Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

Bassette said:

Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

I said the same

FlyOnTheWall said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

they weren't dark skinned either

I thought Robin said after a certain point she had no more contact with Prince

and by 1998/99 I don't know if Prince was speaking to Cat either, I didn't think they started communicating after that remark she made to him about Mayte in 1991/92(?) that it was mid 2000s or later that he did reconnect with Cat

Wasn't she still in Europe in 1998/99?

I'm not sure of the dates of Cat's stay in London. I've been wondering about that, as well. It is said that she disappeared after she reportedly told him, when he brought Mayte into the Glam Slam (where Cat was working at the time), that he and M1 would never have what the two of them shared. I guess that was a little too close for comfort, even for P, who probably didn't want Ms. Cat to go, well, Chicago up in his fine establishment.

In any case, just because she wasn't seen doesn't mean that she wasn't still around, under the radar. In fact, it's starting to look, to me, like Cat was in Prince's life for a lot longer than was commonly known.

BTW, I don't think the "opposite of ivory" had to mean that the woman was literally dark-skinned. It could have just signified that she was a Black woman, regardless of her actual complexion.

[Edited 11/19/17 9:15am]

I remember that Cat thing being in Prince back then. It seems it was a playful thing on Cat's part, talking about comparing them as dancers. She might not even have known at the time if they were seeing each other technically.

* yeah I know, but still the comparison to complexions, especially when a lot of the 'black' women were not much different from Mayte. Chili is biracial, Manuella is biracial Cat is very fair complexioned and Ananda is obviously mixed. His type was still not much further from Mayte in these women.

anangellooksdown said:

No, she is not pregnant. These photos are from the NAACP Image Awards in February 1997. Amiir was born in October 1996. I don’t have The Most Beautiful in front of me, but I recall her writing that it was close to a year after Amiir’s birth/death (late 1997) when she became pregnant again.

Thanks, Michelle.

laurarichardson said:

databank said:

Prince was a true poet. He could muse whomever and whatever from any snippet of his life at any time. He cannot be caged in a box. We know the lyrics say opposite of ivory. . .not a crime for him to muse a sensual moment with a woman with brown skin.

Bassette said:

Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

It's possible, but I doubt it. He was just too descriptive about her anatomy and the acts in which he wanted to engage.

Bassette said:

Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

Hum??? Fado?!

No idea who the song is about, but it’s probably my favourite song from my least favourite period...

FlyOnTheWall said:

MMJas said:

Mayte is brown skin?

Just to be clear, laura said this. Never let it be said that FlyOnTheWall called Mayte brown-skinned. She might have some Afro in her Puerto Rican, but as far as I can see, she looks Spanish. In fairness to laura, though, technically, Puerto Ricans are considered "brown," but this is the reaction of most non-Black-looking Puerto Ricans when you call them "brown":

[Edited 11/19/17 5:20am]

That's interesting. I'm the same complexion as Mayte and would not say it's brown. Perhaps once I'm deeply tanned, but not as my natural colour. Did not know PR people were called brown....

MMJas said:

FlyOnTheWall said:

Just to be clear, laura said this. Never let it be said that FlyOnTheWall called Mayte brown-skinned. She might have some Afro in her Puerto Rican, but as far as I can see, she looks Spanish. In fairness to laura, though, technically, Puerto Ricans are considered "brown," but this is the reaction of most non-Black-looking Puerto Ricans when you call them "brown":

[Edited 11/19/17 5:20am]

That's interesting. I'm the same complexion as Mayte and would not say it's brown. Perhaps once I'm deeply tanned, but not as my natural colour. Did not know PR people were called brown....

Sometimes, you'll hear the reference, "Black and brown people(s)," which refers to the Black and Latino populations.

MMJas said:

It is not brown. Again, there is nothing wrong with Prince being with a brown woman. The issue is his wife at the time was not brown. He was not writing about her in this song. We know he always had more than one so it is not a surprise.

Vashtix said:

Yes exactly, he is not singing about m1, so who do we think the mystery girl is given the clues he left in the song?

purplefam99 said:

Vashtix said:

It is not brown. Again, there is nothing wrong with Prince being with a brown woman. The issue is his wife at the time was not brown. He was not writing about her in this song. We know he always had more than one so it is not a surprise.

Yes exactly, he is not singing about m1, so who do we think the mystery girl is given the clues he left in the song?

There is also this line which might point to M2: "Like the secret code of Egypt." I keep going back to that "opposite of ivory" line, though. Ivory usually represents white, the opposite of which is black.

