Let us have an engaging discussion about the possible lyrical meanings, interpretations, and significance of the Gingerbread Man to the life of our man. The song was performed live to the instrumentation of Question of U, yet was never released. According to PrinceVault, Gingerbread Man was performed in 2010, 2011, 2012 shows. The performances and lyrics were once discussed on the org, especially about the possible state of mind and spiritual questioning that might have been happening in his life during this 2010-2012 period. The interpolation of Question of U + Gingerbread Man is interesting too.

______________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics were once posted by orger thaCONcept. The lyrics performed during the Welcome2America tour on youtube follow:

Once upon a time these old hands put some dough 2gether and made a Gingerbread Man

Emeralds 4 eyes cherries 4 buttons

Once they were open she made, she made them 4 nothing

If u can c me holler as loud as u can

C if u can catch the Gingerbread man

Now, eye love me some me

But eyem sick of the I-land

Eyem looking 4 Ginger

Eyem tired, eyem tired of Maryanne

If u got what eye need holler as loud as U can

C if U can catch the Gingerbread man

(eye want something GOLD)

Ain't no drought about it

Eye can make the weather change

When eye make u "ohhhh"

There will b rain

If ur standing over a puddle eye say

If ur standing over a puddle if ur standing over a puddle

Jump on my hips

and hear this guitar go...girl.....

Make ya make ma ya take a trip

(Guitar Solo)

Sometimes it snows

Sometimes it rains

Do u know how 2 catch the Gingerbread man?

Sometimes it snows

Sometimes it rains

Do u know how 2 catch the Gingerbread man?

Sometimes it snows

Sometimes it rains

Sometimes it rains

Sometimes it rains

[Edited 3/2/17 20:30pm]

[Edited 3/2/17 20:32pm]

that guitar solo

hmm, the one linked in the original post is cool, but the version i've heard was much better.
the guitar solo was fire on that one.

anyway, nice 'dirty' bit of prince showing through, i liked that.

like my tootsie roll in Chocolate maybe?

Tick Tick Bang
Tamborine

Power Fantastic

Do Me Baby ending

My Stick

An interesting song, destined to never be heard by the casual fans.

The first clue is that the song uses the Question of U as a musical backdrop for the lyrics. That song is a question about longing to understand and form a real loving relationship. Yet the Gingerbread man song seems to be filled with braggadocious lyrics. Is it perhaps the suggestion of Prince being vulnerable and caring but hididng it with his Prince ultimate lover persona. Is there depth to this song? The opening starts once upon a time alluding to a fairy story (she believed in fairy tales in Princes, once upon a time lived a bad boy named Christopher Tracey, Bedtime story)

I would say that the lyrics aren't clear, things are hidden and like the way we think things pop up in the song. I think the song is about a woman who Prince is enamored with and he is obsessed with. The Gingerbread man is a side of Prince. A part of nature representing his pride and lust. This was created by God (the pair of old hands), but is something that is brought out by certain woman, she brings outs this character.

The Gingerbread man, is described with images of wealth and rarity. Tellingly the eyes are emeralds, green being the color of envy (Shakespeare's green eyed monster). The Gingerbread man refers to the fairy story. Prince lusts after woman, but he also to quote Joni Mitchell "gets the urge for going" as he says in Savior "he used to boast no one woman could have me" Prince has something intrinsic in him that runs from settling down. He needs the ultimate to commit. Why can't he be happy? What is wrong with him (computer blue "where is my love life, where has it gone, somebody tell me what the hell is wrong? etc). He also has a coat that has cherries for buttons. The cherry could represent the virginity of proteges he has taken, such as Mayte, (I wanna melt with u, "don't look now there's a river of blood, you must have been a virgin, what am I guitlty of."), once again sexually frank and ego boosting.

He retreats to the boasting. He play with the run run as fast as you can, and turns it into the sexual "holler as loud as u can." Nobody can catch Prince, because if you catch him, he needs you and he is vulnerable, and he can be hurt. That is why he wants woman trying to "catch the Gingerbread man" but cannot have him persuing them. He is the mythical Gingerbread man (unobtainable pop star sex god with the ribs removed and all the other tabloid bs so he can satisfy himself if he needs to.)

A little truth, he is sick of the "I-land", he's sick of being alone...). He loves woman and leaves them but he does not feel "satisfied" (something he would immortalise in a song from musicology, a meaningful relationship) Prince may enjoy feeling the sex God, but is he just with groupies looking for a taste of fame. Do they really like Prince (would they like Skipper back in Minnie), as he says in Purple rain ("I don't want a lover I just need a friend", a friend, lover, mother, sister, wife to quote an emancipation song)

Playfully he riffs from Ginger to talking about Gilligans Island. A familiar pop culture trope is the concept of Ginger (glam, sexy, movie star) and Maryanne (girl next door, cute, loving the kind of girl you do take home to momma (to paraphrase Rick James superfreak). Which one of these archetypes does Prince want? The Madonna or the whore. Prince wants both, and ultimately his lusty Gingerbread man feelings get tired of Maryanne (Mayte may have had aspects of this and he keeps looking for the Ginger, the lustful ultimate sexual experience, represented by his Carmen Electra's, Kim Bassinger (b4 he met her based on the 9 1/2 weeks fantasy) Sherilyn Fenn etc. He wants something gold (Tick Tick Bang "like this chain around my hip, I want a 24 karat relationship) The woman that gets has to tame him like a dragon, she has to be amazing in all aspects, especially in bed.

And it comes back to the Dirty Mind Prince - Ain't no drought about it. A clever pun about his ability to make you ladies wet (When 2 r in love - Let me touch ur body till ur rivers an ocean, soft and wet, come It's no wonder there's a puddle there Holding it in 4 so long
U know U can let it go It won't be wrong.) And it becomes monsoon season. Prince can "make the weather change" make a woman who doesn't want him desire him. There i rain, linking sex to heaven to ahem wetness (sex is a gift from God is one of his believes). And now she is standning under a puddle.

He makes no bones about it "jump on my hips. Hear this guitar go suggests the power of his music to arouse, the link between guitar and sex (in guitar world he said a womans climax was his ultimate guitar tone a very cool quote) and the guitar is phallic "to the max"

The last lines follow the guitar solo (the guitar solo is the consummation) The last few lines are bitter sweet. Sometimes it snows (in April symbolic of sadness passing death, also defensiveness - Oprah Winfry "the snow keeps all the bad people out (about Minneapolis) and Snowman), sometimes it rains (this represents the spiritual "I only wanted to see you in the Purple Rain, Melody Cool "At every funeral it rains", a sense of sadness, a spiritual acknowledgement of something lacking or to be found)

And sadly "Do you know how to catch the Gingerbread man?" He wants to find "the one", "the most beautiful girl in the world" He does not know why he strays, why he puts up barriers, the affairs secret but not so secret could be acts of self sabotage, Vicki Waiting (he ponders if he "deserves a copy made" is he worthy of a child, he lost a child (was that a punishment from God, - of course not, no God could be that cruel, but guilt does do horrible things to a vulnerable mind)

Prince wants to be caught, but he is afraid to stop running. I think the Question of U, underplays his true uncertainty. It reminds me of a scene in Purple Rain which I believe Morris Day insisted upon. He has just laughed at Prince, and asked him how the family was after his old man Francis L has attempted suicide. He laughs with the Time and he is the man. Then Morris stops against the wall and realises what he has done. For all of the strength and power in this song, Prince is still troubled and uncertain.

That is my dime store psychology. I hope it didn't ramble too much.

[Edited 3/3/17 15:49pm]

robertgeorge said:

An interesting song, destined to never be heard by the casual fans.

The first clue is that the song uses the Question of U as a musical backdrop for the lyrics. That song is a question about longing to understand and form a real loving relationship. Yet the Gingerbread man song seems to be filled with braggadocious lyrics. Is it perhaps the suggestion of Prince being vulnerable and caring but hididng it with his Prince ultimate lover persona. Is there depth to this song? The opening starts once upon a time alluding to a fairy story (she believed in fairy tales in Princes, once upon a time lived a bad boy named Christopher Tracey, Bedtime story)

I would say that the lyrics aren't clear, things are hidden and like the way we think things pop up in the song. I think the song is about a woman who Prince is enamored with and he is obsessed with. The Gingerbread man is a side of Prince. A part of nature representing his pride and lust. This was created by God (the pair of old hands), but is something that is brought out by certain woman, she brings outs this character.

The Gingerbread man, is described with images of wealth and rarity. Tellingly the eyes are emeralds, green being the color of envy (Shakespeare's green eyed monster). The Gingerbread man refers to the fairy story. Prince lusts after woman, but he also to quote Joni Mitchell "gets the urge for going" as he says in Savior "he used to boast no one woman could have me" Prince has something intrinsic in him that runs from settling down. He needs the ultimate to commit. Why can't he be happy? What is wrong with him (computer blue "where is my love life, where has it gone, somebody tell me what the hell is wrong? etc)

He retreats to the boasting. He play with the run run as fast as you can, and turns it into the sexual "holler as loud as u can." Nobody can catch Prince, because if you catch him, he needs you and he is vulnerable, and he can be hurt. That is why he wants woman trying to "catch the Gingerbread man" but cannot have him persuing them. He is the mythical Gingerbread man (unobtainable pop star sex god with the ribs removed and all the other tabloid bs so he can satisfy himself if he needs to.)

A little truth, he is sick of the "I-land", he's sick of being alone...). He loves woman and leaves them but he does not feel "satisfied" (something he would immortalise in a song from musicology, a meaningful relationship) Prince may enjoy feeling the sex God, but is he just with groupies looking for a taste of fame. Do they really like Prince (would they like Skipper back in Minnie), as he says in Purple rain ("I don't want a lover I just need a friend", a friend, lover, mother, sister, wife to quote an emancipation song)

Playfully he riffs from Ginger to talking about Gilligans Island. A familiar pop culture trope is the concept of Ginger (glam, sexy, movie star) and Maryanne (girl next door, cute, loving the kind of girl you do take home to momma (to paraphrase Rick James superfreak). Which one of these archetypes does Prince want? The Madonna or the whore. Prince wants both, and ultimately his lusty Gingerbread man feelings get tired of Maryanne (Mayte may have had aspects of this and he keeps looking for the Ginger, the lustful ultimate sexual experience, represented by his Carmen Electra's, Kim Bassinger (b4 he met her based on the 9 1/2 weeks fantasy) Sherilyn Fenn etc. He wants something gold (Tick Tick Bang "like this chain around my hip, I want a 24 karat relationship) The woman that gets has to tame him like a dragon, she has to be amazing in all aspects, especially in bed.

