesn't necessarily mean that it was the first meeting - it could have been when they met after she flew out to join the NPG.

So every time he sang the "here" lyric, he was referring to wherever he was performing? SMH.

No, when he sang the song live, he was reciting lyrics that he wrote at Paisley Park. "Here" is in the context of where he wrote the lyrics, i.e., in Minnesota.

beachy said:

paulludvig said: