jonnymon said:

EroticDreamer said:

jhon00 said:

berlinas2k said: I get the gist of it all, but the point is that whether some are truly living or not, doesn't mean that they were not born alive( born with something to contribute to the world).

Indeed and I mentioned earlier that the line even sounds condescending.

Way Back Home is my favorite song from AOA but I don't sing that line.

-

Also don't like the 'blind people' line on TicTacToe and would have changed it to 'blindfolded'.

[Edited 10/1/14 15:18pm]

Why would a bunch of blind people play Tic Tac Toe? It is a two person game... Silly wabbit.

TheGoldStandard said:

TheGoldStandard said:

EroticDreamer said:

Indeed and I mentioned earlier that the line even sounds condescending.

Way Back Home is my favorite song from AOA but I don't sing that line.

-

Also don't like the 'blind people' line on TicTacToe and would have changed it to 'blindfolded'.

[Edited 10/1/14 15:18pm]

Why would a bunch of blind people play Tic Tac Toe? It is a two person game... Silly wabbit.

I've seen blind people play darts, and quite well...

-

I try to reach her heart but she's up there, 2 high

and like short people that can't reach the cookie jar there's nothing left 2 do but cry

(chorus)

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Genesia said:

Perhaps he is referring to that moment when a person has left his/her mother's body, but has yet to breathe on their own as the "dead" part. Perhaps he is saying that he was born later, when he was already functioning on his own biologically. Maybe it's another element in the story line that he's been sleeping for 45 years and "comes alive" in the Art Official Age.

OR...hasn't Prince said that there was an issue when he was born - that he didn't take his first breath immediately? Perhaps it's a paradox. He was born dead but others were born alive, which means he was born alive but others were born dead.

[Edited 10/1/14 15:04pm]

-

In "The Sacrifice of Victor" he sang "I was born on a bloodstained table, chord wrapped around my neck, epileptic ´til the age of seven."

I agree with what Rebel Juice said...at least as for the Born Dead stuff.

PURplEMaPLeSyrup said:

EroTicDreamer, cool, i also wondered about using 'blindfolded' instead. but maybe it means something else. i was reading on wikipedia that a different game also called tictacktoe was played with eyes closed lol. the born dead line brought to my mind the biblical thing about faith and works. that faith by itself (only in your head) is dead, but when it's fulfilled with works (outside your head) faith is made alive.

I haven't heard of the other game but the lyrics refer to X's and O's.

If I were blind and heard the lyrics it could possibly affect me for a brief moment despite not being malicious intent.

-

I think he means that many are not connected to their purpose, born 'dead' means that most simply follow along without questioning whats around them or discovering their purpose, while born 'alive' is an innate knowing and understanding of who you are, your purpose and your reason for being. I think it means he's incapable of fitting into what's seen as normal...

This speaks to me, I'm a teacher, a self starter and often times do be best when left to my own inner world where I take in whats around me and the build my own creation and construct then I teach others.

Being able to travel in ones dreams and not see it as separate from reality also speaks to me as a very yogic idea....this whole album makes me wonder if Prince is doing some yoga...

The 'dead' is only metaphore for not having the dream he has.

He has a dream of finding his way back home.

Read one line further.

Prince is being given 3 affirmations and by the 3rd asked how he is feeling.

He makes it clear that he doesn't feel he is at 'home' in this world, in this life.

That's why he is 'just trying' to find his way back home.

Basically, a quite depressing song.

Untill you realise what home means.

The beauty of the lyrics is that they don't give that away in words.
But is there in spirit.

Embrace said:

The 'dead' is only metaphore for not having the dream he has.

He has a dream of finding his way back home.

Read one line further.

Prince is being given 3 affirmations and by the 3rd asked how he is feeling.

He makes it clear that he doesn't feel he is at 'home' in this world, in this life.

That's why he is 'just trying' to find his way back home.

Basically, a quite depressing song.

Untill you realise what home means.

The beauty of the lyrics is that they don't give that away in words.
But is there in spirit.

