When the media reduces and limits Prince's social justice activism merely to recently sensationalized Baltimore, it's just insulting. Prince may have been the most consistently critical anti-war activist of rock, r&b, soul, funk, jazz, punk musicians of his era:

The United States of Division

2004, still at war and everybody hates Americans

… what is this rush 2 declare war'

SST

Or did U let them die in the rain'

Endless war, poverty or hurricane

Sign O' The Times

Baby make a speech, Star Wars fly

Neighbors just shine it on

But if a night falls and a bomb falls

Will anybody see the dawn

Time, times

Ronnie, Talk To Russia

Ronnie talk to Russia before its too late

before they blow up the world

before they blow up the world

dontcha.

don't you blow up my world

Resolution

The main problem with war
Is that nobody ever wins
The next generation grows up
And learns how to do it all over again

Dropping bombs on each other

In the act of saving face

Tell me now, people, how is that resolution?

Planet Earth

Imagine sending your first born off to fight a war

With no good reason how it started and what they're fighting for

And if they're blessed to make it home, will they still be poor?

Pray for peace right now and forever more

PartyUp

Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore

Party up (party up, got to, got to, got to party up)

You're gonna have to fight your own damn war

Cuz we don't wanna fight no more

Money Don't Matter 2 Night

Hey now, maybe we can find a good reason

2 send a child off 2 war

So what if we're controllin' all the oil,

Is it worth a child dying 4' (is it worth it')

If long life is what we all live 4

Then long life will come 2 pass

Anything is better than the picture of the child

In a cloud of gas

And u think u got it bad

Man'o'War

Why you screamin''

You know I'm not a man'o'war

Lavaux

Come take me to an assembly in New York

To speak of the brand new everlasting wonder war

To win or lose is so absurd

And the only casualty is the word, the word

Revolution time has come today

'Cause it took a black face to see the same decay

Lady Cab Driver

This is 4 politicians who r bored and believe in war

Future Soul Song

Before the war the only words and language said

Let there be light

Those that can see it are the ones who believe it

And put up no fight

Family Name

Devil, devil what u know'

U been here since 1914, but now u got 2 go

U been hidin' behind corporate eyes

U wanna war, but u can't fight

Devil, u got 2 go

Dear Mr. Man

What's wrong with the world 2day'
Things just got 2 get better
Sho' ain't what the leaders say
Maybe we should write a letter

Who said that 2 kill is a sin

Then started every single war

That Ur people been in'

Cinnamon Girl

As war drums beat in Babylon
Cinnamon Girl starts 2 pray
Eye never heard a prayer like this one
Never b4 that day

Tearful words of love 4 people
She had never met b4
Asking God 2 grant them mercy
In this face of a holy war

As war drums beat in Babylon

And scorch the blood red sky

Militants bomb the 4eign guns

Both sides - children die

So began the mass illusion

War on terror alibi

Call My Name

Eye heard a voice on the news sayin'

People want 2 stop the war

But if they had a love as sweet as U,

They'd 4get what they were fighting 4

What's the matter with the world 2day'

Land of the free' Somebody lied!

They can bug my phone

Peep around my home

They'll only c U and me

Making love inside

1999

I was dreamin' when I wrote this

So sue me if I go 2 fast

But life is just a party, and parties weren't meant 2 last

War is all around us, my mind says prepare 2 fight

So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen 2 my body tonight

Yeah, everybody's got a bomb,

Act Of God

Tax dollars build a plane, drop a bomb

Supposedly to keep us all safe from Saddam

Bringin' bad news to another woman

Call it an act of God

America

boom, boom, boom, boom

the bomb go

boom, boom, boom, boom

the bomb go boom.

Teacher, why won't Jimmy pledge allegiance'

Crystal Ball

As bombs explode around us and hate advances on the right

The only thing that matters, baby, is the love that we make 2night

Live 4 Love

My mission, so they said, was just 2 drop the bombs

Acceleration into temporal space continuum now begins...

Just like I got no conscience, just like I got no qualms

Alpha 7, acknowledge

Now what does that mean'

My Computer

Nothing on TV I ain't seen before

Another murder on the news, I can't take no more

Evil Incorporated, blowing up bombs and thangs

I have a child, huh, I have a lot 2 explain

I could write a letter, but who would I send it 2'

It was Sunday night, instead of doing what I usually do I..

Don't forget the social & economic statements in "Paisley Park".

.

I recently compared him to John Lennon, and MJ to Elvis.

.

MJ & Elvis, while songwriters, were performers with that razzle dazzle.

.