If the song is to be interpreted literally, then Prince is travelling away from Madrid (and Mayte) and returning to Chicago, where a lover awaits him. If it concerned Mayte it would be 'Chicago 2 Madrid'.

That is if we are interpreting the song literally and Prince was not using poetic license.

Vashtix said:

MMJas said:

That's interesting. I'm the same complexion as Mayte and would not say it's brown. Perhaps once I'm deeply tanned, but not as my natural colour. Did not know PR people were called brown....

It is not brown. Again, there is nothing wrong with Prince being with a brown woman. The issue is his wife at the time was not brown. He was not writing about her in this song. We know he always had more than one so it is not a surprise.

She is brown. She is not black and she is not white. Many people of latin desendent refer to themselves as brown people. Honestly, wonder about some of you sometimes.

Bassette said:

Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

How am I gonna make this connection when I-I got nothing but U'
(Nothing but eatin' that pussy)

What does the pussy part have to do with Chicago House music?

laurarichardson said:

Bassette said:

Maybe It's about Music: fado to old skool chicago house?

How am I gonna make this connection when I-I got nothing but U'
(Nothing but eatin' that pussy)

What does the pussy part have to do with Chicago House music?

Where's the emoji that spits out its water from laughing so hard??? I really need it now.

laurarichardson said:

I find skin tone discussions silly. We all realize people come in all shades and tones.
M1 was fair and nothing wrong with that. She was not brown. I am not understanding why this is a big deal.

Unless he was seeing an out and out white woman at the time the ivory legs are M1’s (IMO) in the song. Now the opposite of her legs can be whatever color variation that is darker than hers. Shall we start with the colors that pantyhose used to called. If m1 is sand, nude or beige, the opposite would be ( and the lady in question’s legs) brown sugar, spice,
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, ebony, jet, coal, blue black.
[Edited 11/19/17 19:54pm]

laurarichardson said:

Ok, I’ve been listening to this song for about 15 years and I had never noticed the pussy line before!!! What is wrong with me? Am I too naive?
(And now I need to think of who I have played this song to in case I need to apologise for its rudeness...)

laurarichardson said:

When I hear " Chicago" the first thing that comes to my mind is house music. I apologise, and I must admit, Laura, there is no connection with pussy-eating all. Maybe he used Chicago house as background music- while eating.

Vashtix said:

—-Yes, it is silly to say Mayte Garcia was fair skinned ( whatever that is ) whenshe was brown Puerto Rican Women. It is so obvious and clear that he is wondering how he can function and make his connection in Chicago when all he is thinking about is his brown skin lady back in Madrid. Good lord he is very graphic about what he thinking about after coming back from seeing her.
[Edited 11/20/17 5:05am]

Vashtix said:

MMJas said:

That's interesting. I'm the same complexion as Mayte and would not say it's brown. Perhaps once I'm deeply tanned, but not as my natural colour. Did not know PR people were called brown....

It is not brown. Again, there is nothing wrong with Prince being with a brown woman. The issue is his wife at the time was not brown. He was not writing about her in this song. We know he always had more than one so it is not a surprise.

What? Who said there was?

laurarichardson said:

Vashtix said:

MMJas said: It is not brown. Again, there is nothing wrong with Prince being with a brown woman. The issue is his wife at the time was not brown. He was not writing about her in this song. We know he always had more than one so it is not a surprise.

She is brown. She is not black and she is not white. Many people of latin desendent refer to themselves as brown people. Honestly, wonder about some of you sometimes.

Laura, don't be bitchy.
Besides, the absurdity of the bolded statement is baffling. You say many people of latin descent... well, I'm latin and was merely questioning the fact that latin people are refered as brown. Must be an american thing, cause here in Europe, where Latin people originate from, that is not so.

MMJas said:

laurarichardson said:

She is brown. She is not black and she is not white. Many people of latin desendent refer to themselves as brown people. Honestly, wonder about some of you sometimes.

Laura, don't be bitchy.
Besides, the absurdity of the bolded statement is baffling. You say many people of latin descent... well, I'm latin and was merely questioning the fact that latin people are refered as brown. Must be an american thing, cause here in Europe, where Latin people originate from, that is not so.

It is a American thing. Back in the 60s and 70s Chicanos even had an organization called "The Brown Berets" which was modeled after the Black Panthers

In the 90s the organization was revived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Berets_(Watsonville)

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2003winter/brownberets.htm

ight Back!: Did they work with groups in the Black community?

