The previous thread about ICP&C got derailed by some foolish notion of racism. So I want you all to ask yourselves what is this song about? Its never been pin-pointed.

I've listened to this great song enough to know what Prince is talking about now and its definately not Doris Duke. Given that Prince hasn't put lyrics in a studio album for a while, he was due to react in some way to what was going on with his ex. Also if Prince is going to be making a point about someones money/fortunes we all know its going to be his own.

In Prince's traditional cryptic way, I suspect this song is referring to he as a she.

About Tommy Lee (the bitch) and his most recent marriage, the fallout and hook up with Mayte while Prince is still paying the bills... from the tone of his voice, private jokes and comic defense mechanisms. . i'm convinced this is the point of the song.

Listen to it a few more times. its quite a funny and jabby song. We all know Prince isn't going to step right up and call the guy a bitch, sponging off his ex around Europe. This is the sort of song i've grown to expect from him since his settlement.

Your thoughts? I'm not in the org much these days but i'm curious to know what everyone else thinks.

Hmmm, fun theory.

I don't subscribe to it though.

This song sounds like an out-take from NPS (yeah, it's that bad). Funny thing is, Prince makes it #2 on his comeback album, so he surely thinks it's so great (AKA so of the times).

It sounds so much like 96-99 Prince, it's the perfect song to show that Prince hasn't changed a bit recently.

One thing I can say about this song is that it's got a sense of humour, and it hints at Prince getting naughty again (a MILF/ Mom/son role-play sexual relationship).

Way too fine he was for her...

The word 'bitch' does not appear in Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance.

It's a metaphor for the music industry...listen carefully to the story...

Illusion- The illusion of being a star
Pimp-He got pimped/he pimped back
Coma-state of shock after being manipulated by his label
Circumstance-its a different day now...

Trickology said:

Interesting theory. I think you're right. I think "Doris" could be Warner Bros.

The pre-nuptial agreement could be signing away his masters.

NouveauDance said:

Then what do you subcribe to or what do you think its about. I don't understand what you're getting at.

Take the lyrics reverse he with she, she with he.. and bullseye.

BinaryJustin said:

Did you notice at the bottom of the lyric book under ICP&C there is a pile of contract pages set on fire ?

Hmmmm....

Funny. Doesn't the musical sound of 'Cinamon Girl' remind you kinda "the Gold Experience" era. I mean, the female harmonies sound kinda like Myte in the backup vox on 'Dolphin', plus the instruments remind me of that era too. Not complaining, just somethin' that made me go Hhhmmm.... Some of Musicology reminds me of the 'Chaos & Disorder' and the 'Gold Experience' albums just a tinge. However, I have been enjoying Musicology. Especially Musicology, ICP&C, Call My Name, On The Couch, well, I guess the whole thang!
U GO PRINCE!!

Savannah said:

[code]

I don't agree at all. It talks about an old, pale, ugly woman who spends money on all sorts of things like her hair. Its a stretch to say its about Tommy Lee. I think its just a funky story for a funky song.

NouveauDance said:

I don't agree with your feeling on the song. I think its one of the best songs Prince has done in a while. ICP&C is real funky, while NPS sounded flat.

That having been said, I agree with your assessment of the tunes meaning.

eyelikefunkymusic said:

I agree. Much of this album has his mid 90s feel.

BinaryJustin said:

U beat me 2it Tricky! I agree 100% with your analysis of the song! That's y i love P's lyrics so much, it's like a riddle u have 2 think and meditate and marinate on them lyrics!

Savannah said:

It is a fun theory, but one problem is that you say Tommy was sponging off Mayte, where the old woman in the song is supporting the young man.

Actually, I could see Mayte sponging off Tommy, which would support your theory. He might have more money than her (she is selling her house). Also, as much as I think Tommy is sleazy and stupid, I don't think he's "Ugly! So ugly, but rich beyond compare"

It sheds new light on the line about burning an old flame in Frisco. "Like Wow!"

It's fun to read these things into the songs, but I take this one at face value.

No. I'm covinced of it after today...

Prince was pimping himself out to "Doris" (Warner Bros).

andyman91 said:

I don't actually subscribe to this theory, but I just wanted to add that the ugliness that is referred to in this song could refer to anything.




[This message was edited Tue Aug 10 18:25:36 2004 by kellyann22]
[This message was edited Tue Aug 10 18:26:01 2004 by kellyann22]

BinaryJustin said:

the
WB
thing
is
OLD

BinaryJustin said:

Yeah, I thought this at first, but I couldn't follow it through for the whole song. Can any of u with this theory please give a full analysis of the lyrics.

BinaryJustin said:

Who was the old flame that necessitated a pre-nup?

