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Thread started 06/20/16 5:10pm

anangellooksdo
wn

"Way Back Home". Interpretations please.

This song was released on Art Official Age in Sept of 2014. Do you think Prince wrote it in that year or sometime earlier?


What have you always felt it was about? Way back home meaning to God? Or to his home he grew up in or another home such as with a woman?

I've written some things I interpret in the paragraphs of the lyrics that are confusing to me. Please copy/paste/edit whatever your different interpretations are. Thank you!


Any person or object whatsoever
That requires your attention
Is something that has veered from its path
And preordained destiny of total enlightenment


ME: anyone who wants attention or anything that disturbs is not on natural spiritual course. OR, people or things that disturb ME require my attention because I'VE veered from my natural spiritual path (although he seems to say the former - confusing!) Could be a paradox.

I never wanted a typical life
Scripted role, huh a trophy wife
All I ever wanted, to be left alone
See my bed's made up at night
'Cause in my dreams I roam
Just trying to find, trying to find
My way back, back home


ME: He was just here on earth trying to find his true self so he could go home to God pure as possible.

So many reasons why
There's so many reasons why
I don't belong here
But now that I am I
Without fear I am
Gonna conquer with no fear
Until I find my way back home
Until I find my way back home
(Find my way back home)


ME: He's enlightened now (I am that I am) and he's gonna live out his life without fear until he goes home to God.

Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead
But I was born alive
(I was born with this dream)
With a dream outside my head (outside my head)
That I could find my way back home
My, my, way way back home


ME: I'll leave the rest up to you guys if you feel you want to comment.


Is this the way? (Is this the way?)

Power to the ones who could raise a child like me
The path was set
But if you look the truth will set us free
I've heard about those happy endings
But it's still a mystery
Lemme tell you about me
I'm happiest when I can see
My way back home
Can you see
My way back, my way back home
-Prince Rogers Nelson

[Edited 6/20/16 17:52pm]
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Reply #1 posted 06/20/16 5:26pm

Iamtheorg

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Getting back to the way things were before all of the success and muic business. And about his diagnosis.

.

[Edited 6/20/16 17:49pm]

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Reply #2 posted 06/20/16 5:44pm

Melted

"I was born alive"...Prince reached total spiritual enlightenment a lifetime or so ago. He returned already enlightened (alive) to guide fans to that same path of total enlightenment...through love for one another. Now that his work is done time to find his way back home. Thank you P. Love you and i think of you everyday.
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Reply #3 posted 06/20/16 5:50pm

breakdown2k14

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This song and "Affirmation 3" makes me think prince knew he was leaving us...
There's Joy in repetition
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Reply #4 posted 06/20/16 5:53pm

Wlcm2thdwn3

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breakdown2k14 said:

This song and "Affirmation 3" makes me think prince knew he was leaving us...


I think so too.

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Reply #5 posted 06/20/16 6:53pm

foreverfan1984

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I waffle between thinking he knew his time was short and knowing he wrote about death/afterlife throughout his career and that this song was not different from previous ones in that regard.

I think recent pictures of him make it difficult for me to think he did not have some underlying condition. Though with age comes awareness of one's mortality even without disease.

Given his religious beliefs, Way Back Home would refer to heaven. Christians, in particular often reference this world as not being their true home. "I don't belong here". He has focused on heaven and God throughout his career. Most people were born dead but he was born "alive". The Truth will set you free. John 8:32

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Reply #6 posted 06/20/16 7:37pm

mimi1956

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anangellooksdown said:

This song was released on Art Official Age in Sept of 2014. Do you think Prince wrote it in that year or sometime earlier? What have you always felt it was about? Way back home meaning to God? Or to his home he grew up in or another home such as with a woman? I've written some things I interpret in the paragraphs of the lyrics that are confusing to me. Please copy/paste/edit whatever your different interpretations are. Thank you! Any person or object whatsoever That requires your attention Is something that has veered from its path And preordained destiny of total enlightenment ME: anyone who wants attention or anything that disturbs is not on natural spiritual course. OR, people or things that disturb ME require my attention because I'VE veered from my natural spiritual path (although he seems to say the former - confusing!) Could be a paradox. I never wanted a typical life Scripted role, huh a trophy wife All I ever wanted, to be left alone See my bed's made up at night 'Cause in my dreams I roam Just trying to find, trying to find My way back, back home ME: He was just here on earth trying to find his true self so he could go home to God pure as possible. So many reasons why There's so many reasons why I don't belong here But now that I am I Without fear I am Gonna conquer with no fear Until I find my way back home Until I find my way back home (Find my way back home) ME: He's enlightened now (I am that I am) and he's gonna live out his life without fear until he goes home to God. Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead But I was born alive (I was born with this dream) With a dream outside my head (outside my head) That I could find my way back home My, my, way way back home ME: I'll leave the rest up to you guys if you feel you want to comment. Is this the way? (Is this the way?) Power to the ones who could raise a child like me The path was set But if you look the truth will set us free I've heard about those happy endings But it's still a mystery Lemme tell you about me I'm happiest when I can see My way back home Can you see My way back, my way back home -Prince Rogers Nelson [Edited 6/20/16 17:52pm]

