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Thread started 06/20/18 6:34pm

msicfan

The song "June"

Please forgive if this has been discussed on another thread. I did try and search. Feel free to merge with the thread if it exists.

This song has a very deep reflective yet dreamy and mesmerizing vibe to it to my ears. I would even say surreal or ethereal. Sounds like an "Art of Noise" song. I Love It!

Here is my take on the lyrics that I posted on the "songmeaniings.com" website.

I'd like to hear others' interpretation.

Can't help think this song is Prince contemplating leaving the Jehovahs Witness. June was Prince's birth month. Jehovahs Witness do not believe in celebrating birthdays. Could Pasta simmering on the stove symbolize Prince's missing celebrating and sharing his birthday. Does Prince start to contemplate leaving this church when June comes around and he misses his birthday?
"conversation starters come way too hard, no one wants to be the martyr, play'n the wrong cards." If one questions too much in the Jehovah's Witness...then they are labelled an "apostate." When you are an "apostate," you are an outcast or shunned. Jehovah's Witness (JW) Will cut off communication to their own blood if one is an "apostate." The lyric may communicate that too many JW are afraid to speak up and question beliefs of the church.
"Why did you come to this planet, Why did you come to this life?" "How could you be everybody's dream, and still be somebody's wife?" Could this be Prince questioning the triality of being a music star, JW, and/or a husband/real person? Could he be comparing himself to Jesus in that Jesus had to be both human and God, whereas Prince needs to be human but yet a rock star?
The next verses about What did someone have for lunch...how could he know...you're off being free.....Perhaps the disconnect with the rock star life and real life? Or the disconnect of being JW and the person he's in Love with being an apostate? Or him contemplating being an apostate and disconnected and not being able to ask a friend in the JW even what they had for lunch?
"our bodies got used to eachother, ......Richie Havens....Woodstock Stage..."
Richie Haven defining moment was his performance of "Freedom" at Woodstock. Almost sounds like Bodies getting used to eachother saying he's bored with JW and now he wants Freedom? Listen to the song "Freedom" by Richie Havens for further reference....
"Somebody famous had a birthday today....." Obvious here....Prince's birthday is in June.. He just saw another full moon. Loneliness and longing to be a non-JW? Wanting to enjoy things such as a birthday without guilt?
Next back to the Pasta simmering......That simmering pasta is Prince building up the gumption to leave JW.
Just my opinion here. Prince and JW are just not a good fit. In his latter years, Prince acted more Un-JW-like. Especially with his addiction. Other behaviors and associations and Larry Graham not being in the picture as much may be a clue?

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Reply #1 posted 06/20/18 7:24pm

TrivialPursuit

avatar

msicfan said:

Please forgive if this has been discussed on another thread. I did try and search.


No, ya didn't. I literally searched "JUNE" and found at least five threads.


http://prince.org/msg/7/423773

http://prince.org/msg/7/441915

http://prince.org/msg/7/453273

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

http://prince.org/msg/7/443000

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #2 posted 06/20/18 7:36pm

msicfan

TrivialPursuit said:

msicfan said:

Please forgive if this has been discussed on another thread. I did try and search.


No, ya didn't. I literally searched "JUNE" and found at least five threads.


http://prince.org/msg/7/423773

http://prince.org/msg/7/441915

http://prince.org/msg/7/453273

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

http://prince.org/msg/7/443000

Your going to have to take me for my word....I get annoyed in Forums/blogs when others don't search first.

I went to "Search forums" type in the blank "June" and nothing came up!

Thank You for the links! About to read them....

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Reply #3 posted 06/20/18 8:03pm

msicfan

TrivialPursuit,

Maybe you can help me out with something...I was trying to add my post to one of the already other started threads. Then just delete this thread. I'm not getting a "reply" button on the other threads?

Do the threads close after a certain amount of time?

I think there may something up with the search? I tried searching again out of curiousity after your post, and still nothing came up?

Judging by there is 5 other threads about this song...maybe others can't figure out the search on this site as well?

Thank You in advance!

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Reply #4 posted 06/20/18 8:36pm

ISaidLifeIsJus
tAGame

avatar

msicfan said:

TrivialPursuit,

Maybe you can help me out with something...I was trying to add my post to one of the already other started threads. Then just delete this thread. I'm not getting a "reply" button on the other threads?

Do the threads close after a certain amount of time?

I think there may something up with the search? I tried searching again out of curiousity after your post, and still nothing came up?

Judging by there is 5 other threads about this song...maybe others can't figure out the search on this site as well?

Thank You in advance!

Dont fret over starting a new thread about June.