And it comes back to the Dirty Mind Prince - Ain't no drought about it. A clever pun about his ability to make you ladies wet (When 2 r in love - Let me touch ur body till ur rivers an ocean, soft and wet, come It's no wonder there's a puddle there Holding it in 4 so long
U know U can let it go It won't be wrong.) And it becomes monsoon season. Prince can "make the weather change" make a woman who doesn't want him desire him. There i rain, linking sex to heaven to ahem wetness (sex is a gift from God is one of his believes). And now she is standning under a puddle.

He makes no bones about it "jump on my hips. Hear this guitar go suggests the power of his music to arouse, the link between guitar and sex (in guitar world he said a womans climax was his ultimate guitar tone a very cool quote) and the guitar is phallic "to the max"

The last lines follow the guitar solo (the guitar solo is the consummation) The last few lines are bitter sweet. Sometimes it snows (in April symbolic of sadness passing death, also defensiveness - Oprah Winfry "the snow keeps all the bad people out (about Minneapolis) and Snowman), sometimes it rains (this represents the spiritual "I only wanted to see you in the Purple Rain, Melody Cool "At every funeral it rains", a sense of sadness, a spiritual acknowledgement of something lacking or to be found)

And sadly "Do you know how to catch the Gingerbread man?" He wants to find "the one", "the most beautiful girl in the world" He does not know why he strays, why he puts up barriers, the affairs secret but not so secret could be acts of self sabotage, Vicki Waiting (he ponders if he "deserves a copy made" is he worthy of a child, he lost a child (was that a punishment from God, - of course not, no God could be that cruel, but guilt does do horrible things to a vulnerable mind)

Prince wants to be caught, but he is afraid to stop running. I think the Question of U, underplays his true uncertainty. It reminds me of a scene in Purple Rain which I believe Morris Day insisted upon. He has just laughed at Prince, and asked him how the family was after his old man Francis L has attempted suicide. He laughs with the Time and he is the man. Then Morris stops against the wall and realises what he has done. For all of the strength and power in this song, Prince is still troubled and uncertain.

That is my dime store psychology. I hope it didn't ramble too much.

Well said.

IstenSzek said:

hmm, the one linked in the original post is cool, but the version i've heard was much better.
the guitar solo was fire on that one.

anyway, nice 'dirty' bit of prince showing through, i liked that.

Do you remember what concert it was on? This is one I have missed.

ufoclub said:

IstenSzek said:

hmm, the one linked in the original post is cool, but the version i've heard was much better.
the guitar solo was fire on that one.

anyway, nice 'dirty' bit of prince showing through, i liked that.

Do you remember what concert it was on? This is one I have missed.

not sure what date that was. it's on the welcome 2 america...unique moments bootleg release iirc.

Hello robertgeorge. Wow! Your interpretation is rather deep; therefore, it is taking me several readings to upack your analysis. Bear with me as I go through it bit by bit and it may take several posts to respond to your many salient points. First, you're correct in that this song is not for the casual fans. I am drawn to this song mainly because he never released it, yet performed it several times live. Not only am I intrigued by the lyrics and their possible meanings, but the fact that he sang the lyrics to The Question of U. Why the music of this song? I wonder had he ceased singing the original TQofU lyrics because he no longer needed or wanted to ask that same question over and over again - "What shall I do?":

So what is the answer 2 the question of u
what do I look 4, what shall I do?
Which way do I turn when I'm feeling lost?

If I sell my soul, now what will it cost?
Must I become naked? No image at all?
Shall I remain upright? Or get down and crawl?
All of the questions in my life will be answered
when I decide which road 2 choose
what is the answer 2 the question of u?

He removed these lyrics of uncertainty and vulnerability and replaced them with as you rightly called The Gingerbread Man's "braggadocious lyrics". Here he no longer portrays himself as vulnerable and vacillating, but confident in his quest for The One. He describes her. The performance dates are telling. He was calling out because she had not yet appeared and he was ready.

Times before, he interpolated TQoU with The Electric Man. This is also telling. Before he was The Gingerbread Man, he was The Electric Man (1990):

All my friends they call me Prince.
All my ladies call me Electric Man.

All my friends they call me Prince.
All my ladies call me Electric Man.

When I plug into your socket baby,

I can charge it like nobody babe

Talk to me, play pretty for me.

Talk to me, play pretty.

The Electric Man is young, carnal, and primed for the hunt. The Gingerbread Man is mature, measured and tired of the hunt.

(I have to leave it here for now, but will be back soon to continue.)

Peace.

Hi amimissinsumthin, it is interesting what you said about the Electric Man.

I really liked that part of his performance, and felt it was an excellent "spot" in his concert performances (I have only heard audio, not seen him perform the Electric Man.

