Somebody once told him that he wouldn't take Prince through the ringer
Let him go down as a washed up singer
Ain't that a bitch?
Thinkin' all along that he wanted 2 be rich
Never respected the root of all evil and he still don't 2 this day, huh
Bury him face down, let the motherfuckers kiss a ass, OK?

I just thought of this today. I'm not one to over-read lyrics but I watched the video today in which Prince acts out his own funeral, heard that verse and thought damn, that is pretty much exactly what's happening now All these people left to sort out the mess, while Prince makes the point from beyond the grave that he never cared about money at all.

No

EnDoRpHn said:

Face Down is not the deepest song. The basic point is very simple: it's his way of saying that he was duped by the contract, but he was getting the last laugh. He not only killed "Prince", but buried him face down so that all the poseurs (including but not limited to the WB executives) could kiss his ass. The closing lines of the song contradict the OP: he says "it's in his will, I read it, he shot 2 kill, he said it: '4 those who have the number and don't call, f all y'all!'".

Was written about Jon Bream after indifferent review of Gold Experience.

tollyc said:

EnDoRpHn said:

Face Down is not the deepest song. The basic point is very simple: it's his way of saying that he was duped by the contract, but he was getting the last laugh. He not only killed "Prince", but buried him face down so that all the poseurs (including but not limited to the WB executives) could kiss his ass. The closing lines of the song contradict the OP: he says "it's in his will, I read it, he shot 2 kill, he said it: '4 those who have the number and don't call, f all y'all!'".

Was written about Jon Bream after indifferent review of Gold Experience.

always thought it was a semi-biographical song about elvis. Elvis died "face down" and the recurring phrase "dead like Elvis" but ya, it makes sense the way you're saying it. I thought it was his way of rebelling against what happened to elvis.

PeteSilas said:

tollyc said:

Was written about Jon Bream after indifferent review of Gold Experience.

always thought it was a semi-biographical song about elvis. Elvis died "face down" and the recurring phrase "dead like Elvis" but ya, it makes sense the way you're saying it. I thought it was his way of rebelling against what happened to elvis.

Uh....WHATTHEFUQ? Why would Prince rebel about another rock star's death? You rebel against something you can change, like government, or the rules at your folk's house, not some fat, washed up rocker who died almost two decades previous. It wasn't a musical Lifetime mini movie about Elvis's passing. It's about many things, including Warner Bros.

And no to the OP - you guys need to stop with the "was he hinting" or "was he trying to tell us something" nonsense. This was 1996, and you're projecting 20 years later about a will? Really??? That sorta thing isn't our business anyway, so it's sure not something he's going to randomly drop in a song.

TrivialPursuit said:

PeteSilas said:

always thought it was a semi-biographical song about elvis. Elvis died "face down" and the recurring phrase "dead like Elvis" but ya, it makes sense the way you're saying it. I thought it was his way of rebelling against what happened to elvis.

Uh....WHATTHEFUQ? Why would Prince rebel about another rock star's death? You rebel against something you can change, like government, or the rules at your folk's house, not some fat, washed up rocker who died almost two decades previous. It wasn't a musical Lifetime mini movie about Elvis's passing. It's about many things, including Warner Bros.

And no to the OP - you guys need to stop with the "was he hinting" or "was he trying to tell us something" nonsense. This was 1996, and you're projecting 20 years later about a will? Really??? That sorta thing isn't our business anyway, so it's sure not something he's going to randomly drop in a song.

no dingy, I was saying I read it as Prince seeing himself being setup for the same circumstances for that to happen to him and he rebelled against it. calm down before you start cussing at a motherfuqer. and don't call elvis fat or washed up, them's fighting words my four eyed friend.

PeteSilas said:

no dingy, I was saying I read it as Prince seeing himself being setup for the same circumstances for that to happen to him and he rebelled against it. calm down before you start cussing at a motherfuqer. and don't call elvis fat or washed up, them's fighting words my four eyed friend.

I've been cussin' since I was six.

Four eyes? I use my own eyes, and no one else's! haha

Well here it is from "Colonized Mind"

Download, a temporary acquisition
Of fleeting fame and fortune
Nothing to leave in your will
Hey hey hey hey

No.

lastdecember said:

Well here it is from "Colonized Mind"

Download, a temporary acquisition
Of fleeting fame and fortune
Nothing to leave in your will
Hey hey hey hey

that's the way it was for scores of r&b artists.

These threads get more ridiculous by the day.

Genesia said:

These threads get more ridiculous by the day.

EnDoRpHn said:

Face Down is not the deepest song. The basic point is very simple: it's his way of saying that he was duped by the contract, but he was getting the last laugh. He not only killed "Prince", but buried him face down so that all the poseurs (including but not limited to the WB executives) could kiss his ass. The closing lines of the song contradict the OP: he says "it's in his will, I read it, he shot 2 kill, he said it: '4 those who have the number and don't call, f all y'all!'".

Just last week I was thinking about this line and started an internet search for the word "will" in Prince's song lyrics as I personally see it being evidence that he very likely had one drafted--and long ago at that. So I agree that the mention of a will in "Face Down" and "Colonized Mind" (as lastdecember mentioned) contradicts the idea put forth by the OP that Prince didn't have a will drafted. (There is another more recent song from 2013-2015 era where a will gets mentioned in a song but I can't find it right now.)

.

Regarding the OP: In "Face Down", I don't think Prince was saying he didn't care about money. On the contrary, I think wealth, particularly protecting his own earnings from exploitation and theft, was a driving concern throughout much of his career. But money as "the root of all evil" was never his sole priority in life and music. I believe P. was simply stating in the song that he would not be controlled or compromised by some suit dangling a lucrative contract in front his face like a carrot to get him to behave. It's about the $--but it's not always about the $.

.

IIR throughout the 1990s, Prince became very vocal about his concern with the industry exploitation of music artists, particularly those of African American descent, given America's history of racial disenfranchisement. Industry exploitation gets mentioned in "Colonized Mind" (see reply #5) and it appears to be additional evidence that Prince already had a will drafted, likely at least by 1996 when he had a marriage and kids in the works--kids he'd have certainly wanted to leave his wealth to upon his passing ("with nothing to leave in your will...").

.

Back to "Face Down"--it's pretty clear that throughout the song Prince is referring to himself in the third person as "he"/"him". So the last line or two of the song where he says "it's in his will, I read it" etc., I think by "'his' will" Prince is referring to his own last will and testament, possibly as being read by some 3rd party. Admittedly, it's up for interpretation. And I don't believe P. literally had a statement in his will that he was going to shoot up some music industry executives LOL, but its mention in the lyrics appears to show he had an already drafted will on his mind.

[Edited 6/20/16 15:15pm]

I read 'Face Down" as a diss song to the music industry.

RiotPaisley said:

2Y2D mentions the woman in the song has a will and we all can't wait to read the juicy gossip in it.

Thanks I knew it was one of the HnR albums. Not the easiest search hunting for "will" in hundreds of song lyrics--have to go through quite a bit of hay to find the needles.

[Edited 6/20/16 15:18pm]

Genesia said:

These threads get more ridiculous by the day.

They sure do.