naturegirl said:

Some believe Anna Stesia is actually a nameplay on "anesthesia"... Like the love he is looking for takes aways his pain and loniless, he asks Anna Stesia to talk to him, ravish him, craze him , praise him, liberate his mind...

Where do you get that "translation" from Anna stesia Jasziah? I believe it is a Russian name, but does it really mean "rebirth"?

Jasziah said:

With that I actually agree. I think much of Lovesexy was written during the years '80-'82 and he picked up it up again later. I know that there is a live bootleg out there from that period which already has the song Anna stesia on it. Unfortunately I don't have it, but it is there.

This however would also mean that the Black Album is older than 1987.

muleFunk said:

You don't want to know.

Supernova said:

I do actually

Abrazo said:

That's right... and I heard that Dez's Christian conversion around Christmas '83 had a big effect on Prince as well because their conversations turned more spiritual.

edit: fixed quotes?
[This message was edited Tue Jan 28 22:04:04 PST 2003 by Jasziah]

Well,I just kinda felt this was what he was feeling when he wrote the song Loneliness and Intense Longing. There is even Desperation in his Voice and How he is Begging,Asking,Praying to find this Higher Consciousness,Peace. Special Place. And so he is seeking to get Closer to God and then will find that Peace. It's just like Tantric, Meditation, just Lovesexy... Just Orgasm you know right???

Natasha said:

"Hey baby, I ain't into all that!" hehe. But yeah, I understand, and if that's how you see it and feel it, cool. It's very intense... like intense love... which manifests through passionate sex. Yeah, tantric, you could say, and you did say.

And anybody who went to this show well remember how it was the last song at act I? You actually felt the Culmination and all. It was really Amazing and watching the Organ and Prince rise was just so Fulfilling in it's Intensity. It was an Overpowering Religious kinda Experience. It was Lovesexy. It was the Best. People who were there felt it and Knew and Know what I am Indeed talking about.

Yep, I was there. "Anna Stesia" was the bridge away from the dark and into the Light -- "Cross the Line!" Turn that negative (-) into a positive (+) <--- cross the line.

You are so Right and like he now has Everlasting Now. I really find Prince has alot of Uplifting,Spiritual,Affirmations and people could just hear them or feel them in the right way then I think alot of peoples lives would be better.

Abrazo said:

It's mainly the stigma of organized religion. The fact that most of his hardcore fans know he hobknobs with JW's, and the stigma of the JW's period. When he started infusing his music with religion/spirituality before, there was less information about his spiritual activities behind the scenes, prior to the "information superhighway" that is the internet.

The "preaching" in his music, which some call it, was fine before they knew he was hanging out with with JW's.

The "preaching" at the Lovesexy gigs, the "preaching" of The Lord's Prayer in the middle of Controversy, the "preaching" of don't die without knowing "The Cross", the "preaching" at the end of "Let's Pretend We're Married" where he says God is the only way, etc.

But once they KNOW about him hanging out with Larry Graham and the JW crew, and studying the JW doctrine, no, no, no, no! He's gone too far! But don't expect people to admit that.

In answer to a question above: I had a girlfriend named Anastacia who told me that her name meant rebirth. And here, I just found this:

Natasha also means rebirth!! The name comes from the Greek word anastacia.

"NATASHA Rebirth-from Anastacia F Greek"
http://216.239.53.100/sea...n&ie=UTF-8

Also... this site says the name Anastacia means resurrection! Click on SEARCH and then enter ANASTACIA
http://www.parenthood.com...esults.cfm

edit: added directions
[This message was edited Wed Jan 29 9:33:19 PST 2003 by Jasziah]

Isn't it a bit Strange I picked Natasha and it means rebirth? Very Strange. Boy I didn't even plan it.

Yes, especially considering you were named Vagina before that. re-birth... get it? ha! Kind of a cool coincidence... how odd.

Very! But then again it makes sense as Stuff like that always Happens to me.

Synchronicity. It happens for a reason. Stay connected.

Natasha said:

well, you can also exagerate.

Supernova said:

Okay, but you have to admit he is now much more blatant, much less subtle, and a whole lot more exclusive in his spiritual expressions. .


actually the preaching during Anna stesia live still bugs me. Not so much because it is downright preaching at a rock concert, but also because he isn't really good at it.


That one isn't downright saying something along the lines of : you better believe in God, or else!! like it is getting more and more... it remains super funky, because it is not "preached" in a blatant and forcefull way.


I agree, there is hypocracy there. But I think that's because the song is simply too good to bitch about. But when he then changes the title in "The Christ", the JW influences become apparant and a little bit too much for most. That's not so unreasonable, because the song isn't the same anymore, the singer doesn't sound and talk the same anymore, the old version is in fact "dissed" by himself, because of "lies"... and ultimately one of Prince's classics is being connected to a controversial relgion many people don't want anything to do with it.

you could also ask yourself if Prince really had to change the title and be so blatant about it.