I like the vocal as it is bluesy and soulful, yet when delivered does not sound like traditional blues or soulful. The character reminds me of the character in the Bo Didley song "I'm a man"

Now when I was a little boy 'bout the age of five
I had something in my pocket
Keep a lot of folks alive

Now I'm a man, I'm age twenty-one
You know baby, we can have a lotta fun
I'm a man, I spell, M A N
Man

All you pretty women, stand in line
I can make love to you baby, in an hour's time
I'm a man, spelled M A N
Man

I'm going back down to Kansas
To bring back the second cousin
Little John, the conqueroo
I'm a man, spelled M A N
Man

The line I shoot will never miss
The way I make love to 'em, they can't resist
I'm a man, I spell M A N
Man

It is a traditional boast in song, which like Electric man, shows he is an unstoppable force that men want to be and women want to be with. This spot in the concert performance reminded me of what Prince would do in the Purple Rain shows, where Prince would tell the audience to rub there hands together. He would say "what's that sound?" "Orgasm."

Electric man is a Prince version of "I'm a man" , its response song "Mannish boy" (by Muddy Waters) Interestingly "I'm a man" is echoed in the Nas song "Bridging the gap" which sample I'm a man" and features a deft Prince reference "Born in the game, discovered my father's music
Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain"

I like how you see this Electric man as Prince in a different state as he evolved spiritually and emotionally.

was this supposed to be on the Black Muse lp?

robertgeorge said:

Hi amimissinsumthin, it is interesting what you said about the Electric Man.

I really liked that part of his performance, and felt it was an excellent "spot" in his concert performances (I have only heard audio, not seen him perform the Electric Man.

I like the vocal as it is bluesy and soulful, yet when delivered does not sound like traditional blues or soulful. The character reminds me of the character in the Bo Didley song "I'm a man"

Now when I was a little boy 'bout the age of five
I had something in my pocket
Keep a lot of folks alive

Now I'm a man, I'm age twenty-one
You know baby, we can have a lotta fun
I'm a man, I spell, M A N
Man

All you pretty women, stand in line
I can make love to you baby, in an hour's time
I'm a man, spelled M A N
Man

I'm going back down to Kansas
To bring back the second cousin
Little John, the conqueroo
I'm a man, spelled M A N
Man

The line I shoot will never miss
The way I make love to 'em, they can't resist
I'm a man, I spell M A N
Man

It is a traditional boast in song, which like Electric man, shows he is an unstoppable force that men want to be and women want to be with. This spot in the concert performance reminded me of what Prince would do in the Purple Rain shows, where Prince would tell the audience to rub there hands together. He would say "what's that sound?" "Orgasm."

Electric man is a Prince version of "I'm a man" , its response song "Mannish boy" (by Muddy Waters) Interestingly "I'm a man" is echoed in the Nas song "Bridging the gap" which sample I'm a man" and features a deft Prince reference "Born in the game, discovered my father's music
Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain"

I like how you see this Electric man as Prince in a different state as he evolved spiritually and emotionally.

Hello RobertGeorge. Your knowledge is deep. I am learning so much from this musical journey that has taken me from Mississippi to New York to "Madagascar, Paris, and Greece." It has been interesting to uncoil these musical connections. Electric Man was originally sung by Mr Muddy Waters which was modified by our man. I may be wrong, but some of the instrumentation from the Waters version can be heard in our man's modified version/TQoU interpolation. (I am still working on this.) I had not ever listened to Nas (despite the Minneapolis connection to our man) until "Bridging the gap" where I do hear the Bo Diddley sample and the "deft" reference. As he was bridging the generational gap between his father and carrying on the torch, I think he was declaring the same between our man and himself with that reference too. (Maybe a stretch here.)

Hey, ami!! This is a very sexy song. Prince was clearly exhibiting some very carnal thoughts and behaviors right there. Someone who was at that show @ MSG in NYC--on December 29, 2010, according to Prince Vault--had this to say in the comments: "I was there in NYC when he played it. He also took off his shirt that night. We thought we were in a time machine! The old nasty Prince was back for one night!"

BTW: Not long after, he met Andy Allo, who wore that very same purple silk shirt and necklace at one of their performances. Some say she "caught" the "Gingerbread Man."

Salaam, my friend.

[Edited 3/25/17 11:57am]

FlyOnTheWall said:

Hey, ami!! This is a very sexy song. Prince was clearly exhibiting some very carnal thoughts and behaviors right there. Someone who was at that show @ MSG in NYC--on December 29, 2010, according to Prince Vault--had this to say in the comments: "I was there in NYC when he played it. He also took off his shirt that night. We thought we were in a time machine! The old nasty Prince was back for one night!"

BTW: Not long after, he met Andy Allo, who wore that very same purple silk shirt and necklace at one of their performances. Some say she "caught" the "Gingerbread Man."

Salaam, my friend.

[Edited 3/25/17 11:57am]

Hello Fly. Unfortunately, she is not The One.

