The lyrical content of this track contains many autobiographical references. Would any enlightened individual like to offer/expand upon instances to which prince refers. E.g what is the full story around the 'sketch' of an incident prince portrays in the songs words.

Furthermore, I am of the opinion that the line "green and white will turn to blue" Is prince commenting that individuals over obsession with Money (green) and drugs, namely cocaine,(white)will only lead to a state of deep sadness (blue).

I love this song so much. (original version, that is).

(Dissecting contains 2 "s"'s)

What's with the line, "A stranger tried to take my picture/I guess I just don't know how" from the 1991 version? That makes absolutely no sense! I played that @ work the day I bought it in 1999, and co-workers said,"That makes no sense.".

Was there anyone NOT disappointed to get to that song on the album and hear Claire Fischer doodling? "Hey, this isn't the song on "Charade"!"

That was really disappointing! I bought "The Vault" in anticipation of having that version!Dig? Even though the 1991 version sounds like soundtrack music for Mike Hammer, which is kind of cool, I'll always be bummed because the original will probably never see the light of day now.

The original was cool: the ending sounded like a fade into a foggy night then the fade in of "All My Dreams" was creepy and mysterious. It makes me think "How many other albums have been better in their evolutions"?

Dissecting the lyrics doesn't interest me. They're just words.Obiviously, they meant about as much as "A stranger tried to take my picture/I guess I just don't know how"?

"of4s" '85 rules all.

howcomeudontcallme said:

It reminds me of this Graffiti Bridge line "But it's hard to see green when u're so much blue."

warning2all said:

He sings "last night a stranger took my picture and asked if i'd buy it, i said, i guess i dont know how.

howcomeudontcallme said:[quote]

warning2all said:

Thanks for clarifying.No matter how you read it, it's still a totally incoherent lyric.

Prince doesn't know how to buy a picture? Is that what he is saying?

Please don't try to give this lyric any credit for anything. It's just lazy writing, or a temp lyric that he could never figure out how to replace.

Any which way, it's very lame.
[This message was edited Mon Mar 17 9:44:51 PST 2003 by warning2all]

This is 1 of my favorite songs.
I remember 1st hearing about this song (years before I actually heard it for the 1st time) in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine. The interviewer mentions how, when he FINALLY meets up with Prince, Prince puts this song in the cassette player in his car. The interviewer mentions this song by name, & describes how.. "eerie" this song sounded to him. I think Prince even said something to the interviewer about why he wrote this song.


Apparently, it was written not too long after the whole Purple Rain "mania", about which Prince laments certain relationships & things in his life.


The "Steve" in the 1st verse is a reference to his manager at the time, Steve Fargnoli.


In the 2nd verse, the 2 friends who got stuck in the snow is supposedly a reference to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, original members of The Time, who did in fact miss a gig in Texas during the 1999 Tour. Jam & Lewis were in Atlanta producing the group the S.O.S. Band, & they were snowed in & couldn't get to the show in Houston, I believe it was. While Jerome pretended to play the bass on stage, Prince actually played it offstage. Jill Jones put on a hat & played the synthesizers..

anyway, Jam & Lewis missing this gig is what eventually got them "fired" from The Time


The last verse supposedly refers to "Big Chick" Huntsberry, Prince's bodyguard for several years.


I like how in the lyrics the song progresses from morning to (after)noon to evening.. there's probably some meaning in that, too. Lyrically, my favorite part of the song is the last 5 lines of the song; deep, & a little disturbing, maybe because it's too often true:

Old friends for sale
get 'em while the gettin' is hot
watch out, they'll kiss u 'til they get what you got
then they'll show you the frinds that they're not
old friends for sale

yep the 2 friends stuck in the snow was the JAM and
LEWIS incident,which got them launched from the TIME.

and the last verse is about BIG CHICk who sold pictures
and info to the ENQUIRER,that hurt prince a lot.

i think he forgave him just before CHICK died.

the original "4 SALE" is one of prince's most personal
and best unreleased songs.

great PIANO work by P.

mltijchr said:

wow, i didnt know any of that.Its such a beautiful song isnt it?

ALSO:


I forgot to mention: of the 2 versions of the original version of the song..

I prefer the 1 with the horn section.


"Jazzier."
More.. "meloncholy" with them.

warning2all said:[quote]

howcomeudontcallme said:

Whats lame to u may not be lame to me. I like the lyric. I may not understand what he means buy it but i wouldnt change it. Perhaps the words just felt 'right' for the vocal translation of his thoughts to tape (maybe the line could be regarded as an equivilant of a soul singers ad libbed 'passionate screams'. it carriers no sense but conveys an emotion. The beatles were renoun for nonsensical utterences, i.e, "goo goob a joob" ('I am the walrus'.). That track is regarded by many as great.

However, i did ask for opinions of the diSSection of the track and hats exactly what you gave.

Warning2All - so many preposterous things said by you, but then it matters not as, "They're just words", as you put it. If that's the case, then why post anything? They're just words! Let's see if my words mean anything to you...

You blatantly just don't understand the lyric, but that hardly renders it irrelevant, moreso, it is your opinion that suffers this consequence!

As is common with a Prince lyric, there is more than one meaning here, but very well-connected ideas - the reasons that Prince does not know how to buy his picture are two-fold;

Firstly, how can you, and why would you want to purchase your own image? It's an image of you, right? It's as close to being you as what goes on inside your head. That's why people take pictures - they are visual memory stimuli. So, Prince presents the ridiculous situation of someone trying to sell Prince to Prince.

