Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

Thanks Latin

Will add another of his political songs United States of Division

PennyPurple said:

Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

Baltimore and the playing of a concert in support of the Black Lives Movement pissed off a lot of people.

muleFunk said:

PennyPurple said:

Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

Baltimore and the playing of a concert in support of the Black Lives Movement pissed off a lot of people.

Oh well, they can stay pissed, because what happened in Baltimore and around the States isn't right. I've got Ferguson in my backyard. And believe me, somthing needs to happen to stop this crap.

PennyPurple said:

Guitarhero said:

Guitarhero said:

PennyPurple said:

Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

what defines someone as 'political' I don't think WAS political

.

For example I being an American citizen, I vote, a lot of American citizens don't, there are certain things I look into or am concerned about via political issues, and I talk about certain things in small doses. I've even added a little expression in past artwork addressing something in the political arena.
But I don't see myself nor define myself even in the slightest as being 'political'.

PennyPurple said:

muleFunk said:

Baltimore and the playing of a concert in support of the Black Lives Movement pissed off a lot of people.

Oh well, they can stay pissed, because what happened in Baltimore and around the States isn't right. I've got Ferguson in my backyard. And believe me, somthing needs to happen to stop this crap.

Wow, you live near Ferguson? I grew up in St. Louis and have lived in Maplewood, St. Ann, and around Tower Grove/Manchester (that was a tough area). I was not surprised by what happened in Ferguson because that was another area that was waiting to explode from the police brutality.

Personally, I love the song Baltimore and will drive around blasting it sometimes with my windows down. (I live in the south now). This is another area that's waiting to explode, and not just from police brutality but because racism is still rampant in this area and you can only hold a people down for so long before they start fighting back (and rightly so).

I try to get my digs in down here when I can. I have a tail light out on my car. I have left it out intentionally because I want to see how many times I am pulled over as a white woman for a broken tail light. I noticed it out around the time of Philando Castile, so it's been out almost a year now. And it was because of Philando that I've not gotten it fixed.

benni said:

PennyPurple said:

Oh well, they can stay pissed, because what happened in Baltimore and around the States isn't right. I've got Ferguson in my backyard. And believe me, somthing needs to happen to stop this crap.

Wow, you live near Ferguson? I grew up in St. Louis and have lived in Maplewood, St. Ann, and around Tower Grove/Manchester (that was a tough area). I was not surprised by what happened in Ferguson because that was another area that was waiting to explode from the police brutality.

Personally, I love the song Baltimore and will drive around blasting it sometimes with my windows down. (I live in the south now). This is another area that's waiting to explode, and not just from police brutality but because racism is still rampant in this area and you can only hold a people down for so long before they start fighting back (and rightly so).

I try to get my digs in down here when I can. I have a tail light out on my car. I have left it out intentionally because I want to see how many times I am pulled over as a white woman for a broken tail light. I noticed it out around the time of Philando Castile, so it's been out almost a year now. And it was because of Philando that I've not gotten it fixed.

Grew up & live in Kansas City. Grandparents lived South of Jeff City. Moved to Lebanon, MO after I was first married. My brother lives in St. Charles.

Very nice.

PennyPurple said:

Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

Thanks for sharing, Penny!

muleFunk said:

PennyPurple said:

Yep, it looks like Prince WAS political. Thanks for sharing Latin!

“Baltimore” was the last in a long line of political statements Prince would commit to tape, barring anything that remains in his vault. The newspaper headline, “President Signs Gun Control Act” is over Prince’s shoulder on the Controversy album cover. Inside, Prince sings “Ronnie talk to Russia before it’s too late, before they blow up the world.”

“America” from Around the World in a Day, was a much more scathing indictment of the country under President Ronald Reagan. “Aristocrats, on a mountain climb / Making money, losing time / Communism is just a word / But if the government turn over, it’ll be the only word that’s heard.” The division of wealth and power that led to Freddie Gray was most notable in the second verse: “Little sister making minimum wage / Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage.” “America / Keep the children free” was the plea then, as it was on 1999 when Prince sang, “Will we all fight, for the right, to be free?” The verse in “Free” is more chilling than ever in 2017: “The soldiers are a-marching, they’re writing brand new laws / Will be all fight together for the most important cause?”

Read More: Prince Tackles a Broken S... in a Year | http://diffuser.fm/prince...ck=tsmclip

Baltimore and the playing of a concert in support of the Black Lives Movement pissed off a lot of people.

Boo Hoo.

Guitarhero said:

Gun right activists and racists are probably the majority of people who dislike that song for its politics. Really, its a positive songs about healing.

I was thinking about the song America. some people think its a conversative anti-commie song. In some ways, it might be. But I also think Prince could be saying that if we don't take care of our people, if we don't use a little democratic socialism or good old fashioned charity, then people will turn to communist leaning and anti-American beliefs out of desperation and disdain for a democratic government that failed them. Its a rather moderate song in that way.

