What do you think. Prince recorded this epic tune somewhere around 86 probably.

Perhabs he wrote the lyrics before.

They go like this:


"as bombs explode around you and hate advances on your right,

the only thing that you can be sure of is the love we make tonight"

and

"as little babies in make-up terrorize the western world,

the only thing that matters baby is love between a boy and a girl"

These lyrics are accompanied by sirenes and screams of terror.

Then the best part is the prayer to Jesus:

"Oh dear Jesus, save us from temptation, oh dear Jesus save us from hell.

Save us from the madness that threatens us all.

Can U hear us? It's hard to tell

In Ur name we pray!"



Did Prince really see the future with his "crystal ball", like he wrote 3 years later with the song called the Future on the Batman album? Or was he just playing?

The interesting thing about world events is, they continually repeat themselves in different areas of the world at different times. There is nothing prophetic about writing about these events, because they will come and go, just like the circle of life.

This is the reason the bible is so popular, wars continue and poeple keep repeating such things as "the end is near." These type of events have been documented for thousands of years and will continue for thousands more.

So to answer your question: no, Prince can not see the future. Just listen to the lyrics of Sign 'O' the Times... they still ring true almost 30 years after Prince wrote them. He didn't see the future in that song either, he's just great at writing down what he observes going on in the world around him.

If I can go off topic slightly IIRC correctly there was a thread a few years back that said the "little babies in makeup" lyric was a reference to an actual practice where child soldiers in Africa would wear makeup, does anybody know if this is true? IDK could be just a kinda disconcerting image that Prince cooked up in his brain, but it would be nice to know if there was any truth to it.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

The interesting thing about world events is, they continually repeat themselves in different areas of the world at different times. There is nothing prophetic about writing about these events, because they will come and go, just like the circle of life.

This is the reason the bible is so popular, wars continue and poeple keep repeating such things as "the end is near." These type of events have been documented for thousands of years and will continue for thousands more.

So to answer your question: no, Prince can not see the future. Just listen to the lyrics of Sign 'O' the Times... they still ring true almost 30 years after Prince wrote them. He didn't see the future in that song either, he's just great at writing down what he observes going on in the world around him.

There weren't such things going on 30 years ago. Nor before.

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

If I can go off topic slightly IIRC correctly there was a thread a few years back that said the "little babies in makeup" lyric was a reference to an actual practice where child soldiers in Africa would wear makeup, does anybody know if this is true? IDK could be just a kinda disconcerting image that Prince cooked up in his brain, but it would be nice to know if there was any truth to it.

The painting of faces was a common practice among African warriors, as well as during religious practices.

Embrace said:

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

If I can go off topic slightly IIRC correctly there was a thread a few years back that said the "little babies in makeup" lyric was a reference to an actual practice where child soldiers in Africa would wear makeup, does anybody know if this is true? IDK could be just a kinda disconcerting image that Prince cooked up in his brain, but it would be nice to know if there was any truth to it.

The painting of faces was a common practice among African warriors, as well as during religious practices.

For sure, but I was wondering if there were specific instances of child soldiers doing this, as I seem to recall reading about (I think the thread might have even had photos of it, not sure.) Sorry, don't want to hijack your thread, just curious about that.

Embrace said:

There weren't such things going on 30 years ago. Nor before.

Not sure what exactly you are referring to, but world history is out there for all to see. The internet makes it even easier to access it these days. A little study could shed some light for you.

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

Embrace said:

The painting of faces was a common practice among African warriors, as well as during religious practices.

For sure, but I was wondering if there were specific instances of child soldiers doing this, as I seem to recall reading about (I think the thread might have even had photos of it, not sure.) Sorry, don't want to hijack your thread, just curious about that.

Yes there were. They would dress up 'in drag' and the look would be very frightening

Natty dressers known as "sapeurs" in Kinshasa, Congo

OldFriends4Sale said:

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

For sure, but I was wondering if there were specific instances of child soldiers doing this, as I seem to recall reading about (I think the thread might have even had photos of it, not sure.) Sorry, don't want to hijack your thread, just curious about that.

Yes there were. They would dress up 'in drag' and the look would be very frightening

Natty dressers known as "sapeurs" in Kinshasa, Congo

these dandies are known as sapeurs

Great song, i love those lines

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

NorthC said:

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Not sure what exactly you are referring to, but world history is out there for all to see. The internet makes it even easier to access it these days. A little study could shed some light for you.

