I'm just curious, have there ever been any rumors around about who this song is about?

Don't quite remember, but I thought I may have read somewhere that it had something to do with St. Paul from The Family, a band Prince put together in the mid 80s.
[Edited 4/17/09 0:20am]

gold31 said:

Some of the unreleased tracks from this sound Parade like.

Love2tha9s said:

I think the songs were made around the same time as Parade or shortly after Parade was done.

is it not between "Around The World In A Day" & "Parade"?

GetWildHornyPony said:

No that was after Parade.

I think a couple were recorded during the Parade sessions.

Love2tha9s said:

It's about St. Paul jumping ship from The Family so soon after their inception. He had dreams of being a solo artist, and went head long into that (and did well). It says, in the Crystal Ball liner notes, that "written 4 a turn coat after a quick brush with success lost themselves in a haze of wine, women, and pills...or so the fiction goes? This person is not Prince. 'Listen 2 the story of a man I am not."

OMG... That's a really 'f8ck U attitude' i like that! and that he puts it in the liner notes is a even bigger 'f8ck U attitude'!

Prince is a bad ass!!!

Liner notes (Select Disc 1 > Track 2):
http://www.crystalballcd....rames.html



Dream Factory

This is what it's like in the Dream Factory, oh!
Hollyrock ain't all it seems (Lordy)
Don't get 2 serious, it's just a dream
Don't forget your friends, they're all U've got (Lordy)
Listen 2 the story of a man I am not

Party all night, hangin' out
In the streets more than I be at home
I take a pill 2 wipe away my doubts
But a pill can't cure my bein' alone
Vodka and 7 straight 2 my brain
Put me under false impressions, hide all my pain
Somebody help me, I'm losing control

This is what it's like in the Dream Factory, oh!

Everybody got the big dreams (Hey Lordy)
But nobody got the bucks
Love and trust will help U make it in a world (Everybody)
Where there ain't no love, ain't no love

Dig...
A man came up 2 me, smile in his eyes
He told me I was a saint
So I'm quittin' my friends much 2 their surprise
I can't live up 2 the picture that they paint
Ah somebody help me, I'm losing control (Ow!)

I guess I'm just a sucker in the dream factory, oh!

Lordy
La, la, la, la, la (Sucker)
Got 2 drive
(It's just a dream) {x3}
Look out

Do U wanna party?
Do want a pill?
How about a false impression?
(Thrills, spills, chills)

This is what it's like in the Dream Factory, oh!

Ow! Yeah
Up a little bit
(Dream factory, oh)
Party all night, hang up on the side, I said "Uh"
(Do U wanna party?)
I can't make up my mind
(How about a false impression?)
I can't seem 2 live with no pictures (Thrills, spills, chills)
Somebody got 2 help me! (Just a sucker)
I'm losing control (Just a sucker)
I guess I'm just a sucker in the dream factory, oh!

Guess I'm just a sucker in the dream factory, oh!
(Just a sucker, motherfucker!)

© 1997 Emancipated Music - ASCAP

Interesting info there.