OldFriends4Sale said:

My sister was 32, lovely and loose
She don't wear no underwear
She said it only gets in her hair
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice

My sister never made love 2 anyone else but me
She's the reason 4 my, uh, sexuality

Those lines sound a lot more like a horny young man's fantasy than the pained expression of someone who actually experienced incest and sexual abuse. She never made love to anyone else but Prince? She didn't wear any underwear because it stopped the juice? Really?

Also, note that the only specific thing he complains about is that she put him on the street and made him blue. Sounds like he'd be thrilled to keep having "incest" with this hypothetical "sister."

[Edited 4/26/11 10:48am]

electricberet said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

My sister was 32, lovely and loose
She don't wear no underwear
She said it only gets in her hair
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice

My sister never made love 2 anyone else but me
She's the reason 4 my, uh, sexuality

Those lines sound a lot more like a horny young man's fantasy than the pained expression of someone who actually experienced incest and sexual abuse. She never made love to anyone else but Prince? She didn't wear any underwear because it stopped the juice? Really?

Also, note that the only specific thing he complains about is that she put him on the street and made him blue. Sounds like he'd be thrilled to keep having "incest" with this hypothetical "sister."

Right,

and this definately wasn't the sister he stayed with in NYC, wasn't she married?

Think about the way "Darling Nikki" is used in the movie Purple Rain. In the movie, his character wrote the song to embarrass Apollonia by portraying her as a sex-crazed S&M freak. A lot of things in that movie were inspired by real events in Prince's life (such as the tension between him and his bandmembers and issues with his parents), even if the facts were changed and exaggerated for the movie. Maybe he had written songs in the past to embarrass or humiliate real people the way his character did in the movie. "Bambi" has also been said to be about a real person.

[Edited 4/26/11 11:04am]

OldFriends4Sale said:

electricberet said:

Those lines sound a lot more like a horny young man's fantasy than the pained expression of someone who actually experienced incest and sexual abuse. She never made love to anyone else but Prince? She didn't wear any underwear because it stopped the juice? Really?

Also, note that the only specific thing he complains about is that she put him on the street and made him blue. Sounds like he'd be thrilled to keep having "incest" with this hypothetical "sister."

Right,

and this definately wasn't the sister he stayed with in NYC, wasn't she married?

The time had arrived, Prince believed, to begin shopping his music to labels in the hope of getting a contract. He had essentially outgrown the need for Moon as a colaborator, and asked him instead to begin serving as a manager. The Englishman declined, however. "The piece I don't do," he responded, "is booking your hotel, making sure you're wearing the right kind of clothes. I'm not interested in that."

Showing remarkable confidence, Prince decided to approach record companies on his own. Armed with a four-song demo tape he flew to New York, where he stayed with his his half sister Sharon Nelson. Predictably, labels were unwilling to meet with an unknown teenager. Frustrated, Prince called Moon and urged him to contact record labels. Moon relented and did as asked, although no one returned his calls either.

Moon then seived on a bolder approach. He contacted Atlantic Records and claimed to a secretary that he represented Stevie Wonder; moments later, an executive called back. Summoning all of the confidence he could muster, Moon admitted that he did not handle Wonder but claimed he had something better to offer. "I'm representing Princ," Moon said "If you like Stevie Wonder, you're gonna love my artist. He's only 18, he plays all the instruments, and he's not blind."

Moon's audacity landed Prince and audience with Atlantic records, but the label came away unimpressed with the tape. The Moonsound demo was simply not slick or professional enough for presentation to major labels. Disappointed but undaunted, Prince hunkered down in his sister's apartment and pondered his next step.

Leaving 4 New York & Soft n Wet were 2 of those songs on the demo

Leaving For New York
This is one of the most accomplished and interesting unreleased songs from the pre-For You years. Prince demoed the song on a cassette recorder in 1976 and recorded a version of it at Moonsound the same year. It is a gentle piano ballad with some very "Princely" lines, including probably what is his first use of the words "purple", "rain" and "dawn". The song is addressed to a lover, "a love extraordinaire", he is leaving behind as he is going to New York. She is in pain but he assures her that she will "overcome that misery". Oddly enough, the lyrics never specifies why Prince is going to New York.