Back in the 80s we had the ETA, the IRA, the RAF. Terrorism is nothing new. The difference with the islamic terrorists of today is that the ETA et al had a clear political motive (free North Ireland etc) and they didn't commit suicide. The islamists seem to have everybody in the west as their enemy and their only goal is to kill as many as possible so they can get to Paradise with its 72 virgins. (I always found that to be a very strange and juvenile version of paradise btw.) There is no way anyone in the 1980s could have foreseen that. So Prince was describing violence (there was war in Libanon as well) and yes, those wars still go on.

Back in the 80s and before, those Arab wars or acts of terrorism didn´t really have the "Islamic" or religious label. Sure, religious phrases may have been uttered every now and then, but most groups acted on behalf of their interests, not in the name of religion.

Palestinian terror groups collaborated with the German extreme leftwing RAF and even taught the RAF in their camps, and religion was rarely a factor. There were also Christian Arabs involved.

If those Arabs who are against the state of Israel were Catholic or atheist, they´d still continue their fight. I have met many Christian Arabs who dislike Israel or the west, but of course there are also Christian Arabs who have no problem with Israel or the west.

-

As stupid as some Islamic extremists are, I doubt that their main goal is to just kill as many people as possible and then go to heaven.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

The interesting thing about world events is, they continually repeat themselves in different areas of the world at different times. There is nothing prophetic about writing about these events, because they will come and go, just like the circle of life.

This is the reason the bible is so popular, wars continue and poeple keep repeating such things as "the end is near." These type of events have been documented for thousands of years and will continue for thousands more.

So to answer your question: no, Prince can not see the future. Just listen to the lyrics of Sign 'O' the Times... they still ring true almost 30 years after Prince wrote them. He didn't see the future in that song either, he's just great at writing down what he observes going on in the world around him.

Totally agree with you here. There have been many wars in the 20th century, it was a century of great and unncessary wars, and I see nothing prophetic in Prince´s lyrics.

If anything, they are great lyrics because they always ring true and have a timeless quality.

.

There´s nothing prophetic about it if constant war is a reality or a very probable threat to your daily life. Also agree with you regarding the Bible. Most of the things that were worrying people back in those ancient times could and still can easily be applied to our modern times, which is, in my humble opinion, one of the many problems that middle America is faced with. Sheer ignorance and blind faith in ancient scriptures without seeing the bigger picture.

Epidemics or new diseases, the possibility of war or escalation of ongoing conflicts, substance abuse , changing times etc. are nothing new.

maja2405 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yes there were. They would dress up 'in drag' and the look would be very frightening

Natty dressers known as "sapeurs" in Kinshasa, Congo

these dandies are known as sapeurs

Yeah I think you're right about sapeurs, I can't find anything tying that name to child soldiers. Though those images above are definitely what I was looking for (although the last one is from MGSV?)

KoolEaze said:

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

The interesting thing about world events is, they continually repeat themselves in different areas of the world at different times. There is nothing prophetic about writing about these events, because they will come and go, just like the circle of life.

This is the reason the bible is so popular, wars continue and poeple keep repeating such things as "the end is near." These type of events have been documented for thousands of years and will continue for thousands more.

So to answer your question: no, Prince can not see the future. Just listen to the lyrics of Sign 'O' the Times... they still ring true almost 30 years after Prince wrote them. He didn't see the future in that song either, he's just great at writing down what he observes going on in the world around him.

Totally agree with you here. There have been many wars in the 20th century, it was a century of great and unncessary wars, and I see nothing prophetic in Prince´s lyrics.

If anything, they are great lyrics because they always ring true and have a timeless quality.

.

There´s nothing prophetic about it if constant war is a reality or a very probable threat to your daily life. Also agree with you regarding the Bible. Most of the things that were worrying people back in those ancient times could and still can easily be applied to our modern times, which is, in my humble opinion, one of the many problems that middle America is faced with. Sheer ignorance and blind faith in ancient scriptures without seeing the bigger picture.

Epidemics or new diseases, the possibility of war or escalation of ongoing conflicts, substance abuse , changing times etc. are nothing new.

You guys confuse conventional warfare with asymetric warfare, aka TERRORISM.

