It took me a while.

I didnt understand what the hoopla was about on this track..I always thought it was boring, contrived and preachy....

I listened to it 2 times in the last two weeks, now I get chills listening to some of the things he says....I guess I am kind of in a funky mood lately, and usually the political songs hit me at the time. Great guitar work, exploding drums and a great climax.

Good tune.

I was never crazy about the lazy speaking vocals in the beginning, but I have come to like the song as well after hearing the lyrics. I think it is a fairly clever idea "upload ______, download _________ "

and it builds very nicely

I love this track - whether you agree with his ideas or not, the lyrics express his opinion well and the music is melodic and catchy but still with an edge. I like the more reflective, mature style of this song - more like this please!!!!

Easily the best track on the album. I agree more songs in this vein would be great. I lost my cookies when he played this at the Conga Room.

[Edited 3/3/11 13:55pm]

See. this right here is what I'm talking about....Prince puts out GREAT stuff, but the fans don't come around until years later...but, the point is, they always come around.

But, in the meanwhile, we have to hear about how bad the new stuff is....

Glad u finally enjoy it.

Revolution said:

See. this right here is what I'm talking about....Prince puts out GREAT stuff, but the fans don't come around until years later...but, the point is, they always come around.

But, in the meanwhile, we have to hear about how bad the new stuff is....

Glad u finally enjoy it.

True, ask anyone I was around in 1997 to say how bad Chaos & Disorder was and you could have written a book.

Now and days I see it getting mad praise....

I liked Lotus Flow3r back then, but I just could NOT get in2 this song at all. Sad it took two years...but glad it hung on. I even used to think Mplsound was more intresting than Lotus...boy was I wrong.

I really love everything about this track, except that stupidly uneducated creationist lyric.

"You see a rock on the shore and say 'It's always been there'... "

Is that really what evolutionists say? Hardly. An evolutionist would argue that the rock got there by a series of logical, physical events, each one as critical as the last, to ensure that at that moment in time, the rock was there on the shore.

It's the creationists who believe that things just appeared out of thin air and have "always been there" (at least since "God created it" or whatever)...

But yeah, great song, great performance by the Power-Trio, it's just ever-so-tarnished by that silly lyric

toejam said:

I really love everything about this track, except that stupidly uneducated creationist lyric.

"You see a rock on the shore and say 'It's always been there'... "

Is that really what evolutionists say? Hardly. An evolutionist would argue that the rock got there by a series of logical, physical events, each one as critical as the last, to ensure that at that moment in time, the rock was there on the shore.

It's the creationists who believe that things just appeared out of thin air and have "always been there" (at least since "God created it" or whatever)...

But yeah, great song, great performance by the Power-Trio, it's just ever-so-tarnished by that silly lyric

yeah it does seem (to me, at least) that someone who pushes the bible as the answer to our scientific questions is more likely a "colonized mind" (though not necessarily, it depends on the individual)

I think science & god can coexist, but once you start dismissing evolution, you've kind of lost me!

But I will add that the evolution line is linked to the next line about moral responsibility

"Download, no responsibility
Do what you want, nobody cares"

and that I do believe is a good point. The problem as stated in this song is not science or evolution, but rather that rejecting God in favor of the random might mean that nothing really matters, you won't go to hell, or that killing other people or killing the environment or killing ourselves is just survival of the fittest with no ethical consequences.

But I personally don't think that means we need religion, it means we need morality and decency.

Its always been my favorite on the album. I love the lyrics, the beat, everything is perfect in the song. Its in my top 15 Prince songs of all time.

NDRU said:

But I personally don't think that means we need religion, it means we need morality and decency.

Exactly. But that doesn't stop religious folk from assuming that a belief in evolution (or should I say a "realisation of evolution", because it is a fact) means you have "no responsibility" or that "nothing matters". It's an inaccurate connection that always bugs me. One could easily argue the opposite: "You're a Christian, so you believe in the End Times, so what's the point of trying to save the Earth from Global Warming?". Of course, I don't believe that argument either, but that's the equivalent insult from the other perspective. Of course things "matter", even without a belief in God (or more specifically, a God that supports blind faith over evidence).

Life "matters". Love "matters". Peace "matters".

Great song, but I prefer Feel Good Feel Better Feel Wonderful

paisleypark4 said:

It took me a while.

I didnt understand what the hoopla was about on this track..I always thought it was boring, contrived and preachy....

I listened to it 2 times in the last two weeks, now I get chills listening to some of the things he says....I guess I am kind of in a funky mood lately, and usually the political songs hit me at the time. Great guitar work, exploding drums and a great climax.

Good tune.

I loved it from the first listen...it's brilliant. Glad you kept listening,

I agree that is a monumentally stupid line. It is actually proponents of the creation ex nihilo hypothesis (the idea that there was nothing and then through God creation suddenly just appeared) who would ever say such a thing.

That line really summarizes my problem with the song. Though it builds nicely and becomes a rousing melody by the end, the lyrics are as superficial as they could possibly be.

It makes laughable causal claims about deference to authority and the breakdown of morality, or simply naive and simplistic ones about human psychology linked to one's parental upbringing. No mother growing up = a hard time showing love. Thank you, Dr. Prince, but I think I'll stick with people like Carl Jung.

It says a lot about Prince's vanity as a songwriter these days that he finds it appropriate to include yet another self-righteous bit of whining about multi-million dollar contracts (ten years of this wasn't enough?) in a song that also talks about serious issues like fascistic oppression.