Secondly, Prince is highlighting and questioning the fascination of the media and the market for images of people - you know, the fucking annoying paparazzi who seem to think that anyone's business is in the public "interest"?

So, this lyric just whipped right on past you, and I have ignored your "Please don't try to give this lyric any credit for anything. It's just lazy writing," request - in fact, I think you are guilty of lazy listening! Any which way, it is not as lame as any of your incredulous rants!
[This message was edited Mon Mar 17 11:50:39 PST 2003 by Mindflux]

That said, I 100% support "The original was cool: the ending sounded like a fade into a foggy night then the fade in of "All My Dreams" was creepy and mysterious"!

For me, The Vault version is crap, I can't really listen to it. OF4S and IAMD were 2 of my favourite out-takes back at the time of their appearance and to hear what's been done to OF4S, well, it's just a travesty really! The original's music was fine, nothing needed changing and the lyrics...well, part of what was so powerful about them was how personal they were - now, they have been diluted and have become aimless.

mindflux

I've said it once, and many times over.

The original OF4S is the absolute bomb. The that was put out as commercial sucked!!!

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Same with the interpretation of lyrics.

Let's be nice ok?

Mindflux said:

Dear Mindflux:

Hi!

I enjoyed your take on the lyric,"last night a stranger took my picture and asked if I'd buy it/ I guess I just don't know how".

Thats great that you enjoyed the lyric. I'm pleased to hear it had meaning and signifigance to you.I see by your profile you consider yourself a "Hardcore" fan-clearly any critisism of Prince may be subject to defensive lashings by you-that's okay, I consider myself a more objective fan of Prince.I guess I'm more willing to question Prince and critisize! That's okay-that's cool! There's no convincing a "Hardcore" fan of anything sometimes. I can get with that.

A) I think it's amazing you derived so much meaning from such an apparent toss-off lyric.It's amazing you see the "agreeable logic" in questioning why one would purchase their own photo. I guess, based on that interpretation, this lyric speaks to the "oddness" of photo booths, and portrait photographers, and their studios, where one has their own image photographed.What "absurd" concepts-thanks to Prince and your sharp interpretation of his tossaway lyric for "clarifying" that "issue".

B) I think it's quite obivious to anyone with half an ear, that Prince is taking a shot at the paparatzzi- this is as obivious as can be. The exact retort to "do you want to buy your photo?" being "I guess I just don't know how" is not a logical response. If you were selling the Photo, and Prince said this to you, you would say,"huh?", or wonder if he heard you correctly!

Anyways, I enjoyed your retort to my opinion! I think any opinion regarding this song is valid!Although you don't, I enjoyed your bitter, angry comeback.I find it totally hilarious that one's take on a lyric can drive another to respond with such pent-up anger! It makes me wonder if posting sometimes is an outlet for displaced rage.Oh well-not MY problemo!

Happy St.Patrick's Day,Mindflux! Raise a glass and cheers!
[This message was edited Mon Mar 17 12:49:43 PST 2003 by warning2all]
[This message was edited Mon Mar 17 12:53:44 PST 2003 by warning2all]
[This message was edited Mon Mar 17 14:02:42 PST 2003 by warning2all]

Its not a well known British trait.

So, they're not "just words" - they do mean something, both mine and Prince's!!

That's much better! You put some effort in to that. And, please, that post is not angry, merely provocative - I just found it incredible that you were making such dismissive statements as "They're just words" - I was just trying to show that words are extremely powerful and can easliy provoke a reaction, as they have done here. If you're going to make such loose statements, expect them to be picked up.

You see, earlier you said "That makes absolutely no sense! I played that @ work the day I bought it in 1999, and co-workers said,"That makes no sense." and "No matter how you read it, it's still a totally incoherent lyric", but they must have been throwaway remarks from you as you now say "I think it's quite obivious to anyone with half an ear, that Prince is taking a shot at the paparatzzi" - its not incoherent, it makes a point - I don't care for it, but it makes one, that's all I pointed out.

Your interpretation of a "Hardcore" fan is definitely different to mine. Perhaps I was wrong in my selection. Compared to all the people I know, I am a "hardcore" Prince fan - in that, I have all his albums and cd-singles, I've seen him live 35 times and I have his videos and cds, but that's it! Virtually no bootleg stuff, just the most popular out-takes in the eighties and the odd-tune grabbed off the net, hardly any memorobilia, just not a lot really! Compared to some of the people on here, I'm probably regarded as "casual"! I just love most of his music.

If you were familiar with my posts, you would know I am objective and certainly not one of the "Prince can do-no-wrong"s! In fact, my second post deals with my contempt for this version of the classic original - did you skip that part?

I also value all opinions, but ones that are substantiated. What you said earlier was just lazy, at least you came to life later on! And I find it hilarious that you take that post to be bitter and angry, it was provocative and played on your own words. Perhaps posting is just an outlet for mind-numbing ramblings, but who cares?

good discussion. Im with u mindflux. great interpretation.

Why thank you, both handclapsfingasnapz and howcomeudontcallme :red:

I think it is a good dicusssion too - I just hope I have not upset Warning2all, that was not the intention, just a healthy debate!

warning2all said:

I absolutely loved that transition when I heard it way back when. So Parade. You could picture it like a dream sequence from Under The Cherry Moon!

The slow fade in of All My Dreams after that is just brilliant. I wonder if Old Friends 4 Sale is circulating in excellent sound?

Parade in the Charade form would have been an even more amazing album.