Sure back in the 80's there were the IRA in Ireland and ETA in Spain, also the RAF in Germany, but their terror was nothing compared to the heinous acts of murderous terrorists THE WHOLE WORLD faces today. Also terrorism "back in the day" had clear political objectives such as independence. The terror of today is based on nothing but an ideology of pure HATRED.


The lyrics on Crystal Ball moreover are obviously about the future. Not about the past.

Also, completely overlooked by you guys is that attacks such as 9/11, the Madrid bombings and the Paris massacre, never happened before. Indiscriminate brutal slaughter of as many innocent civilians as possible was never the goal of IRA, ETA or RAF, nor of "Arab terrorists".

What you also fail to see is that this form of terrorism is becoming the "new normal". Terror acts used to be scarce. Now they are happening everry week, all over the world.

The result is not only a terrorized western world, but also a polarised western world, where hate advances on the right in reaction to the threats facing our way of life.

That is what Prince was talking about: a future world where bombs would explode around us and hate would advance on the right.

Embrace said:

Also, completely overlooked by you guys is that attacks such as 9/11, the Madrid bombings and the Paris massacre, never happened before. Indiscriminate brutal slaughter of as many innocent civilians as possible was never the goal of IRA, ETA or RAF, nor of "Arab terrorists".

What you also fail to see is that this form of terrorism is becoming the "new normal". Terror acts used to be scarce. Now they are happening everry week, all over the world.

The result is not only a terrorized western world, but also a polarised western world, where hate advances on the right in reaction to the threats facing our way of life.

That is what Prince was talking about: a future world where bombs would explode around us and hate would advance on the right.

Very interesting observation indeed.

I still don´t understand the line about "little babies with make-up" though. Who do you think Prince was referring to? I don´t think that the examples mentioned above make much sense in this context because child soldiers were never really a real threat or anything to be scared of for the western world.

I thought the lyrics were written in the context of the Libya bombings of the USA and the Libyan attacks against Americans, no? I remember that Prince cancelled shows and flew back to the USA at the time.

.

Personally, I don´t really understand why you draw a line between terror groups like ISIS and other groups. Many other terror attacks cost innocent civilian lives as well, whether perpetrated by the IRA in London or elsewhere or the terror attacks of the PKK in Turkey, which have killed thousands of civilians over the years. I understand that maybe you see the difference in one group killing all over the world, on a global level, and the others killing more regionally, is that what you mean? Or the religious component? One could argue that the IRA had a religious motivation as well, albeit to a different extent. Many of their attacks did kill innocent civilians too, didn´t they? The same goes for the PKK. But you´re right, they were never something to be scared of for the rest of the western world, only for those who were involved (England, Turkey).

Not saying that you´re wrong, just trying to understand your reasoning behind this.

.

PS: Over the years, the lyric about the little babies with make-up terrorizing the western world has been discussed ad nauseum here on the org but to this day I still haven´t read a satisfying answer. I wonder what Prince would say if someone asked him . But his answers are often very vague and cryptic as far as lyrics go.

^

KoolE, I remember being there in 1998, in the Tivoli, Utrecht where Prince was chanting "Osama bin laden is getting ready to bomb! America you better watch out".

Early, almost as if he knew everything that would go down 3 years later back then already.

But, my view is that Prince knows how to listen. He hears what really matters and then translates some of that in his music. He probably also is or has been involved with stuff like astral travelling.

He is also an artist and a poet, who writes in metaphores a lot.

So that doesn't mean he really has "seen" the future. It's more like he is very intuitive and is able, through his "third eye" so to speak, to "tap into the future".

I don't see that lyric "little babies in make-up terrorizing the western world" as pertaining to African child soldiers. The expression "little babies in make-up" shouldn't be taken literally, but metaphorically. It refers not to real babies or children, but to people with the individual qualities and attitudes that combine to form someone’s basic character.

The basic "make-up", or "character" of todays 'Islamic State terrorist' is a brutal mass murderer of innocents. Including him or herself. This type of terrorist rejects life. It values only death.

We see this everywhere. ETA, IRA nor PKK would commit to such slaughters in cities like Paris, NewYork, London, Madrid, Istanbul, Baghdad, Tunis, Beirut etc. Those organsisations would blow up planes full of innocent people either such as happened with the Russian planes.

