FlyOnTheWall said:

jayseajay said:

Fly - Prince was clearly in love with Andy, that is evident to anyone who half looks, and yes, they were utterly gorgeous together...but I suspect she ran into exactly the same problems that almost every woman who got too close to Prince (for Prince's comfort) ran into...I'm not sure it should be romanticized to such a degree...it clearly went wrong (probably for the reason it almost always went wrong - as the intelligent reading of the song we're discussing suggests above), and now she has to deal with the pieces for the rest of her life, and I really feel for her. Andy didn't catch him any more than anyone ever really did, and in the end, it was his loss, and a tragedy for him and for the rest of us, because no one was there when he really needed them to be, because he couldn't tolerate anyone having power over him for any length of time, or making himself vulnerable enough to be caught when he fell (to refer to The Breakdown). It's really not a fairy-tale

Thanks for your insight, jayseajay. I'm just now seeing your response to me. First, let me say that I only used the "caught the Gingerbread Man" metaphor because that's the language of the song. I think your point raises a fundamental question: When P sang about "catching" the Gingerbread Man, did he mean forever or just long enough for a mind-blowing sexual encounter (an extended one, if you were special) with him and his "guitar"?

Also, I agree that once Prince realized how close his relationship with Andy had grown, it scared him; so he sabotaged what they had. Then, he spent his last months singing and talking about her and "relationships" during his Piano and a Microphone shows. It is difficult, indeed painful, to listen to some of his commentary during the few snippets that I have heard from those shows.

BTW, I don't think their relationship was a fairy tale, but it was sweet and romantic, until Prince's defense mechanism set in. And, with regard to the "Gingerbread Man," I agree in large part with robertgeorge's analysis. It is a braggadocio ditty about Prince's sexual prowess. Sometimes I wonder if Prince thought that's all he had to offer a woman: good sex, creature comforts, material things, and career advancement? Moreover, I ponder on whether he had any idea just how loved he was, really. His story is beyond heartbreaking.

I guess the thing is, until he was able to really enter into partnership with someone who he was prepared to give power to, that was what he had to offer. It's an old cliche, but true nonetheless, that really giving and recieving love depends on deep, genuine self-love, and is impaired by narcissistic defences devised to protect yourself or compensate for your wounds. And so yes, in some respects I think he knew how much he was loved...but from the way things went down, I suspect he never really believed he would be loved in his weakness as well as in his magnificence, or if he failed to be 'Prince' all the damn time. Which is heartbreaking, because any one of a million people - most of whom had never even met him - would have dropped everything to go and help him any way they could...

Oh, now I really want to know what you wrote that isn't there anymore....

anangellooksdown said:

By the way, I like all the women Prince was with in their own right, so I say this just to be honest: I think the closest he ever got to a good mutual relationship was with Mayte. They had a relationship that built slowly over years of trust. Yes, he still had his stuff, but that seemed nice for him while it was happening.

he couldnt give all of himself to her...which is why she was saying he treated her un kinky

ufoclub said:

IstenSzek said:

hmm, the one linked in the original post is cool, but the version i've heard was much better.
the guitar solo was fire on that one.

anyway, nice 'dirty' bit of prince showing through, i liked that.

Do you remember what concert it was on? This is one I have missed.

Maybe the North Sea Jazz Festival? You all should check that version of Gingerbread Man out.

[Edited 3/29/17 2:26am]

luvsexy4all said:

anangellooksdown said:

By the way, I like all the women Prince was with in their own right, so I say this just to be honest: I think the closest he ever got to a good mutual relationship was with Mayte. They had a relationship that built slowly over years of trust. Yes, he still had his stuff, but that seemed nice for him while it was happening.

he couldnt give all of himself to her...which is why she was saying he treated her un kinky

I think it might be that, or it might be, and I don't like to say this, because it would be, to say the very least, disappointing...he had a madonna/whore complex....which would relate to the reading above about the Ginger/Maryann thing. On the other hand, there also might be an element of Mayte trying to justify/explain to herself his dalliances... Anyway, that whole thing, 'he treated me with respect, and I don't envy those other women who catered to his other side'...I don't like it one bit (not having a go at Mayte, just don't like it)...and also, something about it doesn't add up...we know he was fidelity challenged, but there is not one account from a woman who says they felt disrespected by him in that way...(it's perfectly possible to be completely filthy/kinky and still treat someone with respect)...so, um, yeah...just thinking out loud....