A very interesting analysis though i wouldn't agree with most of it: Prince has always been a preacher as far as "Uptown" and this was in 1980. He is, of course, more confident about where he stands now because, hell, the man's 51! & still in this song he keeps admitting his own "dark side" and says what he was already saying in 92 (remember "My name is Prince": "i got 2 sides & they're both friends").

Also, on songs such as the quite recent "4ever" or "Here" (no matter how fictionnal or "real" they might be, that's up to Per Nielsen to learn about it & tell us in 20 years), Prince keeps showing/admitting a sensitive if not fragile side of himself, as well as doubts about his emotional stability and capacity to handle a love affair/rejection.

From "Controversy" to "Strange but true" & up to now prince has always been a mix of self-confidence and doubts and i don't see much change except that he knows more how to handle it personnaly than he used to: once again that's maturity, experience and a religion that is now regulated by strict rules instead of being his own mix of whatever he liked in the Bible and whatever he liked in the Flower Power movement and whatever he liked in Buddhism or whatever else (remember him talking about reincarnation around 1995).

As for the "i" vs. "we", let's remember that back in the 80's Prince made up bands such as The Time & so on 2 create the illusion he was part (& leader) of a movement (both musical & spiritual), a game he definitely gave up playing after 1998's "new power pack" with Larry & Chaka: he just quit pretending and assumed that he is one person who might have "followers" ("Letitgo": "now i've got an army & we're 3 million strong" -> 3 million was Prince's approximate fanbase back in 94) but who isn't part of any aesthetical or spiritual movement that he would have generated. In a sense, his admittance of being a JW is even a counterpoint 2 this "I instead of we" in the sense that Prince didn't CREATE or GENERATE JW's in the sense that he created the Revolution, The Minneapolis Sound or the New Power Generation.
[Edited 2/26/10 19:19pm]

When I hear efforts like this and 'Purple and Gold' it dawns on me why he never released that $700 / 7 disc collection of sounds / loop samples (I know some of you all remember what I am talking about). It must of occurred to him that if he did, some of us fans could have made the music we wanted and then sell it to the rest of us. (I'm just saying!) Peace!

THIS STATEMENT (i'd love to be able to download it and to be a member of priviliged fans and i'm frustrated because i can't and i'm not):
Not only that, but it is not downloadable from lameusflow3r.com. Once again $77 well spent for a track a memeber can listen to on a minneapolis radio station.

IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THIS STATEMENT (i don't give a shit about this music because it sucks):
Billy Sparks was right in the Purple Rain Movie, "Nobody digs your music but yourself, Kid" Actually, It is rarley that the "Music" isn't great but the lyrics these days are just so f'n boring and meaningless.

See reply #36.

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[Edited 2/26/10 19:54pm]

"cause and effect"

i am here. where are you?
ladies and gentlemen.....

cause and effect
hey, hey, hey

if had the chance to do it all again
i wouldn't change a thing, except my next of kin
there's something on the tip of my tongue
-got a taste for sin
if you stamp your passport full of regret
you have nothing to remember but a lot to forget
leave no enemies, leave no debt

made in the image of cause and effect <--Lyrics out for debate
to no other man am i the subject
i am what i am because & effect
cause & effect
hey, hey, hey

If i could talk to myself back then right now
i'd say 'son you might wanna, stick around
something amazing is about to go down'
if i could leave myself just 1 little note
one that husbands and fathers wrote
it say 'you need to be a superstar or grow up,
but not both'

made in the image of cause and effect
to no other man am i the subject
i am what i am because & effect
cause & effect
hey, hey, he

cause and effect
ladies and gentlemen
rock/roll rock/roll

i am here. where are you?
ooooh oooh. haha. hey eh heh oh hoh

don't let them say your paper's worth more than gold
i see a generation lay down before they get old
and getting endlessly sold
you need compassion for one another
righter than wrong
that's what needs to be at the heart of every past
and future soul song

made in the image of cause and effect
to no other man am i the subject
i am what i am because & effect
cause & effect
hey, hey, he

look at y'all. brains splattered
all over...moneyapolis

ladies and gentlemen
rock/roll rock/roll

His art no longer asks questions, but aspires to provide answers. It's not inviting. When he declares, "I am here" and then asks "Where are you?" one gets the sense that he's not really interested in where "you" are, as much as he is preoccupied in telling us where "I am." This artist believes his "here" is where everyone should be.

It's an old and tried true story, but one gets the sense that in his work it is forced or contrived--it's not organic. His metaphors and language is too easily and directly drawn from religious scripture. Maybe Prince feels if you're going to, what better to signify on than what's believed to be Divine words? What it means is that we're not going to get yellow daisies in the yard, bubble baths with pants on, animals striking curious poses or any of that weird-only-Prince-could-come-up-with-this-shit type of language.