as a Prince follower for about 25 years now i have been asked repeatedly what Purple Rain was about ?? what was he singing about, perhaps there are many of you out there who have figured this out but whilst watchin a concert the other nite it "Dawned" on me... it was written about his relationship with Vanity... think about it... she was his first major protege project and they shared a close relationship up until the split just befor production on purple rain,... i only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain.. or purple reign !! as in he only ever wanted to share his success with her, there was alot of media at the time which suggested they parted on not very nice terms... i never meant to cause you any trouble never meant to cause you any pain... never wanted to be your weekend lover.... its such a shame our freindship had to end... etc etc, put the words to the song in context with what happened with thier relationship and its all too clear... Vanity signed a record deal away from Prince and continued her career solo.... in the movie, Appolonia who took Vanitys place signs with morris and goes it alone without Prince causing them to have a rift etc also for years Prince abandoned the live performance of songs from purple rain... was this due to his dispute with Warner or because they reminded him of a time and person that was too hurtfull to think about....??

Alot of that movie seemed to be based on what was going on at that time.

sitruk7 said:

Yep. That's why it lost some of the "edge" it would have had if Denise was in it. It would have been a much "darker" movie than it ended up being.

For Sure Cause Apples is /was TOO CLEANCUT.... Vanity/Denise was MORE SENSUAL/RAW/GRITTY. Apples said SHE Wore BOOTS and I wear Heels and RHINESTONES. Vanity was a SEX MACHINE TYPE....Apples was a Barbie Type. Ya Know what I mean. Give me the BOOTS....

meltwithyou said:

That's what I thought when I first heard the song many years ago, but now I'm not so sure since I've found out that "The Beautiful Ones" was written for Susannah Melvoin, and "When Doves Cry" was written about Susan Moonsie. I guess "Electric Intercourse" was for someone else also. I don't know what to think. I thought Vanity was his one true passion at the time, but now I know better.

meltwithyou said:

It was only on the 1995 and 1996 tours that no songs from the album were played as part of the standard set list, at a time when Prince was basically showcasing the Gold album and other material.

I can't think of any evidence that during those 2 years there was suddenly some emotional torment dating back some 12 years that provoked him to avoid the material!

.

meltwithyou said:

U do realize his Father co-wrote that right?

Do you want him! Do want me!! Cause I want you!!!!! I absolutely love when he does that part!!!!

IN HIS OWN WORDs.....

"...I didnt write Purple Rain..."

He said a Fictional Piece. But in the second draft as Everybody knows he wrote some GRAPHIC SEx SCENES MEANT for DENISE also Had VIOLENCE. I read the RELATIONSHIP was VOLITILE. I do NOT KNOW the DETAILS...

origmnd said:

as he said in an interview when asked about the supposed sexism in purple rain... he did not write the script or screenplay... but he did virtually write the basic story line during the 1999 tour when all the crap happened in regards to the split between denise and himself

Snap said:

at the time of composing the idea for the movie purple rain Vanity was his formost female "friend"... so to speak... dont forget we are talkin about Prince here who transends the bounds of standard sexual expectations and monogamy, it all seems a little too coincidental... listen to the words and study what you can about thier relationship at the time... it all fits very nicely

TheRealFiness said:

Prince was estranged from his father at the time and they apparently didnt speak until late 85 early 86 hence the inclusion of his father on the cover of the around the world in a day album,.. it was wendy and lisa who supposedly co wrote it... but was that the music or the lyrics..? according to what happened in the movie it was only the music and the lyrics were written by the "kid" which at the end of the movie is made quite clear to be directed at apples who was basically Vanitys replacement.. the issue needs to be regarded in the full context of what was happening at the time and the notion cant be dismissed based on a rumour about another or other songs used in the movie, also the "missing" verse from the song "purple rain" refers to how he " never wanted your money honey" and part of the split had to do with Vanity gettin a better deal financially goin it alone... !!

There's no record of Prince's father ever having anything to do with the song "Purple Rain" -- not even part of the melody. Now, "Computer Blue" on the other hand supposedly uses a melody written by Prince's father; thus, the "Father's Song" part of it.

...and Wendy said she was just playing around with her guitar one day when Prince liked what she was doing (some type of chords and the way she was playing them), and that's when (she believes) he wrote "Purple Rain" (loosely based on the chord progression that Wendy had been playing around with); other than that, she says the song is all Prince.
[Edited 11/5/05 1:07am]

purple rain was a religious album about colors... the color purple, ( made up of blue the color of purity + red the color of love)...and about rain that comes from white clouds (white the color of faith)... purple and white match perfectly(like GOD & LOVE)... at first he wanted to call the album purple doves but that title was already taken by a famous confectionary store at the time,...prince makes further references to colors throughout this album he says look for the purple banana, get it? and computer blue, ...Vanity wasn't even in the movie,
[Edited 11/5/05 2:11am]


purple is the color of royality and rarity...mysterious and passionate color...and looks great on supermodels
[Edited 11/6/05 23:31pm]

I thought it was actually about Susannah, who had been hanging around with Wendy a lot for the majority of '83 before her official invitation to join the band - and whom Prince had become besotted with. I guess it's one of those things where the facts are somewhat lost over time, and we'll never be 100% sure

I know that 'The Beautiful Ones' was written about Susannah according to Susan Rogers, 'Prince really admired Wendy, but when he met Susannah he was absolutely smitten...Prince started sending her flowers every single day. He did it almost for a year'. and 'When Doves Cry' was written about an arguement which led to his break-up from Susan Moonsie, and how she cried in front of him, making him feel bad apparently.

blackguitaristz said:

Vanity was a better actress and singer and a good deal sexier. But instead of Apples' juggs by the lake it would have been Vanity's beatiful ass cheeks.

sonofblade said:

Fair enough trade.

meltwithyou said:

..then WHERE's all the crack smokin and satan worship?