I don't know why but it makes me think of Jesus. I've been feeling a lot of similarities between the 2 of them, maybe that's why I can't stop crying, we had something really special here in our time and now he's gone from us.

admission is easy, just say U believe, then come 2 this place in your heart.
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Reply #7 posted 06/20/16 8:12pm

Revolution

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mimi1956 said:



anangellooksdown said:


This song was released on Art Official Age in Sept of 2014. Do you think Prince wrote it in that year or sometime earlier? What have you always felt it was about? Way back home meaning to God? Or to his home he grew up in or another home such as with a woman? I've written some things I interpret in the paragraphs of the lyrics that are confusing to me. Please copy/paste/edit whatever your different interpretations are. Thank you! Any person or object whatsoever That requires your attention Is something that has veered from its path And preordained destiny of total enlightenment ME: anyone who wants attention or anything that disturbs is not on natural spiritual course. OR, people or things that disturb ME require my attention because I'VE veered from my natural spiritual path (although he seems to say the former - confusing!) Could be a paradox. I never wanted a typical life Scripted role, huh a trophy wife All I ever wanted, to be left alone See my bed's made up at night 'Cause in my dreams I roam Just trying to find, trying to find My way back, back home ME: He was just here on earth trying to find his true self so he could go home to God pure as possible. So many reasons why There's so many reasons why I don't belong here But now that I am I Without fear I am Gonna conquer with no fear Until I find my way back home Until I find my way back home (Find my way back home) ME: He's enlightened now (I am that I am) and he's gonna live out his life without fear until he goes home to God. Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead But I was born alive (I was born with this dream) With a dream outside my head (outside my head) That I could find my way back home My, my, way way back home ME: I'll leave the rest up to you guys if you feel you want to comment. Is this the way? (Is this the way?) Power to the ones who could raise a child like me The path was set But if you look the truth will set us free I've heard about those happy endings But it's still a mystery Lemme tell you about me I'm happiest when I can see My way back home Can you see My way back, my way back home -Prince Rogers Nelson [Edited 6/20/16 17:52pm]



I don't know why but it makes me think of Jesus. I've been feeling a lot of similarities between the 2 of them, maybe that's why I can't stop crying, we had something really special here in our time and now he's gone from us.



I totally agree. I've always thought that he was so special, almost otherworldly special. In fact, the thought has crossed my mind that Prince was put on this earth as a test. Did we get his music??? Did we listen, really listen, to what he was saying?
Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind.
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Reply #8 posted 06/20/16 9:31pm

morningsong

Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead
But I was born alive

This phrase use to annoy me. I questioned it privately a lot because it made absolutely no sense to me. Everyone in this world is born alive. Was he saying most people are dull and dim. Well that's rude telling everybody how dull they are and how marvolous bright he is. He can't be saying that can he?

one day watching my grandson he got frustrated he couldn't do somethng, got mad and started hollering. I'm thinking to myself boy you came into this world hollering and fighting. Then it hit me, or at least how I could interpet it based on other phrases in the song. Most babies when born need a lttle coaxing to take their first breathe, others come into the world hollering, already breathing demanding to be heard. First thought in those cases, that child's going to be a handful growing up. I suspect, again just guessng, Prince was a handful growing up.


The rest I haven't come to any conclusion.
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Reply #9 posted 06/20/16 10:35pm

wildgoldenhone
y

morningsong said:

Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead
But I was born alive

This phrase use to annoy me. I questioned it privately a lot because it made absolutely no sense to me. Everyone in this world is born alive. Was he saying most people are dull and dim. Well that's rude telling everybody how dull they are and how marvolous bright he is. He can't be saying that can he?

one day watching my grandson he got frustrated he couldn't do somethng, got mad and started hollering. I'm thinking to myself boy you came into this world hollering and fighting. Then it hit me, or at least how I could interpet it based on other phrases in the song. Most babies when born need a lttle coaxing to take their first breathe, others come into the world hollering, already breathing demanding to be heard. First thought in those cases, that child's going to be a handful growing up. I suspect, again just guessng, Prince was a handful growing up.


