Let me start by saying that I'm a straight male who has no insecurities with his sexuality and for this reason I have been able to enjoy Prince's music to the fullest.

However, my question is this:

How do you explain Prince's music to your male friends who are also straight, but just are not as poetic or artistic as you?

I'm a firm believer that most serious fans of P's music are more musical, poetic and artistic than average music listeners. I'm not trying to stereotype, but so far its been a reality for me.

I mean, how the fuck do you explain songs like "Sometimes It Snows In April?"
Or any other song that's not easily obvious what he's saying? (I never even saw Under The Cherry Moon, but I figured out what was going on easy.)

Many people still don't know what "Yellow Submarine" is about, but they don't question it. But if P makes a track, its always inspected for homosexuality. I mean, Bealtes could have been having an orgy in that submarine and dropping soap around that "sailor" all day, yet nobody wonders. I guess that's what Prince gets for having such sexually charged lyrics. Yet its sex that interests people the most and is the most important aspect of everything, admit it or not.

Or should I even bother explaining shit? I don't know, but it just gets on my nerves when those who don't really know the material but label it to be gay.

I get made fun of so much for listening to Prince, its getting so old.

I dont explain it, I just let them listen.

His music speaks for itself
[Edited 5/29/07 13:23pm]

U know 1 of my girlfriends hated Prince.She said that he's a gay and fag and he had done so many plastic surgeries and stuff like this.But after we listened 2 some of his songs 2gether and I told her everything about the songs with the explict lyrics and the parental thing she started getting into him.Now she likes him a lot

Dont explain!

The other day I was playing Vanity 6's Vibrator in a car full of guys
and they were all looking at eachother smiling like "whatever we're listening to...turn it up!" It was so cute

i never have that problem these days. i think he's thought of more as a respected music legend than as the freak of the week that he used to be. even people who don't know him very well respond to me as if i just told them i'm a fan of clapton or sly or whatever. he's part of the establishment now.

I never explain, i know they are all wrong...all worng i tell u WRONG

I know this will end up with me going

I don't bother explaining them. I'll discuss them with other people that already have an opinion, but it's best to form your own opinions and interpretations for yourself before you see what everyone else thinks. So I don't try to explain any music to anyone that it's new to anymore. If they can't figure it out for themselves (what it's about, what's great about it, etc.) on their own, that's their tough luck.


But mostly I really don't give a damn what music is "about." I either like it or I don't. I try not to over-analyze my likes and dislikes as much these days. So if I'm not all that interested in doing it myself, I'm not likely to do it for someone else.

i hear you komputer (sigh) tis the burden of straight male Prince fans. I've offered to make mixes for friends (eclectic friends at that) and heard responses like "don't play me nothin that sounds like men swiming in honey"...


i mean come on..


but I figure..their loss...I've come 2 understand Prince's "stance" as (1) a punk statement [rebellious 2 dictated gender roles] and.... (2) some str8 up MACK shit playing off of inherent female vanity....[sorry ladies, i'm paraphasing someone elses teachings with the vanity part...but Prince is a definite "Dandy" in the classical sense, and that's what dandies do...women in suits have the same effect adversely imo]


I do wish more of my brothers would catch on, but homophobia is a strong thing, epecially in the black community [hey i used 2 have it bad 2]...they'd never be able 2 stomach "Jack U OFF" and I think that whole idea was genious, not 2 mention brave... I just let em hate

Anxiety said:

...very true...i'm noticing that as the years add up

my friend just sent me this thread...interesting timing...


http://board.okayplayer.c...4646&page=

...read the comments...there seems 2 be a debate goin on about "someone" and their "image"

theodore said:

or you'll say

wtf is this shit

SirPsycho said:

Cha...welcome to OKP

What's the point in trying to explain P's music to people that still think that he's gay?
Prince never cared what others thought about him. Don't you think he would be out of the closet by now after all these years?
Don't you think that some slick photographer would have caught him at least once in a public bathroom, on his knees sucking some guy's dick over the past 30 years?
Or some ex-boyfriend would have made millions with a book, like " When I was Prince's lover"

amorbella said:

Agreed

Well, I tend to drive everyone everywhere, so they can't escape from my Prince music when in my car. Then I tell them to be quiet and just listen or they'll get one of these: . Most are pretty open to the music and eventually find something that they like.
[Edited 5/29/07 16:28pm]
[Edited 5/29/07 19:21pm]

babooshleeky said:

xactly

theodore said:

babooshleeky said:

they have to listen to it... really listen to it. w/ alot of todays music, ppl onl;y pay attention 2 the beat and not the lyrics. you have 2 pay attention 2 Prince's lyrics. i've given up trying almost.

i just show em this pic:



it explains allot, without saying anything.

In Britain, he's percieved slightly differently. Mostly, no-one doubts that he's straight. We have a heritage of male pop stars dressing effeminately, wearing make-up, acting "faggy", and boning every female in a 5 mile radius.

Also, I notice on the Org, he has a big mainly female following who consider him sexy, beautiful etc. On the whole, he's not considered "hot" by women in Britain. There's obviously exceptions, and of course, he's widely admired for his music and performances, but sex-symbol wise, he's seen as being a bit greasy and creepy. I guess its a cultural difference

LittleSmedley said:

Where's the picture with the bodyguard pulling that girl off him?

komputerbleu said:

and for me, most Prince fans have come across as simply narrow minded, ignorant, and insecure...not to stereotype.

komputerbleu said:

Prince's creative genius in no way reflects upon his fans genius. and understanding that song in no way makes anyone more artistic than another. this seems to relate to my position of insecurity. you are insecure about how Prince is percieved so you are now simply inflating his music to compensate for it. Sometimes it snows is a nice song, but there is nothing brilliant or more artictic about it than many other songs not by Prince.

thanks for falling into my stereotype, makes me feel better about my generalization of the bunch of you.
[Edited 5/30/07 15:05pm]

I have a good friend who's mildly homophobic (something I've tried to talk to him about but he always changes the subject) and he hates Prince cause of that.

Hates the way he "acts" and screams in his songs and calls him a woman. I've shown him a few pics to show that Prince is in fact all man and showed him some of the women he's had but he doesn't budge.

But he has a way of helping me "aquire" songs from youtube and such and he still does that for me despite not liking him.

Once I sent him the Brits 2006, thinking he won't watch it or consider it.

He came to me later on and said "That 12 minute performance..when was that?" I told him then he said "Oh ok.....(quietly)he was good on guitar". I was like YAY, you praised him But that's been the one and only time so far.

I actually have yet to find a guy that like him. I talked to a guy yesterday who said he loves When Doves Cry so I said are you a fan and he said "No, but MJ was cool"

I've found plenty of other women who like him though.

I tell them they are purple bootey candy, and it feels goooood.

I explain it to them using alot of cuss words.

But they don't get offended.

I told them once that I suffer from Tourette's syndrome,
and the "fuckers" believed me.

I try to explain the meaning behind alot of songs, if me, myself know.But alot of people I know think he's weird but I don't care because I know that he is a muscial genius!I love him and stand by him no matter what.You know somethings you just can't explain to people so why even try???


myspace.com/gluv4u

Most of my friends respect the artistry and know to respect tha genius when they're around me! However, I have experienced the difficulty of understanding from a few male friends, but they'd rather talk about and listen to me,than Prince, lol. They just know it's apart of me (being a fan and an appreciator of his music), and I just tell em' if they can't get with it, then BOUNCE, lol!

carmand said: