emilio319 said:

i think you make some very valid points about the lyrics there, it just seems since TRC he's gone for staright up quotes from the Bible, the feelin' of 'Uptown' has gone i.e. now it's 'your're either with me or against me'. Maybe it's just the perception of JW's that makes it more unaccetable, the realisation that P the free spirit is happy to follow rather than Lead. Lovesexy was a battle, a crusade which he led, TRC was a lecture to slavishly follow.

I used to be a JW (funnily enough, when we were forbidden to listen to Prince)
and I still find their brand of preaching and doctrine quite offensive. However, I dont find Princes recorded interpretation of JW-ism offensive - just silly and childish. He has gone down in my opinion as a person since his indoctrination, but if the music is cool, I'll be listening.
[Edited 7/17/07 9:44am]

icke4presidant said:

Um, okay. Now you are just making stuff up.

skywalker said:

Yep, he actually has always been homophobic when it didnt fit his 3-some fantasies! Many reported that he told Wendy and Lisa they were gonna burn in hell for there lifestyle before the Revolution broke up.

I'm not necessarily offended by his recent religious lyrics, but they do make me cringe. I'm an atheist who has always enjoyed Prince's spirtiual/religious subject matter (Anna Stesia has a habit of bringing me to tears) because like someone already said, it had an "inclusive" quality to it, and it wasn't tied to one specific organized religion, and it wasn't preachy. These days, his religious material is just like orthodox religion: scripted, exclusive, strict, and static. None of it flows, none of it makes you feel as if you are a part of it unless.....well, you're a part of it. Honestly, I'm glad to see that PE has less of the straightforward religious banter (although it does ruin C. Rodgers for me, because it just doesn't fit IMO) but don't be surprised if this "phase" starts coming to an end soon. He is slowly but surely becoming less of a religous zealot. Check the progression between when Larry first showed up and now.

I'm not bothered at all. I just find it all fasinating. I don't understand these people who moan about what Prince believes or doesn't believe. Let him do him and u do u. And if it offends u why not take a hike. problem solved.

Many also reported that Prince had a rib removed so he could suck his own dick--that doesn't make it true. Next thing your going to tell me that Prince slapped Sinead around based on what "many reported".

Fact is, "Prince is homophobic" is pure speculation. I for one saw him happily play onstage with Wendy on 7/7/7. I am not saying that it is any kind of prove, but certainly more concrete than what you are "reporting".

Yes, i feel bothered by those messages.

The experience of listening to music is a combination of listening to both music and lyrics, and as much i can't stand 'preaching' by priests, or people 'selling' their faith, i can't stand it while i am listening to music.

I mean, during most of his career Princes use of 'religion' or 'God' in his lyrics offered room for various interpretations, even for an atheist like me. Even his most 'preachy' album before TRC, Lovesexy, didnt bother me: because who can disagree life is a combination of carnal and devine aspects?

It went totally wrong for me with The Rainbow Children, Prince isnt expressing spiritual feelings on that album, but ramming religious dogma's trough people's throats. Silly, shortminded, but also scary dogma's, that are mostly used by people who have no sense of reality and life. Lyrics bordering on anti-semitism and sexism.

That album almost did make me stop being a Prince-fan. Especially when i did read that he asked Wendy and Lisa to 'apologize' for being lesbians. What was that little fucker thinking there? Who is brainwashed here?

On Musicology, 3121 and Planet Earth he has toned down his preaching a bit, but still, those JW-references in his lyrics lower my enthousiasm for the music. He might feel fine with it, at least he thinks he does, but personally i think and feel he is limitating himselve with those religious dogma's, and therefore not only his lyrics, but also his music suffers from it.

Genesia said:

I'm not religious at all, but I'm also not offended by his JW references or religious lyrics. I happen to love The Rainbow Children. Some of the lyrics are awful, but the music is fantastic. When he starts to preach during his concerts, I just look around at all the handsome men in the audience to help pass the time.

People want to get to know Prince, his music is a large part of him. Then he shares something that he believes in, and you criticize him or become offended. One needs an open mind to listen to it,and even if one doesn't agree with him maybe one could just accept that this works for Prince. People sound so unhappy about Prince learning and growing as a human being and musician; that I just don't understand. But to each their own.

Personally, I really love where he's at and I enjoy his music and what he's speaking about. The more I read,the more I comprehend. I sometimes think that fear or being offended by something might stem from not understanding it.
[Edited 7/17/07 13:15pm]

anyone offended needs to get over it.
the man is singing what he believes
skip the song or dont buy the record.
many were offended when he sang songs like
head/sister/darling nikki....back in the day.
(Im sure those who are offended by his jw lyrics
are not among them)
Maybe it is time to look good and hard at your life
If speach of GOD offends....you got issues, outside of any
GOD or diety....
P dont give a shit anway.....he cant please em all.....
His aim is 2 please the most high....

The Pope

Thats why i feel offended by his JW-inspired lyrics.... lol

Any truelly intelligent person with common sense doesnt fall into the trap of dogmatic forms of religion.

I see Prince falling into that trap, and i feel sorry for him.

Digmenow, for you it may seem like Prince is growing and learning, but my feelings and intellect say he is fooling himself with that JW-crap.

icke4presidant said:

To stay on topic: Please quote lyrics which you think are homophobic.