Leaving For New York

Sitting there on the purple lawn
U've been there since dawn
Wonderin' why I've gone
And 4 just 2 long

U're sorry U gave into me
Giving up your virginity
U're so afraid that U will be
So alone away from me

Though I said I'd never leave U
This is something that I must do
But I never will forget U
Unless U forget 2 come into my dream

Leaving 4 New York in the morning
But I'm leaving behind a love extraordinaire
But I'm taking with me memories of when we made love
And all the other lovely feelings that we share

U overcome that misery
Passed up by life's complexity
Picturing your love around me
Only adds 2 your agony

U're undisturbed by the rain
Your pain must be 2 strong
And even though U wait in vain
U'll wait 4 me no matter how long

Though I said I'd never leave U
This is something that I must do
But I never will forget U
Unless U forget 2 come into my dream

I'll bet that Prince had already gotten laid many times before he went to visit his sister in New York, and that if they had any fights while he was there, they were about money or something else other than sex. He must have been much more focused on where his career was going at that point.

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

madhouseman said:

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

If he wrote "Sister" to shock people in the first place, then naturally he would try to keep that going for a while by saying it's a serious song. In 1983 he was still craving fame and attention and hadn't yet been to the mountaintop. He wasn't just singing about sex just to be nasty, he sincerely wanted to...well, you know the rest of that line. If he stood by the song today, given his new desire to be a moral leader of some kind, then I might take it more seriously.

madhouseman said:

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

I don't buy that he is explicitly stating he had sex with his sister with this comment. I feel he is saying that his songs, at the time, have direct connections to how he feels about things and that that interpretation is entirely personal (and it may or may not hold any water).

The fact of the matter is Prince used to lie A LOT between the years of 1978 and... Well forever. He lies a lot. Around the time of this interview, he also stated he wasn't black, that he was about 3-4 years younger than he was, etc.

Prince didn't fuck any of his siblings.

electricberet said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

And a lot of time boys deal with these kinds of sexual situations different.

at least from a M2F perspective. For a 16 yr old to hook up with a pretty 25 or 35 year old woman wouldn't always be seen by the boy(s) as abuse.

I could tell stories of people in those teen years. We lived next door to a family mother, older sister younger brother and she was sexually active. And it was nothing for him to sneak peaks thru the door or window to watch her have sex. (maybe he was trying to see the guy, maybe just the act, maybe his sister) I'll never know

There's a huge difference between watching a sibling have sex and actually having sex with your sibling. Also, there's a difference between having sex with a sibling who is close to your own age and having sex with a sibling who is much older.

Nobody knows what happened except Prince and whatever sister was involved, if there really was a sister involved and if something actually happened. Anyone who asked Prince about it would probably never get to ask Prince another question again, and even if he answered it wouldn't be a straight answer. So it comes down to what you personally hear in the song. I hear a young man with a dirty mind who, for whatever reason, thought it would be cool to write a song about having sex with an older sister.

same here. that's why he revived it for the 1st part of lovesexy live, which was a summary of his former "dirty mind". if it had actually happened i can't imagine him raking up the past 8 years later.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Remember that when lovesexy was released on video in the rip off 2 tapes there order was reversed

not sure what you mean. can you explain thanks?

I see a lot of comments on the 'incest" aspect [which I believe could be true], but what about the prostitution aspect? IF Prince was getting kicked out of his "sisters" house in New York, how was he survivng? How did he earn the money to buy his instruments? He said on George Lopez that a lot of his stuff was stolen, So where did he get the $ to buy his guitars? [Unless I missed something] I don't recall Prince ever saying that he had a job [unless lyrics from 'Raspberry Beret' have some truth]. Was he stealing?

gunner82 said:

I see a lot of comments on the 'incest" aspect [which I believe could be true], but what about the prostitution aspect? IF Prince was getting kicked out of his "sisters" house in New York, how was he survivng? How did he earn the money to buy his instruments? He said on George Lopez that a lot of his stuff was stolen, So where did he get the $ to buy his guitars? [Unless I missed something] I don't recall Prince ever saying that he had a job [unless lyrics from 'Raspberry Beret' have some truth]. Was he stealing?

