I've been tripping over the performance of "No More Candy 4 U" from the French TV appearance last week and it got me thinking... Of all the groups of people he mentions in the song, who are the folks that "run into walls" as mentioned in the second verse?

My take on the song:

"folks who believe life imiates music" = sensationalist media and/or over-educated fools etc.

"folks who wanna be rock stars" = crappy celebrities/talentless label fodder and/or the 'guitar-hero' generation

"freaks in the magazines who never paid no dues" = again, crappy celebrities/talentless label fodder

"freaks walking into walls" = ???

"haters on the internet" = ... pretty self explanatory

"suckers who thank the lord" = people who don't recognise the name "Jehovah"

Thoughts?

toejam said:

Good question. The first line just puzzles me. I can't see how life can imitate music. I could imagine music imitating life but not the other way around. Sure the feeling among people/society can generate the music but I find it hard to understand that life could "imitate" music because life just is and cannot be an imitation. But I probably just don't get it in the way it's meant.

The folks who want to be rock stars - to me, those are the wannabes, every Tom, Dick and Harry that has electronic software, & call themselves a musician.

The folks in the magazines. While I know he says IN a magazine, I just interpret this as people who have stuff which they never paid for.

Freaks walking into walls - I think those in life who just keep banging their head against a brick wall, not developing, growing, changing for the better or perhaps also just people who's world is the size of a box.

I interpret the suckers winning anything as large global powers, who portray via media that they are in control of everything, while bombing and blasting countries who can least afford it. They then sit back, justifying their behaviour under the veil of their religion. This can of course also be applied to terrorists.

My take at least. Still no 1. will not blend with my synapses.
[Edited 10/18/09 5:37am]

toejam said:

My take:

Life imitates music... people who believe that music influences psychotic behaviour

Folks who wanna be rock stars and can't sing.... the ilks of Paris Hilton.

Freaks in the magazines ..... Corporations put out large amounts of money to market an image with no real talent behind that, just a pretty face?

Freaks walking into walls... watch where you're going, look before you leap?

Haters on the internet... Supa and Hatey... the self proclaimed haters? I kid, I kid....

Suckerz winning anything and thanking the lord.... I would only think he is referring to music in some fashion maybe American Idol?

Oscar Wilde famously said "Life imitates art" and Prince reframed it here. I think he's talking about people who take the music too seriously, living their lives around it (crazed fans and musicians who put the music b4 life itself).

Freaks walking into walls seems to indicate unconscious blindness. For P, that's probably everyone who's not a JW, but it could also mean people with blinkered vision who think they know the truth but in fact live by a distorted vision which doesn't fit reality. The latter, therefore seems to keep jumping up and slapping them in the face.

I would agree with most said but, i think i can contribute to the 'Suckers who win anything".

Hip Hop stars or any "star" who are depicted in a music video or live performance, disrespecting women, cursing, treating women as "hoes" etc or any kind of disrespect to the lord.
Then when they win an award, they thank the lord for what they do.

Children do find people to imitate or look up to. There is a certain responsibility that comes with the concept of..."It takes a village to raise a child."

We as people do have young boys and young girls to raise...no matter what path you are on, however when you are in the public eye you have a bigger audience.

I'd rather have a daughter that behaves like a classy woman rather that some of the behavior you see bounce around a stage with a microphone and call it "Reasonable enough to sell albums."

WetDream said:

I agree with this.

While listening to this song, I'm always wondering what Candy Dulfer would think of it...

toejam said:

...that said. I think he was guilty of MOST of this at one time or another. I think this song is more a comment on HIS growth rather than other's lack of it.

No one else is "IN THE WORLD" is MORE guilty of molding their life around the music they made. a different image for the album and his life and clothes and even friends would be molded around what the album is about. This phenomenon seems o be subsiding.

Prince's career started with the goal of being a rock star and a desire to rule the charts, i think to make up for a lack of approval he received form his father.

I think Prince thinks he blindly followed ideas at some point. In his mind, life Pre-JW, also...blindly following his Own Brand. The whole D & P and erea. He refers to this time period where him having to live up to his "brand" was controlling his action and the music he created. The 'image" controlled him more than his mind will desire in the future.



edit: Prince also did his faire share of hating on the internet. Aside from the whole fansite thing, He often went on hate campaigns from time to time. again, aside from fansite stuff, he seems to have dropped his random hating on the internet habit.
[Edited 10/18/09 8:30am]

Great thread - some interesting ideas.

