This is wonderful Heiress.
I enjoyed reading it alot, I've got a new perspective on Prince now.

Great work. Made for an interesting read and definitely more mentally stimulating than the average M&M thread. My mind's got something to chew on now.

You didn't really touch on it, but I've always wondered if there was some significance to choosing Gregory as a name for his son, beyond just liking how it sounds. "Gregory looks just like a ghost..."

meow85 said:

I have wondered about that too. That line ended up being oddly foreshadowing of what would happen to the baby. Now he only exists as a ghost (not necessarily literally, but in memory.) I wanted to start a thread asking about this, but was afraid it would get locked or I'd get "yelled" at for bringing it up...

Heiress said:

True dat. Philia is a MAJOR theme of his work.

littlemissG said:

Glad you enjoyed it.

meow85 said:

I did think of that. It felt a tad too personal for a scholarly paper, I thought...

jone70 said:

The unconscious mind is a scary thing, isn't it?

Heiress said:

Very uncanny...it also supports one of my personal theories that every thing happens for a reason and nothing is completely arbitrary...

jone70 said:

I agree with your theory, and so does... Prince.

Heiress said:

Probably.

If I ever got to know Prince well enough to ask him such a personal question, I think I'd want to talk to him about that.

Great job. I knew there was a reason I hang around here. I really think you've got a good grasp on where Prince is coming from. Many of us have this same struggle and the fact it actually shows in Prince's work is why many of us are here. We get so caught up in how many instruments the man can play we forget the real reason why Prince is in a league of his own.

More than any other artist, perhaps, Prince's music makes me feel less alone. Sometimes I walk through my everyday life and can't believe this is all there is. There is that feeling that something or someone is missing. My own art helps to fill the void but like Prince I'm searching for those special souls, ones I'll know when I meet them. Anyway, this is just speculation as was mentioned, but very plausible.

Those riding along with Prince on his spiritual journey are likely the ones most put off by TRC, for fear the wonderful journey will end, and with the Jehovas Witnesses no less. Perhaps it is and maybe he'll have to come back and complete the journey. Or perhaps he has found his place. Regardless, we all have our own paths to follow and we can't do so walking in somebody else's footsteps.

Okay, I'm babbling.... great paper.

whodknee said:

Thanks for your thoughts. I think you put it well.

Yes - it could be that a lot of us are in the same vibe as Prince, and that's why it feels good to be here. Spirituality is so individual; no one should feel threatened by what Prince does, IMHO. I agree that those who are most upset by TRC have no real path of their own... otherwise, the attitude is more like " to each his own." That or they are such extreme religious fanatics themselves that they get upset about anyone who's not on their own specific path.

Just some casual observations...

Heiress,

Your writings made me cry.

Because I was refilled with the wonder and awe for Prince that I developed as a child. Then, I hungrily read the album covers for all the symbols and comments and analyzed all the lyrics.


Growing up as a Prince fan was truly like living in an enchanted world.

The art seemed so weighty and full of import ... it still is to me now, but these days people love to say "he's an artist ... he's just entertaining ... don't read so much into it... you're taking it too seriously."

Well, you've certainly proven how worthy a window into the human soul art can be. Art is very, very personal to the creator (and audience) and it carries his subconscious imprint whether he likes it or not. To have you analyze what he has subconsciously imbued on his music is thrilling!

From 12 to 25, I was drunk on Prince philosophy and ideals of Uptown and Paisley Park. Thank you for reviving that for me.

This is brilliant work ...done on a brilliant artist.

That was my emotional response.

As for the writing, let me say your expression, synthesis and choice of examples are superb! Since his canon is so large, it would be easy to bog down a paper with too many examples, overly long analysis, elaborations, etc.

But you distilled every thought down to its basic essence.
The reading was surprising brisk and every paragraph so concentrated and rich.

You're an excellent writer.

SynthiaRose said:

I'm so glad you like it.

Researching this subject involved going over & over all these materials, and I found myself crying on quite a few occasions, almost kind of putting myself in his shoes. Like when watching The Holy River, for example... Just seeing his hopeful sincerity at the time, and knowing how it all turned out in the end, was just heartbreaking... I've been through some similar heartbreaks, and have been working on putting these things down in song... and am coming to appreciate what bravery it takes to risk baring your own heart so openly, before all the world's scrutiny. What a great gift we have in Prince...

SynthiaRose said:

that's very encouraging... i rewrite and re-edit so much that i'm afraid i'll never finish things sometimes! but i'll keep carrying on, however long it takes. thanks again...

Heiress said:

Man, I STILL have trouble listening to "The Holy River". I felt that song so much at the time, with my first wife (in fact, we had it as our first dance). Considering that our marriage failed, as did Prince's, it is just sad to hear the song. I am, by no means, still hung up on my ex, and I've certainly worked through all of those issues from the past. There is just something about that song that puts me back in that time frame, and it is just sad to see how love and joy can lead to heartache and pain.

JediMaster said:

Those emotions remain a part of you, that's for sure... I'm thinking it may be healthy in some way to revisit them on occasion. It took me a while to see what was good about a past that seemed so destructive for so long.

For that matter... how long did it take for Prince to even put "The Holy River' up on the npgmc?

Heiress said:

So VERY true! Seems like, just maybe, Prince is starting to find peace with himself and his past relationship with Mayte. I've noticed a whole lot more vids and images with her in them have cropped up recently.