I've been thinking over the last few days, since darrenj posted 'Goodbye Prince' (and this is all I've come up with - LOL) But...

Does he just want to be FREE from the image of his past or any 'image' at all?

He said quite a few candid things at the O2 aftershows such as, "I'm like an animal in the zoo", "I used to be just like you - I didn't change, something else changed". The fact that he can't go to the supermarket, (or probably much else!)

He also sang Free at one of the concerts and seemed very moved by the lyrics...

I know we could say, 'it's the price of being famous', but he's always said he didn't get into it to be famous - it was always about the music!

What do you think?

Jeffiner said:

You asked me what do I think?

I think that whole "free" thing is a understatement which emphasizes pure bullshit if you know what I mean. When you meant by the word "free" you elaborate that he wants to forget the past is that what you meant? Or did you mean in some pseudo Philisophical statement of being "free" mentally or phyiscally? Does he even have the mental capacity of being free? Help me out here!

Jeffiner said:

interesting thread, I think you may be right. I support him in whatever he does as long as it makes him happy.

I think Prince has always wanted to be free, since he was a child. When in fact the only walls he's had around him are the ones he's created himself.

NastradumasKid said:

There's more to being free...

NastradumasKid said:

Crikey! Talk about complicating things! I didn't mean any pseudo philisophical anything, just simply as I said 'free (er)' from the image he's created, free to walk down the street without 100's of paps trying to take his picture. It may be unrealistic, but maybe he's striving for it?

Just wondered what other people thought.....

wlcm2thdwn said:[quote]I think Prince has always wanted to be free, since he was a child. When in fact the only walls he's had around him are the ones he's created himself.[/quote]


Not sure what you mean by that? In what way

Jeffiner said:

I was just kidding I agree I think this man wants to be freefrom being in the spotlight. he probably also even wants to be free from this Earth and go to a better place stated in many of his songs that "no man is truly happy until he dies."
[Edited 1/1/08 16:12pm]

The alienation from people and ignoring his fans, sueing people, the mystery he always tries to create around himself, he's built his own prison.

NastradumasKid said:

Yeah, that makes me a bit sad though, when he says things like that

Jeffiner said:

So he wants people to forget about him and thats why he's trying to get rid of videos and images and hush people up. So he can be a normal cat.
And maybe by attacking the 'net, which is targeted towards young people, he can erase himself to a whole generation.
Maybe.
But, then, I ask, why work so hard with this "comeback" thing since 04, then piss it all away 3 years later.

wlcm2thdwn said:

Oh, OK, I see where you're coming from, thanks!

ToraToraDreams said:

I know! But I think it's a real contradiction with him, like a push and pull thing (I DO like that duet - ha ha)! He wants to be successful, wants to get the music out there, but on a personal level he then backs away from it all. I honestly think apart from his music and performances he finds it hard to deal with Just my opinion though....
[Edited 1/1/08 16:26pm]

Who knows? There's so much more than what meets the eye going on.

'DO U WANT 2 JUDGE ANOTHER ...LEST WE B JUDGED 2?'

colorblu said:

Am I judging him?

colorblu said:

wcl2thdwn was right. Prince enclosed himself in his isolated state in his anti-social mental way of thinking....

Jeffiner said:

Just wondering why the thread asking so many questions none of us know the answer to. Why ask why? Why guess why Prince does anything when we don't no.

colorblu said:

Why are you so concern about why she asked these questions? We know there's no answer to this but, still why state the obivious?

(not arguing)

NastradumasKid said:

I think the only free he wants is the freedom from aging, getting old physically.

colorblu said:

I meant we know we don't why he asks the way he does but why would you bother stating the obivious.

NastradumasKid said:

Yeah, but now you're all talking about freedom as a mental state - I'm talking more about outside influences impairing his basic every day freedoms

Jeffiner said:

I know still that's also porbably how he feels

I think if Prince wanted to to be "free" of the celebrity lifestyle (I don't believe he does, personally) he'd have been better served just fading away. This action has made too much of a noise to allow it to do that.

I believe there's two possible motives for everything, and they contrast somewhat.

The first is the possibility that he wants to be known as not only a musical genius, but a pioneer in terms of how music is distributed and heard. It may be that he's more driven by being remembered for such a thing than he is by his musical output now. Prince sees music as a gift from God. Wouldn't someone as deeply religious as he is find it abhorrent that this gift is abused in the way it is just now?

The second possibility, one I started a thread about a while ago, is that it's just a control issue, but slightly different than first meets the eye. There has been something of a comeback in the last few years, but Prince may feel in terms of popularity that this has peaked. We know he's very controlling over his musical output, but the one thing out of his hands is how such output is received. If he felt the only way was down in terms of popularity, maybe the controlling side of his nature devised this, knowing full well the reaction, so he could say "yeah, I'm not as popular, but it's down to MY doing, not anyone elses". I know that sounds foolish, but consider what some people are willing to do to themselves to feel in control of situations. Next to some of them, it's not that outlandish a suggestion.

On topic again - I don't think Prince believes in true freedom anymore, after studying religious and philosophical texts. There's a little speech that hints at that on the ONA live 2nd CD, just before he plays Free.

PS. I said I believe there's 2 possible motives - I don't really have a clue, there's millions really, just putting up a couple to add to the debate.

the rules:

at the O2 P often sung about silly stuff, toilet lids, tampons he would buy for his mother and the fact he is not like you are me.

was odd, shortly after the 16th aftershow, i had a copy of it, and was totally stoned listening to it, and he started on about being so alone, and not being able to walk down the street, and i was believing this, till he threw the spanner in the works about having a pic with MJ, I simply laughed and thought, you cheeky bastard

colorblu said:

Oh, sorry! Don't we do that quite a lot on here?

Jeffiner said:

You don't need to be sorry

Jeffiner said:

I imagine that it's kind of hard not being able to do something without having the public watching and posting it in newspapers and of those stupid gossip shows where they EXPLOIT celebrities. Personally, I feel bad for people like Britney Spears who's going through personal stuff, and they broadcast it. There is such a thing as personal space (I know, but here we are talking about him anyway).

But good for him that he feels that celebrity did not change him; still has the human side to him.

Jeffiner said:

BTW I love your new signature, from the 1995 show Billy Jack Bitch

Whitnail said:

Yeah, "If I could just get a picture with you and MJ together Prince, I could retire - that's when I knew everything had changed!" That was funny, but still he was making a point about losing his freedom I think!