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Thread started 09/05/09 7:50pm

xlr8r

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Old Friends 4 Sale(not the orger)/Wally

Of course this is unreleased and damn near eryone has heard it but even still, this is one of his most personal (duh).

While driving, it came on the Ipod shuffle even though I have had it for years , this time it really struck me for some reason. The melancholy of it was akin to an old jazz standard that Sinatra would sing, maybe on his Wee Hours of The Morning album. I mean Prince talks about folks talking shit about Wendy (they say you lost your fire, with a new musician you hired), his friends who got lost by doing cocaine (“lost in the snow”) and selling his pictures/story to a tabloid (“sold my memories”). T e snow reference I believe are references to Big Chick and Morris(?) I like to think that it also included Jimmy and Terry but that was way before he probably wrote this so nah. However, I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Jam was the one who said something about his new music wasn’t as hitting as with Dez. Maybe Greg Tate’s review had something to do with this lyric, as well as many supposed complaints from his fans before Purple rain hit, who knows?

I think it’s as close to Wally as we are going to get to hear from Prince. Maybe he didn’t erase this none because it wasn’t as personal as love but just an overview of his career at that current time. Shrug, either way its still more personal than his usual “this funk is for you naysayers” ala The Black Album/Lovesexy tour book, or the “ billy jack bitch” or “haters on the internet” type lyrics. Its almost like he is telling someone his current troubles like he did in Wally. “Hello” fits this bill too but maybe put to the upbeat music didn’t match the content? It just seems like in OF$S, he was being more personal and he was hurt rather than angry about what was being said and about the situations that had happened recently in his career/life.

I remember reading about this song in that famed Rolling Stone 1985 interview lead story. I couldn't wait to hear it. But alas it wasn't until many years through the power and the glory of the internet. I don't think I appreciated this as much as I should have until it came on shuffle in the context of ordinary travelling music. One of the few honest vulnerability performances even though he didnt exactly put it out for us to hear that vulnerability.
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Reply #1 posted 09/05/09 9:12pm

ernestsewell

xlr8r said:

Of course this is unreleased and damn near eryone has heard it but even still, this is one of his most personal (duh).


Um....I seem to remember an album with OF4S on it. Perhaps you've heard of it.

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Reply #2 posted 09/05/09 9:22pm

xlr8r

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ernestsewell said:

xlr8r said:

Of course this is unreleased and damn near eryone has heard it but even still, this is one of his most personal (duh).


Um....I seem to remember an album with OF4S on it. Perhaps you've heard of it.






Yes Ive heard that. Im talking about the original unreleased version with the original lyrics, not the changed lyrics that was on The Vault.
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Reply #3 posted 09/06/09 3:01am

3121

Arguably my favourite prince song of all time (the original version). His vocal is incredible. My fave part is when he screams 'Cocaine becomes charming when you're talking about things you don't know, well i know'

I always interpreted the lyric "green and white will turn to blue" as meaning that jealousy/envy and cocaine would only serve in leaving you depressed.

I believe the line "two friends of mine got lost in the snow" was a reference to Jam and Lewis who were fired(?) from The Time because they missed a flight back to rehersals/show after their plane was grounded due to heavy snow. They had been out of state producing another act and had hoped to fly back to make the rehersal/show

gotta go and listen to it, it gives me goose bumps.

Amazing song.

Prince is at his best when he exposes his vulnerability.
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Reply #4 posted 09/06/09 8:32am

xlr8r

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3121 said:


I believe the line "two friends of mine got lost in the snow" was a reference to Jam and Lewis who were fired(?) from The Time because they missed a flight back to rehersals/show after their plane was grounded due to heavy snow. They had been out of state producing another act and had hoped to fly back to make the rehersal/show .


Thats what I ws thinking . But that was years before and it seemd like the song was from the current state of affairs with Chick. But as I state already, I do think it may be about Jam and Lewis too.

3121 said:

Prince is at his best when he exposes his vulnerability.



agreed

and I guess is was his manager Steve Fargnoli who was telling Prince of how people were talking about his rep. I love how Prine was torn between L.A. and Mn
[Edited 9/6/09 8:40am]
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Reply #5 posted 09/06/09 8:39am

xlr8r

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The sun set in the west this mornin'
4 I know, I know L.A. is callin'
Bad news, Steve said, and people are talkin'
They say your kingdom is fallin', yeah
They say U lost your fire
When another musician U hired
Little do they know, U wouldn't have passed go
Unless they could take U higher, yeah

The sun set in my heart this afternoon
4 2 friends of mine got stuck in the snow
In Uptown when winter's alarmin', oh
Cocaine becomes charmin'
But U talk about things U don't know 'bout
I know, no matter how pleasant your past was
Green and white return 2 blue
U're happy as long as your last buzz
And then U think U want something new, yeah

The sun, the sun set in my mind this evening
4 someone who said they would die 4 me
Sold some, they sold some more pictures and all my little memories
Chump change is 2 unravel the mystery, ah ha
But life is no fun, life ain't no fun without fantasy
Some things are better left unsaid
And some people are better left untrusted
Maybe, maybe, maybe it'll all make sense when I'm dead
When I'm dead

Old friends 4 sale
Get'em while the gettin' is hot
Watch out, they'll kiss U until they get what U got
And they'll show U the friends that they're not
Old friends 4 sale
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