Oh well, they can stay pissed, because what happened in Baltimore and around the States isn't right. I've got Ferguson in my backyard. And believe me, somthing needs to happen to stop this crap.

TXfan said:

You know what needs to happen to stop "this crap"? People need to learn how to stay out of trouble and when approached by a cop,do as he says. If you are treated or arrested wrongly you can live another day to take that to court. Ever notice nobody got killed on their way to work or class?

There's a bunch of videoes floating around where the police is using alot of unnecessary violence, shoots for the purpose of killing, and being extremly unprofessional. Even people that has done what the police said has been killed, and these are on tape for all to see. How do you prevent that from happening? Removing the camera? So that we can still live in denial, and blame the victim? Before the iphones and smartphones, we had rap songs. Too bad nobody believed the lyrics. Now we've got the evidence right in front of us, and still people are in denial.

Latin said:

Guitarhero said:

Thanks Latin

Will add another of his political songs United States of Division

What other political songs by Prince would you add Guitarhero? There are so many.

How about Act of God, We March, Free, and America for starters.

TXfan said:

Denial? I'm Hispanic and grew up in one of the worst "hoods" in Houston. I work so much I don't have time to get in trouble. I've since moved to the suburbs,have a family and a mortgage now, still no time to get in trouble. What's next? Hugs to Isis members?

My point was that people get killed by the police, even when they're doing what the police says. Of course this doesn't mean all police are bad, or that people shouldn't try avoiding getting in trouble. It just isn't true that all people can avoid being killed by just trying to not get involved in anything stupid. Trouble can find you even if you want it or not. Even people who works "24/7" can get in trouble with the police. If it hasn't happened to you yet, doesn't mean it never happens, or cannot happen to you. But I believe you though. I believe that you've managed to stay out of trouble so far. That's good for you, and nice to know.

Replica said:

TXfan said:

Denial? I'm Hispanic and grew up in one of the worst "hoods" in Houston. I work so much I don't have time to get in trouble. I've since moved to the suburbs,have a family and a mortgage now, still no time to get in trouble. What's next? Hugs to Isis members?

My point was that people get killed by the police, even when they're doing what the police says. Of course this doesn't mean all police are bad, or that people shouldn't try avoiding getting in trouble. It just isn't true that all people can avoid being killed by just trying to not get involved in anything stupid. Trouble can find you even if you want it or not. Even people who works "24/7" can get in trouble with the police. If it hasn't happened to you yet, doesn't mean it never happens, or cannot happen to you. But I believe you though. I believe that you've managed to stay out of trouble so far. That's good for you, and nice to know.

I think what they're saying is that you greatly increase your chances of getting in "trouble" by hanging with the wrong crowd, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, engaging in illegal behavior, and not acting properly with law enforcement.

In the past i posted many videos of cops going overboard, against all races. It's not a race thing, it's a bad cop thing. In every occupation there's a few bad apples. Life is all about beating the odds, when you do the right thing your chances of beating the odds are much much better.

TXfan said:

You know what needs to happen to stop "this crap"? People need to learn how to stay out of trouble and when approached by a cop,do as he says. If you are treated or arrested wrongly you can live another day to take that to court. Ever notice nobody got killed on their way to work or class?

You know what else needs to happen to stop this 'crap' when people are doing what they are told to do by these officers and they are shot, beat, or tazed to death. Maybe these officers need to be charged and sent to jail, but look how many has gotten off. That's what needs to stop.

TXfan said:

Thanks, I didn't mean to offend anyone. Just saying, some of these kids are getting off to a bad start. My mother used to say "you are who you hang with" and sometimes that doesn't mean you are, just that you can be mistaken for. I hate to see anyone with their whole life ahead of them get cut short. But sometimes bad choices are made and that puts you in the consequences line.

Bad choices? Walking down the street, pulled over for speeding. Those are bad choices? How about the little boy playing in the park with a play gun. Did he deserve to die? Did he make a bad choice? It's some of these cops who are making the bad choices, and they get off scott free.

.

C'mon..we've seen it way too many times.

PennyPurple said:

How about the little boy playing in the park with a play gun. Did he deserve to die? Did he make a bad choice?

.

If you're referring to Tamir Rice, yes he made several bad choices. He was carrying a very real looking gun that didn't have the orange safety feature found on replicas. He was pointing that gun at multiple random strangers in a public park, thus prompting the phone call to police. And when police arrived, he went to grab the gun from his waistband. Three very poor decisions.

There were screwups on the law enforcement side for sure. The dispatcher never relayed critical information to the cops, and the cop who shot him probably did so too quickly. But that doesn't change the fact that NONE of it would have happened if not for the actions of the 12-year-old. How did you not know all this?

