I was listening to this song on my long drive home... I like it but can't understand what he is singing about. Mani? Again?



Eye could tell by the color of ur
Nrg field
U thought this game was over
Chemical peel
U tried 2 do me like my good brother steve
But eye got another funky
Trick up my sleeve
Expecting me 2 freak on you a little bit more
But you get nothin but well-wishes
& flowers galore
Eye mean no harm
Eye still got ur back
U can come and drink my wine
As a matter of fact

Just feel better, feel good, feel wonderful

Eye don't know what you thought
When you spit in my face
But this dimension ain't the time
Or the place
Eye don't know who told you u could
Stand next 2 me
Cuz eye got a guitar that could
Part the sea
Don't mean no disrespect
Eye ain't tryin' 2 brag
But that might b the same one that
Tapped on the crag

And brought 4th the water
That quenched ur thirst
And we'll keep feeding ya
But first things first!

Feel better, feel good, feel wonderful

If you think about how much time it took
4 you 2 try 2 get a page in my book
Eye feel so good right now
Eye just can't recall
What the __ eye was thinking when eye
Threw you the ball

It hit 3 bystanders after you touched it
Now they wanna sue me but they love me 2 much
Cuz they know eye wish them heaven and all of its gold
Same 2 u, come on let's groove
2 the purple rock 'n roll

Feel better, feel good, feel wonderful

Better than good, better than good,
U know you should feel wonderful
Keep ur mind in the vertical motion
Always looking up

It's directed at a 'record exec'(?) that 'dissed' Prince (spat in his face), but he's still cool with him...

"Eye mean no harm
Eye still got ur back"

and basically Prince saying how great/funky/bad-ass he is...

"Eye don't know who told you u could
Stand next 2 me
Cuz eye got a guitar that could
Part the sea"

So in essence it's a Prince diss-u-back track, but tinged with Prince's 'love your enemy' idiology.

Well, that's my take on it!


.....
[Edited 11/26/09 15:08pm]

Prince explained who this song was about, when he was on Tavis Smiley's show. Mani's name isn't "Steve".

ernestsewell said:

I must have missed that... Who is Steve?

pplrain said:

Could be referring to the late Steve Fargnoli, one of Prince's three managers throughout the 80's, and the one he was closest to. (The other two managers being Bob Cavallo and Joe Ruffalo)

Militant said:

Nope. It was someone still alive.

Militant said:

When did he pass away?? Also I haven't followed them but are Cavallo and Ruffalo still managing musical artists??

dolorespark said:

He died 14Sep01.

Cavallo is senior Vice President at Level 7, an entertainment company. He also produced "Time For Miracles", an Adam Lambert song for the film 2012. He also worked on Adam's album. He's also a producer on Dave Matthews Band's latest album. He's working with Aly & AJ for a new project, and recently worked with Paramore. He's working on Meatloaf's new album, due 2010.

Ruffalo hasn't done much beyond Purple Rain, UTCM, and SOTT films.

Bob Cavallo, who used to manage Prince under the management company Cavallo, Ruffalo, & Fargnoli back in the day, was The Jonas Brothers saving grace. They released a debut album to dismal sales. Cavallo gave the record a listen and contacted his friends at Hollywood Records and said they need to sign this group now. They took Bob’s advice and within a year later, were selling out arena’s everywhere and will be playing again with Stevie Wonder later this month.

Bob Cavallo didn't "contact his friends" at Hollywood Records....he is the president of the company.

Hence Morris Day actually having a deal with Hollywood a few years back.

too many of prince's songs have a lot of personal stuff in them, but are very difficult to unravel what he's actually talking about, unless you follow his every move (even then it's hard) so how the hell can casual listeners ever know what the eff he's on about. i thought it was 'STEVE' WONDER who gets a name check in Feel Good. without places like the org where we can pool our knowledge, we wouldn't know what half of his lyrics are actually referring too!

....

Michael Jackson, anyone?

I'm convinced it's either him or Londell McMillan, although the evidence leans towards MJ.



Sounds like it's about Michael Jackson



Suggesting a manager of some kind, although the reference could be about something obscure we know nothing about. But the case for the subject being a manager / businessman doesn't last.



Well wishers and flowers galore? Sounds like this song is about a HUGE star, not management.



...and despite the supposed hatred / rivalry, Prince never said a bad thing about MJ publicly and according to Tommy Barbarella in the early 90s when MJ was heading for a total meltdown, Prince appeared geniunely upset and concerned for him.



Prince possibly knew Jacko was in a very bad place for a long, long time.



Sounds like a message to another so-called 'musician' who never earned his stripes. Michael Jackson, come on down.




Again, it sounds like it's to another artist who Prince thinks has been influenced by him. I can't think what specifically relates this to Jacko, but he's as good a guess as any.
[Edited 11/29/09 16:45pm]

good insights, I never thought about it this way

McD said:

LOL at the song being about MJ. No chance.

Militant said:

How so? I'm not saying it is, but he put up some fairly reasonable explanations - its just as valid as any other.

Prince has dissed MJ in songs before (on Fascination and also a possible reference on Life of the Party, but that's more ambiguous), so its not exactly unknown territory for him.

It does seem that this song is directed at someone specific and I'm moreso of the opinion that it is someone in the business, but it could also be an ex-girl or something.

Whoever it is about, despite Prince's apparently harmless and friendly bragging, he is ultimately offering words of encouragement to the subject/listener

Those "reasonable explanations" could be applied to any number of people.

I very much doubt that Prince would write an entire song about Michael.

The first person I thought of..just like McD thought..is MJ(U thought this game was over Chemical peel). Prince knew that Michael dissed him, especially with that Rolling Stone article threatening to buy up Prince's catalog cause Prince declined to tour with him(Eye don't know who told you u could Stand next 2 me)
. Even though it is a straight dis'...there is still obvious compassion Prince sendS MJ's way..Definitley geard toward MJ...

lotusboy said:

What the fuck? That NEVER happened.

Either you or RS are talking out of your arse.

whoever Marrk is...needs to get schooled. go to Rollingstone.com and look up Prince and Michael Jackson. in fact why didnt u just do that before u accuse someone of talking out of their arse? and u call yourself a Prince fan? or a Michael fan? HA!

This song is about chem trails. CHEM TRAILS.

It's about telling folks to celebrate and stop hating. And the Music Industry!


.

i guess it's about feeling better good and wonderful!

PurpleDiamond2009 said:

Oh yes and do we need it? My vote is YES

lotusboy said:

I stand uncorrected.

pplrain said:

pplrain said:

i like this song ,is one of my favorite ,try to understand it in a overall
context.

So here is my analysis: I think he is talking about several people in this song: I think the first part has to do with the music business, but I still don't know who.

This part may have to do with MJ or a fellow musician...

This part definitely has to do with ex-wife Mani


[Edited 12/4/09 20:34pm]

Marrk said:

So with this new knowledge of MJ getting peeved at Mr. Prince for not touring with him, may I ask, how does this change, if at all, your perception of MJ..and/or Mr. P for that matter?

Chemical Peel... definitely MJ

Look at this picture:

http://s357.photobucket.c...=41fp8.jpg
[Edited 12/4/09 21:53pm]