Paisley Park is in Your Heart

thanks 4 the inspiration Rap

Paisley Park is a stronghold in Prince history, rumors, secrets, artwork, isolation & seclussion, Celebrations & Raves, the logo, concept & song.

What's your experience & knowledge of Paisley Park?

There is an extended version(4 those that don't know) with an opening with sounds of a beach/park scene sounds of seagulls, girls laughing and a pretty good guitar solo
I always use this version instead of the album cut when listening 2 the album

Released May 24, 1985
Recorded The Warehouse, St. Louis Park; 1984


There is a park that is known
4 the face it attracts
colorful people whose hair
On 1 side is swept back
The smile on their faces
It speaks of profound inner peace
Ask where they're going
They'll tell U nowhere
They've taken a lifetime lease
On Paisley Park

chorus:
The girl on the seesaw is laughing
4 love is the color
This place imparts (Paisley Park)
Admission is easy, just say U
Believe and come 2 this
Place in your heart
Paisley Park is in your heart

There is a woman who sits
All alone by the pier
Her husband was naughty
And caused his wife so many tears
He died without knowing forgiveness
And now she is sad, so sad
Maybe she'll come 2 the park
And forgive him
And life won't be so bad
In Paisley Park

chorus

See the man cry as the city
Condemns where he lives
Memories die but taxes
He'll still have 2 give
(who) Whoever said that elephants
were stronger than mules?
Come 2 the park
And play with us
There aren't any rules
In Paisley Park

chorus repeated 2 times

your heart, your heart
Paisley Park
your heart, your heart, your heart (sing, sing it)
Paisley Park
Paisley Park
Paisley Park


Paisley Park" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It was the first single in both the UK and Australia to be released from their 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. The song has a psychedelic feel, similar to some of The Beatles' later work with echoed guitar and finger cymbals. The lyrics describe a Utopian place that one can feel in their heart, despite the chaos of the world around them. "Paisley Park" was recorded before Purple Rain was completed, indicating the new direction Prince wanted to take after the success of that album and film. Violin on the song was played by Novi Novog, and Wendy & Lisa provide backing vocals.

Great Pics. I love the song....light & airy

I love your posts. Always has great pics I haven't seen before.

Although I was a huge Prince fan since the end of the 80's, my idea was that his lyrics were kinda poor and one-dimensional (sex, sex, sex). Maybe English not being my mother tongue contributed to this misconception, together with the image of Prince projected on the media.

Actually, Prince has written many great lyrics, Paisley Park being one of them. I love this idea of introspection, and the melody is superb. He has expressed this idea again in other songs; I'm thinking now in the equally brilliant Love... Thy Will Be Done.

Javi said:

Although I was a huge Prince fan since the end of the 80's, my idea was that his lyrics were kinda poor and one-dimensional (sex, sex, sex).

You say that like it's a bad thing!

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Javi said:

Although I was a huge Prince fan since the end of the 80's, my idea was that his lyrics were kinda poor and one-dimensional (sex, sex, sex).

You say that like it's a bad thing!

Actually, some of his lyrics about sex are great. But I like him talking about other things too. The lyrics of this song, for example, are more interesting to me than his sex ones.

I was looking on Princevault the other day @ the Family stuff, and saw that there was an instrumental of 'Paisley Park' on an early config. of the album. I was ' ' - I'd never read that before. Would love to hear that, presumably with Eric all over it?

mzsadii said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

^^^ Need a replica of this in my house

My favorite lines in the lyrics are ....

Admission is easy, just say U
Believe and come 2 this
Place in your heart

nursev said:

^ wonder if those pics are still hanging or if he's removed them.

1 order his staff better no take or else

Those pics r epic

NouveauDance said:

I was looking on Princevault the other day @ the Family stuff, and saw that there was an instrumental of 'Paisley Park' on an early config. of the album. I was ' ' - I'd never read that before. Would love to hear that, presumably with Eric all over it?

Ooooh why did u enlighten us on this, I'm going on a do or die search now lol

I hope I can find even a 1/2 of an instrumental

The melodies and the sounds from that song just encase u

OldFriends4Sale said:

You're welcome, and cheers.

Would love to see some rare pics, maybe, even some during its construction.

They've taken a lifetime lease
On Paisley Park

The 1996 refurb was really ugly. I know the hows and whys, but it still. It still looks like this no? I imagine it's look a bit rough around the edges now if so, maybe a new lick of paint is needed

Love your threads and how you always come up with picture I haven´t seen before.

I´ve been to Paisley Park a couple of times and my most enjoyable moment there was when he played the song Paisley Park there in 2002. Great version, great energy and a great audience. That week was higlight after highlight. My favorite night was the night when he played after Bernhard Allison and of course the acoustic night.

A little bit of trivia....Prince wanted to get rid of the glass pyramids on the roof around 2002.

I like Paisley Park but I think the seclusion that came with it wasn´t really a good thing. I miss the days of the warehouse rehearsals and Sunset Studio....but I´m just nostalgic like that.

^^pictures

slight typo

KoolEaze said:

Love your threads and how you always come up with picture I haven´t seen before.