Those organsiations wouldn't inidscriminately shoot 130 people dead in a cafe or restaurant, or a concert hall either. They weren't this murderous and evil.

They also didn't pretent to represent some sort of real "state", as the Islamic State does. This world is not what it was in the 80's at all. Nor before.

Embrace said:

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

The interesting thing about world events is, they continually repeat themselves in different areas of the world at different times. There is nothing prophetic about writing about these events, because they will come and go, just like the circle of life.

This is the reason the bible is so popular, wars continue and poeple keep repeating such things as "the end is near." These type of events have been documented for thousands of years and will continue for thousands more.

So to answer your question: no, Prince can not see the future. Just listen to the lyrics of Sign 'O' the Times... they still ring true almost 30 years after Prince wrote them. He didn't see the future in that song either, he's just great at writing down what he observes going on in the world around him.

There weren't such things going on 30 years ago. Nor before.

You should take some history lessons.

ludwig said:

Embrace said:

There weren't such things going on 30 years ago. Nor before.

You should take some history lessons.

Trust me, I have a had a lot, so please don't be so condescending and pay more attention.

Embrace said:

The lyrics on Crystal Ball moreover are obviously about the future. Not about the past.

That's just your interpretation. There have always been terrorist attacks.

^

Not in the USA, and in Europe only regionally.

Now it it threatens the entire western world.

And it's much more evil and effective.

It pertains to come from a powerful "state" even.

And it outright threatens and attacks the entire world with the most brutal terrorist attacks, never seen before.

If you can't see the difference between then and now, then that's on you. But then you are not seeing the reality of today.

Embrace said:

ludwig said:

You should take some history lessons.

Trust me, I have a had a lot, so please don't be so condescending and pay more attention.

I just disagree that prince is a prophet.

ludwig said:

Embrace said:

Trust me, I have a had a lot, so please don't be so condescending and pay more attention.

I just disagree that prince is a prophet.

That's fine, I don't expect you to agree with me.

Nor am I saying that he is a real "prophet". I do think he has said and written some "prophetic" things.

lust said:

Nah. If the western world is being terrorised, it's not in any way analogous to being done by "little babies wearing make up" it's all so non specific and musicians have been singing anti war lyrics for decades. As for the Bin Laden thing. He'd already bombed U.S embassies in Africa killing hundreds and he didn't bomb anything on 9/11 so that doesn't fit being in any way prophetic either. I am surprised

How didn't bin laden bomb anything on 9/11?
As for the "little babies in make-up". Just because it's all so "non-specific" to you, doesn't mean it isn't true in today's world, and not back then. Oh, and name me one other band or artists who wrote in thew 80's (or before) about the future western world being terrorized by bombs and hatred.

Not just Israel, or some far of place, but the entire western world.

Embrace said:

maja2405 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yes there were. They would dress up 'in drag' and the look would be very frightening

Natty dressers known as "sapeurs" in Kinshasa, Congo

these dandies are known as sapeurs

yaaaas. dressed for the gawds

Embrace said:

What do you think. Prince recorded this epic tune somewhere around 86 probably.

Perhabs he wrote the lyrics before.

They go like this:


"as bombs explode around you and hate advances on your right,

the only thing that you can be sure of is the love we make tonight"

and

"as little babies in make-up terrorize the western world,

the only thing that matters baby is love between a boy and a girl"

These lyrics are accompanied by sirenes and screams of terror.

Then the best part is the prayer to Jesus:

"Oh dear Jesus, save us from temptation, oh dear Jesus save us from hell.

Save us from the madness that threatens us all.

Can U hear us? It's hard to tell

In Ur name we pray!"



Did Prince really see the future with his "crystal ball", like he wrote 3 years later with the song called the Future on the Batman album? Or was he just playing?

There were many terrorist attacks and planes hijacks in 85-86, lots of them already coming from Arabic countries against "the Western world' or its planes (remember the US bombing Kadhafi in retaliation?), and I believe P was addressing this in those lyrics. Terrorism, unfortunately, is nothing new. Therefore there was nothing prophetic about those lyrics, they were addressing the news of those days. "Hate advances on the right" is also likely to be a reference to some Republicans or extreme right movements, who of course always capitalize on terrorism to foster "hate" towards foreigners/Arabs/muslims, etc.

This shows the importance of knowing your History, not doing so may lead one to misinterpret things