Listened to the Musicology album the other day. Again it struck me that Cinnamon Girl is very uneven. The song starts, love the drum beat, love the guitar, love everything that's going on. Then 46 seconds into the song he starts to sing "Cinnamon Girl... Cinnamon Girl", this part of the song is not very good. It's unfortunate because it brings down the overall impression of the song.

What do you guys think?

peter430044 said:

I agree.

And why the title???

If you're gonna reference a lassic tune with killer guitar, better try and match it if not best it. that's why I hate this song: if it was called Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, I'd say, okay another so-so Prince song. But to call it CG, it's such a major disappointment.

I love the song. The lyrics and video are great.

I like that shift, the build up it gives it more of a narrative effect

I agree with you.
Uneveness in songs is what I call, "2 the 9-ing". It's when a perfectly great song is railroaded by strange lyrical, melodic, or rhythmic directionality.

wasitgood4u said:

Don't be so ridiculous!! Why on earth do you think Prince is referencing Neil Young?!

peter430044 said:

Why is it "not very good"? What is wrong with it for you? Is it the melody at that point? Or is it the lyric itself?

Mindflux said:

It's the melody.

Mindflux said:

a) Don't be so rude...

b) So you think the title is a coincidence?

wasitgood4u said:

Sorry if you think I was rude.

Do you know how many songs have the same title and have NOTHING to do with each other?

Of course it is coincidental! If you really think Prince titled his song Cinnamon Girl because of Neil Young, please explain why!
[Edited 1/3/10 4:57am]
[Edited 1/3/10 4:58am]

It's just another example of dropping the ball when it comes to the chorus. Prince really isn't very good at writing catchy choruses. I think that is a major reason as to why he's not had the same chart success as Wacko or Madge.

Yes, he can come up with some cracking verses & song TITLES, but the choruses are always a bit weak.

Just take time to listen to his hits, most stumble at the chorus. As for his misses, you'll struggle to find worse than united states of Division. It's like he gave up!

I adore tunes like, er Adore & joy in repetition, fantastic lyrics, but would never be a hit as little or no chorus.

All in my opinion, obviously! Whew!

Erik

erik319 said:

Eh? Errr, yeah, ok.....thankfully it is just your opinion!

Mindflux said:

yes it is. And isn't it great that we live in a world where having your own opinion doesn't end in receiving a patronising reply from someone with a differing one?

I love Prince's music, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. I'm just not convinced that 'purple rain, purple rain' (repeat until unconcious) is the chorus equivalent of Shakespeare.

Erik

my interpretation is that the song is about a child in the middle east, or perhaps south america in the middle of a civil war, or worse, and because of the child's heritage the child has cinnamon coloured skin.
I think the fact that Neil Young had a song with the same title is just coincidental.

An uneven Prince song? How 'bout "7"?

erik319 said:

We agree about Cinnamon Girl, but overall I think Prince is a very skilled chorus designer. He almost always gets them right.

Adore & Joy In Repetition are great songs. In the case of Adore, I think it has a distinct chorus: "Until the end of time, I'll be there 4 U...". Joy In Repetition's chorus is untraditional and fits that song very well.

peter430044 said:

oh I completely agree and that's why I singled out those two in particular. But as they are unconventional, chorus-wise, there's not that 'catch' to make them hits. I'd lve that not to be true, but we all know how the charts are.

I just think he can be lazy and a bit formulaic with choruses sometimes, almost as though he has a great idea and then gets bored by the chorus.

The Come album is a good example. Love the songs and the era, but the majority of the tracks just have a chorus that names the track, then adds a line 4 times.

Like I say, love the tracks, but Come, Loose, Space, Pheromone, could all have interchangable titles without overly effecting the song.

I find his most interesting lyrics in the verses. Vicki Waiting, Little Red Corvette, Gett Off, strange Relationship, Cinnamon Girl, dorothy Parker. Amazingly different, diverse and creative lyrics. They hold my attention more than the slightly mundane choruses on some tracks.

Good thread by the way, interesting to read different people's opinions.

Erik

Song just sounds corny to me and the start of much corniness in effort to go broad-based mainstream again.

erik319 said:

Perhaps, but it is still one of his more memorable choruses for the public. I'd bet you could ask pretty much anyone to sing it and they would know how it goes. So, perhaps not lyrically brilliant, but it is memorable.

But, you imply that he can't write a chorus and this is somehow linked to him not being as successful as MJ or Madonna and I just don't feel this is the case. It is nothing to do with writing quality, its about what the person wants. Jacko and Madge have always desired the fame first and foremost, the music was just a vehicle for that. Prince, on the other hand, was always about the music first and foremost, the fame was more incidental (that's not to say he didn't set out to be successful, but it wasn't the prime motivation). Pretty much 90% of Prince's compositions are way ahead either of his contemporaries, they're just not all chart orientated.

I mean, come on - the suggestion that one of pop's biggest icons and musical geniuses can't write a decent chorus means the rest of the world must be idiots for not noticing this for 30 years!

BlackAdder7 said:

Have you really listened to the song? Its about a (possibly) middle-eastern (or, at least, someone of that kind of colour - ie cinnamon) girl living in the States and the prejudice she receives as a result of 911. But you are right that the title is coincidental.

Uneven is Dance 4 Me.

peter430044 said:

...and slightly racist

imaginecsomebody singing "chocolate girl" or "milk girl"

perhaps I'm Reading too much into it...but if finding racism everywhere is good enough for Prince and Spike Lee then who am I to argue.

what?....

I just these,

not "uneven", imo:

7
Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do
Dance 4 Me



Cinnamon Girl, we can agree on that one, I don't like this song....
[Edited 1/4/10 10:32am]

I absolutely love this track. The guitar and drum portions sync up so well for me as well as the vocals. I find it to be another example of Price's ability to write a killer pop song.

BlackAdder7 said:

In ùu interpretation it's an arab/north-african girl in the US that gets discrimated because of 9/11

I hate the song! I don't find one thing about it enjoyable, melodious, interesting, or worth a bother.

You can't write great songs all the time!

erik319 said:

Great answer!!!!