We have threads for "Pearls b4 the Swine" and "Young and Beautiful" but none for "Arboretum", I believe.
I think this song is truely fantastic! I looked up in an online dictionary what "Arboretum" means and it says that it's a park with various trees and bushes.
Now I can't get that picture out of my head: everytime I hear it I see a forest, night and day at the same time, raindrops coming from the trees (kind of like the forest in Lord of the Rings, for those who have seen it), a quiet little river and a beautiful girl all in white waiting.

I don't think any song ever made me see something so clearly.

Very nice track, I agree. But then again, I've fallen in love with the entire One Night Alone cd.

Arboretum also means a place for studying and exhibiting growing trees. (according to Webster)

It seems that Prince wanted to convey that he is or has been in a period of deep, but pleasant thought.

Another tid bit of information concering the word Arboretum is that "Arboretum" is actually the name of the road that leads to Paisley Park. Interesting huh?

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[This message was edited Thu May 30 8:41:41 PDT 2002 by MinneapolisFunk]

Ar
bore
tum

is beautiful.


But, why is he walking away?

Because he needed to go for a piss and then forgot to come back and record the second half of the album. (Only joking, I love the CD to bits and don't care if it's short).

Haystack said:

- hahaha, good one!

Also, please note...

Listen very closely...a piece of paper, perhaps a composition or perhaps a poem is being picked up...as if it is sitting on the piano whilst he is playing...

you never know what inspires ...

even painting a picture with words to come out through notes on a piano are the keys to universal peace...

and even by the walk there is no hurry in it...about the door shutting...thats particularly funny...

For some reason, a piano solo is like ...coming out of a void, whatever you were thinking before you hear the first note, you forget what it was you were thinking when the piano starts to talk 2 u...on that first note or even the foot pedal releasing the notes space into the air...

Anyways, imagination is an amazing salvadore dali or perhaps even a van gogh...

arboretum is like a song that you know have words but your not allowed to know the words yet...thats the suprise of the song itself...the anticipation of perhaps "the feeling" of knowing there are words but the egg is not yet hatched, for you to know xactly what they are...(plant one tree (mytree) others will come))

thank u
SingMia

touche said:

I think Prince is heard closing the piano case and walking away to express the authenticity of recording "live", and as he finishes that which he was inspired to do there was nothing left to do except leave. The whole thing sort of symbolizes that his work was complete and uncut.

Although Prince obviously had to do some mixing and dubbing, there is a feeling that runs troughout the entire cd that there is no "production" of the songs, it's basically just Prince sharing his innermost feelings. So once the last song was done, Prince simply closes the piano case and walks away leaving everything just as it is.

To my knowledge, Prince has only recorded his "walking away" one other time, and that is at the end of "Gotta Broken Heart Again" from Dirty Mind where it sounds like he literally drops the mic and leaves the studio.

I've been 2 the Arboretum in Chanhassen and it's very beautiful. Like MplsFunk said visit it in June, and don't 4get ur walking shoes. Oh, and don't drive to fast or U will pass the entrance quickly.

And the DOVES talk about beautiful...

Little ONE - written for Prince & Mani and the future holy family on this day
05/26/02 ~ Singmia

"little one"

Walk out in the sun little one...
Playing with love light that GOD's begun
to show you...to show you...love

What a gift to be seeing...truth
What a gift to be bringing...Truth into you.
to the world, to the love of everyone Little one...

Even when the sky seems to cloud up and rain...
Playing in the rain can feel the same...
to show you..to show you...LOVE again...

What a gift to be seeing...truth
What a gift to be bringing...Truth in to you...
to the world, to the love of everyone Little one...
Walk out in the sun little one...Life has begun...

Little One.

Arboretum is absolutely wonderful!
Probably the song on ONA that give me more emotions...just
two minutes and so much in it! Great!

I wish I could come and visit this Arboretum in Minneapolis...maybe someday.
Actually a dream would be to come to this year's celebration, meet all of you and go to this park!

Arboretum is to the piano
what Gamillah is to the guitar.

I love both of them.

Gotta wait 3 months for Xenophobia
Gotta wait 3 years for Episode III.

Arboretum is a truly *gorgeous* piece of music. no question, one of my favorites on the CD.

Yes - yes - great effect - I'm outta here - I'm done -

AND yes it was a ONEDERFUL EFFORT - A GREAT CD -

thank u