Its not as though prince.org is overwhelmed with an abundance of new threads.

I agree it is a dreamy, ethereal song, and I love it.

I personally think Prince mentally "checked out" with the JW's long before this song was recorded, and he was hesitant to tell LG for fear of disappointing him.



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Reply #5 posted 06/21/18 12:53am

RODSERLING

June has interesting lyrics, but the music(or its absence) is dull, short, without climax, and the direction of the song is going nowhere. As the album it is in, which was the worst of his carreer (with Plectrum).
.
In the same genre, Réflections is way better.
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Reply #6 posted 06/21/18 1:24am

rvg69

avatar

msicfan said:

TrivialPursuit said:


No, ya didn't. I literally searched "JUNE" and found at least five threads.


http://prince.org/msg/7/423773

http://prince.org/msg/7/441915

http://prince.org/msg/7/453273

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

http://prince.org/msg/7/443000

Your going to have to take me for my word....I get annoyed in Forums/blogs when others don't search first.

I went to "Search forums" type in the blank "June" and nothing came up!

Thank You for the links! About to read them....

I never get a result when I search the forums either. I gave up on it, but maybe somebody can shed a light on what some of us might be doing wrong?

Here's what I do:

- log in

- go to FORUMS via the menu bar on the top of the page

- type my search word (let's say 'june') into the 'search forums:' field in the upper right

- I never get a result but always(!) get the message:

Nothing found

Sorry, your search did not return any results (or would have returned way too many results). Try specifying different search terms...

Please don't tell me all my searches probably would have returned way too many results. Try specifying different search terms... wink

I'd really like to know what the secret to successful searching prince.org is.

I always liked the threads that focus on an album or year, showing the album art, singles, side projects, press texts and so on but unfortunately I have no way of finding these threads.

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Reply #7 posted 06/21/18 7:05am

Lovejunky

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

msicfan said:

TrivialPursuit,

Maybe you can help me out with something...I was trying to add my post to one of the already other started threads. Then just delete this thread. I'm not getting a "reply" button on the other threads?

Do the threads close after a certain amount of time?

I think there may something up with the search? I tried searching again out of curiousity after your post, and still nothing came up?

Judging by there is 5 other threads about this song...maybe others can't figure out the search on this site as well?

Thank You in advance!

Dont fret over starting a new thread about June.

Its not as though prince.org is overwhelmed with an abundance of new threads.

I agree it is a dreamy, ethereal song, and I love it.

I personally think Prince mentally "checked out" with the JW's long before this song was recorded, and he was hesitant to tell LG for fear of disappointing him.



I agree,,

I think Prince was gentelmany about his disconnect and kept assocoation with the Chursh till the end,for the same reason.

He had a lot of Love and respect For Larry regardles of what others thin of him

Prince loved him...

He will talk one day

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Reply #8 posted 06/21/18 7:51am

TrivialPursuit

avatar

rvg69 said:

msicfan said:

I never get a result when I search the forums either. I gave up on it, but maybe somebody can shed a light on what some of us might be doing wrong?

Here's what I do:

- log in

- go to FORUMS via the menu bar on the top of the page

- type my search word (let's say 'june') into the 'search forums:' field in the upper right

- I never get a result but always(!) get the message:

Nothing found

Sorry, your search did not return any results (or would have returned way too many results). Try specifying different search terms...

Please don't tell me all my searches probably would have returned way too many results. Try specifying different search terms... wink

I'd really like to know what the secret to successful searching prince.org is.

I always liked the threads that focus on an album or year, showing the album art, singles, side projects, press texts and so on but unfortunately I have no way of finding these threads.




There is a search box in the upper right of the SITE, on every single page of the Org. I typed "JUNE", with the quotes just because, and got results.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #9 posted 06/21/18 8:00am

SkipperLove

Another great interpretation of June...This can be found on this thread...

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

June's lyrics--Is he talking about death, loneliness, mixed feelings and possibly Andy Allo in this song?

Here is my interpretation of the lyrics for June (a song that might be more personal and sad than it seems)

Pasta simmers on the stove in June

--Prince is zoning out while he or his cook makes pasta (a dish his fans knows he loves...perhaps a little gift to himself on his birthday even though he doesn't believe in birthdays...)

Doesnt make sense yet, but it will soon..

---Life in general makes no sense he thinks, while zoning out but he realizes it will finally make sense when he dies. ("Soon" might mean he knows that his life is going to be short or it could mean he is just feeling old.)

Conversation starters come way too hard

---Prince is thinking about his and others around him having problems communicating.

