I'm accustomed to a different version of the song...with different lyrics than the version on The Vault.

Is the version I've heard a bootleg and this the original or the other way around?

VickiWaiting said:

The version you heard is the original and a bootleg since never officially released. I enjoy the old version much better, lyrics are more personal describing situations with W&L, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and others.

Old version is class!

It's a lovely song, never heard the old version.

blumer said:

I don't have the lyrics in front of me, but where exactly is the comment about Wendy and Lisa in the song?

madhouseman said:

Old Friends 4 Sale

The sun set in the west this mornin'
4 I know, I know L.A. is callin'
Bad news, Steve said, and people are talkin'
They say your kingdom is fallin', yeah
They say U lost your fire
When another musician U hired
Little do they know, U wouldn't have passed go
Unless they could take U higher, yeah

The sun set in my heart this afternoon
4 2 friends of mine got stuck in the snow
In Uptown when winter's alarmin', oh
Cocaine becomes charmin'
But U talk about things U don't know 'bout
I know, no matter how pleasant your past was
Green and white return 2 blue
U're happy as long as your last buzz
And then U think U want something new, yeah

The sun, the sun set in my mind this evening
4 someone who said they would die 4 me
Sold some, they sold some more pictures and all my little memories
Chump change is 2 unravel the mystery, ah ha
But life is no fun, life ain't no fun without fantasy
Some things are better left unsaid
And some people are better left untrusted
Maybe, maybe, maybe it'll all make sense when I'm dead
When I'm dead

Old friends 4 sale
Get'em while the gettin' is hot
Watch out, they'll kiss U until they get what U got
And they'll show U the friends that they're not
Old friends 4 sale

Gawd! This version rocks. So telling - and the passion in which he sings it is so powerful. Miss the song, will need to find it on my old cassettes.

Believe this is the breakdown -

1st verse - Wendy & Lisa
2nd verse - Vanity and Morris
3rd verse - Chick

VickiWaiting said:

2nd verse = Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Vanity, Morris

Incredible song simply incredible.
Such a shame songs like this, the original is not legally available, so sad that so much of his music is not available, general public has no clue as to how great this little dude is,... so much great music is not readily (legally) available.
Hopefully someone can talk some sense into Prince soon, either he will chill with old age or become an even more hardheaded hard-core extremist.
[Edited 8/25/07 20:07pm]

violetblues said:

Don't count on it.

i have 3 versions of this song.. the original original one... then the official original which sounds a lot more worked on... then the vault version.

still don't see the Wendy and Lisa in it. Can you spell it out for me?

madhouseman said:

It's in the first verse. He's not talkin' about Lisa just Wendy. Lisa is not mentioned in the song. Only Steve Fargnoli, Wendy Melvoin, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Chick Huntsberry. And I think Vanity aswell.


The sun set in the west this mornin'
4 I know, I know L.A. is callin'
Bad news, Steve said, and people are talkin'
They say your kingdom is fallin', yeah
They say U lost your fire
When another musician U hired (Meaning Wendy, The musciain hired)
Little do they know, U wouldn't have passed go
Unless they could take U higher, yeah

Rinluv said:

which line is about vanity? who is on cocaine?

purplepolitician said:

i forgot, which line is about morris?