Genesia said:

Me too. Dear Mr. Man for instance - it sure is funky, but offensively naive politically.

But - it is not at all unconnected to the narrowminded doctrines of Jehovas Witnesses. Reading a Watchtower or a Wake Up magazine gives us a hint. It is very political and on the surface concerned with the environment and abuse of power and other worthy political subjects. But the answers, man, the answers. It involves turning our heads away from the problems towards a "saved" in-crowd and away from any real interest in practical solutions.

Whenever anyone shows no doubts, it scares the hell out of me...

People will always have something to complain about Prince. He's either too dirty, too clean, too religious.

There are so few TRUE Prince fans here it's amazing how many posts this place gets. Most of all you people want are copies of the Purple Rain ST with different lyrics. If it doesn't sound like the 80's every body complains.

There needs to be a new board setup for the 80's Prince Fans. Fans of innovation and GOOD music can stay here.

If you're offended then turn it off. Don't buy it. Don't listen. Don't attend. Otherwise stfu about it as you're complaining about something YOU control.

"Is anyone else offended by P's JW / Biblical references in his last few albums"


NOPE, not in the least! It's his music and he can sing about whatever he wishes. If I like the song, that doesn't mean I necessarily agree with his viewpoint...it's music FFS.

icke4presidant said:

Not agreeing with the practice/lifestyle of homosexuality is not automatically being homophobic for fucks sake.

I love God and I love Prince, why should I be offended?!

skywalker said:

That was 7/7/7, and I'm talking more like 1985. And comparing what various reliable sources (including Wendy herself as little as 5 years ago in a published newspaper interview) have said about his comments toward them with having a rib removed is a very interesting way to discredit what I posted!

I never said his lyrics were homophobic, and I never said he walked around saying fag and dike on a regular basis, but P has had his moments. Regardless, his new-found "religion" has caused him to project his prejudices more openly than before.
[Edited 7/17/07 19:58pm]

Back it up then---post the quote in which Wendy said that Prince, in 1985, was homophobic. I am not trying to discredit you--I am just saying that if you are gonna make the claim you should back it up with a quote, and newspaper name, something.

By the way, the original complaint was "he was never homophobic then". That hardly fits with your timeline or your theory.

PS. Have you never heard the rib thing? Back in the 80's that was THE big rumor at our school about Prince...

[Edited 7/17/07 19:58pm]
[Edited 7/17/07 19:58pm]

skywalker said:

Actually it does, because I was agreeing with the person who said HE WAS BACK THEN! Back then, when he wasn't a JW, he was sometimes homophobic, but he didn't :publicize" it like he does now when he IS a JW.

I don't have the article anymore, it was book-marked on another computer which I don't have anymore. However, I can tell you it was during the supposed work on Roadhouse Garden and a rumored Revolution reunion. I actually read the article, and Wendy said that Prince said he would only work with her and Lisa again if they denounced their homosexuality and become JW. This wasn't some tabloid either, it was an actual newspaper on that paper's website. So unless someone hacked their site and posted a bogus article, I believe it. And I may be wrong, but I believe Jon Bream wrote it.

The 1895 (or so) rumor came from either DMSR or Possessed, can't recall which one, not the article, sorry if you got that confused (or if I wrote it confusing).

And yeah, I've heard about the rib thing, as well as various gay club picture rumors. Those always circulated back in the day, especially when a Prince fan was around. The rib thing was also said about Marilyn Manson, so go figure. I don't listen to those kind of rumors.
[Edited 7/17/07 20:05pm]
[Edited 7/17/07 20:07pm]

I'm not offended at all; just unimpressed at what I feel are often amateurish lyrics and tired attempts to be cryptic and profound. And it has nothing to do with JW theology -- I think "7" was just as hokey.

It's his music, though. He can do what he wants. And I can choose not to listen.

funkyhead said:

Never thought I'd see a fan say that Prince's lyrics were "unacceptable". Who listens to Prince for "acceptable" lyrics?

After all this time he's still making controversial music, just seems that some folks want their controversial music to fit a mold that they like.

Like alot of folks have said already, you don't have to listen if it truly offends you.

Well, call me cynical to the press, but I put about as much stock into local MPLS newspaper "reporting" as I do the rib removal rumors. Ultimately it boils down to this for me: Publicly, Prince hasn't given any reason/evidence to suggest that he is homophobic. Perhaps he is, but there just isn't any info to support it. Whispers about what he is like privately don't hold much weight. They just are not credible or concrete. Now, if Prince pulls an Isaiah Washington that'd be a different story. As for now, it still amounts to rumors...
[Edited 7/17/07 20:39pm]

No

I think that with the new album, he's really toned down the dogma a lot. In fact, this seems to be a return to the positive, feel-good message of, say the Lovesexy album, as opposed to the dogma of exclusion that TRC was.

Now I F@$KING LOVE the Rainbow Kidz AND Planet Earth, but I'm not too psyched about the "Moses was a pharoah" bulls@*t in 'Chelsea Rodgers'.

If you actually listened to "Lion of Judah" rather than jump to conclusions due to the title, you'd realize the song isn't "offensive" at all.

Moonbeam said:

and that it isn't actually a religious song. it's about a breakup