Vendetta1 said:

Yes. Case in point:

My favorite lyric from the LoveSexy album is when Prince says: "If I see 11. You can say it's 7. But STILL I wish you Heaven.I wish you love. I Wish U Heaven."

OMG. That line shows the acceptance and willingness to tolerant other peoples perception of the Divine. He sees one thing. Others call it differently. He's OK with that. That lyric has always been extremely moving to me and it fits the beautiful spirit of the song and of the culture PRince had created around his music.

Fast forward to JW PRince. And we get -- staying on this numbers theme: "This is how it's gonna be if you wanna be with me. Ain't no room for disagree. 1+1+1 is 3. There's a theocratic order."

Not only are the poetry and beauty gone but clearly his attitude and level of tolerance is completely different.


Hey Prince, Can U sleep nights?
Or do you dream in double yous?
Positivity,.
.
.
[Edited 1/21/09 22:59pm]

No I don't think he'll remain a JW. I know next to nothing about the faith so can't comment on what laws he may be bending or whatever (if any) but can you really be Prince and a disciple of a any organisation at the same time?

I wonder what was going through his head when he chose upon that faith? I know many of you on here submit to a chosen religion, so what made you pick the one you're with as opposed to another that also believes in God?

SynthiaRose said:

He also said during the Purple Rain Tour that Jesus is the only lord. That may not sound too inclusive to some people.

He also said in one of his latest albums. "Every single color, every race, and every creed. Looking for the truth". That sounds mighty inclusive to me.

If you're gonna cherry pick lyrics to prove your point. It works the other way around, too.

Paris9748430 said:

Well, for one thing, that was said live, and we're talking about lyrics on studio albums.

Even so, he may have said that Jesus is the only Lord, but he didn't say that all those who disagree would be destroyed like he did in this marvelously inclusive lyric: "When the truth arrives, will you be lost on the other side? Will you still be alive?"

At least he never talked before about women being in subjection to their husbands. He may have been a mysogynistic control freak in real life, but the person he recorded as in the past at least never subjected us to those archaic viewpoints.

i just dont care for alot of the music he releases these days or in the past few years.its just does nothing for me.id much prefer him releasing older material that would be sweet.thats the prince i like.

Paris9748430 said:

I was a preteen during the PR tour & didn't go. However, I was listening to Prince @ the time (and a have a concert video tape of Prince & the REvolution LIve) I don't recall anything too prejudicial against alternate spiritual views. I remember him doing a prayer during his stage act ...which was actually erotic and edgy. He was clearly still in an avant garde spiritual mode, not a conformist one.

Most importantly,I recall his response to God in his music as being largely figurative.

Regardless, if he uttered some spontaneous reference to Jesus being the only deity -- that's not in line with this discusssin which is about did finding God in JW RUIN HIS MUSIC. That comment was not part of his music.

His body of music from that period resonates with a tone of spiritual searching, wonder, and non-judgment.

I specifically chose lyrics to reflect his level of tolerance toward contrasting spiritual views at different times in his life.
The lyrics you quoted from present day may seem as inclusive as in the past but they don't really address his thoughts on conflicting views -- like the two sets of lyrics I used.

Is he ambiguous about this "truth" that sounds so sweet in his body of music? I think not. He gets very specific and intolerant.

But share more ... if you find any actual restrictive lyrics and spiritually intolerant lyrics from pre-JW days I want to be fair about that. I agree cherry picking is dangerous.
.
.
[Edited 1/22/09 9:26am]

Just as i cannot stand other ('normal') people who limit themself by conforming their mind and soul to a way too dogmatic, sect-like form of religion, I cannot stand Princes excercursions in that kind of territory.

I wouldnt say Prince was a truelly great lyricist before, but his songs dealing with (a christian) God and spirituality at least had a quality and substance non-religious people also could relate too.

But starting with The Rainbow Children, he began writing lyrics that deal with religion and spirituality in a very dogmatic, inclusive way. Some of them seemingly echoing Bushes' words: 'You are either with us, or against us'...lol

Its the same kind of smallminded, negative mindstate i cannot stand in 'normal' people, so why should i tolerate it from Prince?

