Name a Prince song that no matter how hard you try or how much imagination you use, you still haven't worked out a meaning for it.

I'll start: She Gave Her Angels.

What a wonderful song, but what does it mean???

A woman helps him through a crisis of faith. Next!

Genesia said:

A woman helps him through a crisis of faith. Next!

Ok, thanks!

Now your turn to name another Prince song with obscure lyrics...

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?

CherryMoon57 said:

Name a Prince song that no matter how hard you try or how much imagination you use, you still haven't worked out a meaning for it.

I'll start: She Gave Her Angels.

What a wonderful song, but what does it mean???

Read the liner notes. Prince has also talked about this song in interviews.

214 said:

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?

Really, really good pussy. Love in Paris, etc.

Revolution81 said:

And when I touch it race cars burn rubber in my pants

*

I've always liked this image/metaphor as it, of course, is a creative way to say "I got an erection when I was touched." Yet, based on the song, "Lovesexy," we know that the physical erection is, again, a symbol of a spiritual erection or spiritual awakening. Yes, it's over the top Prince, but I loved that about him, especially the way that he often combined and connected physical and spiritual pleasure through most of his work. While I don't agree with all of the interpretations, The Lyrics of Prince is a good source of discussing Prince's symbolism and general lyrical subject matter and prowess.

214 said:

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?

You will know the day you fall in love

Revolution81 said:

And when I touch it race cars burn rubber in my pants

To me that always symbolized sexual arousing.

databank said:

Revolution81 said:

And when I touch it race cars burn rubber in my pants

To me that always symbolized sexual arousing.

*

I agree, but, in the context of the song, do you think that Prince was also using it as a metaphor for spiritual arousal, as to say that sex is great and there is no better physical feeling but even that great physical feeling can't touch spiritual arousal/awakening?

Revolution81 said:

databank said:

D

[Edited 4/15/18 12:26pm]

D

[Edited 4/15/18 12:26pm]

TrivialPursuit said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Name a Prince song that no matter how hard you try or how much imagination you use, you still haven't worked out a meaning for it.

I'll start: She Gave Her Angels.

What a wonderful song, but what does it mean???

Read the liner notes. Prince has also talked about this song in interviews.

You obviously don't know either otherwise I'm sure you would have told me by now

CherryMoon57 said:

Name a Prince song that no matter how hard you try or how much imagination you use, you still haven't worked out a meaning for it.

I'll start: She Gave Her Angels.

What a wonderful song, but what does it mean???

.

Did you even bother to use the search box on the top right of this site? The song's twenty years old, so chances are it has been discussed to death.

BartVanHemelen said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Name a Prince song that no matter how hard you try or how much imagination you use, you still haven't worked out a meaning for it.

I'll start: She Gave Her Angels.

What a wonderful song, but what does it mean???

.

Did you even bother to use the search box on the top right of this site? The song's twenty years old, so chances are it has been discussed to death.

As a matter of fact, I did. But it still didn't give me a clear explanation as to whom the 'she' or 'her' relate to. Grammatically, it could work in 3 ways:

- She* gave 'her' angels = she gave angels to her (a female person), or

- She* gave 'her angels' = she gave 'her angels' to someone else (male or female), or even

- She* gave 'her angels' away (to everyone)

*who is 'she'?

However, if you had read my post correctly, you would have noticed that it was twofold: it was primarily asking orgers to 'name' a song that they find lyrically obscure. You have neither done that nor given me your own take on 'She Gave Her Angels'

You lose!

1725topp said:

Revolution81 said:

And when I touch it race cars burn rubber in my pants

*

I've always liked this image/metaphor as it, of course, is a creative way to say "I got an erection when I was touched." Yet, based on the song, "Lovesexy," we know that the physical erection is, again, a symbol of a spiritual erection or spiritual awakening. Yes, it's over the top Prince, but I loved that about him, especially the way that he often combined and connected physical and spiritual pleasure through most of his work. While I don't agree with all of the interpretations, The Lyrics of Prince is a good source of discussing Prince's symbolism and general lyrical subject matter and prowess.

Great analysis, thanks 1725topp!

I've just had a brief look and The Lyrics of Prince does sound like a good book to purchase.

CherryMoon57 said:

Grammatically, it could work in 3 ways:

- She* gave 'her' angels = she gave angels to her (a female person), or

- She* gave 'her angels' = she gave 'her angels' to someone else (male or female), or even

- She* gave 'her angels' away (to everyone)

It says "she gave her angels to a/her man", so there's no ambiguity regarding whose angels are being given to whom.