But the 'most people are born dead' line purposely seperates himself and gives (me) the impression that he's declaing that he's special or at the very least, enlightened above others, and that goes against every teaching of the gospel. The GOD that Prince claims to believe in won't ever be dancing or singing along to the great majority of his music. But Prince's religious statements have always been transparent and easy for me to ignore since the Controversy album. He preached one thing but lived another. But it's his life, his journey... I'm just here for the music and not his doctrine.

-

WBH is my favorite track on AOA but the 'born dead' line could have been rewritten and better.

DiscoBallz said:

jhon00 said:

Has Prince become larger than life? Egotistical?

This is a song which contains a fembot telling him that the only thing that matters in life is himself and that anyone or anything that wants his attention elsewhere is an evildoer. So.

Which , again, could be construed as being ''dead'', since no interaction with others would be required,

(Prince considering himself as being born into this world 54 years from now)

EroticDreamer said:

Embrace said:

The 'dead' is only metaphore for not having the dream he has.

He has a dream of finding his way back home.

Read one line further.

Prince is being given 3 affirmations and by the 3rd asked how he is feeling.

He makes it clear that he doesn't feel he is at 'home' in this world, in this life.

That's why he is 'just trying' to find his way back home.

Basically, a quite depressing song.

Untill you realise what home means.

The beauty of the lyrics is that they don't give that away in words.
But is there in spirit.

But the 'most people are born dead' line purposely seperates himself and gives (me) the impression that he's declaing that he's special or at the very least, enlightened above others, and that goes against every teaching of the gospel. The GOD that Prince claims to believe in won't ever be dancing or singing along to the great majority of his music. But Prince's religious statements have always been transparent and easy for me to ignore since the Controversy album. He preached one thing but lived another. But it's his life, his journey... I'm just here for the music and not his doctrine.

-

WBH is my favorite track on AOA but the 'born dead' line could have been rewritten and better.

Personally I think he is showing a vulnurable side here, and exposing his loneliness. This is his most real song in a good while imo.

The born dead line just makes this song hit alot harder, and gives us something to discuss. I don't think it's bad choice of words. However it's a very Princey way of writing. It can often be taken many ways. Because of how we like to see him as narssisitic of nature, we love thinking that everything he writes that can be taken out of context is actually about how much he loves himself and hates everybody else.

Replica said:

EroticDreamer said:

But the 'most people are born dead' line purposely seperates himself and gives (me) the impression that he's declaing that he's special or at the very least, enlightened above others, and that goes against every teaching of the gospel. The GOD that Prince claims to believe in won't ever be dancing or singing along to the great majority of his music. But Prince's religious statements have always been transparent and easy for me to ignore since the Controversy album. He preached one thing but lived another. But it's his life, his journey... I'm just here for the music and not his doctrine.

-

WBH is my favorite track on AOA but the 'born dead' line could have been rewritten and better.

Personally I think he is showing a vulnurable side here, and exposing his loneliness. This is his most real song in a good while imo.

The born dead line just makes this song hit alot harder, and gives us something to discuss. I don't think it's bad choice of words. However it's a very Princey way of writing. It can often be taken many ways. Because of how we like to see him as narssisitic of nature, we love thinking that everything he writes that can be taken out of context is actually about how much he loves himself and hates everybody else.

Hmmm, I gleefuily appreciate Prince's narcissistic nature regarding his work but his preachings are as dull as powder. His personal insecurities expose on occassions but on stage, in the studio, and on the disk, his confidence is supreme. I just don't relate to the 'born dead' line.

-

I haven't listened to a song of his on repeat this many times since Anna Stesia but the vulnerability is much deeper on WBH.

I'll keep listening.

EroticDreamer said:

Replica said:

Personally I think he is showing a vulnurable side here, and exposing his loneliness. This is his most real song in a good while imo.

The born dead line just makes this song hit alot harder, and gives us something to discuss. I don't think it's bad choice of words. However it's a very Princey way of writing. It can often be taken many ways. Because of how we like to see him as narssisitic of nature, we love thinking that everything he writes that can be taken out of context is actually about how much he loves himself and hates everybody else.

Hmmm, I gleefuily appreciate Prince's narcissistic nature regarding his work but his preachings are as dull as powder. His personal insecurities expose on occassions but on stage, in the studio, and on the disk, his confidence is supreme. I just don't relate to the 'born dead' line.