I´ve been to Paisley Park a couple of times and my most enjoyable moment there was when he played the song Paisley Park there in 2002. Great version, great energy and a great audience. That week was higlight after highlight. My favorite night was the night when he played after Bernhard Allison and of course the acoustic night.

A little bit of trivia....Prince wanted to get rid of the glass pyramids on the roof around 2002.

I like Paisley Park but I think the seclusion that came with it wasn´t really a good thing. I miss the days of the warehouse rehearsals and Sunset Studio....but I´m just nostalgic like that.

June 23. 2002　
Prince A Celebration 2002
Paisley Park Chanhassen:Xenophobia
guest artist:Victor Wooten

155mins
Prince & The NPG
1.Days of Wild
2.The Jam
3.Dolphin
4.Sign "O"The Times
5.The Work part1
6.Paislely Park
7.Renato's Keyboard Solo
8.Peach/It Ain't Over Jam

Overall I don't think the seclusion was a good thing either.

I'm with you, something about those warehouse late night jam/rehearsals

September 11. 1987

Paisley Park Studio Officially Open

Paisley Park Studios officially opened in September, 1987. Owned and developed by Prince Rogers Nelson, the complex was designed for rehearsal, recording, and film and video production. Located about 30 minutes southwest of Minneapolis, this 10 million dollar, 55,000 sq. ft. facility is one of the top flight and historically important recording studios in the world.

An influential star of the 1980s, Prince wrote and produced funky pop songs that had cross-genre appeal, including the best-sellers 1999, When Doves Cry, and Kiss. The son of a jazz pianist, he taught himself several instruments and formed his own bands as a teenager. At age 19 he released his first album, on which he played all the instruments. His second album, Prince, was followed by many others, including 1999, the soundtrack of the film Purple Rain, in which he also starred, and Diamonds and Pearls. He became known as something of an eccentric genius: he dressed in high heels and outrageous finery and was so multitalented that on many songs he played all the instruments himself.

The studios were designed by architect Brett Thoeny of Boto Design of Santa Monica, California and acoustician Marshall Long, working with local engineers in the Minneapolis area. Brett took the lead in studio layout and control room design while Marshall provided HVAC noise control, vibration isolation, room-to-room sound separation, and made contributions to the studio interiors.

The acoustical isolation design was particularly challenging since the sound stage is used to fly a full concert rig and play at concert levels while the other studios are in use. The facility includes four main studios. Studio A has an 80-track recording console, while Studio B has a 48-track console; Studio C is the smallest and most intimate, while the soundstage is over 12,000 square feet and is used for concerts, rehearsals, and video productions. Every room in Paisley Park is wired for sound to allow Prince to record wherever he likes.

The studios were closed in 1996 with only Prince and some of his friends continuing to record and perform there. In 2004 Paisley Park was reopened with the studio's editing and recording rooms having been newly digitized and upgraded. The numerous unreleased music and full length films and video work that are known to have been created in Paisley Park Studios are among the rarest of the Prince catalog on the Paisley Park record label. In 2004 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

NouveauDance said:

The 1996 refurb was really ugly. I know the hows and whys, but it still. It still looks like this no? I imagine it's look a bit rough around the edges now if so, maybe a new lick of paint is needed

Photo credit: ©2009 Chak

OldFriends4Sale said:

Feelgood said:

Hmm, where exactly, and what?

Keep 'em comming if you have more.

Javi said:

Although I was a huge Prince fan since the end of the 80's, my idea was that his lyrics were kinda poor and one-dimensional (sex, sex, sex). Maybe English not being my mother tongue contributed to this misconception, together with the image of Prince projected on the media.

Actually, Prince has written many great lyrics, Paisley Park being one of them. I love this idea of introspection, and the melody is superb. He has expressed this idea again in other songs; I'm thinking now in the equally brilliant Love... Thy Will Be Done.

Hello Javi,

As someone else posted, Prince's sex lyrics are actually quite brilliant. It's not like Usher's "Yeah" or BEP's "My Humps." The sexuality is more along the lines of Neruda's Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada - but of course Prince is a songwriter, not a master poet, so lyrics are flimsy w/o enhancement of the erotism through the music.

But yes, it's nice to have lyrics about other things too.

hls2000 said:

Javi said:

Although I was a huge Prince fan since the end of the 80's, my idea was that his lyrics were kinda poor and one-dimensional (sex, sex, sex). Maybe English not being my mother tongue contributed to this misconception, together with the image of Prince projected on the media.

Actually, Prince has written many great lyrics, Paisley Park being one of them. I love this idea of introspection, and the melody is superb. He has expressed this idea again in other songs; I'm thinking now in the equally brilliant Love... Thy Will Be Done.

Hello Javi,

As someone else posted, Prince's sex lyrics are actually quite brilliant. It's not like Usher's "Yeah" or BEP's "My Humps." The sexuality is more along the lines of Neruda's Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada - but of course Prince is a songwriter, not a master poet, so lyrics are flimsy w/o enhancement of the erotism through the music.

But yes, it's nice to have lyrics about other things too.

If I ever get to see him perform inside Paisley Park and/or just get to be inside Paisley Park once- That will be the ultimate experience. Hearing Paisley Park INSIDE Paisley Park- it don't get no betta!