She knew which fork 2 use
But she couldn’t dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk
In exchange 4 the finance

Warner Bros. (Doris) had the business knowledge and the money but their artists roster was predominantly white-bread.

Who’s pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance

There is no second chance as Warner Bros will never ask Prince back and Prince would never go back anyway. The illusion was Warner's record deal. The coma is that Prince got sucked into the hype. Prince pimped himself out by signing away his masters for money. The circumstance is the payback when he successfully reinvented himself as an independent artist.

She was older
But rich beyond compare

Warner Bros. was a fuddy-duddy company with outdated business ideas but they could bankroll Prince's excesses.

She’d drop a thousand dollars
At the salon
Just 2 get her hair did

They were more interested in wasting sums of cash on presentation and marketing than the music itself.

He was good at compliments
Better in the bunk

On the surface Prince gave Warner Bros. what they asked for, but at the same time, he was fucking them over.

She laced him with a crib in Paris
He hipped her 2 the funk

Warner Bros. paid for Paisley Park to be built and Prince kept on churning out records for them to sell.

Way 2 fine he was 4 her
A dirty dog in expensive fur

Prince's motives were not what they seemed.

As long as she’s providing chips and whips
We can do this funky thang
As long as she was playing the host
He figured he would make the most of them hips and lips
He hooked her up, rocked her coast 2 coast

Prince began to be more absorbed with the money rather than the quality of his music.

She was so ugly
But rich beyond compare
Dropped a couple hundred thousand
Dollars on a silver whip
Just 2 match the color of her hair

The Warner Bros. executives awarded themselves benefits which they didn't deserve.

She said "Eye got plenty of what U need
Put the spoon down honey
Come on let mama feed U"

Prince was lured by Warner Bros. money and was soon gorging himself in excessive fashion.



http://princetext.tripod....ion96.html

Where was eye? Oh yeah
A gentleman he was
He never spoke about her nose
So prominent because
In the dark it glowed
If she was only tan
Instead of so lily white
Her name was Doris
But he called her "Flo"
As in 'rescent
That ain’t right
Fluorescent
Every night
A situation bound 2 fail
As sure as Doris’
Skin was pale

The Warner Bros. excutives were almost exclusively white.

Money might talk
But what does it say?
"U better get busy if U wanna get paid
Boy, eye was fine back in the day"

In other words, you'd better give us a 5,000,000 selling album if you want to get a $10,000,000 advance for the next one.

He spent her money oh so well
Takin' baths in cold Cristal
He took a trip 2 burn an old flame in ’Frisco
Like wow!

When Doris caught him in her arms
She shrugged her shoulders and said "No harm..."
"Just put ur name on this pre-nup
And we can all hit the disco!"

When Prince released "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" via Bellmark records, Warner Bros. weren't overtly bothered as:

a) The single could flop and they would be proved right;
b) If successful, a hit record would stoke interest in his back-catalogue which they owned and could make even more money from (because of their "pre-nup"). Al Bell whom owns Bellmark Records used to own Stax Records. Stax would definitely have been akin to an "old flame" to Prince.

Well, it all makes sense to me.

BinaryJustin said:

lets hope your shrink agrees

moonshine said:

Ooh! You cheeky Muppet!

The song really doesn't have anything to do with Warner Brothers and its quite funny that Prince still has that old buzz in the ear of some fans.

The give and take song is about 2-3 people and it carries a tone of very strong emotions or sarcasm and "trying very hard to be cool" that is not parallel to any other song i've ever heard from Prince in a long time.

The timing of the song is fresh and it tells the story of something that happened recently, unlike "The Everlasting Now" which references something that happened some time ago.

The song is #2 on the album. Much like "Undisputed" #2 on Rave, and "Until Ur in my Arms Again" #2 on NPS, Prince has a habit of letting his strongest emotional baggage out at the earliest gate.

The illusion is that he is a she and vice verca.

andyman91 said:

Its not just Mayte (with Tommy in the house in Marbella) he's comically ranting about.. its also Pamela, the divorce settlement, and who's paying the bills as Prince is rumored to have elected to do with Mayte.

BinaryJustin said:

makes sense to me too.

boy...ya'll really "be" reaching on some of this stuff...

BinaryJustin said:

I think that makes sense. Good interpretation!

It makes sense, but it could also be wrong. Everytime I hear another explanation of his lyrics he seems more mysterious/deep. We need an entire forum for these explanations.

BinaryJustin said:

I love this funky ass song! Damn Prince is such a talented guitarist..no doubt by the last minute or 2 of this bad-ass joint. Nice theory 2

Absolutely Cannot see your Analyzation. Doesn't make sense. it is was it is.. Could be Totally Fictitous which it Probably is.