One of the best tracks Prince has ever made...have u eva notice how this song is kinda relevant 2 the war that we have goin on 2day? even tho this song is like 17 years old. Especially in this line "Hey now, maybe we can find a good reason 2 send a child off 2 war.So what if we're controllin' all the oil.Is it worth a child dying 4? (Is it worth it?).If long life is what we all live 4 then long life will come 2 pass.Anything is better than the picture of the child in a cloud of gas.And U think U got it bad." I guess this song was also made 4 the gulf war and other wars around the world durin that time period

Classic and still relevant after all theze yearz.Great song.

Love the song and the vid.

That's approximately as profound as..."The main problem with war is that nobody ever wins."

He really oughta stay away from that stuff. Every time he tries it, he just makes himself sound dumb.

nice thing you brought up
and yes i totally agree with you
all this time and still extremely relevant with whats going on

i can feel his voice go through my ear tunnels when he says and you think you got it bad...

Genesia said:

Well is he a great "wordsmith" or is he not lol! It seems you have a problem when Prince actually has a "political" viewpoint/thought. So he sounds dumb because he sees war as evil? That makes a lot of us "dumb" then. I'm glad he feels free to express his views on such issues. Oh and remember he's writing 3 to 4 minute pop songs. So I don't know much complexity u expect in that time period in a song no-less. jeez.

tricky99 said:

Even great wordsmiths have their lazy moments - or overreach, at times.

I don't have a problem with him having a political viewpoint. My problem is that, in fact, these are "3 to 4 minute pop songs" - and that is exactly why he shouldn't try to tackle serious issues in them! Boiling war - with all its complex issues - down into a couple of lines leads to the very kind of platitudes and cheap sentiment we see here.

And honestly, given his usual subject matter, these forays into the political always feel forced and...I don't know...disingenuous. Like he feels obliged to talk about the political "flavor of the month" - whatever that might be.

Genesia said:

Who exactly are u to judge another person's thoughts as being disingenuous? Where do get that idea from? Prince has written quite a few songs about war. What do u think 1999 is about? Was it disingenuous too? Why must Prince fit into a box that is convenient for U? Let a brotha express himself. If u don't agree with his sentiment cool, discuss it from that point of view but don't ask the brother to censor himself because Genesia doesn't think he's "smart" enough. That's an extremely elitest way to look at other people's ideas. Maybe u should go though his catalog and see how many songs are about things other then sex & romantic love. Maybe u haven't been paying attention.

Genesia said:

To me, they feel horribly genuine, like he truly thinks the lyrics of "Free," "Ronnie Talk to Russia," or "Money Don't Matter" are really rallying cries. I can kind of cut "Resolution" a little slack, but even so, it doesn't have the depth or insight the topic warrants either. I think he succeeded more with "Dear Mr. Man" in this regard than with most of his other political efforts. But in general, so many of his songs in this area are filled with overly simplified statements--they sound great in theory, but when you get into the murky, complicated waters of reality, you have to question how much they truly apply. It's similar to chanting "War no more" at Coachella. It sounds good, I guess, but is it really more than a platitude? Even that crowd didn't seem to buy into it.

I do think he's more than capable, as so many other great artists have been, of putting forth an intelligent and thoroughly thought-provoking case (against war or about any topic he chooses) in a 3-4 minute pop song. I hope he does it.

tricky99 said:

Did you even read what I wrote? I didn't say he was disingenuous, full stop. I said it felt disingenuous when he tried to boil a complex issue down into a few lines. That is an opinion - something to which, last time I checked, I am entitled. I never said he couldn't express himself. I said that the lyrics of a particular song didn't ring with authenticity, in my mind.

1999 is a brilliant song. But while it mentions war, it isn't really about war. It (like a lot of his early songs that reference war) is about going on and finding your own fun and making your own meaning in life, in the face of things you may not like, but can't do anything about. It doesn't feel disingenuous because I totally believe he has that mindset.

I never said Prince wasn't smart enough, so I would thank you not to attribute that sentiment to me. In so doing, you are disingenuous. I am well-acquainted with his catalog, thank you - and find the implication that I don't know what I'm talking about to be extremely insulting.

I offered an opinion on a set of lyrics. It was you who took it into the gutter with ad hominem attacks on me.

Which is why this discussion is, as far as I'm concerned, over.

This song became one of my faves on the 20th of April, 2001. He was playing it as I filed into the Kodak Areana for the ONA Tour during the soundcheck. Incredieble!

It is more positive to only speak of war, in a few sentences...so that a focus in life is directed toward a positive outlook...And Prince has crafted Love within his music. That is what leads those away from darkness and toward the light of love.

Tame said:

I love it. Great melody.

Genesia said:

I get what you mean and I tend to agree but I think "Money Don't Matter" is one of his more successful examples. Lately he seems to have got much more ham-fisted lyrically.