The rest I haven't come to any conclusion.

I'm thinking that he meant spiritually alive.
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Reply #10 posted 06/20/16 10:46pm

suomynona

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http://prince.org/msg/7/425379
http://prince.org/msg/7/411063

http://prince.org/msg/7/410878
http://prince.org/msg/7/423669
http://prince.org/msg/7/426058
http://prince.org/msg/7/423379
http://prince.org/msg/7/411114

One or all of the above posts might help the OP.

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Reply #11 posted 06/21/16 12:07am

Bunsterdk

I totally got the lines about being born dead or alive and they made me cry from recognition. Someone finally gets me. It perfectly captured how I have felt my entire life. To me it talks of that special drive, not allowing you to live a normal life that would just bring you down. It makes it very difficult to find friends and a partner who truely click with you etc. I think you either get it because it hits home with you, or you don't.

And I don't think he meant any disrespect either, it's just how it feels from this side of the fence. Some would say it's the other way around and peace with that.

Actually his beliefs made him expect a peaceful and perfect Paradise earth in future, not heaven. Being resurrected here in the flesh (as PRN) and living forever in perfect health and youth (in body). Among his favourite scriptures were Revelation 21:3-5 to anyone interested. He expected to be playing music for all eternity. Not a bad deal. Paradise'll be funky.. cool

But I also read into it merely the thought of finding comfort in having a home and enjoying being in it. Safe haven, solitude etc.
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Reply #12 posted 06/21/16 3:18am

GoldStandard

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(I was born with this dream)
With a dream outside my head (outside my head)

To me, "outside my head" means he was born with God's dream inside his head. The vision did not come from his own mind.

Nobody I know gun' bite
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Reply #13 posted 06/21/16 3:22am

GoldStandard

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In Affirmation 3, the lyrics say "you were separate from not only others, but even from yourself" and "Remember there really is only one destination, and that place is U
All of it, everything is U"

...Therefore, the destination back home is you. To "return home" to the "destination of you", I think it touches on the 'everyone is one' spiritual concept of the perfect version of ourselves before we became corrupted by the evils of the world.

[Edited 6/21/16 3:25am]

Nobody I know gun' bite
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Reply #14 posted 06/21/16 3:27am

GoldStandard

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"I am happiest when I can see"

This one is fairly obvious, but I would like to point it out for emphasis that his final twitter display picture was a version of himself with his physical eyes closed and his mind's eye open... so he passed away at a time when he could "see" and was at his happiest.

Nobody I know gun' bite
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Reply #15 posted 06/21/16 4:03am

NouveauDance

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It's a great song, but like a lot of Prince's philosophical and spiritual musings in the past decade and a half, there's often a condescending tone that doesn't translate in the same way that some earlier works did.

.

There's introspection and vulnerability here too though, which I greatly appreciated when I first heard it - I'd been longing for years to hear something other than the transparent bravado which became very tiresome, I was hoping we were going to get more like 'Way Back Home' in the future.

.

Prince has always written lyrics about his life, and clearly he was very troubled - but all this "he knew he was leaving us" garbage doesn't jive with me.

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Reply #16 posted 06/21/16 5:11am

muleFunk

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A condescending tone?

That's because of your point of view.

I understood exactly what he was saying.

Everyone is on a destination to the grave.

Prince went back home.

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Reply #17 posted 06/21/16 5:15am

NouveauDance

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muleFunk said:

A condescending tone?

That's because of your point of view.

You think it's my pov, because of your own pov. We can do this all day....

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Reply #18 posted 06/21/16 6:33am

benni

https://onevoice4peace.co...back-home/

I had written the above blog about that song before...I had tweeted the link to him, and then he retweeted my comment about the Atlanta shows, and someone else tweeted the links to my blog in reply to him, I'd like to think he might have read it.

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Reply #19 posted 06/21/16 8:45am

morningsong

wildgoldenhoney said:

morningsong said:

Most people in this world (Most people in this world)are born dead
But I was born alive

This phrase use to annoy me. I questioned it privately a lot because it made absolutely no sense to me. Everyone in this world is born alive. Was he saying most people are dull and dim. Well that's rude telling everybody how dull they are and how marvolous bright he is. He can't be saying that can he?

one day watching my grandson he got frustrated he couldn't do somethng, got mad and started hollering. I'm thinking to myself boy you came into this world hollering and fighting. Then it hit me, or at least how I could interpet it based on other phrases in the song. Most babies when born need a lttle coaxing to take their first breathe, others come into the world hollering, already breathing demanding to be heard. First thought in those cases, that child's going to be a handful growing up. I suspect, again just guessng, Prince was a handful growing up.


