Based on a similar thread regarding "1999" I've wondered about Prince's state of mind as reflected in "All the Critics Love U In New York;" here’s the mental image I have:

Prince is this young cat full of piss & vinegar, not yet a star but getting publicity and burning up with potential. A few years before he walked away from a near guaranteed mainstream R&B career to adopt a look and sound that definitely doesn’t appeal to Middle America. Two albums later sales are down, the record company is concerned, two core band members have quit, his first movie attempt has been abandoned and he’s suffered through two disastrous opening gigs for the Rolling Stones, J. Geils and George Thoroughgood.

But here it is late 1981 or early 1982 and he's limo riding late night through NYC after a smokin’ hot gig in some hip underground nightclub. Now he’s vindicated – in his mind at least, all the radical changes and questionable decisions have paid off, and dude is cocky as hell thanks to the support of the New York music scene. The song has a stream of conscious vibe, almost a journal entry glowing with his current success:

You can dance, if you want to

You don’t have to keep the beat, they'll still think it's neat

You can wear what you want to, it doesn't matter
You could cut off all your hair, I don't think they'd care
Why, you can play what you want to
They won't say that you're naïve, if you play what you believe
The reason that you're cool is 'cuz you're from the old school and they know it
It's time for a new direction, it's time for jazz to die
Look out, all you hippies, you ain't as sharp as me
It ain't about the trippin', but the sexuality

And off he goes into the night still hyped up from the show and looking for something to get into in the big city: Body don’t wanna quit, gotta get another hit…

appeasement perhaps?

just joshin'

Don't have a clue what he was thinking, but it's one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. For an 80s song, it doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love around here.

Pith.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Don't have a clue what he was thinking, but it's one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. For an 80s song, it doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love around here.

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

what site do you read

all the critics love u in newyork??

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Don't have a clue what he was thinking, but it's one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. For an 80s song, it doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love around here.

you mean it hasnt had alot of threads dedicated to it in the 3 months you have been a member?

next you'll be saying

"yeah i love parade but it doesnt get alot of love on here"

jonylawson said:

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Don't have a clue what he was thinking, but it's one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. For an 80s song, it doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love around here.

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

what site do you read

all the critics love u in newyork??

Got a few mentions on this worst 80s songs thread:

http://prince.org/msg/7/362495

Had heard a few people mention it as one of his weakest 80s songs.

Maybe it's had appreciation threads before, but I've never seen one since I've been on the site.

I was expecting you to reply to my comment, btw..

From "Your Top10 WORST Prince songs of the 80's"

Squirrelmeat said:

All the critics love U in NY

[...]

Well, although we will never agree on a 10, it looks like 5 are a clear majority

Ronnie Talk to Russia

All The Critics love U in NY

Dead on it

Lemon Crush

200 Balloons

Adorecream said:

2. All the Critics Love u in New York [...] 4/10

Hotgritz said:

All The Critics Love You In NY

piepie1976 said:

All The Critics Love U In New York - Kinda boring for me and doesn't really go anywhere. I think "Purple Music" is similar but better in every possible way. I feel like he thought he had a cool concept with this song but didn't deliver when it came to the actual song. Kinda like "Automatic."

These 4 were not the only mentions.

[Edited 1/10/12 13:33pm]

jonylawson said:

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Don't have a clue what he was thinking, but it's one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. For an 80s song, it doesn't seem to get a whole lot of love around here.

you mean it hasnt had alot of threads dedicated to it in the 3 months you have been a member?

next you'll be saying

"yeah i love parade but it doesnt get alot of love on here"

I've been here longer than 3 months, just not under this name. I have only been here since 2008, though, so...

[Edited 1/10/12 13:30pm]

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

Harlepolis said:

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

exactly

good point-he was a bad muthafucka then

Harlepolis said:

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

I always thought the song was sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek, or something like that..

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Harlepolis said:

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

I always thought the song was sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek, or something like that..

It is a sarcastic song, but that line seemed like a verbal middle finger to those RS crowd to me.

Harlepolis said:

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

Nah he was taking aim at (then hipster) critcs who raved about certain artists/movements.

rdhull said:

Harlepolis said:

I've always thought he was taking a piss @ The Rolling Stones crowd with the "Look out all you hippies".

If a made a playlist that centered around a "Fuck You-attitude" theme, this would def be the 1st on the list.

Nah he was taking aim at (then hipster) critcs who raved about certain artists/movements.

Could be.

But he also said "it ain't about the trippin, but the sexuality". It seemed like he was throwing shade at them(the RS crowd) for jeering at him and calling him "faggot".

Its def open for interpretation.

Wow -- didn't know there was so much hate for this little song; certainly not a Top 40 single candidate but it seemed to work within the vibe of the album (especially following Lady Cab Driver)

I always thought the song was an "F.U." to someone, and I can definitely see how much of it could have been directed at the Stones crowd. I gotta think that experience jacked him up for years...

alphachannel said:

Wow -- didn't know there was so much hate for this little song; certainly not a Top 40 single candidate but it seemed to work within the vibe of the album (especially following Lady Cab Driver)

I always thought the song was an "F.U." to someone, and I can definitely see how much of it could have been directed at the Stones crowd. I gotta think that experience jacked him up for years...

