I want this song played at my funeral.

Jimi and the band 'Purple Rain' did an accoustic set at the boat party in London last Sunday, and the last song they played was this! It was dedicated to our friend and orger Ruth who passed away last year... Jimi did an amazing job of it, just kept it really simple, as it is, but it was so beautiful and a wonderful tribute to Ruth. We all sang along on the chorus They are an amazing tribute band btw, I don't normally like tribute bands, and I especially didn't think I'd ever like a Prince tribute band, but they're absolutely fantastic musicians, really authentic to Prince and The Revolution without trying 'too hard', and to those of us who didn't see The Revolution, they ARE The Revolution, they blow everyone away every time! So, yeah, I loved it before, and now I love it even more.....

Jeffiner said:

Well, with anyone spelling their name like "Jimi", they better had done a good job.

I really like the song, it's beautiful
but...
I kind of have a problem with it...

Prince isn't singing about a real person. He's singing about his own fictional character. It's kind of an emotional ego trip in a strange way. It's just as colourful and pretend as Christopher Tracy's Parade or Do U Lie. It's a big Vegas death.

Think about how Christopher dies in the film, that huge flounce to the ground!
I can't get that picture out of my head when I listen to the song. I know what you'll say, Prince is singing about all the people he's lost in his life. But somehow I don't think that's true. I think it's another song he wrote looking in the mirror.

Anyway, I'll still listen to the song, for the stunning musical arangement more than anything.

But secretly I don't believe him.....

Prince isn't singing about a real person. He's singing about his own fictional character. It's kind of an emotional ego trip in a strange way. It's just as colourful and pretend as Christopher Tracy's Parade or Do U Lie. It's a big Vegas death.

fishwillbite said:

I understand what your saying! And I think it may have started off that way, being written for the film. But when you see him performing it say on the Aladdin video, and live nowadays... I think the song has come to mean a lot more to him than that, as he's matured and experienced some real sadness in his life, like many of us. He puts a lot of real emotion and passion into it now, and so I think the song has 'matured' alongside him. I think it means a lot to him too.

Every time I hear this song I can feel the sadness in his voice.
It’s such a sad and lonely song. Unfortunately I understand the pain and loss he was feeling when he wrote it.
That’s why I can’t listen to it regularly - I just get over emotional when I do.
So I tend to skip it and it’s never been on repeat.

I understand what your saying! And I think it may have started off that way, being written for the film.

chocolatehandles said:

what pain and loss?

thats interesting, I was wondering this myself the other day, what came first the film or the music, i always thought the music came first and was worked ino the film.

after all christopher dies suddenly from a gun shot but christopher tracey dies after a long fought civil war, implying an illness or long period of decline. I know wendy and lisa went on to score films and tv but i dont think prince ever has, even GB seemed more a random collection of songs put together to work within the film and that the film had been written around them, which is probably why it was so poor.UTCM however had more snippets of songs, it wasnt one long video like PR, it had more dialogue and action with some incidental music. Just MHO

syble said:

Exactly....

As much as I have shit on "Around The World In A Day" and Lord knows I've shit on "Parade" over the years, it was because he changed his style and left his signature sound which he never should have done until around 1990. But I did come to like each and every song on those two albums (except for "Sometimes It Snows In April") even back when they were in style. I was just pissed because he ended a party and a party should never end until it is forced to end.

But "Sometimes It Snows In April" is the very first Prince song that I did not eventually like after a few listens and still don't like to this very day. Even nerdy, dorky ass songs like "Do U Lie" and "Venus De Milo" sound better. Hell, I have a nerdy side too, I just don't let many folks know about it. And if nothing else, those two songs are good to make fun of. But "Sometimes It Snows In April" is just horrible. Absolutely horrible. Hell, it sounds like folk music and I can't think of anything more depressing sounding than folk music. And that moaning towards the end, hell naw. It sounds like a cow that is laying on it's side moaning because it's wounded. And this song makes me feel like I'm sitting around the campfire with a bunch of dorks holding hands and singing "Kumbaya" or "Michael Rode The Boat Ashore". Totally dull and totally uncool.
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[Edited 9/10/09 7:32am]

diiinnnooo said:

If hating that song is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

EAL said:

Omg that is sooo sad, poor guy, what kind of father says that?!?

diiinnnooo said:

exactly !!...at the funeral his dad stood greating the mourners with a grin on his face as my friends sister and mother sobbed..his sister had to clean his apartment after the hanging[i won't get into specifics but, i'm sure some of you know what might happen when someone is hanged]..We were told the local police wouldnt tidy up after they were somehow informed of his sexual preference...this was 1991 in these great US of A