I am always caught off guard when I hear something in Prince's music that bends twists and contorts gender identity. Most of the stuff I know is from the 1980-1989 years.

Do you know any other non obvious refences?

Now I know (or think I know) that Prince will write a song possibly for a female lead from a female perspective like Kiss Me Quick

But I was going to do a drawing based on Sheila E's the Belle of St Mark
and all my years of life, it just hit me that BELLE is a female only, yet Prince attributed a female label to a man. Is he a man...

belle

(bĕl)

woman or girl much admired for her beauty and charm: the belle of the ball.

Here are two

The belle of St. Mark was a frail but a passionate creature
Ebony hair and eyes a deep blue-green
The belle of St. Mark wore clothes that belonged to his father
Even though he was only 17

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

You can tell from expressions that he makes public
That he suffers from a badly broken heart
He smiles as he feeds the afternoon pigeons
But he cries as he walks the night streets of St. Mark

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

The belle of St. Mark, he don't talk to strangers, he's so mysterious
His erotic persuasion provokes me like no other man
The fire I have for him is undoubtedly serious
I need to make him see that he needs love to forget
And if anyone can help him, I can
I can help, I can help you

His Paris hair, it blows in the warm Parisian air
That blows whenever his Paris hair is there
The woman that hurt him surely must have trouble sleeping
'Cause the belle of St. Mark is a beauty extraordinaire

Oh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

Ooh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
Ooh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die
And if he don't, I'll die

KISS ME QUICK (1981)

Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo

Oh how I missed you
Why did U have 2 leave me
I wanted 2 kiss U

Thought U would never leave me
Was she good 2 U?

And did U ever think about me?
I should hate U boy
Whenever hmmm
Whenever you're near it's so so freaky

Come on
Pretty Baby
Kiss Me Quick

Come on
Pretty Baby
Kiss Me Quick
Before it's 2 late

Come on
Pretty Baby
Kiss Me Quick

Oh How I missed U
...together

guess I was just a fool

but honey no one does it better than U

U done me wrong and made me feel so blue

oh honey
I can't get over
Can't get over U

Come on
Pretty baby
Kiss Me Quick

Before it's 2 late

Come on
Pretty baby
Kiss Me Quick

Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo
Ooh, Ohohooooo

Indeed I guess he's the guy that is so dolled up and pretty he outshines the other "belles".

Most people probably thought he was talking about what was in his pants, comparing himself to a bell tower.

OldFriends4Sale said:

I am always caught off guard when I hear something in Prince's music that bends twists and contorts gender identity. Most of the stuff I know is from the 1980-1989 years.

Do you know any other non obvious refences?

Now I know (or think I know) that Prince will write a song possibly for a female lead from a female perspective like Kiss Me Quick

But I was going to do a drawing based on Sheila E's the Belle of St Mark
and all my years of life, it just hit me that BELLE is a female only, yet Prince attributed a female label to a man. Is he a man...

belle

(bĕl)

n.

A popular, attractive girl or woman, especially the most attractive one of a group: the belle of the ball.

---

[French, beautiful, belle, from Latin bella, feminine of bellus; see deu- in Indo-European roots.]

woman or girl much admired for her beauty and charm: the belle of the ball.

[1615–25;< French; Old French bele < Latin bella feminine of bellus fine, good-looking. See Beau

Here are two

The belle of St. Mark was a frail but a passionate creature
Ebony hair and eyes a deep blue-green
The belle of St. Mark wore clothes that belonged to his father
Even though he was only 17

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

You can tell from expressions that he makes public
That he suffers from a badly broken heart
He smiles as he feeds the afternoon pigeons
But he cries as he walks the night streets of St. Mark

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

The belle of St. Mark, he don't talk to strangers, he's so mysterious
His erotic persuasion provokes me like no other man
The fire I have for him is undoubtedly serious
I need to make him see that he needs love to forget
And if anyone can help him, I can
I can help, I can help you

His Paris hair, it blows in the warm Parisian air
That blows whenever his Paris hair is there
The woman that hurt him surely must have trouble sleeping
'Cause the belle of St. Mark is a beauty extraordinaire

Oh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die

Ooh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
It tears me apart whenever I hear him cry
Ooh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with the belle of St. Mark
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die
And if he doesn't love me I think I'll probably die
And if he don't, I'll die

I think that He originally wrote it for himself hence singing about the "belle" (feminin), with the words being: her Paris hair, the man that hurt her... and if she doesn't love me.. etc...

.

then decided to give it to sheila E and they tried the "Beau of St Mark" (masculin) but it didn't fit into the song so they left the title feminin with masculin everything else for the sake of mystery...

Maybe Prince just isn't that good at French

OldFriends4Sale said:

Now I know (or think I know) that Prince will write a song possibly for a female lead from a female perspective

Oh that's for sure. Any good male songwriter can write a song for a female from a female perspective. Prince has been doing it his entire career.

how long before this turns in to a gay themed thread...

luvsexy4all said:

how long before this turns in to a gay themed thread...

It won't.
It is not about questioning Prince's sexuality or anyone else's

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

Maybe Prince just isn't that good at French

lol

This is also the person that wrote Jack U Off 2 a woman.

If u're looking for somewhere to go
Thought I'd take u to a movie show
Sittin' in the back and I'll jack u off
I can't give u everything u want
But I can take u to a restaurant
If u're not hungry
I'll jack u off

If your man ain't no good
Come on over to my neighborhood
We can jump in the sack and I'll jack u off

If u're tired of the masturbater
Little girl, we can go on a date
And if u like, I'll jack u off

I'll jack u off, jack u off
I'll jack u off, jack u off
I'll jack u off

I only do it for a worthy cause
Viriginity or menopause
U'll have an instant heart attack if I jack u off

If u really really want to be a star
We gotta do it in your momma's car
Naked in a cadillac, I'll jack u off

If we can't find no place to go
Girl, I'll take u to a movie show, we can sit in the back
And I'll jack u off

I'll jack u off, jack u off
I'll jack u off, jack u off
I'll jack u off, yeah
Yeah, yeah, I'll jack u off

Alright say, we'll put some funk on here
I'll jack u off

If u ain't chicken baby, come here
If u're good I'll even let u steer
As a matter of fact, u can jack me off
Yeah, that's right

I'll jack u off, yeah
I'll jack u off

sry 2 say this will probably get deleted since it's the ORG and we are still using HTML

U've had better threads... U've had better threads...

feeluupp said:

sry 2 say this will probably get deleted since it's the ORG and we are still using HTML

U've had better threads... U've had better threads...

What is wrong with it? I mean it is/was a very active part of his creative process his writing and themes