From the song "Gold."

I might be a word off, but it's something like that.

I've never understood that.

Is that some scientific theory?

In the center of fire is cold?

???
[Edited 5/7/10 20:02pm]

There's a mountain and it's mighty high
U cannot see the top unless U fly
And there's a molehill of proven ground
There ain't no where 2 go if U hang around

Everybody wants 2 sell what's already been sold
Everybody wants 2 tell what's already been told
What's the use of money if U ain't gonna break the mold?
Even at the center of fire there is cold
All that glitters ain't gold
All that glitters ain't gold, mmm

There's an ocean of despair
There are people livin' there
They're unhappy each and every day
But hell is not fashion so what U tryin' 2 say?

Everybody wants 2 sell what's already been sold
Everybody wants 2 tell what's already been told
What's the use of money if U ain't gonna break the mold?
Even at the center of fire there is cold
All that glitters ain't gold, no no
All that glitters ain't gold, no no

There's a lady, 99 years old
If she led a good life, heaven takes her soul
Now that's a theory and if U don't wanna know
Step aside and make a way 4 those who want 2 go

Everybody wants 2 sell what's already been sold (Sold)
Everybody wants 2 tell what's already been told (Told)
What's the use of bein' young if U ain't gonna get old? (Old)
Even at the center of fire there is cold (Cold)
All that glitters (glitters) ain't gold, no no no no no
All that glitters ain't gold
Alright

All that glitters, all that glitters, all that glitters.. ain't gold

Na na na na na na na (Gold {x4})
Na na na na na na na (Gold {x4})
Gold, gold, gold
All that glitters ain't gold, gold, gold
All that glitters ain't gold, gold, gold (Na na na na na na na)
All that glitters ain't gold, gold, gold (Na na na na na na na)
All that glitters ain't gold, oh
Oh yeah
1 2.. 1 2 3, let's go!

(Na na na na na na na) {repeat}

U are now an official member of the New Power Generation
Welcome 2 The Dawn

All that glitters ain't gold (Gold) {repeat & loop}

sro100 said:

Ya'll over thinking stuff again.

I always took it to mean that even in the center of the hottest part of his career, he got the cold shoulder from his record company, or even band.

However, it's sometimes just a lyric.

ernestsewell said:

I believe it's simply a dig at the record industry in general. The "molehill of proven ground" line has rung so true for so many bands before and after this song.....

As you say, it may be nothing more than it fitting the song well and Prince liking the sound of it.

On the highest level, the song is about how things that seem great on the surface or initially - often aren't that great when you dig a little deeper.

As for the "fire" line, people who have been severely burned often say that, at some point, they no longer felt they were being burned - rather, they felt an intense cold in the flames.

I can't be sure Prince had ever heard that when he wrote Gold, but it fits.

sro100 said:

It's a way of saying that things aren't always what seem. Not in a decieptful manner, jsut not he same.

sro100 said:

Possibly... cold, clear "logic" - or ...it rhymes with gold

Art is the emotional response of the receipient.
What does it mean to U ?

At the centre of a lot of fires there is Coal - lol

my thoughts on this 100.
[Edited 5/8/10 0:47am]

well when you slide your finger through the middle of a candle flame
you don't feel the heat of the flame. i thought that's what the line
is about. i'm sure there's some big scientific theory. prince reads
science at least to some degree, based on all the neuro transmitters
he used to sing about.

ernestsewell said:

Perhaps - to me, its always been about supporting the imagery that "everything is not what it seems" - you look at a fire and assume the whole thing to be hot (a wise assumption, as you couldn't get to the cold part without burning yourself!), which, of course, is essentially the moral of the phrase "all that glitters, ain't gold". Not everything is as it seems and certainly not everything that looks good is necessarily so. I would suggest that taking the lyric to mean receiving the "cold shoulder" from people is probably over-extending it. Its just another way of expressing the caution of the tale - i.e. don't take things at face-value.

It is based on science - it is true that the center of a fire is relatively cold. If you have a pile of fuel, like coal, the temperature at the center of that fuel is quite cold, otherwise the entire amount would spontaneously combust. If you wanted to be pedantic, it all depends on the type of fire, fuel distribution and many other factors but, in your average fire, the center and points of ignition are cold in comparison.

Interesting. I love how Prince contrasts polar opposites.

