the Solo thread got me wondering...how do people feel about the song Papa? Do you feel it's sincere enough or too contrived?
I (guess what?) love it!

I really like this song alot. I especially love the line, "Don't abuse children, or else they'll turn out like me."

I first heard this song while watching a VHS tape of The Beautiful Experience. I've loved it ever since. I got an opportunity to hear a live recording of Prince singing it, and I had never heard him perform the song live previously. It's a great song.

TheBigBang said:

I'd love to hear that live version! Thanx for your thoughts. How true if any do you think it is?

Shorty said:

I don't know what u mean by "sincere", but as a beaten child, i think it renders something really true about what it is. It has a lot of emotional violence.

shaomi said:

sorry you were a beaten child
I can't seem to come up with the words I want but..what I meant was do you feel Prince was making a sincere effort or a delibrate one?

i need 2 check my liner notes, but i think John L was a co-writer.

peace,
j

Shorty said:

Well, thank u, i'm okay now (it's been quite a while ago & i've worked a lot on it).

I ain't sure if Prince referred 2 any violence he might have known by himself. U know, as a writer myself, when u write a song (or anything else), it's most of the time BOTH a sincere effort AND a delibrate one. Even when u decide 2 talk about something personnal u're, if i might say, still "working", & even when u talk about something u haven't experienced urself, u put a little of urself in it (at least a point of view). So i'd say it was both anyway (not sure it helps u, but...).

musicology74 said:

I might b wrong, but i don't think so.

peace

shaomi said:

Thank you!
I actually "believe" him in this song. Like, I don't think it's word for word what happened to him or anything but I def think it's a topic close enough to his heart that I believe his emotion in his voice.
thanx again

Shorty said:

U're welcome

baby fell out of his stroller and onto the rocks
baby screamed for papa
papa picked baby up and gave baby a wild glare
papa screamed at baby
baby cried some more
papa shook baby
papa shook baby hard



baby...









.....baby ?












..... ..... .... baby!?!?








don't abuse children... period.
[Edited 8/18/05 19:47pm]

Papa's one of his top 10 songs in my book.

His most John Lennonish moment.

Awesome song. And they say he didn't have good music in the 90's

Yes it's a tight song. I love his vocals in it, but the best part by far is the coda. It hits so hard

And there's always a RAINbow.. BAM BAM BAM!! at the END of ev'ry rain...

Man, I wish he'd done more stuff like that.

thanx everyone! Great to hear your feeling on this song and the come album.
It's funny cause for a long time it was widely considered as a crap album, but it's clearly not.
I remember when it came out, I was only recently into prince so I think this was his first new release since me becoming a fan of his, the symbol album was already out when I bought it. Anyway I remember thinking it was a bit much, a little more dark than I wanted, a little too bizarre for me...but I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. After years of liking it I now LOVE it and it's one of my favorite albums.

One of the top 5 Prince songs of the 90s, IMO.

one of my favorites off of come

Great song! I love the opening music, and the little
change over at the end. One of his best

This song rocks. I always mess with my mom and change the lyrics to Mama. I especially love this part ... Baby didn't listen, so like a priceless work of art he got snatched by his Papa who then opened up the closet door. And pushed the four-year-old down, onto the closet floor Baby cried "I'm sorry, I won't do it no more" Papa said "Yeah, I know, that's what this here's 4" The emotion in his voice is so raw in this song.

Wonderful song topic... Very impassioned vocals... Love the blues-riff sample that starts the song... The thunder in the intro is cool, too... The rhythm section of that NPG is so bass-heavy, it's beautiful. And, the first time I heard the vamp, I was blown away. It comes at you from outta nowhere. All it needs is a guitar solo.