[Edited 3/25/17 12:16pm]

[Edited 3/25/17 12:23pm]

amimissinsumthin said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

Hey, ami!! This is a very sexy song. Prince was clearly exhibiting some very carnal thoughts and behaviors right there. Someone who was at that show @ MSG in NYC--on December 29, 2010, according to Prince Vault--had this to say in the comments: "I was there in NYC when he played it. He also took off his shirt that night. We thought we were in a time machine! The old nasty Prince was back for one night!"

BTW: Not long after, he met Andy Allo, who wore that very same purple silk shirt and necklace at one of their performances. Some say she "caught" the "Gingerbread Man."

Salaam, my friend.

[Edited 3/25/17 11:57am]

Hello Fly. Unfortunately, she is not The One.

That's your opinion, my friend.

FlyOnTheWall said:

GoldenParachute said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

Hey, ami!! This is a very sexy song. Prince was clearly exhibiting some very carnal thoughts and behaviors right there. Someone who was at that show @ MSG in NYC--on December 29, 2010, according to Prince Vault--had this to say in the comments: "I was there in NYC when he played it. He also took off his shirt that night. We thought we were in a time machine! The old nasty Prince was back for one night!"

BTW: Not long after, he met Andy Allo, who wore that very same purple silk shirt and necklace at one of their performances. Some say she "caught" the "Gingerbread Man."

Salaam, my friend.

[Edited 3/25/17 11:57am]

What a psycho. Not sure you could be anymore delusional then you already are.

Excuse me????? Delusional? Are they not wearing the same shirt and necklace?

FlyOnTheWall said:

GoldenParachute said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

Excuse me????? Delusional? Are they not wearing the same shirt and necklace?

This, to you, means that the song has a relationship to Gingerbreadman, huh? FIND. SOMETHING. TO. DO.

I don't understand. Isn't this thread about the song/video "Gingerbread Man." I gave my thoughts on the song. Beyond that, I also shared that, in the video linked, Prince was wearing a shirt that Andy Allo later wore in one of their performances. Am I missing something?

Lastly, I. HAVE. SOMETHiNG. TO. DO.

FlyOnTheWall said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

GoldenParachute said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

I don't understand. Isn't this thread about the song/video "Gingerbread Man." I gave my thoughts on the song. Beyond that, I also shared that, in the video linked, Prince was wearing a shirt that Andy Allo later wore in one of their performances. Am I missing something?

Lastly, I. HAVE. SOMETHiNG. TO. DO.

We know. Perhaps I should have said "productive". Obsessing over a pseudo relationship you've built in your head, does not qualify as "something to do". Go get a job. [Edited 3/26/17 14:51pm]

robertgeorge said:

An interesting song, destined to never be heard by the casual fans.

The first clue is that the song uses the Question of U as a musical backdrop for the lyrics. That song is a question about longing to understand and form a real loving relationship. Yet the Gingerbread man song seems to be filled with braggadocious lyrics. Is it perhaps the suggestion of Prince being vulnerable and caring but hididng it with his Prince ultimate lover persona. Is there depth to this song? The opening starts once upon a time alluding to a fairy story (she believed in fairy tales in Princes, once upon a time lived a bad boy named Christopher Tracey, Bedtime story)

I would say that the lyrics aren't clear, things are hidden and like the way we think things pop up in the song. I think the song is about a woman who Prince is enamored with and he is obsessed with. The Gingerbread man is a side of Prince. A part of nature representing his pride and lust. This was created by God (the pair of old hands), but is something that is brought out by certain woman, she brings outs this character.

The Gingerbread man, is described with images of wealth and rarity. Tellingly the eyes are emeralds, green being the color of envy (Shakespeare's green eyed monster). The Gingerbread man refers to the fairy story. Prince lusts after woman, but he also to quote Joni Mitchell "gets the urge for going" as he says in Savior "he used to boast no one woman could have me" Prince has something intrinsic in him that runs from settling down. He needs the ultimate to commit. Why can't he be happy? What is wrong with him (computer blue "where is my love life, where has it gone, somebody tell me what the hell is wrong? etc). He also has a coat that has cherries for buttons. The cherry could represent the virginity of proteges he has taken, such as Mayte, (I wanna melt with u, "don't look now there's a river of blood, you must have been a virgin, what am I guitlty of."), once again sexually frank and ego boosting.

He retreats to the boasting. He play with the run run as fast as you can, and turns it into the sexual "holler as loud as u can." Nobody can catch Prince, because if you catch him, he needs you and he is vulnerable, and he can be hurt. That is why he wants woman trying to "catch the Gingerbread man" but cannot have him persuing them. He is the mythical Gingerbread man (unobtainable pop star sex god with the ribs removed and all the other tabloid bs so he can satisfy himself if he needs to.)

