independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Joy In Repetition: the beauty of the words
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 02/15/18 12:16am

SimonCharles

Joy In Repetition: the beauty of the words

I was working away, last night, and listening to a compilation and on comes Joy In Repetition. Initially, it was the drum intro that made me stop what I was doing and just enjoy listening for a moment and then the lyrics start and I start singing along - as you do - and it struck me: what a beautifully composed and structured series of words these are.

The lyrical content of this song must be one of the highlighs of Prince's career.

My question is - is Joy In Repetition the best lyric Prince has written? It's a story, it's complex in its telling of the story, it's rhymically hypnotising and it's heartbreaking in the doublethink of requited and unrequited love. (I reckon.)

What do you lot think?

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 02/15/18 1:16am

CatB

SimonCharles said:

I was working away, last night, and listening to a compilation and on comes Joy In Repetition. Initially, it was the drum intro that made me stop what I was doing and just enjoy listening for a moment and then the lyrics start and I start singing along - as you do - and it struck me: what a beautifully composed and structured series of words these are.

The lyrical content of this song must be one of the highlighs of Prince's career.

My question is - is Joy In Repetition the best lyric Prince has written? It's a story, it's complex in its telling of the story, it's rhymically hypnotising and it's heartbreaking in the doublethink of requited and unrequited love. (I reckon.)

What do you lot think?




Just had the song playing in my head this morning. I agree, it's so special. And even more so when he played it on the piano. I love the lyrics, Prince putting in song what he was never able to do without music - asking for love.



"Time is space spent with U"
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 02/15/18 7:30am

SimonCharles

CatB said:

SimonCharles said:

I was working away, last night, and listening to a compilation and on comes Joy In Repetition. Initially, it was the drum intro that made me stop what I was doing and just enjoy listening for a moment and then the lyrics start and I start singing along - as you do - and it struck me: what a beautifully composed and structured series of words these are.

The lyrical content of this song must be one of the highlighs of Prince's career.

My question is - is Joy In Repetition the best lyric Prince has written? It's a story, it's complex in its telling of the story, it's rhymically hypnotising and it's heartbreaking in the doublethink of requited and unrequited love. (I reckon.)

What do you lot think?




Just had the song playing in my head this morning. I agree, it's so special. And even more so when he played it on the piano. I love the lyrics, Prince putting in song what he was never able to do without music - asking for love.



It's just wonderfully constructed and, as you say, eloquently puts the desire to be loved into words.

I wish I could be so fastidious with my proofreading! What's highlighs and rhymically? rhymically I like - a cross between rhyme and rhythmic...but highlighs? Oh dear.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 02/15/18 6:09pm

206Michelle

JIR is an absolute gem of a song. The album version is wonderful, but Prince really made JIR shine during live performances, particularly with the guitar solos.
Live 4 Love ~ Love is God, God is love, Girls and boys love God above
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 02/15/18 6:54pm

Silvertongue7

Amazing song, of course. I love the way the guitar drives it. One thing that really annoys me, though, is how the album version segues from We Can Funk. I know it will be very low in the estate’s list of priorities, but I hope we get one day the full intro with perfect sound. Then that sound will be just perfection...
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 02/15/18 11:41pm

SimonCharles

206Michelle said:

JIR is an absolute gem of a song. The album version is wonderful, but Prince really made JIR shine during live performances, particularly with the guitar solos.

The guitar solo is a gorgeous thing, yes but, it's words and the manner of their composition that makes this song fly, I reckon. The storytelling set up, such beautiful imagery and then the intense push and pull of the phrase "love me". It's one of Prince's finest pieces of work, period, but arguably his best lyric ever.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 02/15/18 11:44pm

SimonCharles

Silvertongue7 said:

Amazing song, of course. I love the way the guitar drives it. One thing that really annoys me, though, is how the album version segues from We Can Funk. I know it will be very low in the estate’s list of priorities, but I hope we get one day the full intro with perfect sound. Then that sound will be just perfection...

This is a sound suggestion. It was the drum inro that caused me pause, the other day. It brings something to the song that's quite indescribable...but brillient. It sets the tone of the song wonderfully - just like the intros to ICNTTPOYM or SOTT or Sexuality or...well quite a few actually...who knew, Prince: the master of the intro! biggrin

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 02/18/18 9:27am

214

Is beautiful, those haunting lyrics, the longing, the loneliness of the main characters. Someone said in some appreciation thread long ago that this song was like a voodoo chant or something like that, and it's so very true.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 02/18/18 10:28am

ufoclub

avatar

One of the coolest Prince fanatic moments for me was when I had the vinyl bootleg “Chocolate Box” back in 1988(‘89?) and kept listening to this track and trying to transcribe the lyrics. As I figured it out, I realized how incredible the song was.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 02/18/18 4:57pm

Missmusicluver
72

Another amazing gem of his and the guitar solo live just takes you on another planet. cool

Love is God, God is love, girls and boys love God above~
The only Love there is, is the Love We Make~
Prince4Ever
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 02/19/18 2:32am

SimonCharles

214 said:

Is beautiful, those haunting lyrics, the longing, the loneliness of the main characters. Someone said in some appreciation thread long ago that this song was like a voodoo chant or something like that, and it's so very true.

That's a great way of describing it, yes. A yearning demand seated in a vague faith that repetition will bring joy.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 02/19/18 2:33am

SimonCharles

ufoclub said:

One of the coolest Prince fanatic moments for me was when I had the vinyl bootleg “Chocolate Box” back in 1988(‘89?) and kept listening to this track and trying to transcribe the lyrics. As I figured it out, I realized how incredible the song was.

A beautifully personal way to experience a beautiful song.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 02/19/18 12:04pm

PRNelson

Best version was the emancipation freedom concert version. The solo and wave at The end are heart breaking. it ain't over is overblown imo.
You'll never know a girl called Nikki and you'll never find Erotic City
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 02/19/18 2:52pm

214

SimonCharles said:

214 said:

Is beautiful, those haunting lyrics, the longing, the loneliness of the main characters. Someone said in some appreciation thread long ago that this song was like a voodoo chant or something like that, and it's so very true.

That's a great way of describing it, yes. A yearning demand seated in a vague faith that repetition will bring joy.

Thanks, and you completed the description in a beautiful way.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 02/19/18 11:53pm

SimonCharles

214 said:

SimonCharles said:

That's a great way of describing it, yes. A yearning demand seated in a vague faith that repetition will bring joy.

Thanks, and you completed the description in a beautiful way.

Thank you. There's something so poignant and melancholic about the way in which he paints this picture of desperate and unrequited desire.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 02/20/18 12:01pm

databank

avatar

I also love how the song, in the GB context, works with Elephants & Flowers with both songs describing this young man wandering alone in a city at night, looking for someone to share something with. That "character" (or theme) was revisited a few years later in Shy.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 02/21/18 7:51am

SimonCharles

databank said:

I also love how the song, in the GB context, works with Elephants & Flowers with both songs describing this young man wandering alone in a city at night, looking for someone to share something with. That "character" (or theme) was revisited a few years later in Shy.

That hadn't occurred to me. Great post.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Joy In Repetition: the beauty of the words