Prince, & Lennon, were truly great songwriters, instrumentalists, and activists. They had that extra fight in them for social and economical and racial issues. I mean, when you say something like "woman is the ni**er of the world", you aren't exactly sitting on the porch shucking corn when you blurt that out. When Prince has said the things he's said, it was purposeful, meaningful, calculated, and timely.

.

I mean, good for MJ (it's not a contest) that he wanted to start with the man in the mirror and heal the world. But Prince got out there with song after song about war, poverty, a modern day plantation. I think Prince was probably, as I am, an anarchist at heart (although I'm an active one). He believed in people's ability to govern themselves, without the interference of government, or force from other agencies. Lennon was very much the same way.

.

I love that Prince spoke, from very early on, about war, etc.

Prince seemed more Libertarian in that he never really seemed to want to abolish the government. But I hear you.

TrivialPursuit said:

Don't forget the social & economic statements in "Paisley Park".

.

I recently compared him to John Lennon, and MJ to Elvis.

.

MJ & Elvis, while songwriters, were performers with that razzle dazzle.

.

Prince, & Lennon, were truly great songwriters, instrumentalists, and activists. They had that extra fight in them for social and economical and racial issues. I mean, when you say something like "woman is the ni**er of the world", you aren't exactly sitting on the porch shucking corn when you blurt that out. When Prince has said the things he's said, it was purposeful, meaningful, calculated, and timely.

.

I mean, good for MJ (it's not a contest) that he wanted to start with the man in the mirror and heal the world. But Prince got out there with song after song about war, poverty, a modern day plantation. I think Prince was probably, as I am, an anarchist at heart (although I'm an active one). He believed in people's ability to govern themselves, without the interference of government, or force from other agencies. Lennon was very much the same way.

.

I love that Prince spoke, from very early on, about war, etc.

TrivialPursuit said:

Which is great. WAR IS A RACKET.

jcurley said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Don't forget the social & economic statements in "Paisley Park".

.

I recently compared him to John Lennon, and MJ to Elvis.

.

MJ & Elvis, while songwriters, were performers with that razzle dazzle.

.

Prince, & Lennon, were truly great songwriters, instrumentalists, and activists. They had that extra fight in them for social and economical and racial issues. I mean, when you say something like "woman is the ni**er of the world", you aren't exactly sitting on the porch shucking corn when you blurt that out. When Prince has said the things he's said, it was purposeful, meaningful, calculated, and timely.

.

I mean, good for MJ (it's not a contest) that he wanted to start with the man in the mirror and heal the world. But Prince got out there with song after song about war, poverty, a modern day plantation. I think Prince was probably, as I am, an anarchist at heart (although I'm an active one). He believed in people's ability to govern themselves, without the interference of government, or force from other agencies. Lennon was very much the same way.

.

I love that Prince spoke, from very early on, about war, etc.

Apart from the fact Elvis never wrote a song as I completely doubt mj did. It's a given that Elvis got copyright with his black writer sorted by the colonel

You completely doubt MJ wrote songs? What else can you say to discredit MJ? Does it make you feel a bigger Prince fan when you say these things? Even in this shitty time some Prince fans still cant help themselves. Sad.

Peuh-leaze.
Skipper was more efficient in making our asses wigglin', or making us reflect on love and relationships.

Politics? Errr... I hate to remind you the Burqa incident.
Prince is a poor social commentator, because he never truly lived in the world.
He was too busy writing, composing, drawing his next stage outfit or performing.

He was of course concerned, but I think at some point everything came to him through a prism.
That's why most of his lyrics on social /political subjects are pretty naive.
Like a fourteen year old kid watching CNN for the first time, of course he's going to have plenty to say. Plenty of stereotypes (or bullshit, in the cas of the Burqa).

It's naive to consider Prince an "anti-war activist". I never saw him march in Washington, or write to Obama, or speak eloquently about Middle-East or Cold War issues. Just vignettes.
Say what you will about Bono, but he moved his ass to erase thirld-world countries debt.

As for MJ, well, "We Are The World" is surely a sappy tune, but it raked in lots of cash for a good cause. Skipper showed him the finger, convinced that food cans were a good alternative.

Yes, Baltimore, and the concert he gave there was his only concrete public political statement.
Something that actually made some sort of impact.

But the much praised statement "Albums, live black lives, still matter" is not only ridiculous, it's insulting to anyone who lost a relative by gunfire. You just don't compare popular entertainement products with the life of a human being.

Further proof that he was on another planet entirely.

bonatoc said:

Peuh-leaze.
Skipper was more efficient in making our asses wigglin', or making us reflect on love and relationships.

