Excuse me, but what the hell is that all about? Is it a way
of saying "I liked you when you were Prince, but now that
Prince is dead and you are o(+> I dig U even more, so I
*dig U better dead*"??

Or is it some American saying that I, as a fogbrained Euro
boy just never heard about before?

i think u got it mayb it is a REFERRENCE 2 Prince being Dead...

I don't know, but one day they were playing this song at Paisley and I was thinking to myself, "God this song is kind of slamming" and then I went home and put it into my stereo and it sucked again. I just can't produce the same bass that Prince can at Paisley and that songs needs the kick.

I have noticed there are certain Prince songs that only sound good on a Booming system like the one they got at Paisley. Prince should be forced to listen to his cd's on a cheap stereo before he releases them just to make sure they don't suck.

Lovemachine said:

"Prince should be forced to listen to his cd's on a cheap stereo before he releases them just to make sure they don't suck."

Now that is funny!

Some interpretations of the lyrics (remmebering them off the top of my head, so might not be 100%)

"What started as an experiment turned into a heaven sent message to save your ass from dying" - I always took this to mean the indie release of TMBGITW, and the potential future of his career it showed.

"Somebody said "in life there's always peaks and valleys, and if your lost they won't show you the way", and that same somebody said, "I dig u better dead", but I'd much rather see if your god is what you say". - sums up those arguments that life is a random chaotic experience that is ultimately purposeless and existential, vs what Prince chooses to believe in, namely that there is a purpose and a pattern in life derived from God - you just need to look hard enough. I think the dig u better dead could either refer to a) Nietzchean idea of the death of God - the unknown person prefers god to be a man made, definable concept because it is dismissable and therefore reinforces his nihilistic world view or b) the unknown person is refering to Prince because his lyrics are challenging his world point and he'd prefer it if that voice was silenced.

From what I remember the rest of the song runs through some illusionary highs of a godless life (one minute your high, tell the truth and you're not) and advises that the journey to be taken with Prince's lyrics is so long and deep, "if you plan on catching a bus, you better have plenty fare!"

There is also the possibility that the unknown person is a record company exec, and that they're defining Prince as a problem that would go away with his death, that his career path was random and are dismissing his efforts to go indie - I remember around this time Prince saying in an interview - "Look back at my career, all the clues were there", so perhaps the unknown person is disputing that.

Any other views?

cosmicslop said:

WOW!
Nope-I think u did good enough!
Well said!

---

lovemachine said:

cosmicslop said:

:O damn. Now that's an answer! Thanks.

I also always took the "what started as an experiment"
lyric to be a pointer to the success of the indie
release of TMBGITW.

Cool.

Nothinbutjoy said:

amen to that

cosmicslop said:

cosmicslop said:

damn right. The lyrics start with saying that it "took 6 months of walking... talking on the other side"
The he sings "it started as an experiment"

The experiment refers to the "talking on the other side".
Explain that.

In my opinion ofcourse...I think this whole song is about dealings with the record company. The other side = walkin' free opposed to working for WB (just my guess)
experimented with TMBGITW which was a success and thus convinced him...who needs you (WB) I'm leavin'!

"Somebody said in life there's always peaks and valleys
And if U're lost, they won't show U the way
That same somebody said, "I dig U better dead!
But I much rather see if your God is what U said, said, said"

I'm thinkin'...sorry son, you can't sing about god (or insert topic here) so much, how bout you re-word this or re-do that? (you know...life has it's ups and downs...kiddo) you're going in the wrong direction..but I'm not going to tell you which is the right direction. the dig you betta dead statement...to me...I picture an argument towards the end of his and WB relationship...perhaps about masters? and someone saying something to the effect of..."you want your masters! what are you nuts? You'll be worth more to us when you're dead than you are now"
then there's the part...
"And with an awesome power they struck
First they offer up the buck
Right in the middle, right in the middle they stuck
(Oh, right in the middle)
A toke or 2, what the fuck? (What the fuck? Yeah)"
I don't think these verses are in any kind of chonilogical order. I just think this verse is about how he or anyone for that matter, have a hard time resisting the upfront cash and parties offered up in the begining.

"One minute U're hot
Tell the truth and U're not
That's the noose that they hang on a goose like U"

I think this speaks for it's self...if you go along with everything...your hot...but once you start to buck the system...you're not. and that's when then try to ruin you and or your career (doesn't sound familiar?)

"And whatever U do, don't make somebody happy
Don't dress 2 freaky and make their daughters stare
Then U will find out how deep the valley truly be
If U plan on catchin' the bus, U better have plenty fare"

again...to me, this is all about don't do what ever they tell you too...and heaven forbin you make their daughters WET!! that'll really piss em' off! and you'll really pay the price!!

that's my take on it anyway...prolly not a lick of truth to it...but that's how I see it.

Shorty said:

Okay... but he says first: "A long time ago... it toook 6 months of walking..."

TMBGITW wasn't a long time ago in 1996.

Abrazo said:

well...it is a song...and sometimes you gotta make some stuff up to make it all fit together ya know? Maybe it felt like a million years ago to him? maybe not but..just a thought.

Shorty said:

I think he is talking about the years 87-88...

but I could be wrong!

Abrazo said:

he could be.

I LOVE Dig U Better Dead.

Moonbeam said:

no need to be ashamed moonbeam! I love it too!