I know this has probably been discussed to death - but what is ever concluded? Either as an address, a Bible reference or (as it sounds in the song) some reference to the year where we're all gonna die now that we know 1999 never happened?

Are there any other theories, coz I think it's a lot simpler than any of the above.
[Edited 8/27/07 5:26am]
[Edited 8/27/07 5:47am]

Prince, really knows how to mess with people's heads. 20 years later some are still trying to figure out what symbol stands for too,Break the hold he has on you people.

wlcm2thdwn said:

Hehe, but this one is alarmingly obvious, unless I'm mistaken. I can't believe I just stumbled upon it the other day. So much so that rather than explain it here, I'm 99% sure someone must have posted this before. Just checking.

The most likely answer that I have seen posted to date appears to be its link to the Tetragrammaton:

I really don't know about 3121, other than it being a traveling address.
I assume it is a Bible passage, However when I first contemplated it, I thought, As the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One, Adam and Eve are also One.

Tame said:

In an interview, one of the Twinz suggested that she undrstood the song had originated from an address of a property rented in LA prior to Prince taking up temporary residence in the rented mansion used for the 3121 parties. This has never been authenticated.

There are several bible passgaes (as mentioned in the Forum FAQ) which would possibly be a source reference (as in Chapter 31, verse 21 of certain books of the bible). However, a Paisley Park moderator from the former NPGMC official site stated that 3121 was not a reference to a passage from the bible in this way.

Your suggestion that it may have something to do with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is most unlikely because the Trinity doctrine is not part of the Jehova's Witness faith.

The posibility that the use of the numbers is Prince's cryptic way of conveying the name of Jehovah or YHWH by way of figurative representations seems plausible, particularly when comparing the stylised font used for depicting the numbers.

.
[Edited 8/27/07 4:59am]

McD said:

Is that Ted Bundy on your avatar?

Right, here's what I think it is - the simplest explanation possible...

I'm cleaning up my Ipod to make everything a lot easier, cut down on the number of artists (by shoving about 100 of 'em under various, etc). Despite the tightening, Prince gets 4 entries - himself, Associated, Live & Bootleg. To further simplify, I decide to do to Prince what I'd previously done to The Beatles - put a number before the album titles so that they're chronological, not alphabetical, which makes a lot more sense.

But how to number? What counts as an official Prince album? OK, so personal choice comes in to it. I went with The Vault's description of the Symbol album as the 14th, but didn't want to number the earlier heard, but later released Black album after 14th, so it became 10a, with Lovesexy 10b. I included New Power Soul as Prince's name (at that time) appears on the cover together with a photo of him and him alone. No brainer. And I included Xpectation, The Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse, but not C-Note. Etc.

And where does 3121 come in? 31st. 12 tracks, or 21 when Prince is playing his little mirror games.

So is that it? Just a description of the album as it fits in his chronology? I'm convinced it's that simple, albeit Prince probably came to the number in a different fashion from how I did. (And obviously he liked the sound of it and continues to use it)

Case closed? Or too easy?

please don't use the term "the final solution" without some explanation. "the final solution" was also a term used to reference the Holocaust while the Nazi officials were planning it out.


when I saw the title, it scared me....

tznekbsbfrvr said:

I'll change it! Thanks! I actually nicked it from Stephen Knight's classic book about Jack The Ripper (pretty much rewritten as From Hell by Alan Moore)... the other thing didn't pop into my mind.

McD said:

sorry abt bringing it up though- its just my inner history nerd showing.

McD said:

Well, it would be the simplest explanation possible ... if you hadn't had to fiddle with the numbers to make it fit.
.

langebleu said:

I didn't though - that's the point. I numbered them per my own feelings and didn't realise until I got to 3121 that it was #31, and it suddenly seemed blatantly obvious.

[quote]
There are several bible passgaes (as mentioned in the Forum FAQ) which would possibly be a source reference (as in Chapter 31, verse 21 of certain books of the bible).
.
[Edited 8/27/07 4:59am]

Check Psalms 31:21 or Ecclesiastes 12:13 and you got the solution!

Psalms 31:21 says: Blessed be Jehovah,
For has rendered wonderful loving-kindness to me
in a city under stress.
[/b]
Jehovah blessed Prince with his music and talent and above all by drawing him
to Him and to the truth. Because Prince is humble, honest and a spiritual person.

whatever it is it would never win the nobel prize.

only some die hard fans care and im pretty sure if we ever know what it means its not gonna be something really important or change anything. prince aint a philosopher

so, who cares

Perhaps it is named after his website www.3121.com ???
Or after the club in Vegas where he has played???

Jochem said:

No it wasn't named after either - it was named before both of them.

thomashubler said:

Other than this particular 'solution' was stated as being incorrect through the official website.
.

Jochem said:

so we would be in the same position. what does 3121 mean or stand for?

hello!!!

3+1+2+1= 7 (the number of completion)

SirPsycho said:

so it could have been 2131 or whatever that adds 7

sweet baby

electrorock said:

yeah, but 3121 sounds funkier

SirPsycho said:

not to mention 7 is prince's favorite number

SirPsycho said:

Thats true!

I dont believe a house address would be so important to Prince to use it as an album cover and to still use it today...
It´s probably something deeper.

GustavoRibas said:

yeah, reeeeeaaaally deep LOL

langebleu said:

I know. I was joking.
I don't care what it means.
Sorry.

Langebleu has already posted the correct answer to the 3121 mystery.

I still think it's a simple album count. Or if it isn't then that's a bizarre co-incidence. It's harder to avoid 3121 being 31st in a rational count, than arrive there!

Other than how I personally added them up, you could do it differently, counting all 'Prince/Symbol' albums (exc new Power Soul, inc The Black Album, and counting 'Crystal Ball / The Truth / Kamasutra' the way it makes most sense, as two (the first two as two separate albums - over 4 discs, the latter is NPG orchestra) then you still come out at 31 come 3121.

It's unlikely Prince doesn't segregate this in his mind, however he pleases, and it could go quite a few ways, but most lead to 31 (at that point) give or take one or two at most. See Kill Bill Vol. 1, officially designated in the opening titles as 'the 4th film by Quentin Tarantino'. Now, depending on how you were counting, it's anything but. And given how his latest 'collaboration' is now being guillotined and part-fed to the Euro audience as a solo outing, how the hell does he count it now?

3121 is Prince's 8 1/2 as titles go. I remain convinced.
[Edited 8/27/07 15:19pm]