Carlos Montes: Yes, we supported and formed alliances with Black groups such as the Black Panther Party. We supported them when the police attacked them. We also set up similar programs like the East L.A. Free Clinic and free breakfast programs. We also were part of the first Rainbow Coalition when we joined the Poor Peoples Campaign in the summer of 1968. The Rev. Martin Luther King had struggled within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to include the Chicano militant groups in the march on Washington, such as the Crusade for Justice, from Colorado; Alliance of Free City States, from New Mexico and the Brown Berets.

Fight Back!: Who were the Brown Berets?

Carlos Montes: We were a group of young Chicano revolutionaries from the barrios of the Southwest fighting for the self-determination of our people. We organized in our barrios, published the newspaper La Causa, ran a free clinic and fought against police brutality as well as against the U.S. war in Vietnam.

We evolved from a youth group - from Young Citizens for Community Action, to Young Chicanos for Community Action to the Brown Berets. We evolved from civic participation and assimilation to revolutionary nationalism. The brown beret was a symbol of the pride in our culture, race and history. It also symbolized our anger and militancy and fight against the long history of injustice against the Chican@ people in the U.S., especially the Southwest. We claimed the Southwest as Aztlan, the original homeland of the indigenous Aztec ancestors and founders of Mexico City, Tenochtitlan. We were from poor working class families growing up with the racism and police abuse.

-----

I am not being bitchy I am being honest. No one in the U.S would see her as fair skinned or white. I think we know full well that Prince was writing about Mayte( she was living in Madrid) or some sister he was seeing in Madrid. Mayte already said she knew he had affairs before they were married and during the marriage. I am sure it was more then M2. He is coming from Madrid and thinking about some women and she is not white or fair skinned as those colors are not the opposite of ivory.

I guess you think the song is about House music as well?

[Edited 11/20/17 5:03am]

[Edited 11/20/17 5:06am]

laurarichardson said:

Vashtix said:

I find skin tone discussions silly. We all realize people come in all shades and tones. M1 was fair and nothing wrong with that. She was not brown. I am not understanding why this is a big deal.

—-Yes, it is silly to say Mayte Garcia was fair skinned ( whatever that is ) whenshe was brown Puerto Rican Women. It is so obvious and clear that he is wondering how he can function and make his connection in Chicago when all he think about is his brown skin lady back in Madrid. Good love he is very graphic about what he thinking about after coming back from seeing her.

It's really interesting how everyone can read the same lyrics or poem and come up with entirely different interpretations. I suppose that's the beauty of art. That said, I see nothing in these lyrics to suggest that Prince is singing about someone he just left.

Also, did Prince often mention a woman's skin tone in verse? I don't recall him doing it often, so that's why I think it's a big clue. As I've said previously, I think he's letting a secret "opposite of ivory" someone know that she's on his mind.

Not to go off track, but I do recall one other time P made a reference to a woman's skin color in "Baby Knows," which I think is one of Prince's most fun songs. Here's the part about color.

Baby Knows

(Baby knows) - This funky joint in the city
(Baby knows) - Where the freaks come out 2 play
(Baby knows) - Venezuelan, black and pretty
(Baby knows) - The kind that make U wanna pay, yeah

(Baby knows) - She got the long dark legs
(Baby knows) - She got the butt that go round
(Baby knows) - This kind of poochie make u beg
(Baby knows) - Turn a dog into a hound

It was the cutest thing to see him wind his little butt around on this part: "She got the butt that go round." I tell you, the man was adorable. Can you think of other times he sang about a woman's skin color?

laurarichardson said:

MMJas said:

Laura, don't be bitchy.
Besides, the absurdity of the bolded statement is baffling. You say many people of latin descent... well, I'm latin and was merely questioning the fact that latin people are refered as brown. Must be an american thing, cause here in Europe, where Latin people originate from, that is not so.

It is a American thing. Back in the 60s and 70s Chicanos even had an organization called "The Brown Berets" which was modeled after the Black Panthers

In the 90s the organization was revived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Berets_(Watsonville)

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2003winter/brownberets.htm

ight Back!: Did they work with groups in the Black community?

Carlos Montes: Yes, we supported and formed alliances with Black groups such as the Black Panther Party. We supported them when the police attacked them. We also set up similar programs like the East L.A. Free Clinic and free breakfast programs. We also were part of the first Rainbow Coalition when we joined the Poor Peoples Campaign in the summer of 1968. The Rev. Martin Luther King had struggled within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to include the Chicano militant groups in the march on Washington, such as the Crusade for Justice, from Colorado; Alliance of Free City States, from New Mexico and the Brown Berets.