Pokeno4Money said:

PennyPurple said:

.

If you're referring to Tamir Rice, yes he made several bad choices. He was carrying a very real looking gun that didn't have the orange safety feature found on replicas. He was pointing that gun at multiple random strangers in a public park, thus prompting the phone call to police. And when police arrived, he went to grab the gun from his waistband. Three very poor decisions.

There were screwups on the law enforcement side for sure. The dispatcher never relayed critical information to the cops, and the cop who shot him probably did so too quickly. But that doesn't change the fact that NONE of it would have happened if not for the actions of the 12-year-old. How did you not know all this?

I know all that. Fact still remains he was a little boy playing in a park. Little kids don't have the ability to make mature decisions. Point is the cops are always to fast to pull and shoot their guns.

PennyPurple said:

Fact still remains he was a little boy playing in a park. Little kids don't have the ability to make mature decisions.

Well at 5'7" and 195 pounds he was far from "little"!

Seems like you're implying he was not very intelligent, which I think is unfair. Yes he made very bad decisions, but rather than calling him stupid you should ask why he wasn't taught better by whomever raised him. At that age growing up in that type of environment, he should have known pointing a real-looking gun at strangers in public is a horrible idea with lots of risk. And clearly nobody taught him what to do when police arrive on the scene. It's a very, very sad situation that NEVER should have happened.

Getting back to the Baltimore song, I think a lot of people didn't like the song because those that were mentioned in the song by name (Brown and Gray) weren't murder victims. Replace those names with Walter Scott and Corey Jones, and there would be 100% support as they were true victims. (I forgive you if you haven't heard of Corey Jones, there's a reason why he's gotten virtually no publicity).

But I strongly believe Prince had good intentions with the song, and he used Brown & Gray because Baltimore and Ferguson is where the most violence, destruction and civil unrest had recently occurred. If the benefit concert had been held in Cleveland, I'm sure Rice would have been named in the song.

In the end, the Baltimore song is just like most other Prince songs in that it is open for interpretation. Everyone will interpret it differently. Some who dislike the song believe it's an anti-police song. Personally, I think he's just saying stop the violence and killing. He's not saying who is responsible or who is to blame, he's just saying he wants it to stop. It's a great message.

Pokeno4Money said:

Well at 5'7" and 195 pounds he was far from "little"!

Seems like you're implying he was not very intelligent, which I think is unfair. Yes he made very bad decisions, but rather than calling him stupid you should ask why he wasn't taught better by whomever raised him. At that age growing up in that type of environment, he should have known pointing a real-looking gun at strangers in public is a horrible idea with lots of risk. And clearly nobody taught him what to do when police arrive on the scene. It's a very, very sad situation that NEVER should have happened.

Getting back to the Baltimore song, I think a lot of people didn't like the song because those that were mentioned in the song by name (Brown and Gray) weren't murder victims. Replace those names with Walter Scott and Corey Jones, and there would be 100% support as they were true victims. (I forgive you if you haven't heard of Corey Jones, there's a reason why he's gotten virtually no publicity).

But I strongly believe Prince had good intentions with the song, and he used Brown & Gray because Baltimore and Ferguson is where the most violence, destruction and civil unrest had recently occurred. If the benefit concert had been held in Cleveland, I'm sure Rice would have been named in the song.

In the end, the Baltimore song is just like most other Prince songs in that it is open for interpretation. Everyone will interpret it differently. Some who dislike the song believe it's an anti-police song. Personally, I think he's just saying stop the violence and killing. He's not saying who is responsible or who is to blame, he's just saying he wants it to stop. It's a great message.

OMG, you're as bad as Laura, the way you twist words. I didn't call him stupid, nor did I imply he was stupid.

PennyPurple said:

OMG, you're as bad as Laura, the way you twist words. I didn't call him stupid, nor did I imply he was stupid.

I don't know a Laura

You said he doesn't "have the ability to make mature decisions", an obvious reference to his Special Education classes, as the reason for a junior high age student somehow not knowing the consequences of pointing a real looking gun at strangers in public, and for not knowing the worst possible thing anyone could do is reach for a gun when police are approaching you. So technically no, you didn't "call him stupid" ... you just used a very polite way of saying the same thing. But I'm not criticizing you for it, so no need to get defensive. All I'm saying is he obviously didn't have anyone in his life (parent or guardian) teach him about the dangers of pointing, concealing and reaching for a real looking gun. It's not his fault, it's just a really really sad situation. It's unfortunate that more people, especially celebrities, don't emphasize the importance of raising your kids right. Because let's face it, bad parenting and the absence of parenting is a MUCH bigger problem than bad cops.