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

robertgeorgeakabob said:

gunner82 said:

I see a lot of comments on the 'incest" aspect [which I believe could be true], but what about the prostitution aspect? IF Prince was getting kicked out of his "sisters" house in New York, how was he survivng? How did he earn the money to buy his instruments? He said on George Lopez that a lot of his stuff was stolen, So where did he get the $ to buy his guitars? [Unless I missed something] I don't recall Prince ever saying that he had a job [unless lyrics from 'Raspberry Beret' have some truth]. Was he stealing?

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Hey, since there's SO many Prince experts on here who knows everything there is to know, I figure this is a plausible question.....Prince couldn't have fucked for a buck or did something strange for a piece of change if he was running away from home all the time?!!!

Spinlight said:

madhouseman said:

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

I don't buy that he is explicitly stating he had sex with his sister with this comment. I feel he is saying that his songs, at the time, have direct connections to how he feels about things and that that interpretation is entirely personal (and it may or may not hold any water).

The fact of the matter is Prince used to lie A LOT between the years of 1978 and... Well forever. He lies a lot. Around the time of this interview, he also stated he wasn't black, that he was about 3-4 years younger than he was, etc.

Prince didn't fuck any of his siblings.

Prince is the master of not telling the truth and yet believing that he is. If nothing else, Prince knows what to say to get a reaction. I don't believe half of the stuff he says... and that is being generous. Then again, I don't believe that he believes most of it either!

robertgeorgeakabob said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

robertgeorgeakabob said:

not sure what you mean. can you explain thanks?

Someone mentioned the lovesexy concert and that prince sang sister in the first part of that show. And for some reason I felt it necessary to say that when prince released the show on home video it was I. 2 parts. Part 1 was the 1/2 half of the show and tape 2 was the first half.

oh yeah i see what you mean now. always thought that was a bit daft!!

madhouseman said:

Spinlight said:

I don't buy that he is explicitly stating he had sex with his sister with this comment. I feel he is saying that his songs, at the time, have direct connections to how he feels about things and that that interpretation is entirely personal (and it may or may not hold any water).

The fact of the matter is Prince used to lie A LOT between the years of 1978 and... Well forever. He lies a lot. Around the time of this interview, he also stated he wasn't black, that he was about 3-4 years younger than he was, etc.

Prince didn't fuck any of his siblings.

Prince is the master of not telling the truth and yet believing that he is. If nothing else, Prince knows what to say to get a reaction. I don't believe half of the stuff he says... and that is being generous. Then again, I don't believe that he believes most of it either!

lol,I agree....those early interviews are filled with lies and exaggerations I don't really believe much of what he said in those days.

Spinlight said:

madhouseman said:

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

I don't buy that he is explicitly stating he had sex with his sister with this comment. I feel he is saying that his songs, at the time, have direct connections to how he feels about things and that that interpretation is entirely personal (and it may or may not hold any water).

The fact of the matter is Prince used to lie A LOT between the years of 1978 and... Well forever. He lies a lot. Around the time of this interview, he also stated he wasn't black, that he was about 3-4 years younger than he was, etc.

Prince didn't fuck any of his siblings.

he also says in the interview "things that have occured around me", so it could be about a friend of his and he's fantasising about what it would be like, a dirty little fantasy that he knows is wrong, hence the line "incest is everything it's said to be". who knows?? people should take into account the album is called "dirty MIND"

Judging from the way Prince kissed Appolonia in Purple Rain, I'd say much of sexual conquest songs in his early years was fiction and fantasy.

It's not an "anti-incest" song. The lyrics are far too dirty and full of humor for it to be that. Per Nilsen gave the song that intepretation in his book Dancemusicsexromance and people seem to have eaten it up.

novabrkr said:

It's not an "anti-incest" song. The lyrics are far too dirty and full of humor for it to be that. Per Nilsen gave the song that intepretation in his book Dancemusicsexromance and people seem to have eaten it up.

I have never read his book or his interpretation. I did not need to read it to understand that the song is about the conflict of the situation. The voice is not happy and wants out of the sexual aspect of the relationship but is trapped. The voice also blames himself for the situation.

The song is pure fiction and another example of Prince's genius and ability to push our buttons and get us thinking about pervy stuff without guilt because, hey, wer're just analyzing song lyrics right?

