As I've been reading lately about Prince's exclusive concerts, his always-present body-guards, and the army and castle of supporters and plush mansions and night-clubs he has built for himself and that has effectively insulated him from any "normal" people....I couldn't help but see just what a contrast his actions are from his music.

I have always found one of the main reaons Prince music is so inspiring and takes all of us in, and moves each of us so deeply is because it really exposes Prince as an innocent and vulnerable soul, almost child-like even if sexual and adult in in intelligence. anyone who has listened to all his music can feel they really sense who he is, stripped away of all the trappings and superficiality of his Hollywood persona. Even if an act, "Condition of the Heart," Lovesexy, and so many other albums and songs give us a sense of Prince and let us in like no other artist does.

Other artists (especially in modern &B and pop) use their music to build a false fascade of who they are and the lifestyles they live. Prince, instead, most often avoids this and sings w/ such a passion and with lyrics that make him appear vulnerable (with obvious exceptions such as "Mr. Goodnight")

This vulnerability and transparency is completley contradicted by the way he acts in the outside world. I'm guessing this is intentional, as I think he's said in the past anyone knows him if they listen to his music.

the irony! he fiercely guards his privacy, doesn't like interviews etc but we love him cuz he bares his soul through his music - he couldn't b more open or reflective if he tried.

It's show business, and artists are, amongst other things, performers.

On the one hand, it constantly amazes me that people fall for this, but then I regularly have to remind myself that people believe what they want to believe, often regardless of any rationality or logic.

langebleu said:

Yeah, the original post acts under the assumption that Prince is writing about himself or about his own experiences. I think that the majority of his writing is far less personal.

langebleu said:

tis the beauty of being a fam

viewaskew said:

I don't think the original post necessarily acts under this assumption, I had said, "even if an act" his songs show a passion that seems to show his transparency. I agree, for example, in "Another lonely christmas," I don't think he lost a lover days before Christmas, but the emotion and vulnerability in the song does seem real, even if the exact factual account is fictional. The emotion is coming from somewhere real and that is how it is conveyed, even if the songs are not literal or historical. This, I think, is the essense of a true performer -- the ability to call upon real and genuine emotion & show that to the world; even if applied to non-biographical accounts.
[Edited 6/9/08 15:51pm]

Jatrig said:

'Real' and 'genuine' emotion from a 'true' performer is, I guess, in the eye of the beholder.

langebleu said:

Yeah, there is a difference between genuine emotion & creative writing.

viewaskew said:

Agreed, but there is also a difference between writing and performing. Lyrics, by themselves, may be fictional and void of genuine emotion; but Prince's performance of those lyrics do have that genuine emotion - again, maybe not for the literal subject matter of the song, but from somewhere from within.

Jatrig said:

I've heard this said about Selena,
that she can translate music into feelings
(or something to that effect).

ima whisper it

"if u r vulnerable and transparent

hang with dumb people

u gon be safe then"

that being said (over and over) lol

i LOVE his vulnerability

pity he lets the wrong people in

and keeps the wrong people out.

jughead

Jatrig said:

The guy is putting on a show. If it was based on real emotion, he wouldn't use the same songs or the same one-liners night after night.

viewaskew said:

Yes, but thats the performance part of his act, the original post said that we have a glimpse of his emotion and vulnerability. I think that is right, of course his songs are not an autobiography or anything so benign. They are fabrications, poetry, stories whatever you want to call them. Maybe his repetition of his stage act is also a sign of vulnerability in that he is insecure with his material or just VERY secure with what works for the crowd!

If you had been performing for 30 years and knew the crowd loved certain lines, you would do them over and over, all stage acts do what works. God, comedians work the same gags for many years show after show, no-one complains, they just know not to go see them too close together. Prince fans see every available performance they can and therefore are going to see some repetition.

I think his music and lyrics show a taste of what makes the man. His music has become more superficial IMO but then perhaps so has his life? that is not to say the music is any less genuine, I dont believe he just releases any old shite, I think he cares what is credited to him. But then his music at the start of his career was superficial - all pop lyrics with no real substance behind them. The substance came later as he aged and experienced life.

I believe Prince writes personal and non personal songs. Prince lyrics are genuine emotions. A person can write a song about any subjcet they want to regardless if they experience it or not. Songs don't necessarily need to be about something in your life. Inspirational can be drawen from different places other than your self. Prince always sings with emotion. His performance of songs are full of emotion.
[Edited 6/10/08 2:30am]

Prince is very smart a lot of fans forget this, he knows how to manipulate people and it seems he always has, look how quickly folks seem to have gotten over the lawsuit threats dilemma and are loving him once again as if it never happened. He knows how to play it from every end please the rich and famous while still pleasing the peasants that keep him rich and famous. 'Genius'.

Purplestar88 said:

After all these years anyone who hasn't gotten a sense of the person Prince is and hopes to be really is only paying attention to the music and not the lyrics. We know how he feels about love, sex, god, death, race and politics. I remember how openly emotional his music was on "Prince" compared to the average male singer. "still waiting", "Its going to be lonely" even Uptown on dirty mind are clear looks into the psyche of a young artist. Some of u folks are so jaded I don't know why u are even fans at all.