It's also quite sad that Prince should write a self-righteous song about the colonization of the mind while following an interpretation of the Bible that was perpetuated by white hegemony.

[Edited 3/3/11 19:27pm]

Drew me in from the first listen, Love it!!!

I loved this track from the beginning. Great arrangement!

PurpleKnight said:

"You see a rock on the shore and say 'It's always been there'... "

I agree that is a monumentally stupid line. It is actually proponents of the creation ex nihilo hypothesis (the idea that there was nothing and then through God creation suddenly just appeared) who would ever say such a thing.

That line really summarizes my problem with the song. Though it builds nicely and becomes a rousing melody by the end, the lyrics are as superficial as they could possibly be.

It makes laughable causal claims about deference to authority and the breakdown of morality, or simply naive and simplistic ones about human psychology linked to one's parental upbringing. No mother growing up = a hard time showing love. Thank you, Dr. Prince, but I think I'll stick with people like Carl Jung.

It says a lot about Prince's vanity as a songwriter these days that he finds it appropriate to include yet another self-righteous bit of whining about multi-million dollar contracts (ten years of this wasn't enough?) in a song that also talks about serious issues like fascistic oppression.

It's also quite sad that Prince should write a self-righteous song about the colonization of the mind while following an interpretation of the Bible that was perpetuated by white hegemony.

[Edited 3/3/11 19:27pm]

You should be used to it by now. Personally, I don't have a problem with Prince's lyrics-- he can sing about anything he wants-- but he doesn't seem to realize his mind has been colonized as well. As for superficiality, it's a 3-5 minute song. How deep can he really go? (not that I'm saying he's prepared to go deeper).

As a side note, Prince might lean towards creationist thinking but his words make a case for the contrary. Evolution gives us a hand in, or responsibility if you will, in the future. Otherwise the fate of the world lies solely at the feet of our creator. It makes sense to me that our creator would allow for evolution for that reason alone if nothing else... well, that and being able to adapt to our environment, survive, and all.

It's a powerful tune, regularly heard in the ghettoes and backstreets of Palestine

(freedom)

babynoz said:

paisleypark4 said:

It took me a while.

I didnt understand what the hoopla was about on this track..I always thought it was boring, contrived and preachy....

I listened to it 2 times in the last two weeks, now I get chills listening to some of the things he says....I guess I am kind of in a funky mood lately, and usually the political songs hit me at the time. Great guitar work, exploding drums and a great climax.

Good tune.

I loved it from the first listen...it's brilliant. Glad you kept listening,

PurpleKnight said:

"You see a rock on the shore and say 'It's always been there'... "

It makes laughable causal claims about deference to authority and the breakdown of morality, or simply naive and simplistic ones about human psychology linked to one's parental upbringing. No mother growing up = a hard time showing love. Thank you, Dr. Prince, but I think I'll stick with people like Carl Jung.

It is a bit stereotypical..however one whom may have been through something like that may tend to disagree. I have a friend who actually have this problem. I think it is a more simplistic element and you may be looking for too much.

It says a lot about Prince's vanity as a songwriter these days that he finds it appropriate to include yet another self-righteous bit of whining about multi-million dollar contracts (ten years of this wasn't enough?) in a song that also talks about serious issues like fascistic oppression.

He has talked about the contracts alot. It may still be one of the things still affecting him now; however he has been releasing records successfully so that topic is kind of void at the moment. I'm glad he is a free agent to himself.

It's also quite sad that Prince should write a self-righteous song about the colonization of the mind while following an interpretation of the Bible that was perpetuated by white hegemony.

Exactly, JW is ...from the outside looking... a controlling religion that I would not want to associate myself with. Do not speak to people whom are not in JW or have been 'banished' from? I'll pass.

[Edited 3/3/11 19:27pm]

Revolution said:

See. this right here is what I'm talking about....Prince puts out GREAT stuff, but the fans don't come around until years later...but, the point is, they always come around.

But, in the meanwhile, we have to hear about how bad the new stuff is....

Glad u finally enjoy it.

This sums up Prince's career in my opinion.

The public won't actually catch up 2 Prince until YEARS after his death.

Loved it from day one.

Graycap23 said:

Revolution said:

See. this right here is what I'm talking about....Prince puts out GREAT stuff, but the fans don't come around until years later...but, the point is, they always come around.

But, in the meanwhile, we have to hear about how bad the new stuff is....

Glad u finally enjoy it.

This sums up Prince's career in my opinion.

The public won't actually catch up 2 Prince until YEARS after his death.

paisleypark4 said:

Graycap23 said:

This sums up Prince's career in my opinion.

The public won't actually catch up 2 Prince until YEARS after his death.

That goes for almost all peoples musical legacy...sadly.

Most folks are NOT on the level of creativity that Prince is.

Most folks don't really even understand who Prince as an artist and the man is still alive doing his thing.

One of my favorite socio-political tracks.

Graycap23 said:

paisleypark4 said:

That goes for almost all peoples musical legacy...sadly.

Most folks are NOT on the level of creativity that Prince is.

Most folks don't really even understand who Prince as an artist and the man is still alive doing his thing.

paisleypark4 said:

Graycap23 said:

Most folks are NOT on the level of creativity that Prince is.

Most folks don't really even understand who Prince as an artist and the man is still alive doing his thing.

I think it is not that, it is just they have been burned out by his internet fiascos that they tend to dislike everything he does, with a side of not doing what they think he should do.

Which is completely ridiculous.

Musically, it's a 10.

Lyrically, it's a 0. But I pretty much feel that way about all the lyrical content on Lotus/Mplsound.