A little truth, he is sick of the "I-land", he's sick of being alone...). He loves woman and leaves them but he does not feel "satisfied" (something he would immortalise in a song from musicology, a meaningful relationship) Prince may enjoy feeling the sex God, but is he just with groupies looking for a taste of fame. Do they really like Prince (would they like Skipper back in Minnie), as he says in Purple rain ("I don't want a lover I just need a friend", a friend, lover, mother, sister, wife to quote an emancipation song)

Playfully he riffs from Ginger to talking about Gilligans Island. A familiar pop culture trope is the concept of Ginger (glam, sexy, movie star) and Maryanne (girl next door, cute, loving the kind of girl you do take home to momma (to paraphrase Rick James superfreak). Which one of these archetypes does Prince want? The Madonna or the whore. Prince wants both, and ultimately his lusty Gingerbread man feelings get tired of Maryanne (Mayte may have had aspects of this and he keeps looking for the Ginger, the lustful ultimate sexual experience, represented by his Carmen Electra's, Kim Bassinger (b4 he met her based on the 9 1/2 weeks fantasy) Sherilyn Fenn etc. He wants something gold (Tick Tick Bang "like this chain around my hip, I want a 24 karat relationship) The woman that gets has to tame him like a dragon, she has to be amazing in all aspects, especially in bed.

And it comes back to the Dirty Mind Prince - Ain't no drought about it. A clever pun about his ability to make you ladies wet (When 2 r in love - Let me touch ur body till ur rivers an ocean, soft and wet, come It's no wonder there's a puddle there Holding it in 4 so long
U know U can let it go It won't be wrong.) And it becomes monsoon season. Prince can "make the weather change" make a woman who doesn't want him desire him. There i rain, linking sex to heaven to ahem wetness (sex is a gift from God is one of his believes). And now she is standning under a puddle.

He makes no bones about it "jump on my hips. Hear this guitar go suggests the power of his music to arouse, the link between guitar and sex (in guitar world he said a womans climax was his ultimate guitar tone a very cool quote) and the guitar is phallic "to the max"

The last lines follow the guitar solo (the guitar solo is the consummation) The last few lines are bitter sweet. Sometimes it snows (in April symbolic of sadness passing death, also defensiveness - Oprah Winfry "the snow keeps all the bad people out (about Minneapolis) and Snowman), sometimes it rains (this represents the spiritual "I only wanted to see you in the Purple Rain, Melody Cool "At every funeral it rains", a sense of sadness, a spiritual acknowledgement of something lacking or to be found)

And sadly "Do you know how to catch the Gingerbread man?" He wants to find "the one", "the most beautiful girl in the world" He does not know why he strays, why he puts up barriers, the affairs secret but not so secret could be acts of self sabotage, Vicki Waiting (he ponders if he "deserves a copy made" is he worthy of a child, he lost a child (was that a punishment from God, - of course not, no God could be that cruel, but guilt does do horrible things to a vulnerable mind)

Prince wants to be caught, but he is afraid to stop running. I think the Question of U, underplays his true uncertainty. It reminds me of a scene in Purple Rain which I believe Morris Day insisted upon. He has just laughed at Prince, and asked him how the family was after his old man Francis L has attempted suicide. He laughs with the Time and he is the man. Then Morris stops against the wall and realises what he has done. For all of the strength and power in this song, Prince is still troubled and uncertain.

That is my dime store psychology. I hope it didn't ramble too much.

[Edited 3/3/17 15:49pm]

Duplicate

[Edited 3/26/17 17:18pm]

Fly - Prince was clearly in love with Andy, that is evident to anyone who half looks, and yes, they were utterly gorgeous together...but I suspect she ran into exactly the same problems that almost every woman who got too close to Prince (for Prince's comfort) ran into...I'm not sure it should be romanticized to such a degree...it clearly went wrong (probably for the reason it almost always went wrong - as the intelligent reading of the song we're discussing suggests above), and now she has to deal with the pieces for the rest of her life, and I really feel for her. Andy didn't catch him any more than anyone ever really did, and in the end, it was his loss, and a tragedy for him and for the rest of us, because no one was there when he really needed them to be, because he couldn't tolerate anyone having power over him for any length of time, or making himself vulnerable enough to be caught when he fell (to refer to The Breakdown). It's really not a fairy-tale

jayseajay said:

robertgeorge said:

An interesting song, destined to never be heard by the casual fans.

The first clue is that the song uses the Question of U as a musical backdrop for the lyrics. That song is a question about longing to understand and form a real loving relationship. Yet the Gingerbread man song seems to be filled with braggadocious lyrics. Is it perhaps the suggestion of Prince being vulnerable and caring but hididng it with his Prince ultimate lover persona. Is there depth to this song? The opening starts once upon a time alluding to a fairy story (she believed in fairy tales in Princes, once upon a time lived a bad boy named Christopher Tracey, Bedtime story)

I would say that the lyrics aren't clear, things are hidden and like the way we think things pop up in the song. I think the song is about a woman who Prince is enamored with and he is obsessed with. The Gingerbread man is a side of Prince. A part of nature representing his pride and lust. This was created by God (the pair of old hands), but is something that is brought out by certain woman, she brings outs this character.

The Gingerbread man, is described with images of wealth and rarity. Tellingly the eyes are emeralds, green being the color of envy (Shakespeare's green eyed monster). The Gingerbread man refers to the fairy story. Prince lusts after woman, but he also to quote Joni Mitchell "gets the urge for going" as he says in Savior "he used to boast no one woman could have me" Prince has something intrinsic in him that runs from settling down. He needs the ultimate to commit. Why can't he be happy? What is wrong with him (computer blue "where is my love life, where has it gone, somebody tell me what the hell is wrong? etc). He also has a coat that has cherries for buttons. The cherry could represent the virginity of proteges he has taken, such as Mayte, (I wanna melt with u, "don't look now there's a river of blood, you must have been a virgin, what am I guitlty of."), once again sexually frank and ego boosting.