I don't know but that sounds a hell lot more funky than "accurate knwoledge of Christ and the Father will bring the everlasting now". the contrats between sex and spirituality is gone too. It isn't really interesting for lots of people then.

In "let's pretend" he also more or less says that if you don't want to follow him "to another life" that he doesn't care... now it is like he knows it all and if you don't believe what HE does... well... lets' just say he makes it much too clear that it isn't good to believe in something else then the so-called "truth"... according to mr. prince Rogers Nelson that is.



People should chill about Larry, but I agree that he has taken a prominent place for much too long in Prince's music and band... and I can't say that were his best days... musically... i wopuld argue they were his worst.

Btw ... Mulefunk was talking about "TRC" being an "apology to God"

I really don't agree with that.


-
[This message was edited Wed Jan 29 4:32:17 PST 2003 by Abrazo]

I'm not kissin' any ass , but I think all of you are right.

Prince's music is always up for interpretation at many levels. That's why his music is appealing to all kinds of people.

Anna Stesia is. And that's all.

Abrazo said:

naturegirl says:

I don't think the name Anna Stesia means rebirth, I think that the song is about finding God, a rebirth for Prince knowing it is God's love that is everlasting. That is why Prince is shown on the cover of the album in this manner.

Anna Stesia is possibly someone he is asking for answers, and for praise! He finally realizes the answers, and he translates this in the song by singing, "now I understand, and Girls and Boys love God above".

naturegirl said:

well Jasziah left a link to a website that does say "annastesia" means rebirth... but the website doesn't work at all.

From the Oxford University Press;

"Anastasia (female)



Russian: feminine form of the Greek male name Anastasios (a derivative of anastasis resurrection). It has always been popular in Eastern Europe as a result of the fame of a 4th-century saint who was martyred at Sirmium in Dalmatia, and in the Middle Ages it was in use in England too. One of the daughters of the last tsar of Russia bore this name. She was probably murdered along with the rest of the family by the Bolsheviks in 1918, but in 1920 a woman claiming to be the Romanov princess Anastasia came to public notice in Germany, and a film was subsequently based on this story (1956)."

It actually means "resurrection" - given Prince's current beliefs, I was surprised that he performed this song. This is probably why naturegirl doesn't believe what this word means - it goes against her beliefs too!

BTW, I also disagree with the theory that TRC is an apology to God - it is a celebration of the Jehovah's Witnesses and an introduction to the teachings of the JW faith in terms of theocratic order. It also serves as the opening of the story for Prince's search for his Muse who, of course is Mani, is then celebrated in "She Loves Me 4 Me".

Mindflux said:

"resurrection", in the sense that the song goes from a really depressed low state to a really high and ecstatical one, would indeed be a better way to describe the title than "rebirth".

BinaryJustin said:

Maybe many Orgers would deny it but Prince has used (a lot of) drugs, it's naïve to think he didn't. I dont know if you can find many references in his songs or work but i'm sure he could write a decent album on the subject.

Or as Nietzsche once said: no art could exist without intoxication. However drugs cannot give a person lacking any creative ability beforehand the power to be artistic afterwards. They simply enhance already existing talents.

FaMiLyGrOoVeKiTcHeN

familygroove said:

I'd like to add, a lot of his music is very psychedelic, dont you think?

Yes, it is - and this is also an opinion that I have been touting on here for some time.

I think Prince has smoked marijuana, he's allegedly tried E, I don't doubt he's done LSD, but he's probably steered away from opiates and coke.

Abrazo said:

No, I don't agree at all. What's subtle about The Lord's Prayer in "Controversy"? What's subtle about his preaching during his Lovesexy tour? What's subtle about his screaming the lyrics in "The Cross"? What's not exclusive about the Christian doctrine in his past rhetoric? I don't remember anyone ever saying that Prince probably wouldn't approve of homosexuality (as I've seen stated here a couple of times) because of the Christian doctrine he proselytized about in the past, pre-JW - and the Christian doctrine is anti-homosexuality. It's a religion that doesn't agree with the lifestyle at all.

The only thing I agree with is that a larger percentage of his songs on TRC are spiritual.




Disagree. The songs I mentioned were blatant and forceful.



I'm not sure about the hypocrisy you're talking about. But whether the song is good or not isn't the point.


And that's exactly where you prove my point.



And this is in no way exclusive to Prince; it's true of everyone who believes in a specific religion. If Prince fans don't realize it they should get out more. Everyone who subscribes to a religious doctrine believes that it is THE TRUTH or else they wouldn't follow it. Prince is no different in that aspect. They believe THE TRUTH is what they're following, and they try to get non-believers to realize it too because part of their doctrine is to SPREAD THE WORD.

To those of you who think Prince has taken more drugs, what leads you to think that?

I'm not saying I disagree, or agree, I just wanna hear what brings you to this conclusion.