Daffodils other name is Narcissus..we know who he was...but with reference to the flower it has sedative effects...

..so..pills and thrills and daffodils..whatever makes one numb i suppose...

plus it rhymes fits the rhythm

that's my thought

Wait a minute "Hang tough children", is that the real line?

Whenever I'm curious about the meaning of lyrics I go to genius.com. They have no special insight; they simply have crowd-sourced comments. But sometimes they're interesting and thought-provoking.

Here's a link to the comm...that line. Now, I don't find these particular comments terribly helpful - the first two describe good things, not things that will kill, and the third is just annoying - but thought I would share the link to that site nonetheless.

TL;DR - yeah, I got nothing

lynx said:

Wait a minute "Hang tough children", is that the real line?

Yes, it's in the lyric sheet, and on the sheet music. Even the former DTT-Lyrics noted it as that. He really slurs his words in that section, and it's hard to even really hear "daffodils".

I'm reminded of "Billie Jean" and MJ singing "The kid is not my son", yet the lyrics say "child". (or vice versa).

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Reply #1 posted 07/29/16 10:45am

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Good catch selah! I totally didn't know that daffodils are also called narcissus and now the lyric makes so much more sense.

Narcissus (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Narcissus (/nɑːrˈsɪsəs/; Greek: Νάρκισσος, Narkissos) was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope.^[1] He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance.

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[Edited 7/29/16 13:43pm]

TrivialPursuit said:

anangellooksdown said:

Prince said in an interview with Chris Rock long after he wrote "Let's Go Crazy" that this song was about his beliefs about God and [evil]. We know the elevator represents [evil]. In the below, "pills" represents the obvious band-aids we try to cover up pain with and "Thrills" represents the excitement he warns us about earlier in the song (he's right about that - excitement is from the ego). But what do the "daffodils" represent? "Dr. Everything'll-Be-Alright Will make everything go wrong Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill Hang tough children" I have some ideas but want to know what you think. [Edited 7/29/16 10:45am]

Daffodills rhymes with pills and thrills and has the right number of syllables. That's what I think.

There's undoubtedly deep stuff in many of Prince's songs but for this one, I wouldn't read too much into every single word.

RodeoSchro said:

anangellooksdown said:

Prince said in an interview with Chris Rock long after he wrote "Let's Go Crazy" that this song was about his beliefs about God and [evil]. We know the elevator represents [evil]. In the below, "pills" represents the obvious band-aids we try to cover up pain with and "Thrills" represents the excitement he warns us about earlier in the song (he's right about that - excitement is from the ego). But what do the "daffodils" represent? "Dr. Everything'll-Be-Alright Will make everything go wrong Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill Hang tough children" I have some ideas but want to know what you think. [Edited 7/29/16 10:45am]

Daffodills rhymes with pills and thrills and has the right number of syllables. That's what I think.

There's undoubtedly deep stuff in many of Prince's songs but for this one, I wouldn't read too much into every single word.

Even more interesting given that many viewed (correctly or incorrectly)that Prince was narcissistic, so a possible vice that could lead to his falling.

anangellooksdown said:

Prince said in an interview with Chris Rock long after he wrote "Let's Go Crazy" that this song was about his beliefs about God and [evil]. We know the elevator represents [evil]. In the below, "pills" represents the obvious band-aids we try to cover up pain with and "Thrills" represents the excitement he warns us about earlier in the song (he's right about that - excitement is from the ego). But what do the "daffodils" represent? "Dr. Everything'll-Be-Alright Will make everything go wrong Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill Hang tough children" I have some ideas but want to know what you think. [Edited 7/29/16 10:45am]

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Daffodils CAN kill.

The bulbs look like onions, but are toxic.

It's actually a smart rhyme.

Prince knew his flowers. One article from Chanhassen, mentioned how he'd complain about taxes and give tips on keeping deer out of hosta gardens.

(But it didn't say what the tips were!)

http://www.poison.org/art.../daffodils

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[Edited 7/29/16 16:10pm]

laytonian said:

selah said:

Yes daffodils fits the rhythm and cadence, but I made reference to the narcissus not so much of the trait bt because of the medicinal effects of the flower..it's a double meaning. No surprise there it's P.

yep. It would have been great if he thought of both meanings when he wrote it. He sure enough made a conscious effort (not always successful) to humble down when he turned more religious.

BillieBalloon said:

laytonian said:

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Daffodils CAN kill.

The bulbs look like onions, but are toxic.

It's actually a smart rhyme.

Prince knew his flowers. One article from Chanhassen, mentioned how he'd complain about taxes and give tips on keeping deer out of hosta gardens.

(But it didn't say what the tips were!)

http://www.poison.org/art.../daffodils

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[Edited 7/29/16 16:10pm]

I would never have crossed my mind that prince could be into gardening!

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Look at all the plantings around PP; everything is well-groomed and professional.

He didn't do the heavy work himself, but he was obviously involved.

Here's the article mentioning him giving gardening tips:

http://www.swnewsmedia.co...62104.html

Remember when one of the band was kinda ticked off, pretended to pee in one of the foyer plants, and P came around the corner (magically) and said "stay awy from my plants!".
LOL.

He also went to the hardware store and bought a chain and padlock, at the same time that movers were at PP. It's in one of CJ's old columns.

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[Edited 7/29/16 16:44pm]

lynx said:

Wait a minute "Hang tough children", is that the real line?

I still don't hear it.