Nobody wants to be the martyr,

playin' the wrong cards

--once again, either Prince is tiptoeing around a lover or his employees are tiptoeing around him...but he is thinking about the loneliness that comes with communication issues/uncertainity around others..while zoning out waiting for pasta.

Why did you come to this planet?

Why did you come to this life?

How can you be everybody's dream,
and still be somebody's wife?

---Talking about a musician/protege of his, struggling to balance her career (and his encouragement of said career) with a longing to have her close. Also, contemplating the enigmatic mysterious uniqueness of this woman (presumably Andy Allo). Constantly falling in love with women with musical/artistic potential only to realize that the career will ultimately drive them apart (possibly pushing her away with this knowledge that he will eventually be left [Prince's conundrum and abandonment issues] --regret and ambivalent feeling).

Tell me, what did you have for lunch today?

That's right, how would I know?

How would I know?

She is gone and he misses knowing what is going on with her. Maybe it is also a reference to an inside joke between him and her about his lack of eating or sitting down long enough to eat.

You are off somewhere, being free
while I starve in the lonesome cold.

---He stuck in Minnesota, sexually starving, she in California free to do what she wants.

Our bodies got used to each other
Now they're used to the sound
of Richie Havens' voice on the vinyl,
spinning round and round, round and round

--Replacing sex with music that reminds him and her of each other becuase she is no longer physically there,

Sometimes I feel I was born way too late
Shoulda been born on the Woodstock stage
But I'm just here, waitin', and waitin', and waitin'

---These lyrics may actually be words stated by girlfriend. Prince is too old for these lyrics to apply to him. Maybe he is stating that she is young (and she wishes she were older and more established as a musician) and he waiting for her to complete her ascent to stardom or grow out of her youthful ambitions.. or adjust them to be with him.

Somebody famous had a birthday today
All I saw was another full moon

---Referring to his own birthday alone. Pretending to act like it doesn't bother him that he is alone on his birthday. Also, possibly regretting that no one else seems to care due to his insistance that birthdays don't matter..

What's that?

Must be the pasta
Must be the pasta
Oh yeah, it's June

--Awakened from his daydream by the pasta boiling over. Indicates that his distracted state of mind comes every June around his birthday (especially if he is alone.)

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Reply #10 posted 06/21/18 11:47am

coldasice

RODSERLING said:

June has interesting lyrics, but the music(or its absence) is dull, short, without climax, and the direction of the song is going nowhere. As the album it is in, which was the worst of his carreer (with Plectrum).
.
In the same genre, Réflections is way better.

I agree by far his worst album. I almost couldn’t believe how bad when I heard it.i never understood why he would put that thing out...lol
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Reply #11 posted 06/21/18 12:06pm

peggyon

SkipperLove said:

Another great interpretation of June...This can be found on this thread...

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

June's lyrics--Is he talking about death, loneliness, mixed feelings and possibly Andy Allo in this song?

Why did you come to this planet?

Why did you come to this life?

How can you be everybody's dream,
and still be somebody's wife?

---Talking about a musician/protege of his, struggling to balance her career (and his encouragement of said career) with a longing to have her close. Also, contemplating the enigmatic mysterious uniqueness of this woman (presumably Andy Allo). Constantly falling in love with women with musical/artistic potential only to realize that the career will ultimately drive them apart (possibly pushing her away with this knowledge that he will eventually be left [Prince's conundrum and abandonment issues] --regret and ambivalent feeling).

Tell me, what did you have for lunch today?

That's right, how would I know?

How would I know?

She is gone and he misses knowing what is going on with her. Maybe it is also a reference to an inside joke between him and her about his lack of eating or sitting down long enough to eat.

You are off somewhere, being free


while I starve in the lonesome cold.

---He stuck in Minnesota, sexually starving, she in California free to do what she wants.

Our bodies got used to each other
Now they're used to the sound
of Richie Havens' voice on the vinyl,
spinning round and round, round and round

--Replacing sex with music that reminds him and her of each other becuase she is no longer physically there,

Sometimes I feel I was born way too late
Shoulda been born on the Woodstock stage
But I'm just here, waitin', and waitin', and waitin'

---These lyrics may actually be words stated by girlfriend. Prince is too old for these lyrics to apply to him. Maybe he is stating that she is young (and she wishes she were older and more established as a musician) and he waiting for her to complete her ascent to stardom or grow out of her youthful ambitions.. or adjust them to be with him.

Somebody famous had a birthday today
All I saw was another full moon

---Referring to his own birthday alone. Pretending to act like it doesn't bother him that he is alone on his birthday. Also, possibly regretting that no one else seems to care due to his insistance that birthdays don't matter..

