"How you gonna make me kill somebody I don't even know?"

Do you interpret this lyric to mean how can you make me kill people (strangers) who have done nothing to me or I can't comprehend how you can force me to kill someone..."I don't even know" as in this is nonsense? or both interpretations?

I always took it as the latter.

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

This. It's about the cannon fodder on the front line, killing each other without any genuine reason - they're just people on both sides, they're usually poor, and they're wasting their lives to preserve the status quo for a few very rich and powerful people.

Quite apt today.

kepurplehunter said:

Yes Prince was actually A head of his time and this my first song I loved Tthi

Hpw so?

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

I'm only assuming, it's about the time when it became legislature for all young men to sign up for possible draft at 18 years old.

On July 2, 1980, President Carter signed Proclamation 4771 (Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act) in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan,^[23] retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18- to 26-year-old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960.



Funny weird, not funny ha ha...

As a result, only men born between March 29, 1957, and December 31, 1959, were completely exempt from Selective Service registration.

So make of it as you will.

[Edited 11/11/16 16:12pm]

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

His older brother Albert was in the Vietnam war and came back with mental issues. This was according to his cousin Charles.

Prince was doing his "Pseudo-Punk" thing at the time. And he knew that he wouldn't be taken seriously by real Punks unless he was "seen to be" protesting against something he considered "political".

My personal interpretation of those lyrics is Prince simply reaching into a hat and pulling out something that sounded kinda deep — {in an aspiring pop star way, anyway} — and sorta political.

He was just shooting for something that would suit the persona he was marketing at the time. So don't read anything significant into it.

[Edited 11/11/16 16:29pm]

It's an anti-war song. The someone I don't even know is the faceless nameless enemy. I remember the mandatory registration which is still in place. Vietnam was a bloody ugly long war with over 58,000 casualities. There were useless escalations and we lost. So many young men gone forever.

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

I have kinda wondered the same thing. I've read that he came up with the song after participating in anti-draft demonstrations. But it was pretty non-specific. This was the only place that I've ever heard of Prince participating in such.

phatphuk said:

Chakradelica said:

"How you gonna make me kill somebody I don't even know?"

Do you interpret this lyric to mean how can you make me kill people (strangers) who have done nothing to me or I can't comprehend how you can force me to kill someone..."I don't even know" as in this is nonsense? or both interpretations?

It's an Anti-War song in similar vein to Zappa's I Don't Wanna Get Drafted

[Edited 11/12/16 13:52pm]

morningsong said:

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

I'm only assuming, it's about the time when it became legislature for all young men to sign up for possible draft at 18 years old.

On July 2, 1980, President Carter signed Proclamation 4771 (Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act) in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan,^[23] retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18- to 26-year-old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960.



Funny weird, not funny ha ha...

As a result, only men born between March 29, 1957, and December 31, 1959, were completely exempt from Selective Service registration.

So make of it as you will.

[Edited 11/11/16 16:12pm]

According to PrinceVault, Partyup was recorded between May-June 1980. So whilst the song couldn't have been a direct response to the re-establishment of selective service, it could well have a connection to the public debate about the issue (assuming there was one) in the months leading up to Proclamation 4771. Well spotted, Morninsong

[Edited 11/13/16 2:35am]

laurarichardson said:

SanMartin said:

For me it's always been the former. The theme of soldiers' realising or lamenting the fact that the enemies they're forced to kill are no different from them, nor have they done anything wrong, is common in war literature and cinema. I think Prince is doing the same.

.

Did Prince ever comment on Partyup in interviews? My assumption is that he's criticising the use of the draft in Vietnam, since as far as I know that's the only war during those decades in which young men were conscripted. Does anyone know what prompted him to write it a full five years after America withdrew?

His older brother Albert was in the Vietnam war and came back with mental issues. This was according to his cousin Charles.

Interesting. Is that from an interview? Do you have a link?

SanMartin said:

morningsong said:

I'm only assuming, it's about the time when it became legislature for all young men to sign up for possible draft at 18 years old.

On July 2, 1980, President Carter signed Proclamation 4771 (Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act) in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan,^[23] retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18- to 26-year-old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960.



Funny weird, not funny ha ha...

As a result, only men born between March 29, 1957, and December 31, 1959, were completely exempt from Selective Service registration.

So make of it as you will.

[Edited 11/11/16 16:12pm]

According to PrinceVault, Partyup was recorded between May-June 1980. So whilst the song couldn't have been a direct response to the re-establishment of selective service, it could well have a connection to the public debate about the issue (assuming there was one) in the months leading up to Proclamation 4771. Well spotted, Morninsong

[Edited 11/13/16 2:35am]

Yes there definitely was a public outcry at that time. I am Prince's age. I witnessed it firsthand. The horror of Vietnam was still very real.

SanMartin said:

The lyrics show how many layers this tune has and how timely. I chose a line from it for my sig because it fits the violence going on in America and also speaks to the election. Genius once again.

purplepoppy said:

SanMartin said:

According to PrinceVault, Partyup was recorded between May-June 1980. So whilst the song couldn't have been a direct response to the re-establishment of selective service, it could well have a connection to the public debate about the issue (assuming there was one) in the months leading up to Proclamation 4771. Well spotted, Morninsong

[Edited 11/13/16 2:35am]

Yes there definitely was a public outcry at that time. I am Prince's age. I witnessed it firsthand. The horror of Vietnam was still very real.

I'm a tiny bit younger but I remember it being a MAJOR issue back then.