Prince isn't as sexually loose as his song lyrics let on. There are some things he just won't do but he didn't mind, once upon a time, singing about them.

novabrkr said:

It's not an "anti-incest" song. The lyrics are far too dirty and full of humor for it to be that. Per Nilsen gave the song that intepretation in his book Dancemusicsexromance and people seem to have eaten it up.

I personally think he was just trying to get attention. The 80s were all about having gimmicks and trying very hard to get noticed.

Not that it's much different today.

electricberet said:

Think about the way "Darling Nikki" is used in the movie Purple Rain. In the movie, his character wrote the song to embarrass Apollonia by portraying her as a sex-crazed S&M freak. A lot of things in that movie were inspired by real events in Prince's life (such as the tension between him and his bandmembers and issues with his parents), even if the facts were changed and exaggerated for the movie. Maybe he had written songs in the past to embarrass or humiliate real people the way his character did in the movie. "Bambi" has also been said to be about a real person.

[Edited 4/26/11 11:04am]

Excellent post. In addition to songs being written to possibly embarass certain people, there is also the possibility that some songs are metaphorical and the lyrics, as they would tend to be interpreted literally, actually mean something else. For all we know, Darling Nikki could be less about a sex-crazed S&M freak and more about selfishness, disrespect and betrayal within a relationship. Lets face it, Prince isn't exactly the monogamous kind..in or out of marriage. Masturbating with a magazine in a hotel lobby could be a metaphor for an eager groupie following him from show to show.

HotGritz said:

electricberet said:

Think about the way "Darling Nikki" is used in the movie Purple Rain. In the movie, his character wrote the song to embarrass Apollonia by portraying her as a sex-crazed S&M freak. A lot of things in that movie were inspired by real events in Prince's life (such as the tension between him and his bandmembers and issues with his parents), even if the facts were changed and exaggerated for the movie. Maybe he had written songs in the past to embarrass or humiliate real people the way his character did in the movie. "Bambi" has also been said to be about a real person.

[Edited 4/26/11 11:04am]

Excellent post. In addition to songs being written to possibly embarass certain people, there is also the possibility that some songs are metaphorical and the lyrics, as they would tend to be interpreted literally, actually mean something else. For all we know, Darling Nikki could be less about a sex-crazed S&M freak and more about selfishness, disrespect and betrayal within a relationship. Lets face it, Prince isn't exactly the monogamous kind..in or out of marriage. Masturbating with a magazine in a hotel lobby could be a metaphor for an eager groupie following him from show to show.

Right. Also, some songs may have a specific meaning that is known only to the songwriter unless he or she shares it with others. For example, it's well-known now that "Sexy Sadie," the Beatles song, was originally written about the Maharishi and Lennon's impression of him in India. But I had no idea about that listening to the song growing up. I thought it was just about some girl named Sadie who made a fool of everyone.

SagsWay2low said:

Judging from the way Prince kissed Appolonia in Purple Rain, I'd say much of sexual conquest songs in his early years was fiction and fantasy.

For fuck's sake, it's just fiction, guys, the apex of the Rude Boy and his dirty stories

it's not even a fantasy...just fiction, controversy...fun...

JoeTyler said:

For fuck's sake, it's just fiction, guys, the apex of the Rude Boy and his dirty stories

it's not even a fantasy...just fiction, controversy...fun...

I agree it is fiction: HOWEVER?!

why would the fantasy include the self blame and wanting it to be over? Why include the conflict of being a victim?

madhouseman said:

Here is what Prince had to say about it and HEAD:

“Sister” is serious. “Head” could be taken as a satire. No one’s laughing when I ‘m saying it, so I don’t know. If people get enjoyment out of it and laugh, that’s fine. All the stuff on the record is true experiences and things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things. I wasn’t laughing when I did it. So I don’t suppose it was intended that way.”

Prince, Musician Magazine (Sept. 1983)

#1. "things that have occurred around me and the way I feel about things" is a TOTALLY different different statement than "things that have occured TO me and the way I feel about things".

#210. "Incest is everything it's said to be"

#211. It's said to be terrible.

Seriously, children. Prince talks like a politician. He is vague and misleading, but hardly unitelligible. If you are a member of prince.org and you read something that validates your position, you should probably read it again SLOWLY at least 7 more times because you're almost certainly missing something.