So, on the level of his lyrics i would say: 'ruin' might be a strong word, but yes, many of his lyrics since 2000 annoy and irritate me, and too often take a way the pleasure from enjoying his music.

On the other hand: did it effect his music?

I think thats a question a bit harder to answer. I mean: its not uncommon for people who are as long in the business as Prince, to start repeating themselves on a musical level, to (almost unconsciously) do what they do best, but more and more WITHOUT the original spark, creativity and curiousity they still had when they were evolving as an artist.
I mean: Look at the Rolling Stones? Can anyone name their last 5 albums? Van Morrison is still making music after, what is it, 40 years, its decent, but it doesnt 'thrill' like in the past. Even a 'slightly younger' band like U2 allready knows what their strengths are, and what does make their sound 'click', maybe its far too obvious they know it....

Personally i think its an almost 'natural progress' that artists with a longgoing career go through.
Thats why i think i can also understand why younger fans, who only discovered Prince this decade, consider 3121 a 'great album'. Face it: in terms of composing and songwriting it is quite a good album, but personally, as an 'older fan' i think its boring as hell.
Why? as other 'older fans' i witnessed Prince when he was evolving as an artist, a period that most of the times brings out the best of (good) musicians: a certain spark, a certain greedieness to explore and try different things, the exciment of discovering a new 'trick' shown 'in between the lines' of the music and lyrics.
Thats why i personally relate so much more to albums then 1999 and Parade, as, lets say, Rave and 3121.

Thinking about Princes future: i can easily see him going on for lets say 20 years with delivering a 'decent' ***-star album (with an all tried and tested sound) every 2 or 3 year: a couple of stand-outs on it, some duds, and a lot of mediocre material.
But would it make me happy? or his fans in general? or probably even more important, himself?
Maybe that is where the 'JW-thing' comes looking around the corner again. Sometimes i get the idea that he is more busy (obsessed?) with being 'a good witness', trying to control himself and how he is perceived by others, that it gets in the way of where his strength (and i think, his heart) lies: the music and the creative process that comes with it.

Lets wait and see.

Riverpoet31 said:

Surprised you haven't been shot yet. I agree though, he's no Lennon.

PS: See how I chose Lennon to juxtapose his religious views? Clever eh?

It certainly hasn't helped his work, any. Whereas he used to be edgy, fun & playful with a periodic dash of seriousness & contemplation, his work is now bland & dull for the most part & represents little challenge to the listener. Or, more accurately, the challenge is now to get through a whole song of his without wishing you never started listening in the first place. I'm not knocking his belief system (although I think it's absurd, personally), but its impact on his work has been negative. No less so, has his focus on things outside of his music - his crusade against Youtube & things like that have kept him away from the studio & the chance of making something interesting.

mzkqueen03 said:

Dependant of course on where you were when you fell and what you were doing.

wildgoldenhoney said:

If you are truly saved, then Jehovah does the work in you, and your works shine before man because of Him.

bleutuna said:

I don't think P being a JW has ruined his music. He's a JW and I xpect that he's going 2 discuss his faith, in his music. His music is still funky and moving but the lyrics have changed. I still enjoy his music.

It disappoints me that a song like "The Cross", which you can love without being religious, is now played as "The Christ", which then changes the song completely because of the religious vibe it then gives.....sad, very sad.

Are we gonna get changes to all his old songs now because of the religion

" I knew a girl named Nikki, I guess you could say she was a Beauty Queen
I met her in a hotel lobby making animals out of plasticine!"

Don't do it Prince...

"And God Created Woman..." is the perfect example of OLD Prince Spirituality. Stuff that worked.



Musically very, very interesting as well.
[Edited 1/23/09 14:26pm]

i feel it started when he split with Mayte, there was a alot going on with him at that time and he chose his religion to cope with it

I can't even go there. It's depressing.