Anyone a fan of chestnuts? They're like this....the shell is prickly but when you get inside, the fruite (Chestnut) is smooth and beautifully colored, tasteful.

I am fairly certain that in school I learned that there is a cold part of a flame.

Militant said:

does sound familliar.

sweething said:

It's a misnomer. The cold part of any flame is never less than 1,000 degrees Celsius. A candle burns at an average temperature of about 1,400 degrees Celsius. It's coldest part (The part away from the tip, but not necessary the center) is roughly 1,000 to 1,200 degrees. So, it may be the cold part of a flame, but not necessarily cold.



My take is that he's using fire as metaphor for a human being. Perhaps someone who is 'hot' or 'in' or famous is empty and cold on the inside? They place their trust in wealth and fame because inside themselves they lack anything satisfying.




My hunch is Prince was just trying to sound otherworldly, but who knows.

TheVoid said:

I agree with that. In relation to other's fame, as well as his own. The confusion that comes along with the position of fame, power, abilities.

"Cold" rhymes with "gold." I believe that's as deep as it got.

ThreadBare said:

That's what I believe. I don't think its about logic, but chosing words that flow and rhyme.

sro100 said:

The second law of thermodynamics states that the whole universe is going from hot to cold, or rather from higher energy sources (hot) to lower energy sources (cold). Therefore, heat in the presence of fire is just a transfer of energy from one source to another in an attempt to reach equilibrium. So, fire is just a process of heat transfer in an attempt to reach exothermic equilibrium.
This most certainly is what Mr. Nelson was lyrically alluding to in the song, Gold.

sexyfunkystrange said:

Cracked it .. the very essence of Au lol

sro100 said:

Yes it is - a blue bunsenburner flame is not hot at the centre

The worst part of all this is that it is miseducation. Many people will now believe Prince as they possibly don't research his lyrics for factual content. It's just downright stupid that someone in his position should state such things knowing that there are those that hang off his every word.

I would think that it could also be a reference to fame - that you might look like you have everything and be at the centre but it might be mighty lonely there too

ThreadBare said:

Exactly. I don't think a ton of thought went into the lyrics to Gold, they're rather banal.

It doesn't matter if it refers to something else or whether or not is just rhymes, the fact is it is incorrect. Like chemtrails. Or God.

iloveannie said:

....and it is incorrect because.....?

Militant said:

it's true, the center of the flame is not exactly cold, maybe, but we did an experiment that suspended a match within the flame on a bunsen burner and the match did not light. So there is something analogous to the eye of the hurricane in a flame

you can see the cone within the flame that is the cool part
[Edited 5/10/10 15:43pm]

That NPG operator at the end almost ruins the song LOL.

You can also see the cool part by getting a lighter and turning the gas up high so the flame is big.

hold the flame up to a flat upright piece of wood and lightly start to burn it. You should be able to see the burn take shape, and it will have an empty spot in the center at the bottom.

There is no cold part to a gas flame. What many of you are talking about is the area where the gas is ejected and as such has not ignited. This is not part of the flame. The coolest part of a gas flame is the yellow part (different types of gas produce different coloured flames remember). Feel free to place your finger, nipple, fringe into that part of the flame to see how cold it is.

But as the song is about fire and not flames we should focus on that. The centre of fire is of itself very hot. The material yet to ignite may either be very hot or very cold. It depends on what it is and where it is. Set fire to a bonfire and the inner materials have yet to reach a temperature where ignition takes place. They are not part of the fire. A lump of coal at its centre may be cooler than its burning outer but it sure as hell isn't going to be cold (depending on the size of lump!).

Fire is hot. It always is because that is what defines fire. A material reaches a set temperature and combustion takes place. Before that it isn't fire. After that it is. And it's hot. Very hot.

Prince isn't singing about fire he's singing about the materials yet to catch. And he just chose some words that rhymed. As NDRU pointed out, the eye of a storm perhaps would have been a better topic to focus his lyric on.

It's 9am and I'm always grumpy until at least 10am.

I knew that one day my Biology Masters would be useful

yep...centre of a flame is cold

In the center of fire is cold...

I think he refers to worldly things such as beauty, money & all the things it can buy which appear sizzling hot and full of passion from the outside, yet can also be worthless, empty and cold when the soul desires more. It's synonymous with "all that glitters ain't gold."