He retreats to the boasting. He play with the run run as fast as you can, and turns it into the sexual "holler as loud as u can." Nobody can catch Prince, because if you catch him, he needs you and he is vulnerable, and he can be hurt. That is why he wants woman trying to "catch the Gingerbread man" but cannot have him persuing them. He is the mythical Gingerbread man (unobtainable pop star sex god with the ribs removed and all the other tabloid bs so he can satisfy himself if he needs to.)

A little truth, he is sick of the "I-land", he's sick of being alone...). He loves woman and leaves them but he does not feel "satisfied" (something he would immortalise in a song from musicology, a meaningful relationship) Prince may enjoy feeling the sex God, but is he just with groupies looking for a taste of fame. Do they really like Prince (would they like Skipper back in Minnie), as he says in Purple rain ("I don't want a lover I just need a friend", a friend, lover, mother, sister, wife to quote an emancipation song)

Playfully he riffs from Ginger to talking about Gilligans Island. A familiar pop culture trope is the concept of Ginger (glam, sexy, movie star) and Maryanne (girl next door, cute, loving the kind of girl you do take home to momma (to paraphrase Rick James superfreak). Which one of these archetypes does Prince want? The Madonna or the whore. Prince wants both, and ultimately his lusty Gingerbread man feelings get tired of Maryanne (Mayte may have had aspects of this and he keeps looking for the Ginger, the lustful ultimate sexual experience, represented by his Carmen Electra's, Kim Bassinger (b4 he met her based on the 9 1/2 weeks fantasy) Sherilyn Fenn etc. He wants something gold (Tick Tick Bang "like this chain around my hip, I want a 24 karat relationship) The woman that gets has to tame him like a dragon, she has to be amazing in all aspects, especially in bed.

And it comes back to the Dirty Mind Prince - Ain't no drought about it. A clever pun about his ability to make you ladies wet (When 2 r in love - Let me touch ur body till ur rivers an ocean, soft and wet, come It's no wonder there's a puddle there Holding it in 4 so long
U know U can let it go It won't be wrong.) And it becomes monsoon season. Prince can "make the weather change" make a woman who doesn't want him desire him. There i rain, linking sex to heaven to ahem wetness (sex is a gift from God is one of his believes). And now she is standning under a puddle.

He makes no bones about it "jump on my hips. Hear this guitar go suggests the power of his music to arouse, the link between guitar and sex (in guitar world he said a womans climax was his ultimate guitar tone a very cool quote) and the guitar is phallic "to the max"

The last lines follow the guitar solo (the guitar solo is the consummation) The last few lines are bitter sweet. Sometimes it snows (in April symbolic of sadness passing death, also defensiveness - Oprah Winfry "the snow keeps all the bad people out (about Minneapolis) and Snowman), sometimes it rains (this represents the spiritual "I only wanted to see you in the Purple Rain, Melody Cool "At every funeral it rains", a sense of sadness, a spiritual acknowledgement of something lacking or to be found)

And sadly "Do you know how to catch the Gingerbread man?" He wants to find "the one", "the most beautiful girl in the world" He does not know why he strays, why he puts up barriers, the affairs secret but not so secret could be acts of self sabotage, Vicki Waiting (he ponders if he "deserves a copy made" is he worthy of a child, he lost a child (was that a punishment from God, - of course not, no God could be that cruel, but guilt does do horrible things to a vulnerable mind)

Prince wants to be caught, but he is afraid to stop running. I think the Question of U, underplays his true uncertainty. It reminds me of a scene in Purple Rain which I believe Morris Day insisted upon. He has just laughed at Prince, and asked him how the family was after his old man Francis L has attempted suicide. He laughs with the Time and he is the man. Then Morris stops against the wall and realises what he has done. For all of the strength and power in this song, Prince is still troubled and uncertain.

That is my dime store psychology. I hope it didn't ramble too much.

[Edited 3/3/17 15:49pm]

Not so dimestore . I think this pretty much sums up the complex tensions between Prince's romanticism and (somewhat narcissistic) desire to seduce (its hard to hold it against him, given how damn fine he was at it ), his loneliness and genuine desire for real connection, and his fear of dependency and protective/defensive mechanisms. He kept running into himself over and over again, which is really kind of heartbreaking...and the only solution I think would have been for him to go back into the past and deal with what had happened in his childhood, which he wasn't prepared to do (and fair enough in some respects, that stuff hurts), and so the circle kept turning....

ETA: This is why I always baulk a bit at the valorization of the P the . It wasn't a bed of roses for him being that way, and he kind of tried to fight it again and again and again - assassinating the gigolo Tracey, God coming down to chastize him in the PR stage show, thinking Ahmir's death was a punishment, becoming a JW, becoming celibate etc...

