http://www.jwharrison.com...-halftime/

Prince’s Subtle Anti-War Statement During Halftime
Posted by: Manila Ryce
Posted Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Filed under: US Politics, Videos, Society & Culture, World Issues, Entertainment, Personal Posts, War, Civil Unrest, Music, Political, Asia

The clip below is only half of the halftime show (making it a quartertime show?). While I only understood Prince’s performance of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Best of You” to have an anti-war message, I left the end of his performance in as well. Why? Well, not only was it also amazing, but there’s an extremely suggestive silhouette of Prince behind a giant sheet showing us exactly how excited he was to be performing at the Superbowl. Intentional or not, I had to include it for hilarity sake.

Click on link above to view video of performance.

At about the midpoint of Prince’s halftime performance, the artist performed a mixed cover of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Best of You”. Prince starts “All Along the Watchtower” at its proper beginning, with the two riders (the joker and the thief) approaching. Dylan, who wrote the lyrics in ’68, placed the middle of the story at the beginning of the song to throw the listener into a conversation which had already begun.

“All Along the Watchtower” is generally considered to be a statement about social reform in the 60’s, with the watchtower representing an established power structure guarding itself from those who have a true, yet unaccepted view of human worth. The story is largely uneventful, and the only confrontation taking place is between value systems. Biblical references are also plentiful, leading some to believe that the Joker and the Thief are Jesus and the crucified man next to him, respectively. Without analyzing every line, the song originally described the growing resistance to the Vietnam War and the establishment which made it possible. Why would Prince play this song at the Superbowl? In my opinion, he was making an anti-war statement about the current resistance to the Iraq War.

After the one verse, Prince transitions into “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters. I believe this song is originally about a failed relationship between a man and a woman, but coupled with “All Along the Watchtower” it takes on a different meaning. In this case, we might think of the administration as the one getting the best of us as we fight its restraints on our freedom. Again, Prince does not start at the beginning of the song, but transitions in at “Are you gone and onto someone new? I needed somewhere to hang my head, without your noose.” This may have been a convenient place to open the song, as the lyric could refer to Saddam’s execution, and the persecution anyone might face for opposing the establishment. After confirming the pain we feel as a society, Prince asks over and over again, “Is someone getting the best of you?” At the end he defiantly states, “I ain’t no fool”.

Perhaps I drank too much during the game, and am simply reading into this. Then again, they do seem like odd song choices for Prince to cover without having a specific reason. Your thoughts and interpretations are appreciated.

Lyrics to the performance:

All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went —
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and
The wind began to howl.

Are you gone and onto someone new?
I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn’t have
But had no use
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I break loose
My head is giving me life or death
I will choose
I swear I’ll never give in
I refuse

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
You must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Oh…

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

I’ve got another confession my friend
I ain’t no fool

http://www.prince.org/msg/7/217109