And "she" is Mayte, as stated in CB's liner notes: "a true story about Mayte".

[Edited 11/16/17 5:15am]

databank said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Grammatically, it could work in 3 ways:

- She* gave 'her' angels = she gave angels to her (a female person), or

- She* gave 'her angels' = she gave 'her angels' to someone else (male or female), or even

- She* gave 'her angels' away (to everyone)

It says "she gave her angels to a/her man", so there's no ambiguity regarding whose angels are being given to whom.

And "she" is Mayte, as stated in CB's liner notes: "a true story about Mayte".

[Edited 11/16/17 5:15am]

Ok, thanks data. I'm still somewhat intrigued as to what the angels represent exactely.

It alludes to a sacrifice and an embryo... So perhaps about her losing her virginity and an impending conception.

But then there is this part that I remain puzzled by:

'Fate as she designed it took her from her man
Destiny and love don't always go hand in hand (Hand in hand)'

There seems to be a slight tragic connotation here.

Lots of The Rainbow Children is full of purposely obscure stuff designed to hide its meaning.

emesem said:

Lots of The Rainbow Children is full of purposely obscure stuff designed to hide its meaning.

It's called poetry

But I like your definition of it

NorthC said:

The one that always puzzled me was "like a strawberry chocolate Fender jazz mashed potato fuzztone". Of course the title of the song and the "all over your thighs" gives you a pretty clear idea of what he's talking about, but still... Mixing food and guitars like that... I find it a strange metaphore...

*

Yeah, a lot of people don't like mixed metaphors. Strangely, as someone who writes poetry and short stories, mix metaphors don't bother me as much. But, most journals will ask a poet to change or not to mix metaphors. Yet, like you said, it is still clear that it's a sexual image that is obscure or ambiguous enough to also infer a "deeper" or "spiritual" meaning as "Come" is definitely a double entendre.

CherryMoon57 said:

1725topp said:

*

I've always liked this image/metaphor as it, of course, is a creative way to say "I got an erection when I was touched." Yet, based on the song, "Lovesexy," we know that the physical erection is, again, a symbol of a spiritual erection or spiritual awakening. Yes, it's over the top Prince, but I loved that about him, especially the way that he often combined and connected physical and spiritual pleasure through most of his work. While I don't agree with all of the interpretations, The Lyrics of Prince is a good source of discussing Prince's symbolism and general lyrical subject matter and prowess.

Great analysis, thanks 1725topp!

I've just had a brief look and The Lyrics of Prince does sound like a good book to purchase.

*

Thanks. I like these types of threads, and, as an added bonus, Bart is pissed off about something. :^)

NorthC said:

The one that always puzzled me was "like a strawberry chocolate Fender jazz mashed potato fuzztone". Of course the title of the song and the "all over your thighs" gives you a pretty clear idea of what he's talking about, but still... Mixing food and guitars like that... I find it a strange metaphore...

That's because it isn't a metaphor. It's a simile.

Genesia said:

Genesia said:

NorthC said:

The one that always puzzled me was "like a strawberry chocolate Fender jazz mashed potato fuzztone". Of course the title of the song and the "all over your thighs" gives you a pretty clear idea of what he's talking about, but still... Mixing food and guitars like that... I find it a strange metaphore...

That's because it isn't a metaphor. It's a simile.

*

Yes, it's a simile, but isn't it still a mixing of images that one would find an odd combination? As I stated before, mixing of metaphors, similes, or images doesn't bother me, but it is something that is generally "frowned upon" because many people find the "mixing" confusing. Yes, it is clear that Prince's is creating a sexual image, but he's still doing so by combining things/images that would be considered odd.

NorthC said:

Genesia said:

That's because it isn't a metaphor. It's a simile.

A what? English isn't my native language and after more than 30 years of learning, there's still words that are new to me. (I didn't know what "insatiable" meant before I heard the Prince song), so please explain.

*

It's not that big of a deal. The only difference is that a simile uses "like" or "as" to make a comparison whereas a metaphor just states the comparison. For instance, a simile states "She is like light to my darkened sorrow," and a metaphor states "She is light to my darkened sorrow." Other than that, metaphors can be extended as longer phrases and sentences, but they are both used to create images (mental pictures) based on one of the five senses so that the reader can have a more concrete understanding of an idea. So, again, there is not much difference.