I was listening to Planet Earth and realized how much of Prince's "old" beliefs are intermingled on that album, with new beliefs. As I reviewed previous recent albums. I saw the same thing. For instance on TRC, the Everlasting Now is definitely not a JW concept, especially when Prince sings about "searching for the kingdom deep within". On the song Planet Earth he sings "Just like the countless bodies that revolve around the sun, Planet Earth must now come into balance with the One that caused it all to be, then we'll see his kingdom come, so shall it be written, so it shall be sung." Coming into balance with Christ and the Father is definitely not a JW belief and is more in keeping with the spirituality that Prince sang about years ago. So do you think that Prince is mingling "old" beliefs, with "new"?

I've never studied the JW faith, so I can't speak to what is or isn't in line with it, but I do think that he mixes old and new beliefs. He certainly still talks about sex a lot, and whether he wants to admit it or not, he still swears on his records (e.g., "we'd be the shit" in Lolita; even if he doesn't say the word, it's there). I don't think he would be met with a really warm welcome by most JWs, who probably wouldn't consider him a good representative of their beliefs, but that doesn't mean he doesn't take a lot of their beliefs and make them his own. I think Prince has always combined many different religious attitudes in a way that's similar to how he mixes so many musical styles on his records.

Efan said:

Agreed.

i feel like prince's convictions are in a really blurred place right now, and 'planet earth' is a really good testament to this fact. there's no real specific message or manifesto or way of life that prince is specifically harping on with this album, and the musical temperature of the record is kinda sporadic as well (other than it's sorta retro-prince-lite, like 3121 and musicology).

i mean, in the past we had "rainbow children", which addressed very specific beliefs and rants close to his heart, and we had songs in the past like "animal kingdom" and a lot of what was on "chocolate invasion" and "slaughterhouse", which, like 'em or not, was prince communicating what he thought was urgent and important.

by comparison, his spiritual/political/etc. advocacy in lyrics these days seems a little vague, maybe purposefully so.

Efan said:

First off, we are all sexual by nature and I find nothing offensive as he relates to sex in his music. Secondly, I DON'T believe that "shit" is a swearing word. Sexuality and Spirituality are inseparable... that's biblical.

Efan said:

So you think the implication of a swear word is still a swear word?

I know that Prince always stated that sexuality to him was spiritual, a joining of two to become one, do you feel that it still has that connotation in his more recent songs or has it taken on a different slant? Regarding the JWs accepting him, I think that many more do than don't, going by the JW following he has on this board. While one's religion is a very private matter, and I'm not going to attempt to guess what he does or doesn't believe, I can only go by what he's shared through his music, and I agree that it has always seemed combined many different spiritual/religious attitudes, but always before it seemed to have a certain flow without any contradictions between the beliefs. They just always seemed to mesh together perfectly in an odd sort of way. However, reading more on the JW faith, and still hearing the old spirituality that comes out in his songs, it just seems like there is more contradiction among his "new" beliefs and the "old". I was curious whether anyone else heard it.

Anxiety said:

I don't know if it is so much vague, as it is that it seems to be contradictory (regarding his beliefs anyway). Now his political stances do seem to have become more vague in nature and I wonder if that is a direct result of his JW studies. It was just interesting to me to note on all of his recent albums, while he seems to really advocate for the JW faith and visiting "the Kingdom Hall" during concerts he's had in recent times, that there are still many messages on his albums that seem to be in keeping with his "older spiritual" beliefs. I'm wondering how well these "older" beliefs combine with the "newer" beliefs? But if you are sensing a vagueness within it all, and it's pointed enough that I'm noticing almost a contradictory message between what the JWs believe and what he's saying on his newer albums, while still advocating for the JW faith, then it seems that something may be a little off, but I'm not sure what. And perhaps it's not for me to know anyway.

I think that he's trying.
Though, if he had Larry & the Twinz together in one room,
the air of uncomfortably would certainly be percieived.

4bjb said:

I don't disagree; I was just saying that I think the JW beliefs would not agree. And I don't mind shit as a word either, but Prince obviously does and won't say it, but will imply it.

LittleRedCorvette said:

Yeah, although I use swear words all the time, so I'm certainly not offended. But if someone truly believes, as Prince apparently does, that swear words should not be said, then he shouldn't put those "negative" words in others' heads. That's like taking a drink of something, realizing it tastes awful, then passing it off to an unsuspecting friend. Or something like that.

LittleRedCorvette said:

Your points are really interesting. Prince's ideas on sexuality were what originally made me a fan decades ago. I'm glad that he still has elements of that. But most religions resent when members take a "salad bar" approach to faith--picking what they like and leaving behind what they don't. Religion is usually an all or nothing proposition. So when he's singing about premarital sex, for example ("Shhh," to name just one song--that's all about teens gettin' busy after school), he's intermingling old beliefs with new ones, presuming his new beliefs are opposed to premarital sex. If they aren't, that's cool with me.

Efan said:

I could tear this thread to shreds if I chose to but I'm better than that. Sexuality and Spirituality is a "beautiful" thing. "Shhh"....is real, so why try to hide the truth....what does this have to do with Prince's beliefs, old or new, Prince has always been controversial and having said that we really don't know what his truest beliefs are. It's a personal thing.

4bjb said:

I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding what there is to tear to shreds in this thread. I agree that sexuality and spirituality are beautiful things, and are in essence the same thing. What I was curious about was the mixture of his old beliefs and new beliefs within his recent albums and whether others had noticed this mixing of his beliefs. And as I stated above, I can't speak about what his beliefs are and can only address what he's sang about in his music. And I also think that I did state that beliefs and religion are personal things, however, he does sing about his beliefs quite frequently and always has, and it is from his music that I addressing my musings.