ORGMIND WHY WOULD U who Claims to be a BIG FAN talk about DEVIL WORSHIP and CRACK SMOKING? U and some other fans Think he was a SATANIST.... If ANYTHING VANITY WAS NOT PRINCE. HE WORE a CROSS NOT a SATAN SYMBOL and SHE was SMOKING STUFF NOT HIM! I am SURPRISED AT U and NO PRINCE is NOT GAY!!!! HE NEVER WAS and ANY MAN who FANTASIZES BOUT ANOTHER MAN Looking FEMININE IS GAY.... GROW UP! U DO NOT KNOW PRINCE and he ISN't A VIRGIN EITHER. U think all this Shit about Prince and U are WRONG COMPLETELY....

Snap said:

EXACTLY !! someone who knows what they're talkin about...

chunky said:

that all may have alot of truth to it... but to ignore the facts behind Prince and Vanity's relationship and what happened to it around the time purple rain was being thought of/composed and the direct coalation between those events and the words in the song is to ignore the obvious... who is he refering to when he says .."its such a shame our friendship had to end"... it must just be a total coincidence that he wrote those lyrics at the exact same time he and vanity split !!

Zelaira said:

some people just miss the message completely dont they... Prince definately is not about being gay... the message is if you want to relate to women and have a beautiful relationship with women then as a man you simply need to be in touch with your femanine side, when a man accepts and embraces his femanine side he will then know how to fully satisfy a woman both mentally and sexually, this is why alot of men dont like Prince simply because they do not understand or are afraid of even thier own sexuality, in regards to the satanic worship i would not even dignify that with a responce !!!, BUT in regards to the drug taking... if you watch the interview prince gave in early 1986 about the upcomming "under the cherie moon" movie it is quite obvious that he was "on something" as his eyes continually flicker from side to side, also in old friends for sale he mentions about cocaine becomes charming...

Ya know Whatever he did if that was when he was younger he Ain't doing Stuff Now is he? I know fans who SWEAR he was on HEROIN ...PRIVATE JOY, CRACK, ECTASY,ALCOHOL just EVERYTHING...POT. They say all this ALSO CAUSE THEY WANT TO JUSTIFY THEIR DRUG USE.... NOT ALL PEOPLE or ARTISTS TAKE DRUGS TO GET CREATIVE..., SMART PEOPLE GET OFF OF IT BEFORE INTENSIVE CARE OR KIDNEY AND LIVER DAMAGE OCCURS... HOW MANY PEOPLE are HEALTH NUTS AND GYM FREAKS? PROBABLY NOT ALOT!!!

BananaCologne said:

it was Vanity who's friendship ended at the exact time purple rain was being composed... susannah was still around long after that... why do so many ignore the obvious..? he wrote the line in the song... "its such a shame our friendship had to end"..!! written around the exact time of the split with Vanity.... maybe a gigantic coincidence...?

chunky said:

YES VANITY WASNT IN THE MOVIE BECAUSE THEY SPLIT JUST BEFOR THE START OF PRODUCTION.. ( ITS SUCH A SHAME OUR FRIENDSHIP HAD TO END ) SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE MOVIE !! APPLES WAS HER REPLACEMENT !! VANITY 6... APPOLONIA 6... GET IT !!,... MUST ALSO BE A COINCIDENCE THAT APPLES KINDA RESEMBLES VANITY... COME ON PEOPLE STOP IGNORING THE OBVIOUS...

Zelaira said:

oh i agree entirely... all i'm sayin is that there is evidence to suggest that he MAY have experimented with drugs at some stage as most artist do especially in such a high stress situation as being world famous.... its not about bein a drug addict as it is about certain life and or creative experiences, and what it comes down to is even if he did experiment with drugs at any stage... so what !! he is and was strong enough not to allow it to destroy his life and career as it does with so many others, again the message is about learning and experience and becoming stronger and wiser from it...

Of Course look at the ARTISTS who still do Everything....Sometimes,i just think Prince watches ALOT OF T.V. or MOVIES. I think if he DID/Does Anything it's POT. I Don't think he is HARDCORE DRUGGING.... If he EVER it must have been PRESCRIPTION Stuff.... The Lyric SHOOT ME UP BABY...UPSETS ME....

Zelaira said:

i definately would not think that he would even consider touching drugs nowadays... but drugs are a part of life and a part of this world and as i said its about life experience,... and your right about the tv thing... he even stated in an interview around the yr 2000 that he is a news "junkie" and likes to keep track of every major world event, in regards to the line "shoot me up baby" i would say its more about gettin high on his music/message than it is about drugs

That'll be the day when I have to defend myself.

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/166046
[Edited 11/6/05 13:50pm]