Nobody hates the song, I just made all that up because I'm a dumb newbie.

I always thought it was a big 'F.U.' as well.. and the song is seriously one of my all time favorites.

However, I hate when he plays it live and changes the name from 'New York' to wherever he's playing.

typo

[Edited 1/10/12 14:20pm]

Harlepolis said:

rdhull said:

Nah he was taking aim at (then hipster) critcs who raved about certain artists/movements.

Could be.

But he also said "it ain't about the trippin, but the sexuality". It seemed like he was throwing shade at them(the RS crowd) for jeering at him and calling him "faggot".

Its def open for interpretation.

word,,,but I thuoght he did an interview where he talked about Critic and stated as such regarding them clapping to whatever you did as an artist..might have been an exerprt or from that 1985 Prince Talks RS interview

either way...this song is theeee jam..must be played LOUD when it's plaid

alphachannel said:

Wow -- didn't know there was so much hate for this little song; certainly not a Top 40 single candidate but it seemed to work within the vibe of the album (especially following Lady Cab Driver)

I always thought the song was an "F.U." to someone, and I can definitely see how much of it could have been directed at the Stones crowd. I gotta think that experience jacked him up for years...

who the fuck is "hatin"??

One of the best songs on 1999. I always took it as a sarcastic answer to his critics.

Timmy84 said:

rdhull said:

but I thuoght he did an interview where he talked about Critic

Ah, but Prince talks shit. In other news, he was also once on stage with MJ and James Brown .

Timmy84 said:

One of the best songs on 1999. I always took it as a sarcastic answer to his critics.

^

yeah me too, and 1999 is just fantastic. All of it... brilliant.

However I don't know why he needed to write a song about his critics..

TheEnglishGent said:

rdhull said:

but I thuoght he did an interview where he talked about Critic

Ah, but Prince talks shit. In other news, he was also once on stage with MJ and James Brown ;).

You liar!

ALL I know is that this song SLAMMMMSSSS LIVE!

I can watch the Montreux performance of this song; ALL day & night and my body don't want quit, I got to get another hit! Haha

The way he interacts with the audience, guitar, and band members!

"In the balcony y'all know about that quake? If you do, JUMP UP & DOWN!"

Hell, even Renato Nato was jumping up and down and you never see that EVER.

Haha, It's one of my favorites from '1999'. It's funky, and very Prince. Something I think should be played more often in his set list. He could just change around the city wherever he is, like he has been doing. It's one of my favorite things to see him do live.

EyeJester7 said:

ALL I know is that this song SLAMMMMSSSS LIVE!

I can watch the Montreux performance of this song; ALL day & night and my body don't want quit, I got to get another hit! Haha

The way he interacts with the audience, guitar, and band members!

"In the balcony y'all know about that quake? If you do, JUMP UP & DOWN!"

Hell, even Renato Nato was jumping up and down and you never see that EVER.

Haha, It's one of my favorites from '1999'. It's funky, and very Prince. Something I think should be played more often in his set list. He could just change around the city wherever he is, like he has been doing. It's one of my favorite things to see him do live.

That performance is what made me fall in love with the song. Awesome song and performance. Also I like how he changes the city to where ever he is playing.

PurpleRayven said:

EyeJester7 said:

ALL I know is that this song SLAMMMMSSSS LIVE!

I can watch the Montreux performance of this song; ALL day & night and my body don't want quit, I got to get another hit! Haha

The way he interacts with the audience, guitar, and band members!

"In the balcony y'all know about that quake? If you do, JUMP UP & DOWN!"

Hell, even Renato Nato was jumping up and down and you never see that EVER.

Haha, It's one of my favorites from '1999'. It's funky, and very Prince. Something I think should be played more often in his set list. He could just change around the city wherever he is, like he has been doing. It's one of my favorite things to see him do live.

That performance is what made me fall in love with the song. Awesome song and performance. Also I like how he changes the city to where ever he is playing.

I'm saying right? It's funky right? Just too good!

Telling hippies they ain't as sharp as him and later telling them to take a bath. Saying it's time for jazz to die. Sounds like his head was in a good place to me. Leaving behind the 60s and earlier eras and moving forward with the ultra modern, cold, and futuristic 1980s at the time. Wish his mind had stayed there.

.

.

.

[Edited 1/11/12 21:00pm]

vainandy said:

Telling hippies they ain't as sharp as him and later telling them to take a bath. Saying it's time for jazz to die. Sounds like his head was in a good place to me. Leaving behind the 60s and earlier eras and moving forward with the ultra modern, cold, and futuristic 1980s at the time. Wish his mind had stayed there.

.

.

.

[Edited 1/11/12 21:00pm]

Ironic you would mention that... but I guess minds do change.

vainandy said:

Telling hippies they ain't as sharp as him and later telling them to take a bath. Saying it's time for jazz to die. Sounds like his head was in a good place to me. Leaving behind the 60s and earlier eras and moving forward with the ultra modern, cold, and futuristic 1980s at the time. Wish his mind had stayed there.

.

.

.

[Edited 1/11/12 21:00pm]

Gotta say Amen to that one...but when has anyone's head (in any sense of the word!) remained where other people think it should be?