-

I haven't listened to a song of his on repeat this many times since Anna Stesia but the vulnerability is much deeper on WBH.

I'll keep listening.

Damn, I just wrote a bunch of words there. Must have been difficult to get my point

I'm Norwegian, so occationally I just write a word puzzle that doesn't make sense. However, my point was that alot of his lyrics can easily be taken out of context, and it's far too easy to try interpret what he's trying to say in all kinds of directions. How he often is portrayed as a narcissist on the org, different biographies and in the media will easily make alot of us go for the most automatic answer filtered through what we think of Prince after reading about his actions.

Anyways, I also love it!

ru offended by this? what about the ego driven "im the greatest living soul u'll ever know"

EroticDreamer said:

Embrace said:

The 'dead' is only metaphore for not having the dream he has.

He has a dream of finding his way back home.

Read one line further.

Prince is being given 3 affirmations and by the 3rd asked how he is feeling.

He makes it clear that he doesn't feel he is at 'home' in this world, in this life.

That's why he is 'just trying' to find his way back home.

Basically, a quite depressing song.

Untill you realise what home means.

The beauty of the lyrics is that they don't give that away in words.
But is there in spirit.

But the 'most people are born dead' line purposely seperates himself and gives (me) the impression that he's declaing that he's special or at the very least, enlightened above others, and that goes against every teaching of the gospel. The GOD that Prince claims to believe in won't ever be dancing or singing along to the great majority of his music. But Prince's religious statements have always been transparent and easy for me to ignore since the Controversy album. He preached one thing but lived another. But it's his life, his journey... I'm just here for the music and not his doctrine.

-

WBH is my favorite track on AOA but the 'born dead' line could have been rewritten and better.

Yes, but you are reading things into the lyric that are based on your perception of him as a person and an artist. Not based on the lyrics. Using a metaphore is just that. It is a way of saying things, that calls upon a deeper insight and understanding than the literal meaning. It doesn't mean he is trying to say he is better than others. Just that this dream keeps him 'alive'.


When he says "most", it implies he is not the only one with this dream he has. Which at the very least gives the impression that he is not that special, since there are others like him, just not everybody. The only difference between those with the dream and those that are without it, is that this dream keeps him 'alive' and not 'dead'. That's a spiritual life and death, not a literal one.

Without it, without his dream of finding his way back home, he would probably be spiritually dead himself. Yeah, it's that depressing.

But the positive thing is that he has this dream. And the lyric is good too, because it makes people think and talk about it. Which creates some room for an exchange of ideas and maybe also some spiritual growth for the listener.

-

[Edited 10/5/14 14:10pm]

By the way the title of this thread makes no sense. Way back home does NOT = born dead.

It's easy too take lyrics literal, but that's not the way to read these.

One more thing, about this dream.

"I was born with this dream outside my head"

This implies that this dream is accesible for anybody. It is dream for all of us.

KingSausage said:

My cousin was born dead. We put him in a tiny coffin. It was pretty fucked up.

that's so sad, I'm so sorry...

therapyisback said:

I think he means not self aware.

^^^That and perhaps not fully alive until he is with God, so he has to find his way back home (God.). Most likely a double meaning.

EroticDreamer said:

TheGoldStandard said:

Why would a bunch of blind people play Tic Tac Toe? It is a two person game... Silly wabbit.

I've seen blind people play darts, and quite well...

-

I try to reach her heart but she's up there, 2 high

and like short people that can't reach the cookie jar there's nothing left 2 do but cry

(chorus)

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Golf, darts, pool, cards -- I'm legally blind and play darts and pool -- but I see quite a bit just murky.

Aerogram said:

EroticDreamer said:

I've seen blind people play darts, and quite well...

-

I try to reach her heart but she's up there, 2 high

and like short people that can't reach the cookie jar there's nothing left 2 do but cry

(chorus)

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Like short people that can't reach the cookie jar, who knows where the sprinkles will go

Golf, darts, pool, cards -- I'm legally blind and play darts and pool -- but I see quite a bit just murky.

I'm just curious, my sight has been getting pretty bad, (finally got some

bi-focals), how do you read the computer screen?