FlyOnTheWall said:

jayseajay said:

anangellooksdown said:

jayseajay said:

Fly - Prince was clearly in love with Andy, that is evident to anyone who half looks, and yes, they were utterly gorgeous together...but I suspect she ran into exactly the same problems that almost every woman who got too close to Prince (for Prince's comfort) ran into...I'm not sure it should be romanticized to such a degree...it clearly went wrong (probably for the reason it almost always went wrong - as the intelligent reading of the song we're discussing suggests above), and now she has to deal with the pieces for the rest of her life, and I really feel for her. Andy didn't catch him any more than anyone ever really did, and in the end, it was his loss, and a tragedy for him and for the rest of us, because no one was there when he really needed them to be, because he couldn't tolerate anyone having power over him for any length of time, or making himself vulnerable enough to be caught when he fell (to refer to The Breakdown). It's really not a fairy-tale

Youve got a nice way about you, Jaysea. I see this as being a little bit differently though so I'll just share my instincts... I believe Prince and Andy Allo were in an obsession of sorts for a while, hence the term "addiction" she used so often...the 2 terms go hand in hand...anytime there's an addiction it's a result of an obsession... I think they had fun and there was a mentorship but I also think a LOT of games went on...MANY on her part... But Prince always grew. Although he was still fun-loving and perhaps flirtatious with her (and others) and a part of him might've still wanted Andy, I believe what took precedence over all and is the reason he never re-married, was that he became, in those last several years, very serious about his spiritual transformation & salvation. He was open to marriage if that was God's will for him and I think he wanted and respected it, but it would've had to be a serious committed undertaking for him this time. He knew a matured relationship existed, he saw it in those around him...but it just didn't arrive. This would've had to have been with someone who was spiritually matured and equally-yoked with him. No one person dominating the other, no games, no ego involved, just giving. If there was anything sad about the end of his love life, it wasn't about him not getting back together with Andy Allo; it was that a solid spiritual partnership didn't happen. But Prince had a great life and a lot of love. There's no tragedy in that. We don't all get that by the end of our lives. But I bet he will in his next one.

I think this is interesting angel, because I've read quite a few of your posts, and I think we both agree and disagree about P. The way I explain it to myself is that I think there was really quite a massive disparity and tension between his soul and his personality. Everything I've seen you say about him I think is true of his soul...he was, in many respects, very spiritually intutive, plugged in, and developed, he had an incredible access to that kind of energy, and he always had had...it was there from very early on, it only got stronger (apart from the troubled times in the nineties when it kind of almost completely disappeared for a while), and it is, bascially, why he was such a powerful artist. At the same time, P's personality - and particularly, the way he dealt with his relationships - was damaged in significant respects by the trauma he went though as a teenager, and he never really dealt with it....and this is where I somewhat disagree about the idea he always grew...he grew spiritually, and as an artist, and, becoming a JW obviously gave him significant emotional support which enabled him to be more open and generous with people as he got older...but, and this is a big but, I don't think he ever worked through the primary mother-wound, and that had significant repercussions which affected his emotional growth...particularly around his ability to be vulnerable in relationships, and, importantly, the extent to which his self-image was tied up with his sexual power with women ('Can't nobody do it like Prince do'...it's pure ego and he never quite got passed how much he needed that (and Lord knows, I'm as suceptible to it as the next woman, but I still think its highly narcissistic)). Which is all to say, that I think he truly wanted and was capable of love at a soul level, and at a personality level he wasn't at all...and tragically, that never got resolved...

[Edited 3/28/17 9:14am]

jayseajay said:

Fly - Prince was clearly in love with Andy, that is evident to anyone who half looks, and yes, they were utterly gorgeous together...but I suspect she ran into exactly the same problems that almost every woman who got too close to Prince (for Prince's comfort) ran into...I'm not sure it should be romanticized to such a degree...it clearly went wrong (probably for the reason it almost always went wrong - as the intelligent reading of the song we're discussing suggests above), and now she has to deal with the pieces for the rest of her life, and I really feel for her. Andy didn't catch him any more than anyone ever really did, and in the end, it was his loss, and a tragedy for him and for the rest of us, because no one was there when he really needed them to be, because he couldn't tolerate anyone having power over him for any length of time, or making himself vulnerable enough to be caught when he fell (to refer to The Breakdown). It's really not a fairy-tale

Thanks for your insight, jayseajay. I'm just now seeing your response to me. First, let me say that I only used the "caught the Gingerbread Man" metaphor because that's the language of the song. I think your point raises a fundamental question: When P sang about "catching" the Gingerbread Man, did he mean forever or just long enough for a mind-blowing sexual encounter (an extended one, if you were special) with him and his "guitar"?

Also, I agree that once Prince realized how close his relationship with Andy had grown, it scared him; so he sabotaged what they had. Then, he spent his last months singing and talking about her and "relationships" during his Piano and a Microphone shows. It is difficult, indeed painful, to listen to some of his commentary during the few snippets that I have heard from those shows.

BTW, I don't think their relationship was a fairy tale, but it was sweet and romantic, until Prince's defense mechanism set in. And, with regard to the "Gingerbread Man," I agree in large part with robertgeorge's analysis. It is a braggadocio ditty about Prince's sexual prowess. Sometimes I wonder if Prince thought that's all he had to offer a woman: good sex, creature comforts, material things, and career advancement? Moreover, I ponder on whether he had any idea just how loved he was, really. His story is beyond heartbreaking.