The rest I haven't come to any conclusion.

I'm thinking that he meant spiritually alive.


I take it he was born self-driven and ready to get moving.
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Reply #20 posted 06/21/16 8:49am

BobGeorge909

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Iamtheorg said:

Getting back to the way things were before all of the success and muic business. And about his diagnosis.





.

[Edited 6/20/16 17:49pm]


What diagnosis?
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Reply #21 posted 06/21/16 8:54am

BobGeorge909

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My fave lyric off the whole record is the, 'see my beds made up at night cuz in my dreams I roam' line. Great lyric. And he was...he was ALWAYS working, always moving forward, never stagnant or stationary. Going for the impossible, never resting. This is why I loved him and was OH so jealous of him. And it's all summed up it one beautiful lyric.
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Reply #22 posted 06/21/16 9:26am

TrevorAyer

Most people are born shaped and molded to be worker clones with no real decision making ability no real dreams no belief in themselves poisoned by flouride which numbs the will and creates complacency.... Prince was born alive with the ability to live who he believes he is ... And make that dream manifest in reality ... Most people live someone elses dream ... The work to build someone elses empire .. They have ZERO freedom tho they think otherwise ... The breakdown and time are both related to way back home ... Give me back the time u can keep the memories ... Regrets of leaving home caught up in babylon the devils play ground prince was ... Trying to find his way back to his dream ... Lost himself in ego and pride he did .. His dream was decomposing .. Music became shallow superficial ... Lost his dream lost himself ...
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Reply #23 posted 06/21/16 9:38am

CROWNS1

Maybe not having a balance between fame and creativity. His fame caused isolation and the thing he loved the most, his art, created his fame. Going home would be a place that he could create and still have freedom to be himself without the entrapments of fame.

[Edited 6/21/16 9:52am]

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Reply #24 posted 06/21/16 9:52am

Inasenselost

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benni said:

https://onevoice4peace.co...back-home/

I had written the above blog about that song before...I had tweeted the link to him, and then he retweeted my comment about the Atlanta shows, and someone else tweeted the links to my blog in reply to him, I'd like to think he might have read it.



benni, this blog post, like so many of your org posts, is beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this.
"...'IN A SENSE,' he said, 'you're alone here... so if you jump, you best jump far'..."
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Reply #25 posted 06/21/16 10:35am

morningsong

TrevorAyer said:

Most people are born shaped and molded to be worker clones with no real decision making ability no real dreams no belief in themselves poisoned by flouride which numbs the will and creates complacency.... Prince was born alive with the ability to live who he believes he is ... And make that dream manifest in reality ... Most people live someone elses dream ... The work to build someone elses empire .. They have ZERO freedom tho they think otherwise ... The breakdown and time are both related to way back home ... Give me back the time u can keep the memories ... Regrets of leaving home caught up in babylon the devils play ground prince was ... Trying to find his way back to his dream ... Lost himself in ego and pride he did .. His dream was decomposing .. Music became shallow superficial ... Lost his dream lost himself ...



Makes sense to me. Falls in line with destroying older masters. Wanting to rewrite older material. And so on.

[Edited 6/21/16 10:40am]

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Reply #26 posted 06/21/16 12:25pm

schbobby

Either Ida or Prince mentioned Astral Travel in those deleted tweet conversations, interesting that nobody has mentioned it or connected it to Way Back Home. Not surprise, only the enlighten one get it.

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Reply #27 posted 06/21/16 1:20pm

benni

Inasenselost said:

benni said:

https://onevoice4peace.co...back-home/

I had written the above blog about that song before...I had tweeted the link to him, and then he retweeted my comment about the Atlanta shows, and someone else tweeted the links to my blog in reply to him, I'd like to think he might have read it.

benni, this blog post, like so many of your org posts, is beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this.


Thank you! It is one of my faves by Prince. It still brings me to tears every time I hear it. Just to have the fearlessness that man did to proclaim he was born alive, fully self-aware, is just astounding to me. To be *that* awake to make that proclamation - amazing. He is beautiful.

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Reply #28 posted 06/21/16 3:10pm

lastdecember

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Again as I have said countless times, WE DON'T KNOW. You can say he didn't know his time was short and someone else will say he knew for sure. As with all art it is up to the listener or those observing to get something from it, if that is what you get than cool, others may not and that is cool too. BUT nothing is gospel, because the person with the answers to these questions is gone, and sorry but he left no answers.


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
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Reply #29 posted 06/21/16 4:04pm

pdiddy2011

NouveauDance said:

muleFunk said:

A condescending tone?

That's because of your point of view.

You think it's my pov, because of your own pov. We can do this all day....

What about the song is condescending?

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