BillieBalloon said:

laytonian said:

anangellooksdown said:

Prince said in an interview with Chris Rock long after he wrote "Let's Go Crazy" that this song was about his beliefs about God and [evil]. We know the elevator represents [evil]. In the below, "pills" represents the obvious band-aids we try to cover up pain with and "Thrills" represents the excitement he warns us about earlier in the song (he's right about that - excitement is from the ego). But what do the "daffodils" represent? "Dr. Everything'll-Be-Alright Will make everything go wrong Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill Hang tough children" I have some ideas but want to know what you think. [Edited 7/29/16 10:45am]

.

Daffodils CAN kill.

The bulbs look like onions, but are toxic.

It's actually a smart rhyme.

Prince knew his flowers. One article from Chanhassen, mentioned how he'd complain about taxes and give tips on keeping deer out of hosta gardens.

(But it didn't say what the tips were!)

http://www.poison.org/art.../daffodils

.

.

[Edited 7/29/16 16:10pm]

I would never have crossed my mind that prince could be into gardening!

QueenofCardboard said:

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Reply #1 posted 07/29/16 10:45am

selah

Daffodils other name is Narcissus..we know who he was...but with reference to the flower it has sedative effects... ..so..pills and thrills and daffodils..whatever makes one numb i suppose... plus it rhymes fits the rhythm that's my thought

.

Good catch selah! I totally didn't know that daffodils are also called narcissus and now the lyric makes so much more sense.

Narcissus (mythology)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the hunter who fell in love with his own reflection. For the plant genus (Daffodils), see Narcissus (plant).

Narcissus by Caravaggio depicts Narcissus gazing at his own reflection.

In Greek mythology, Narcissus (/nɑːrˈsɪsəs/; Greek: Νάρκισσος, Narkissos) was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope.^[1] He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance.

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[Edited 7/29/16 13:43pm]

I doubt Prince age 24 was fluent in Greek Mythology and the history of Botany... Way before people were able to google things.

It's possible he'd heard that daffodils can be poisonous i.e. it looks pretty but could be deadly. I highly doubt that one line in that song was a message about Narcissus.

laytonian said:

Noodled24 said:

I'll admit the lyrics of this song stuck out to me when he passed due to the irony of the words "elevator" and "pills...will kill". Since it was speculated that he ODed on Percoset it made me raise an ear.

[Edited 7/30/16 11:11am]

leslievette said:

lynx said:

Wait a minute "Hang tough children", is that the real line?

I still don't hear it.

What do you think he says?

leslievette said:

lynx said:

Wait a minute "Hang tough children", is that the real line?

I still don't hear it.

My whole life I thought he was saying 'Wake up children.' (I still do.)

As in 'wake up children, dance the dance electric. The rythm is love, love is blind..'

[Edited 7/30/16 7:28am]

TrevorAyer said:

Mercurybebe said:

selah said:

Noodled24 said:

I doubt Prince age 24 was fluent in Greek Mythology and the history of Botany... Way before people were able to google things.

It's possible he'd heard that daffodils can be poisonous i.e. it looks pretty but could be deadly. I highly doubt that one line in that song was a message about Narcissus.

I see your point the Narcissus angle may be a stretch. . but we shouldn't assume what he knew or didn't know. He finished high school..That subject matter is part of basic school curriculum and he liked to read and learn throughout his entire life ... The connection between Narcissus and the potency of the daffodil is the root word means "to numb"..

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Prince's vocabulary was way beyond that of the average high school graduate, even in his first recordings. He seemed to absorb everything around him. His use of "crucial!" in UGTL replaced what would have been an entire stanza by a lesser songwriter. And "intellect and savoir faire"?

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[Edited 7/30/16 10:25am]

selah said:

Noodled24 said:

I doubt Prince age 24 was fluent in Greek Mythology and the history of Botany... Way before people were able to google things.

It's possible he'd heard that daffodils can be poisonous i.e. it looks pretty but could be deadly. I highly doubt that one line in that song was a message about Narcissus.

I see your point the Narcissus angle may be a stretch. . but we shouldn't assume what he knew or didn't know. He finished high school..That subject matter is part of basic school curriculum and he liked to read and learn throughout his entire life ... The connection between Narcissus and the potency of the daffodil is the root word means "to numb"..

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One doesn't have to be fluent in Greek Mythology or the history of botany.

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I knew the story of Narcissus when I was twelve, and not from school.

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You are probably too young to know what life was like before the internet, but I am not.

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I'm so old that I took a typewriter with me to college but I'm still younger than Prince.

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As selah pointed out, back then, "Greek Mythology" was a standard high school elective class. I remember because I took it.

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I'd be more surprised if Prince didn't know the story of narcissus, as it was always used to explain the concept of narcissism, whenever teaching narcissism as a vocabulary word.

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I know this too, because I was a high school teacher in the early nineties.

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And I know fuck all about the history of botany to this day, but I do plant bulbs in my garden.

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It is just fine with that you highly doubt that one line in that song was a message about Narcissus or the dangers of becoming narcissistic.

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But your stated reasons for why you doubt it don't hold water.

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You are probably right though.

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It is probably just some little rhyme that parents in the Midwest taught their kids in order to keep them safe.

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Here in the West, we are taught little rhymes to help us remember how to tell poison oak and poison ivy from other plants, and how to tell a coral snake (poisonous) from a king snake (harmless).

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[Edited 7/30/16 13:40pm]