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Thread started 11/15/17 2:27pm

CherryMoon57

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The most obscure Prince Lyrics

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???

Life Matters
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Reply #1 posted 11/15/17 2:52pm

Genesia

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

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #2 posted 11/15/17 2:57pm

CherryMoon57

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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...

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Reply #3 posted 11/15/17 4:41pm

214

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?

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Reply #4 posted 11/15/17 5:11pm

Revolution81

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And when I touch it race cars burn rubber in my pants
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
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Reply #5 posted 11/15/17 6:18pm

TrivialPursuit

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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.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #6 posted 11/15/17 6:19pm

TrivialPursuit

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214 said:

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?


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

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #7 posted 11/15/17 6:37pm

1725topp

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.

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Reply #8 posted 11/15/17 6:41pm

databank

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214 said:

Good Love, what the hell is he singing about?

You will know the day you fall in love nod

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #9 posted 11/15/17 6:42pm

databank

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Revolution81 said:

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

To me that always symbolized sexual arousing.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #10 posted 11/15/17 6:48pm

1725topp

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?

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Reply #11 posted 11/15/17 7:12pm

Hendrick

Revolution81 said:

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


2 conclusions. . .
1: he's talking about sex
2: the love of god motivates him to do the "work"
Spreading how awesome he (God) is
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Reply #12 posted 11/15/17 7:40pm

Revolution81

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databank said:



Revolution81 said:


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

To me that always symbolized sexual arousing.



I guess so...but still, a boner = race cars burning rubber...only Prince could come up with a line like that lol
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
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Reply #13 posted 11/15/17 7:54pm

HerecomethePur
pleYoda

D

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

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Reply #14 posted 11/15/17 7:56pm

HerecomethePur
pleYoda

D

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

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Reply #15 posted 11/16/17 1:53am

CherryMoon57

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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 lol

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Reply #16 posted 11/16/17 2:30am

BartVanHemelen

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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.

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #17 posted 11/16/17 3:01am

CherryMoon57

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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! lol

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Reply #18 posted 11/16/17 3:09am

CherryMoon57

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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. cool

Life Matters
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Reply #19 posted 11/16/17 5:11am

databank

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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]

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #20 posted 11/16/17 5:39am

CherryMoon57

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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.

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Reply #21 posted 11/16/17 7:11am

emesem

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

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Reply #22 posted 11/16/17 7:43am

databank

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emesem said:

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

It's called poetry lol

But I like your definition of it wink

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Reply #23 posted 11/16/17 8:08am

NorthC

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...
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Reply #24 posted 11/16/17 8:51am

1725topp

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.

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Reply #25 posted 11/16/17 8:54am

1725topp

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. cool

*

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

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Reply #26 posted 11/16/17 9:13am

Genesia

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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.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #27 posted 11/16/17 9:19am

NorthC

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.


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.
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Reply #28 posted 11/16/17 9:23am

1725topp

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.

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Reply #29 posted 11/16/17 9:30am

1725topp

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.

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