I've always wondered how people in2 Prince feel when he makes his 'spiritual noise'

If their not a believer do they still get in2 songs like The Cross, The Holy River, Anna Stesia, God, Tears In Ur eyes etc.. I mean do they sing along to the words cos they like Prince or do the words like "Long ago there was a man, who changed stone 2 bread with a touch of his hand" mean anything 2 them?

Im curious

i appreciate them because he's singing about something he believes in with sincerity. it could be his religion or his dog or his sock collection, for all i care. i enjoy that he performs it with passion and meaning. it doesn't matter that it's not exactly the same as what i believe. i can take something from the feeling of it.

I'm not religous but I don't get ofended by people who are! I'm happy with anyone (not just Prince) expressing their believes, as long as they understand other people may not share them.
In any case, "The Cross" or "Holy River" are great songs, I think I'd like them even if they talked about pink rabbits!

Anx said:

So what Ur sayin' is that one doesn't neccessarily have 2 be in2 incest 2 appreciate the song 'Sister'

I've never been much into lyrics anyway. So it doesn't bother me.

sexyAuntyFuka said:

pretty much. i always appreciated it for its audacity and its shock value, which i think was pretty much what he was going for there. if there was a deeper emotional tug to that song, it was overwhelmed by the presentation of the song as kind of a funkified punk tune.

sexyAuntyFuka said:

That's probably the best analogy you can make!

I haven't got a religious bone in my body, but I love songs like "The Cross" and "Holy River". Much like Anx, I can feel the passion and energy Prince puts into these songs. So much so, I have been known to have a tear in my eye when listening to them! Sad, i know, but no point in denying it!

As an artistic expression and distillation of pure emotion, it gets through. I've hate fucking surfing and surfers but I love the Beach Boys singing about it. If you mean something, the passion of your truth always gets through.
However much I wince at Prince's ongoing delusion, watching someone else's journey is always interesting - especially when they're as lyrically honest as Prince.

TRC leaves me feeling very uncomfortable, sadly I can't ignore the message enough to enjoy the album.
The rest of his sky-daddy fantasies I can deal with.

Cloudbuster said:

You're just uncomfortable with YOURSELF! I think that's the only conclusion we can come to here.

He used to be spiritual, now he is religious, big difference. This is why his creative talent is now so blunted. He might as well smoke a bowl and mellow out.

im atheist but really like his spiritual stuff 4 some reason, like the bit in holy river that goes "proud to say his name, jesus (jesus)

Muslim here, and even though I don't agree with some of the lyrics to Prince's songs since he became "religious" and/or "spiritual," I am able to appreciate where he is coming from. No problem for me.
'Course, I wasn't Muslim when I was 12 around 1981 and his songs were considered "nasty." That's my story and I'm sticking to it....
[Edited 1/13/07 16:31pm]

Haystack said:

Cloudbuster said:

[Edited 1/14/07 9:21am]

I really just don't take notice of Prince's lyrics, or anyone else's for that matter. I don't mean that flippantly at all - they rarely register me. The only time I take note of them is if they contain a really awkward or embarrassing phrase which shocks me out of my enjoyment of the song.

When the music is killer, it doesn't matter if he's singing about Jesus, Jehovah, or fucking your sister.

Anx said:

Yes. I think it's the passion that is appealing. The drive towards what he believes in, the motivation to make moves toward it. He may never get to exactly where he believes he should be, but I find it attractive and fascinating that he has always been so declarative regarding his beliefs.

i agree with damosuzuki.except for the '' anyone else's for that matter " part.
i'm drunk.

As an atheist, I take the religious songs for their musical merit, rather than their lyrical truth. What I do find annoying is the 'cleaning up' of old songs. Eg, on the One Nite Alone tour, the opening line of 'Days of Wild' became: 'All you sly Europeans up against the wall ....'. That's just crap.

L

I'd say I fall under 1 or more of the above categories...
"Spiritual noise" as u call it, is almost a constant, in 1 wya or another, and is the essence of what makes 1 question these things day 2 day..unless of course they've come 2 some CONclusion...
Princes delivery of his lil portion of it (...and what a delivery) should b enjoyable in most cases, unless of course it's a completely conflicting view 2 Ur own.
In my opinion, the music is spiritual noise in itself.

Cloudbuster said:

sexyAuntyFuka said:

i was fine with it until the Rainbow Children. that basically tore it for me i was listening to those lyrcis and thinking wtf?! this is insanity.

so, his older stuff i'm comfortable with but the newer stuff where he's actively preaching the JW doctrine (leave that blood alone!) leaves me feeling kinda... wary

It's all about the music. Since singing the Hallelujah Chorus in school, I haven't minded religious music. As long as it's inspiring something beautiful, I don't see how anyone's religion could be offensive.

The only problem with Prince's lyrics is they're not always clear "The opposite of Nato is Aton."

But if they're as simple as "God is love love is god," or "we need to come together as one" then I have no problem.

Actually Prince opened me up to god by showing that religion didn't have to be boring or exclude stuff like sex.

sexyAuntyFuka said:

All the songs you mentioned I never listen to anyway.

PurpleKnight said:

A bit, yeah, and in concert when he asks who loved Jesus or actually preaches, I'm no too crazy about it.

Wow! These are some very insightful responses. Great thread SexyAunty!

UCantHavaDaMango said:

ThankQ...will U go 2 bed with me

sexyAuntyFuka said:

I can't, I'm not a sexy Aunty...