Maybe I have missed out on something. But it just stroke me.

Is "Old Friends for Sale" the saying goodbye to The Revolution?

Makes sense. Any ideas?

[Edited 2/19/12 16:24pm]

no, it's about jam and lewis. listen to the words

The sun set in the west this mornin'
4 I know, I know L.A. is callin'
Bad news, Steve said, and people are talkin'
They say your kingdom is fallin', yeah
They say U lost your fire
When another musician U hired
Little do they know, U wouldn't have passed go
Unless they could take U higher, yeah

The sun set in my heart this afternoon
4 2 friends of mine got stuck in the snow
In Uptown when winter's alarmin', oh
Cocaine becomes charmin'
But U talk about things U don't know 'bout
I know, no matter how pleasant your past was
Green and white return 2 blue
U're happy as long as your last buzz
And then U think U want something new, yeah

The sun, the sun set in my mind this evening
4 someone who said they would die 4 me
Sold some, they sold some more pictures and all my little memories
Chump change is 2 unravel the mystery, ah ha
But life is no fun, life ain't no fun without fantasy
Some things are better left unsaid
And some people are better left untrusted
Maybe, maybe, maybe it'll all make sense when I'm dead
When I'm dead

Old friends 4 sale
Get'em while the gettin' is hot
Watch out, they'll kiss U until they get what U got
And they'll show U the friends that they're not
Old friends 4 sale

[Edited 2/19/12 16:30pm]

No. It was an overview of then recent events of misdeeds, mistrusts, criticisms, and regrets. The only real formal goodbye song was Song About by W&L which was after the 'firing.'

Yeah, I know the story about the snow, and the airport thing.

But on Charade it timewise just seemed like an obvious song.

Just checked with Prince Vault and sees that original recording dates from 1985, so no Revolution break up there i guess.

Pretty good track anyway!

unique said:

no, it's about jam and lewis. listen to the words

Also about Big Chick/Morris, and Wendy.

"On a day off from the tour, in December 1982, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went to Atlanta for a session with the SOS Band. They had been writing and producing material for other groups, including Klymaxx and the SOS Band. However, when they were going to fly back, they were snowed in at the airport and failed to make it back to a concert in San Antonio.

For the show, Jerome Benton, who appeared as Morris Day's valet in The Time's act, strapped on a bass guitar and pretended to play the instrument while Prince stood in the shadows playing Terry Lewis' bass lines. Jill Jones stood in for Jimmy Jam."

No?

There is one line in the entire song that seems like it is about Jam and Lewis. But the song is not about them overall.

rdhull said:

Also about Big Chick

As i recall. Big Chick sold bogus stories to the The National Enquirer to support his cocaine habbit

One story was how Prince would send telepathic messages to his limo driver on where to drive him

But the driver was fired because he couldnt read princes mind

yeah, me and my brother loved that one remember how he admonished a driver "pay attention next time". that wasn't chick's story though was it? I think it was later.

Absoluely brilliant song lyrically (and musically).

This is a rare glimpse of Prince not putting on a facade orpersona, but rathher spaeaking from the heart.

I love how he defends his decision to work with some of the band mebers he has chosen over the years:

"They say you lost your fire/when another musician you hired. Little do they know/You wouldn't have passed go/unless they could take you higher"

What a bold, honest and realistic sentiment. Bloody brilliant song.

mplsmike said:

rdhull said:

Also about Big Chick

As i recall. Big Chick sold bogus stories to the The National Enquirer to support his cocaine habbit

One story was how Prince would send telepathic messages to his limo driver on where to drive him

But the driver was fired because he couldnt read princes mind

I just remeber selling pics and a few "fortress" stories..as well as paranoia accusations.

Genesia said:

Good grief, people - that stanza has nothing to do with Jam and Lewis. "Snow" is slang for cocaine. He's talking about Vanity and Morris, and their alleged drug problems.

Thank you, Genesia. Why the heck would P write those great lyrics, only to put one ridiculously literal line in there in reference to leaving Jam & Lewis... TWO YEARS EARLIER. "Snow" is in reference to cocaine. As Genesia mentioned here, it's about Vanity's and Morris' drug problems (always suspected these two, not Big Chick, but it could be Vanity and Big Chick -- don't think Morris' problems were near as big as the other two). Either way, I've never understood why people took/take that line so literal.

pzlyprk said:

Genesia said:

Good grief, people - that stanza has nothing to do with Jam and Lewis. "Snow" is slang for cocaine. He's talking about Vanity and Morris, and their alleged drug problems.

Thank you, Genesia. Why the heck would P write those great lyrics, only to put one ridiculously literal line in there in reference to leaving Jam & Lewis... TWO YEARS EARLIER. "Snow" is in reference to cocaine. As Genesia mentioned here, it's about Vanity's and Morris' drug problems (always suspected these two, not Big Chick, but it could be Vanity and Big Chick -- don't think Morris' problems were near as big as the other two). Either way, I've never understood why people took/take that line so literal.

"Stuck in the snow" is a damn fine metaphor - but one that would likely escape anyone who hasn't lived in a place with that sort of winter weather.

fms said:

Absoluely brilliant song lyrically (and musically).

This is a rare glimpse of Prince not putting on a facade orpersona, but rathher spaeaking from the heart.

I love how he defends his decision to work with some of the band mebers he has chosen over the years:

"They say you lost your fire/when another musician you hired. Little do they know/You wouldn't have passed go/unless they could take you higher"

What a bold, honest and realistic sentiment. Bloody brilliant song.

^^ the truth!