i watching graffiti bridge the other night

and reminded me of how much i love that song

but what does prince mean by elephants and flowers? never got that lyric

is it another way of saying big and beautiful?

was he inspired by that Dr. Suess book Horton hears a who ? lmao

[img:$uid]http://i47.tinypic.com/4s0bgh.jpg[/img:$uid]

I always took it to mean that god created everything , big and small (elephants and flowers).

At least that is how my mind always translated it.

Though the lyrics are a tad more simple than in the released version, I really like the unreleased version a lot, too.

BklynDiamond said:

I always took it to mean that god created everything , big and small (elephants and flowers).

At least that is how my mind always translated it.

^^ never though about it that way

totally slipped my mind

KoolEaze said:

I really like the unreleased version a lot, too.

Me too, the unreleased version is 100x better than the album one!

My second favourite off graffiti bridge

PurpleColossus said:

KoolEaze said:

I really like the unreleased version a lot, too.

Me too, the unreleased version is 100x better than the album one!

oh man , i never heard it

I love the idea of comparing such a simple/complex creations and that they come from the same plac

I actually LOVE the guitar driven live versions he has played of this in Vegas and London over the past few years and wish they went on longer.

Great tune.

Brilliant song.. Elephants & Flowers....

Great album too:

Can't Stop This Feeling,

New Power Generation,

The Question Of U,

Elephants & Flowers,

Joy In Repetition,

Tick Tick Bang.

Thieves In The Temple,

Still Would Stand On Time.

Yes I love the Graffiti Bridge album

Too bad the Question Of U wasn't a single release.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I love the idea of comparing such a simple/complex creations and that they come from the same plac

yeah, it makes me smile inside

but really this lyic : the one who will listen when all others will not

is the whole moral of the book

that would be really cool if he was inspired by a Dr. Seuss book

Graffiti Bridge may have a couple stink-bombs on it, but Elephants & Flowers is a great pop song.

http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/graffiti.html#flowers

Elephants & Flowers

Boy is lonely on a burnin' hot summer night
He's looking 4 some action, he's looking 4 a fight
He's looking 4 a savior in a city full of fools
Maybe he just needs a good talker 2 give him a good talkin' 2
Can we talk, baby?
Strip down, strip down
I think I'm gonna fall in love 2night
Elephants and flowers

Hot sweaty light paints a picture red and gold
On a crowd of naked bodies stripped down 2 their very souls (New Power)
How can he find a shy angel in a city so bold? (Super bold)
He can't even find a place 2 dance
Huh, this is rock 'n' roll
Strip down, strip down (Elephants and flowers)
Is everybody ready? Here we go!

CHORUS:
Love the One who is Love (Love)
One who gives us the power (Power)
One who made everything (What?)
Elephants and flowers (What will He do?)
One who will listen when all others will not
There will be peace 4 those who love God a lot

Elephants and flowers
Strip down
I think I'm gonna fall in love 2night
And when I do, there won't be no more (Confusion)
There won't be no more tears (No tears)
There won't be no more enemies so that eliminates all the fear
There won't be no sorrow (Sorrow)
There won't be no pain (No pain)
There won't be no ball and no chain
Strip down, strip down
Elephants and flowers

Boy is lonely on a burnin' hot summer night
He's looking 4 an angel 2 hold him till the morning light
Here we go Love the One who is Love (Well)
One who gives us the power (Power)
One who made everything (Everything)
Elephants and flowers (Oh yeah)
One who will listen when all others will not
There will be peace 4 those who love God a lot
Here we go

CHORUS

© 1990 Controversy Music - ASCAP

[Edited 6/18/10 12:39pm]

PurpleColossus said:

KoolEaze said:

I really like the unreleased version a lot, too.

Me too, the unreleased version is 100x better than the album one!

Fenwick said:

I actually LOVE the guitar driven live versions he has played of this in Vegas and London over the past few years and wish they went on longer.

Great tune.

to combine some of the posts in this thread: this live rendition is basically the same as the FAR superior unreleased version, only with the lyrics of the released version

great song. elephants never forget, so dont hurt the flower.

As you can tell by my sig, I absolutely adore this song (especially the unreleased one). One of my favorite anti-drug references in any Prince songs...and he's got some great ones!

The one that gets me in the unreleased version is:

"She's too smart for ecstacy, she's too fast for coke."

[Edited 6/19/10 18:47pm]

As soon as I heard the intro and offbeat drum pattern of ELEPHANTS & FLOWERS (originally recorded in 1987) I was taken back to the Around the World in a Day album and was presented with a song that wouldn’t have been out of place on it. This song has a hopeful essence about it that is contagious, and Prince’s arrangement and delivery of the backing vocals is amongst his best. I simply adore this song. One of Prince’s most underrated tracks.

theblueangel said:

As you can tell by my sig, I absolutely adore this song (especially the unreleased one). One of my favorite anti-drug references in any Prince songs...and he's got some great ones!

The one that gets me in the unreleased version is:

"She's too smart for ecstacy, she's too fast for coke."

[Edited 6/19/10 18:47pm]

Yup...my fave:

They screamed and danced 4 12 hours 2 the New Power Soul

No sex, no drugs, no devil here...just good ol' rock-n-roll