I've noticed over the past few years many lyrical references in modern pop to Prince's lyrics for example:

A current hit song, "Baby by Me" by 50 cent featuring Ne-Yo contains the lyric "I could paint a perfect picture" direct reference to Prince’s "The Beautiful Ones".

K-OS’s song "I Wish I knew Natalie Portman" features Saukrates and Nelly Furtado, contains the lyric, "In the closet, animals strike curious poses", the last part of which comes from the first verse of "When Doves Cry".

Of course many years ago, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by PM Dawn, used Let's Go Crazy's "Electric word life, it means forever".

Can you think of anymore similar examples? Especially from more recent songs?

PM Dawn covered "1999" as a whole on their Jesus Wept album.

ernestsewell said:

Really? It was the whole song? I remember it was part of a medly of songs at the end of that album.

Anyway, cover songs isn't quite what I'm looking for, but subtle uses of his lyrics within the lyrics of others. Thanks!

ThePurpleBanana said:

It is the "Fantasia's Confidential Ghetto" medley, yes.

Seems like there was another reference from them though. However, they did have The Bliss Album, which always seem to directly hearken to The Black Album. However, it stands to reason that any Prince fan would see that type of "nod", because anyone can name an album The _____ Album, and think "Oh, they took that from Prince". maybe. However, The Bliss Album was released almost 2 full years (March 1993) before The Black Album (Nov 1994), so I doubt that's the nod I'd like to think it is. No doubt that PM Dawn borrows heavily from Prince. There's one song w/ a snippet of the "Let's Go Crazy" guitar solo (the one at the end of the song) sampled throughout.

I'm not sure if it's an actual reference but people, including me have seen asspociations with Radiohead's House of Cards:

"I don't want to be your friend, I only wanna be your lover."

Hot Chip sing about the Joy in Repetition in a song a couple of years ago. Definately a Prince reference as they released a song called 'Down With Prince' which sounds like prince's version of G Spot!

Erik

And let's not forget the never-dying videos of "Better Than Prince" from The Flairs, and Felix Da Housecat's "We All Wanna Be Prince". Lordy, I'm trrrd of those songs. hahaha

ernestsewell said:

I think that the reference is The white album by the Beatles, no ?

Mz Kilo "All Over A Ho"

Exerpt:

Now I really know that nigga's promises ain't true
'Cause he said many times 'I'd die without you...'
Unh, I shoulda seen through ya
I guess the only thing you was good for was the punani-eater
Now I bet you've got more water upstairs
Than you've got sugar on the candy cane
You think you're going out to fuck another bitch
Come home, and fuck me? Boy, you must be insane

yankem said:

It might be ambiguous enough to be a reference to anything, but I do not know about The Beatles thing. They did cover The Beatles on the album, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".

Whenever I listen to Arcade Fire's "Ocean Of Noise" and the following lyrics, I think of When Doves Cry's An ocean of violets in bloom.

No way of knowing
What any men will do
An ocean of violence
Between me and you

squirrelgrease said:

Hey Squirrelgrease, thanks for the responses, that's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for...do you know of anything that's perhaps top 40? I know there's some out there.
[Edited 12/16/09 19:10pm]

In the movie Tropic Thunder in one of the fake ads b4 the movie started it sounded like the the dude said Pussy Control right @ the end but I couldn't tell for sure.

ThePurpleBanana said:

No it doesn't.

PM Dawn's "Sometimes I miss you so much" uses the 'Electric Word' line.

ernestsewell said:

You're thinking of "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" by Public Enemy, which is about as far from PM Dawn as you can get.

PM Dawn used a loop from Cindy C years before the Black Album was officially released tho.
[Edited 12/19/09 21:32pm]

A few years back on Teena Marie's La Dona cd she has a song Black Rain she says the line the beautiful ones smash the picture everytime.

ernestsewell said:

No, I was saying that the Black album has been called like that in reference to the White album of the Beatles...so all the "colors" album come from the Beatles not Prince.

Do we count when P rips himself off, like:

And all Ur other pennies should scatter - Mr Goodnight
All them other pennies should scatter - There'll Never B Another Like Me

or

All understand and all stand under this affirmation now - Strange but True
I'm a good learner and once I understand. I'll stand under u - Mellow

I think this should be it's own thread, I'm gonna go start it now.

Squee!