What's that?

Must be the pasta
Must be the pasta
Oh yeah, it's June

--Awakened from his daydream by the pasta boiling over. Indicates that his distracted state of mind comes every June around his birthday (especially if he is alone.)

You write so eloquently and insightfully. You and I agree as to the meaning of this song, though you went deeper. I also think the woman in question is Andy Allo. You sound like a psychologist or a writer.

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Reply #12 posted 06/21/18 12:18pm

steakfinger

Search has NEVER worked for me. I'm talking about that idiotic "Google Custom Search" in the upper left. It gave me a bunch of crap about Buckcherry and results on every site EXCEPT Prince.org.

The Prince.org-specific search gave me the following:

Nothing found

Sorry, your search did not return any results (or would have returned way too many results). Try specifying different search terms...

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Reply #13 posted 06/22/18 3:47am

msicfan

SkipperLove said:

Another great interpretation of June...This can be found on this thread...

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

June's lyrics--Is he talking about death, loneliness, mixed feelings and possibly Andy Allo in this song?

Why did you come to this planet?

Why did you come to this life?

How can you be everybody's dream,
and still be somebody's wife?

---Talking about a musician/protege of his, struggling to balance her career (and his encouragement of said career) with a longing to have her close. Also, contemplating the enigmatic mysterious uniqueness of this woman (presumably Andy Allo). Constantly falling in love with women with musical/artistic potential only to realize that the career will ultimately drive them apart (possibly pushing her away with this knowledge that he will eventually be left [Prince's conundrum and abandonment issues] --regret and ambivalent feeling).

Tell me, what did you have for lunch today?

That's right, how would I know?

How would I know?

She is gone and he misses knowing what is going on with her. Maybe it is also a reference to an inside joke between him and her about his lack of eating or sitting down long enough to eat.

You are off somewhere, being free
while I starve in the lonesome cold.

---He stuck in Minnesota, sexually starving, she in California free to do what she wants.

Our bodies got used to each other
Now they're used to the sound
of Richie Havens' voice on the vinyl,
spinning round and round, round and round

--Replacing sex with music that reminds him and her of each other becuase she is no longer physically there,

Sometimes I feel I was born way too late
Shoulda been born on the Woodstock stage
But I'm just here, waitin', and waitin', and waitin'

---These lyrics may actually be words stated by girlfriend. Prince is too old for these lyrics to apply to him. Maybe he is stating that she is young (and she wishes she were older and more established as a musician) and he waiting for her to complete her ascent to stardom or grow out of her youthful ambitions.. or adjust them to be with him.

Somebody famous had a birthday today
All I saw was another full moon

---Referring to his own birthday alone. Pretending to act like it doesn't bother him that he is alone on his birthday. Also, possibly regretting that no one else seems to care due to his insistance that birthdays don't matter..

What's that?

Must be the pasta
Must be the pasta
Oh yeah, it's June

--Awakened from his daydream by the pasta boiling over. Indicates that his distracted state of mind comes every June around his birthday (especially if he is alone.)

I like this take on the song!

In particular, the second verse "Makes no sense, but it will soon."

I can see this by what he means by not making sense "but it will soon" "soon" is the end of the song! And then he sings: "Oh yeah, it's June" as if he is coming out of his daydream to reality of the now and his pasta cooking!

Curious, why do some think it could be about Andy Allo? Did they have any romantic involvement? We know they were working together around that time.

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Reply #14 posted 06/22/18 7:27am

RODSERLING

Like Way back home, I simply think June is adressed to his son.
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Reply #15 posted 06/22/18 6:51pm

luvparade

whistle

[Edited 6/22/18 19:41pm]

2Gether heart 4Ever
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Reply #16 posted 06/22/18 6:56pm

TrivialPursuit

avatar

RODSERLING said:

Like Way back home, I simply think June is adressed to his son.


That is about the furthest thing from the truth. You don't know Prince's music at all.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #17 posted 06/23/18 12:57am

RODSERLING

TrivialPursuit said:



RODSERLING said:


Like Way back home, I simply think June is adressed to his son.


That is about the furthest thing from the truth. You don't know Prince's music at all.


headbang headbang headbang
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Reply #18 posted 06/23/18 2:41am

jaawwnn

RODSERLING said:

June has interesting lyrics, but the music(or its absence) is dull, short, without climax, and the direction of the song is going nowhere.

Lol no. Frankly its a blessed relief to have a Prince song this late in his career that wasn't completely overwritten, that he could just let sit and stew without feeling the need to add a billion harmonies and a quasi-classical section, I wish there were more songs as spare sounding as June.
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Reply #19 posted 06/23/18 9:31pm

000000

Nice groove. I like the song a lot. Sonically it was on point and lyrically very well done. It seems as if Prince knew this was an ending. Kind of like "Had U" at the end of WB era. Maybe he knew the 3rd Eye era was ending or perhaps he felt like death was near. I feel like this song is his goodbye.

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Reply #20 posted 06/23/18 11:12pm

Krystalkisses

avatar

I can't stand listening to it. It feels too sad.

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Reply #21 posted 06/26/18 2:58am

grantevans

avatar

Now he's doing horse, it's June

Just a thought
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Reply #22 posted 06/26/18 3:55am

Lordy

avatar

jaawwnn said:

RODSERLING said:

June has interesting lyrics, but the music(or its absence) is dull, short, without climax, and the direction of the song is going nowhere.

Lol no. Frankly its a blessed relief to have a Prince song this late in his career that wasn't completely overwritten, that he could just let sit and stew without feeling the need to add a billion harmonies and a quasi-classical section, I wish there were more songs as spare sounding as June.

.
Well said. It really bugs me when people demand fully formed songs. I love it when artists go off-piste with little musical noodlings - provides variety for the listener.
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Reply #23 posted 06/26/18 12:22pm

peggyon

msicfan said:

SkipperLove said:

Another great interpretation of June...This can be found on this thread...

http://prince.org/msg/7/443101

I like this take on the song!

In particular, the second verse "Makes no sense, but it will soon."

I can see this by what he means by not making sense "but it will soon" "soon" is the end of the song! And then he sings: "Oh yeah, it's June" as if he is coming out of his daydream to reality of the now and his pasta cooking!

Curious, why do some think it could be about Andy Allo? Did they have any romantic involvement? We know they were working together around that time.

As you mentioned, he and Ally were working together at the time. He also executive produced her album, Superconductor, on which many of the tracks were written about Prince (She later admitted to this)

I think there was a deep love and respect between the two (He may have considered marrying her); he especially respected her song-writing ability IMO. They broke up, some suspect, as a result of his drug use/JW religion???

He con't to show up at her shows intermittently.

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Reply #24 posted 06/27/18 5:37pm

LadyLayla

avatar

jaawwnn said:

RODSERLING said:
June has interesting lyrics, but the music(or its absence) is dull, short, without climax, and the direction of the song is going nowhere.
Lol no. Frankly its a blessed relief to have a Prince song this late in his career that wasn't completely overwritten, that he could just let sit and stew without feeling the need to add a billion harmonies and a quasi-classical section, I wish there were more songs as spare sounding as June.

jaawwnn, I agree with the love of the simplicity. It is a recitative---It resembles sung ordinary speech more than a formal musical composition. This shows me how deep music lives in his soul.

No one sees this as completely influenced by Joni Mitchell????

Style is the second cousin to class
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Reply #25 posted 07/02/18 1:33pm

Krystalkisses

avatar

Was this song written about Bria? I believe she is married. Also, she made a beautiful bride I have to say.
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Reply #26 posted 07/02/18 7:30pm

peggyon

Krystalkisses said:

Was this song written about Bria? I believe she is married. Also, she made a beautiful bride I have to say.

Kinda think it was about Andy Allo

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Reply #27 posted 07/04/18 6:36am

jaawwnn

I think it's about Prince.... cooking pasta in June... and thinking about stuff.

Joking aside I don't think it's a girlfriend song at all.

[Edited 7/4/18 6:36am]

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Reply #28 posted 07/06/18 11:47am

Savannah

avatar

Thank you for sheding more light on this.

Yes I agree with much of what you are saying, in fact I know only a few circle of people who would be able to gather what you are saying. If you plunge deeper.. could it be that it was Prince's way of communicating directly with people like Larry (who certainly would get this message) ? If Prince had become an apostate for questioning things - he most certainly needed answers and in this song I hear him tucking them into this song like a buried time capsule.

When I first heard this song.. I knew he didn't have much time left as together with the background sounds (if you really listen) I was hearing Prince saying goodbye to earthly religion before making his final transition. You hit the bullseye with Richie Havens "Freedom" .. again I see it as all things earthly and yes June being his birthday was the key clue. So yes Msicfan you hit the bullseye.

Prince at times writes his music like a person talking in circles but in this song he is most certainly reflecting on his own life which begain in "June" He has in times past used the sound of someone blowing out a candle or a door closing or generated spiritual sounds to create the vibe of someone leaving. In this song it sounds like he wants to leave this world and he has come to terms with it.

Like the song says. Makes so sense yet, but it will soon.

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