Fight Back!: Who were the Brown Berets?

Carlos Montes: We were a group of young Chicano revolutionaries from the barrios of the Southwest fighting for the self-determination of our people. We organized in our barrios, published the newspaper La Causa, ran a free clinic and fought against police brutality as well as against the U.S. war in Vietnam.

We evolved from a youth group - from Young Citizens for Community Action, to Young Chicanos for Community Action to the Brown Berets. We evolved from civic participation and assimilation to revolutionary nationalism. The brown beret was a symbol of the pride in our culture, race and history. It also symbolized our anger and militancy and fight against the long history of injustice against the Chican@ people in the U.S., especially the Southwest. We claimed the Southwest as Aztlan, the original homeland of the indigenous Aztec ancestors and founders of Mexico City, Tenochtitlan. We were from poor working class families growing up with the racism and police abuse.

-----

I am not being bitchy I am being honest. No one in the U.S would see her as fair skinned or white. I think we know full well that Prince was writing about Mayte( she was living in Madrid) or some sister he was seeing in Madrid. Mayte already said she knew he had affairs before they were married and during the marriage. I am sure it was more then M2. He is coming from Madrid and thinking about some women and she is not white or fair skinned as those colors are not the opposite of ivory.

I guess you think the song is about House music as well?

[Edited 11/20/17 5:03am]

[Edited 11/20/17 5:06am]

It's true that Latinos are referred to as brown; however, they are also sometimes considered "honorary Whites" in America. True story.

laurarichardson said:

MMJas said:

Laura, don't be bitchy.
Besides, the absurdity of the bolded statement is baffling. You say many people of latin descent... well, I'm latin and was merely questioning the fact that latin people are refered as brown. Must be an american thing, cause here in Europe, where Latin people originate from, that is not so.

It is a American thing. Back in the 60s and 70s Chicanos even had an organization called "The Brown Berets" which was modeled after the Black Panthers

In the 90s the organization was revived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Berets_(Watsonville)

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2003winter/brownberets.htm

ight Back!: Did they work with groups in the Black community?

Carlos Montes: Yes, we supported and formed alliances with Black groups such as the Black Panther Party. We supported them when the police attacked them. We also set up similar programs like the East L.A. Free Clinic and free breakfast programs. We also were part of the first Rainbow Coalition when we joined the Poor Peoples Campaign in the summer of 1968. The Rev. Martin Luther King had struggled within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to include the Chicano militant groups in the march on Washington, such as the Crusade for Justice, from Colorado; Alliance of Free City States, from New Mexico and the Brown Berets.

Fight Back!: Who were the Brown Berets?

Carlos Montes: We were a group of young Chicano revolutionaries from the barrios of the Southwest fighting for the self-determination of our people. We organized in our barrios, published the newspaper La Causa, ran a free clinic and fought against police brutality as well as against the U.S. war in Vietnam.

We evolved from a youth group - from Young Citizens for Community Action, to Young Chicanos for Community Action to the Brown Berets. We evolved from civic participation and assimilation to revolutionary nationalism. The brown beret was a symbol of the pride in our culture, race and history. It also symbolized our anger and militancy and fight against the long history of injustice against the Chican@ people in the U.S., especially the Southwest. We claimed the Southwest as Aztlan, the original homeland of the indigenous Aztec ancestors and founders of Mexico City, Tenochtitlan. We were from poor working class families growing up with the racism and police abuse.

-----

I am not being bitchy I am being honest. No one in the U.S would see her as fair skinned or white. I think we know full well that Prince was writing about Mayte( she was living in Madrid) or some sister he was seeing in Madrid. Mayte already said she knew he had affairs before they were married and during the marriage. I am sure it was more then M2. He is coming from Madrid and thinking about some women and she is not white or fair skinned as those colors are not the opposite of ivory.

I guess you think the song is about House music as well?

[Edited 11/20/17 5:03am]

[Edited 11/20/17 5:06am]

Fair enough, but you and others must realize that the USA is not the whole world and that other cultures and nationalities visit and participate in the Org, so not everything that is perceived one way in the USA is perceived the same elsewhere. Some things have a much wider dimension so let's keep an open mind and allow for cultural exchanges as well. It is only enriching for everyone, after all.