I definately agree about hip-hop 'stars' thanking God, when they will never get 'on the boat'.

.....

toejam said:

I'd have to disagree w/ that latter part of that. Guitar Hero is a game. Studies have shown, despite Prince's refusal to acknowledge anything beyond his own circle of reality, that a lot of kids that play Guitar Hero or Rock Band end up wanting to play a real guitar. (The same could probably be said for drums.) I think he was moreso addressing these "artists" who sit at home w/ their computer, throw together a bunch of samples, and their own auto-tuned voice and put out an album, calling themselves an artist. "real music for real musicians"


My first thought was just a long list of drunk public personalities like Lindsey Lohan, Britney, or anyone else constantly photographed in and out of clubs at age 17 or 18 or 19 at 4 in the morning. Figuratively they're hitting a brick wall....physically, they've probably walked into a few too. lol


I'd disagree w/ this one too. My first thought was these fools who sing about fucking on a balcony, snorting coke, smoking pot, and all sorts of debauchery, then thank God for the gift of song. God ain't got nothing to do with all that nonsense in the music. It sickens me when people like Sisqo would thank God after singing about a thong, or R. Kelly thanks God after a little bump and grind.

pplrain said:

You're not kidding! You know as well as we do, Prince gave us an on the low name check!

WetDream said:

I always took it to mean people who are drunk and stumbling around at the clubs..... "somebody put a spell on U"

Life Imitates music - Could be the "thug wannabes that believe you shold imitate what you hear on songs (rap songs) Hence the reason he says "we cant hnag with U"

Folks who wanna be rock stars- Drugs sex and rock n roll. "Theres no future 4 u " "Thats the life of a fool"

Freaks in the magazines who never paid no dues - American Idol

Suckers thanking the lord 4 what you do - Artists who curse, exploit women, promote drugs etc etc, and accept awards then thank the lord during the speech.

Walking into walls...No idea

Sounds like it references some stars tendency to always be drunk and/or high.

I do love his Homer Simpson "D'oh!" after that line

im guilty of running into walls ...
[Edited 10/19/09 18:49pm]

Thanks everyone for responding - some interesting ideas.

I definitely agree now that the "suckers winning anything" line is about artists who sell out by pandering to base trends for a quick buck and then get up and thank "the lord" for their gift.

One other thing about the lyrics that I find intriguing is that in the opening monologue to the song "One Song" from old 'NPG Online' days, he concluded that "society then reflects art", however now in "No More Candy" he suggests that "life (i.e. society) doesn't imitate music (i.e. art)"... Just another one of the purple contradictions

toejam said:

No. Posers/Celebrities/People in general who use God to save face, people like Lady Gaga who says thank you to both God and the Gays.
People who talk the talk but their deeds show nothing of it.

Basically- Hypocrits.

...sorry if i oppened up a whole new can of worms

JesusFreak said:

Not at all. In fact, if you read above, you'd see that most people (including myself now) agree with you.

This is strange, because this definition also includes him !

Prince often ends shows with "All praise to Jehovah God" and in interviews he talks about being thankful for the talent Jehovah gave him...

Is he calling himself a "sucker" now ?

JesusFreak said:

Well at least the gays exist eh, always best to thank those who can hear it..

He's clearly sneering down his nose at everyone who thanks the lord and not jehovah. I.e. they aren't hip to "the truth" aka his preferred bible translation/cult.

Listen closely - it's obvious Prince is talking about Homer Simpson.

This is either his revenge for all the times they made fun of him, or his thanks to them for all the free publicity.

Of course, I could be wrong.

LittleSister said:

I think the suckers are us (eg $77.00)
The fans thanking the Lord for what Prince does
LOL he's mocking us.

Fu*k it, it's a great song!

Dsoul said:

yeah they are people, great people at that, but choosing that lifestyle makes you one who doesn't abide by God's written word

Jehova=God
The truth P is always referring to=Jesus died for everyone to be free of sin

I don't believe P is your cut n paste cultist JW . He's more of a Penecostal/Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) advocate than what he gives him self credit for from what i've heard of him preach.

RodeoSchro said:

Which verse are u referring to?

We don't choose any lifestyle, it's simply what we are but he does choose to be a Jehovah's Witness.

But since we're talking hypocrits here, how about someone that sang about incest, head, jacking folks off, etc. and then turns around and thanks God in the same breath.

vainandy said: