With the release of Mayte's new book, a friend was asking me to 'tell' the story using songs Prince wrote about/were inspired by Mayte, in a chronological fashion. Songs that tell 'their story' or refer to her specifically.

(As ever with Prince, the subject of many songs was never confirmed)

Any suggestions/corrections welcomed!

The Morning Papers

Love 2 the 9s

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

She Gave Her Angels

Curious Child

Joint 2 Joint

The Holy River

Let's Have a Babay

Saviour

The Plan

Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife

Sex in the Summer

Betcha By Golly Wow!

(Style - references Mayte)

The One

Madrid 2 Chicago

Comeback

Until U're in My Arms Again

Wasted Kisses

Man O War

I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore

Silly Game

Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do

[Edited 4/11/17 5:22am]

No inclusions from Mayte's album?

.

However Much U Want

In Your Gracious Name

Ain't No Place Like U

The Max - since she's on it.

House Of Brick (Brick House)

Courtin Time - she mentions this in her book

The Most Beautiful Boy In The World

7

Sweet Baby

NouveauDance said:

No inclusions from Mayte's album?

.

However Much U Want

In Your Gracious Name

Ain't No Place Like U

Ain't No Place Like U is by far my favourite track on the album.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

It's About That Walk
[Edited 4/11/17 8:43am]

leecaldon said:

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

It's from the album. I misunderstood, did the op mean directly written specifically FOR her or simply including her cuz if it's simply including her, she's in the video. She talks about the creation in her book.

LBrent said:

leecaldon said:

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

It's from the album. I misunderstood, did the op mean directly written specifically FOR her or simply including her cuz if it's simply including her, she's in the video. She talks about the creation in her book. Actually, she inspired the entire album.

leecaldon said:

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

I'm still trying to figure out the story behind "Sweet Baby" for myself. "Sweet Baby," my favourite on the album.

.

The "Sweet Baby" video 4 minutes long and almost the entire thing is footage of Mayte. Prince appears in 5 short clips during the video. (By the way, if you do a Google search, you can find the video online). I always kind of figured that he wrote the song for or about Mayte because she's in the video. But it never totally made sense because in the first verse, he's talking about a man leaving a woman, and she had never experienced that since Mayte says in her book that Prince was her first boyfriend. Later in the song, he sings:

.

Stand tall, (tall)
Sweet baby, (baby)
Don't u fall
U ain't the only one gettin' beat down
It happens 2 us all
The road u chose 2 walk in this life (the road u choose 2 walk in this life)
Is one that leads into the next
So sweet baby, stand tall (sweet baby, stand tall)
Stand tall (sweet baby)
Sweet baby, hold your tears back now
Better days gonna come your way soon, oh yeah sweet baby
Someway, somehow

.

After reading chapter 6, and also part of chapter 7 of Mayte's book, this song makes so much more sense. Not to spoil the book for anyone, but on pp. 129-130 of the book, Mayte writes about some drama she was going through with the other members of the band during the Diamonds and Pearls Tour. After reading about this drama, I made the connection between the drama she describes and the lyrics I mentioned above from "Sweet Baby." I could be wrong about the connection, but the connection makes sense to me.

.

[Edited 4/12/17 13:52pm]

206Michelle said:

leecaldon said:

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

I'm still trying to figure out the story behind "Sweet Baby" for myself. "Sweet Baby," my favourite on the album.

.

The "Sweet Baby" video 4 minutes long and almost the entire thing is footage of Mayte. Prince appears in 5 short clips during the video. (By the way, if you do a Google search, you can find the video online). I always kind of figured that he wrote the song for or about Mayte because she's in the video. But it never totally made sense because in the first verse, he's talking about a man leaving a woman, and she had never experienced that since Mayte says in her book that Prince was her first boyfriend. Later in the song, he sings:

.

Stand tall, (tall)
Sweet baby, (baby)
Don't u fall
U ain't the only one gettin' beat down
It happens 2 us all
The road u chose 2 walk in this life (the road u choose 2 walk in this life)
Is one that leads into the next
So sweet baby, stand tall (sweet baby, stand tall)
Stand tall (sweet baby)
Sweet baby, hold your tears back now
Better days gonna come your way soon, oh yeah sweet baby
Someway, somehow

.

After reading chapter 6, and also part of chapter 7 of Mayte's book, this song makes so much more sense. Not to spoil the book for anyone, but on pp. 129-130 of the book, Mayte writes about some drama she was going through with the other members of the band during the Diamonds and Pearls Tour. After reading about this drama, I made the connection between the drama she describes and the lyrics I mentioned above from "Sweet Baby." I could be wrong about the connection, but the connection makes sense to me.

.

[Edited 4/12/17 13:52pm]

Very interesting. I look forward to reading the book.

leecaldon said:

206Michelle said:

I'm still trying to figure out the story behind "Sweet Baby" for myself. "Sweet Baby," my favourite on the album.

.

The "Sweet Baby" video 4 minutes long and almost the entire thing is footage of Mayte. Prince appears in 5 short clips during the video. (By the way, if you do a Google search, you can find the video online). I always kind of figured that he wrote the song for or about Mayte because she's in the video. But it never totally made sense because in the first verse, he's talking about a man leaving a woman, and she had never experienced that since Mayte says in her book that Prince was her first boyfriend. Later in the song, he sings:

.

Stand tall, (tall)
Sweet baby, (baby)
Don't u fall
U ain't the only one gettin' beat down
It happens 2 us all
The road u chose 2 walk in this life (the road u choose 2 walk in this life)
Is one that leads into the next
So sweet baby, stand tall (sweet baby, stand tall)
Stand tall (sweet baby)
Sweet baby, hold your tears back now
Better days gonna come your way soon, oh yeah sweet baby
Someway, somehow

.

After reading chapter 6, and also part of chapter 7 of Mayte's book, this song makes so much more sense. Not to spoil the book for anyone, but on pp. 129-130 of the book, Mayte writes about some drama she was going through with the other members of the band during the Diamonds and Pearls Tour. After reading about this drama, I made the connection between the drama she describes and the lyrics I mentioned above from "Sweet Baby." I could be wrong about the connection, but the connection makes sense to me.

.

[Edited 4/12/17 13:52pm]

Very interesting. I look forward to reading the book.

Yes.

The phone call from P when she gets to her room and the subsequent letter about "history"...that's what I was thinking when I listed this song, too.

bsprout said:

It's About That Walk [Edited 4/11/17 8:43am]

Why do I think that's about Carmen?

Very nice.
I'm sorry to Mayte and prince.
I wish God had taken me and blessed u both with a healthy child.
The pain I feel for u both inside.
I remember my friend Jennifer calling me and telling me to pray that day in October over 20 years ago. She had a computer. I did not yet. I don't know why two beautiful healthy people had to suffer such a loss. It makes me sad my idols had to suffer such pain in one way or another.
That's the helplessness I feel and I felt it a year ago in March. I knew this was coming. But what could I do. I don't know him personally.
I love u prince and Mayte. See u in the next life. At the same time I felt loss it was not morbid or death. It was just empty loss. Confusion cause how could the same thing happen 7 years later. 2009? It was a last curtain call. A goodbye.
Fam vashtidmsr
I love u
[Edited 4/12/17 23:23pm]

EnDoRpHn said:

bsprout said:

It's About That Walk [Edited 4/11/17 8:43am]

Why do I think that's about Carmen?

Mayte has said it was about herself on a recent interview, while illustrating how Prince would come up with a song from the simplest things.

LBrent said:

leecaldon said:

Thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't know Sweet Baby was about Mayte. What's the story behind that?

It's from the album. I misunderstood, did the op mean directly written specifically FOR her or simply including her cuz if it's simply including her, she's in the video. She talks about the creation in her book.

I kinda meant songs you would use to illustrate the story of P and Mayte, while telling it.

I know musically it's kinda oddball considering the songs I'm trying to wedge it in between. But i think Tangerine fits wonderfully lyrically between Silly Games and Wherever U Go. It illustrates P's inner conflict about letting go of Mayte, that "should i? shouldn't i?"" and then the album ends with that last song's positive resolve.

oceancrayon said:

I know musically it's kinda oddball considering the songs I'm trying to wedge it in between. But i think Tangerine fits wonderfully lyrically between Silly Games and Wherever U Go. It illustrates P's inner conflict about letting go of Mayte, that "should i? shouldn't i?"" and then the album ends with that last song's positive resolve.

I remember Prince saying Tangerine was about a girl so ugly, that a photo of her was only good to be used as a coaster. Was he trying to deflect it's true meaning?

bsprout said:

It's About That Walk [Edited 4/11/17 8:43am]

In this tv interveiw Mayte says P wrote It's About That Walk was written after a soundcheck where he watched her walk accross the stage.

https://youtu.be/AlhMwFHJIRE

MMJas said:

EnDoRpHn said:

Why do I think that's about Carmen?

Mayte has said it was about herself on a recent interview, while illustrating how Prince would come up with a song from the simplest things.

I know she said that, but my recollection from the time The Vault was released is that it was about Carmen.

One of us is clearly mistaken. Maybe it's me.