Politics? Errr... I hate to remind you the Burqa incident.
Prince is a poor social commentator, because he never truly lived in the world.
He was too busy writing, composing, drawing his next stage outfit or performing.

He was of course concerned, but I think at some point everything came to him through a prism.
That's why most of his lyrics on social /political subjects are pretty naive.
Like a fourteen year old kid watching CNN for the first time, of course he's going to have plenty to say. Plenty of stereotypes (or bullshit, in the cas of the Burqa).

It's naive to consider Prince an "anti-war activist". I never saw him march in Washington, or write to Obama, or speak eloquently about Middle-East or Cold War issues. Just vignettes.
Say what you will about Bono, but he moved his ass to erase thirld-world countries debt.

As for MJ, well, "We Are The World" is surely a sappy tune, but it raked in lots of cash for a good cause. Skipper showed him the finger, convinced that food cans were a good alternative.

Yes, Baltimore, and the concert he gave there was his only concrete public political statement.
Something that actually made some sort of impact.

But the much praised statement "Albums, live black lives, still matter" is not only ridiculous, it's insulting to anyone who lost a relative by gunfire. You just don't compare popular entertainement products with the life of a human being.

Further proof that he was on another planet entirely.

Bono is a con man. He has NEVER helped Africa. He heps monsanto rape Africa and decimate farming. Wake up.

keenly said:

Bono is a con man. He has NEVER helped Africa. He heps monsanto rape Africa and decimate farming. Wake up.

Maybe so. But that was not my point.

Prince was helping the world much more with his discreet charity actions. When it came to discuss politics, he would promptly jump into abstractions and metaphors. But alas, not everything in this world is poetic or spiritual.

I'm glad he stayed that way though. "Controversy", or "1999", carry simple, powerful messages. But their reach ends where art ends: a proposal/view of how the world should be, not what it is.

[Edited 4/29/16 4:02am]

He nailed SOTT, but his political commentary by and large doesnt do much for me. But SOTT, now thats some inspired stuff...

Rebeljuice said:

He nailed SOTT, but his political commentary by and large doesnt do much for me. But SOTT, now thats some inspired stuff...

You have to give Skipper this. With SOTT, he made enough in this category.

All of the statements in "Lovesexy" are great, but they suffer a bit, like SOTT, from referencing the news from the time the songs were written. They're not timeless protest songs...

Meh. Nonsense, bonatoc.

Gun control is still an issue, as is AIDS. Rockets and planes still crash. Sects are still healthy.

Prince has always been graphical. So maybe it's no "Masters Of War", or "Gates of Eden"? It's more like what Frank Miller does with newsw networks in "The Dark Night Returns" (1986).


Could somebody give us a litteral interpretation of the lyrics? I get the feeling I'm still missing some of the meaning ("Neighbours just shine it on"?)...

dublinproud said:

jcurley said:

Apart from the fact Elvis never wrote a song as I completely doubt mj did. It's a given that Elvis got copyright with his black writer sorted by the colonel

You completely doubt MJ wrote songs? What else can you say to discredit MJ? Does it make you feel a bigger Prince fan when you say these things? Even in this shitty time some Prince fans still cant help themselves. Sad.

Regarding Elvis, there wasn't anyone who was "his black writer" nor did he get "copyright". Of the approx. 800 songs he recorded, he received:

- 3 legitimate songwriting credits,

- 3 undeserved negotiated co-writing credits with a black songwriter, and

- 5 undeserved negotiated co-writing credits with white songwriters.

He had a publishing interest in quite a few of the songs he recorded. He recorded quite a few songs in which he did not have a publishing interest. And he had publishing interest in a number of songs that he never recorded.

I'd add "Party Up." I don't know if he was the most consistent anti-war activist, but I agree that he wrote quite well against war while commenting on various other socio-political issues quite well.

1725topp said:

I'd add "Party Up." I don't know if he was the most consistent anti-war activist, but I agree that he wrote quite well against war while commenting on various other socio-political issues quite well.

Yup. Important one. I think he's more about micro-issues, vs. macro.

That said, there's also "Ronnie". Simplistic, but we're still under "London Calling" influence here, so it has that punk atomic-fear urge.

He's more "gun control" than "anti-war". It's a recurring theme : "Annie Christian", "Lovesign", "Dance On" and "Positivity", "The Future"... there's probablt a few more. "Days of Wild" ?

His politics were muddled at best. The politics of sexual congress he engineered like a seer.

2freaky4church1 said:

His politics were muddled at best. The politics of sexual congress he engineered like a seer.

"Stand up, Organize"!

... the next orgy?