Makes my eyes water thinking about these lyrics:

1. "Listen very closely as this story unfolds. This could be the saddest story that's ever been told."

2. "Pasta simmers on the stove in June. Makes no sense yet, but it will soon."

3. "I often dream of heaven, I know that Tracey's there. I know that he has found another friend. Maybe he's found the answer to all of the April snow. Maybe one day, I'll see my Tracey again."

4. "I cried when I realized that sweet wind was you."

5. Lastly, the bittersweet weeping near the end of Purple Rain. Prince lives in those notes. No words can describe that sound. It makes me happy, sad, overjoyed and overwhelmed every time I hear it. It ended up being the last lyric that he performed.

"...I never wanted a typical life
scripted role, huh...trophy wife
All I ever wanted, to b left alone..."

RJOrion said:

RJOrion said:

NorthC said:

RJOrion said:

"...I never wanted a typical life
scripted role, huh...trophy wife
All I ever wanted, to b left alone..."

Why is that sad? He got what he wanted!

smh...

"Did you ever feel that life was like looking 4 a penny in a large room with no light?"

Every Christmas night 4 7 years now
I drink banana daquiris 'til I'm blind
As long as I can hear you smilin' baby

U won't hear my tears
Another Lonely Christmas is mine

So low, the curb looks like a skyscraper

"..This time it's serious
It feels just like the end
Cuz once your love has gone away
There ain't nothing, nothing left to say..."

RJOrion said:

NorthC said:

RJOrion said: Why is that sad? He got what he wanted!

smh...

Well, I can see that some people find it sad because they associate the "left alone" with the circumstances of his death--they run through the "if he hadn't been left alone, he wouldn't be dead" line of thought. Other people might find the idea that he "wanted" that to be unbelievable, and that he's just lying to cover some lack in his life (not necessarily a "trophy" wife, but someone to share his life with). Others might look and find it sad that he in fact wasn't alone, but had to deal with personal interactions and situations that he really didn't want, but because he also was a creative force in a public directed art form he had to deal with people.

I don't find it sad myself--I think that his talent and his choices allowed him to largely create the world he wanted to live in, at least in his immediate surroundings. He isolated himself to a degree that allowed him to be in his comfort zone for most of his life. His life was too short, and ended unnecessarily, but these lines aren't about that, and aren't, to me, sad.

the thread title says saddest lines in Prince songs...im not trying to pscychoanalyze Prince's intent lyrically...the shits i named just feel/sound sad to me... and to others too....

People say they love U and they wanna help

but how can they when U can't help Urself?

The more they say they love U

the more U just wanna die

Since someone already posted In A Large Room With No Light, here's the next best thing: some SOTT tracks:

_

It's silly, no'
When a rocket blows
And everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly
Until a man truly dies
Oh why, oh why, Sign O the Times

_

And then I'll hold you tight and hold you long
And together we'll stare into silence
And we'll try to imagine what it looks like
Yeah, we'll try to imagine what, what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll try to imagine what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll try?

_

I came and took your love, I took your body
I took all the self respect you never had
I took you for a ride and baby I'm sorry
The more you love me sugar, the more it makes me mad

_

It hurt me so bad when she told me

With tears in her eyes

He was all she ever had and now she wanted to die

He left her with a baby and another one on the way

She couldn't stop cryin' cause she knew he was gone to stay

_

Ghettos 2 the left of us

Flowers 2 the right

There'll be bread for all, y'all

If we can just, just bear the cross, yeah

_

I love how all the 'sad' tracks in SOTT had lyrics based on real problems everyday people are facing. World affairs, issues in relationships and coping with difficult times - very human struggles.

[Edited 12/27/17 16:52pm]

sulls said:

People say they love U and they wanna help

but how can they when U can't help Urself?

The more they say they love U

the more U just wanna die

.

Pretty much all of the The Holy River gets to me whenever I listen to it. Although the emotion in the lyrics are mostly very hopeful it's the sense of regret of the life that's been led up until that point that really hits hard.

.

"So I went on down 2 the holy river

I called my girl and told her I had something 2 give her

I asked her 2 marry me and she said yes, I cried

Oh, that night I drowned in her tears and mine

And.. and instead of a glass of sorrow and wine

Looking back y'all, I don't miss nothing except the time"

.

I get similar feeling when I hear this part of The Breakdown:

.

"I used to throw the party at the New Year's Eve

First one intoxicated, last one to leave

Waking up in places that you would never believe

Give me back the time, you can keep the memories"

.

"Some things are better left unsaid, some people are better left untrusted. Maybe, maybe...maybe it'll all make sense, when I'm dead....when I'm dead...." Quite possibly the saddest words ever written, and the WAY he sang them with such chilling finality...kills me everytime...

The one line in Letitgo when he says "better off dead if I could be alone..."

When listened to in the context of April 2016, it is really depressing.

Kim Berry just posted about that song on facebook last week. She was puddle of tears she said because she had never listened to that song before.

Anthoknee said:

"Some things are better left unsaid, some people are better left untrusted. Maybe, maybe...maybe it'll all make sense, when I'm dead....when I'm dead...." Quite possibly the saddest words ever written, and the WAY he sang them with such chilling finality...kills me everytime...

purplerabbithole said:

Kim Berry just posted about that song on facebook last week. She was puddle of tears she said because she had never listened to that song before.

Anthoknee said:

"Some things are better left unsaid, some people are better left untrusted. Maybe, maybe...maybe it'll all make sense, when I'm dead....when I'm dead...." Quite possibly the saddest words ever written, and the WAY he sang them with such chilling finality...kills me everytime...

REALLY? It's hard to believe she hadn't! Been a personal favorite of mine for a loooong time but it's hard to listen to now...

purplerabbithole said:

Kim Berry just posted about that song on facebook last week. She was puddle of tears she said because she had never listened to that song before.

Anthoknee said:

"Some things are better left unsaid, some people are better left untrusted. Maybe, maybe...maybe it'll all make sense, when I'm dead....when I'm dead...." Quite possibly the saddest words ever written, and the WAY he sang them with such chilling finality...kills me everytime...

Great candidate and comments.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

The one line in Letitgo when he says "better off dead if I could be alone..."

When listened to in the context of April 2016, it is really depressing.

i listen to letitgo alot, and i remeber thinking the same thing

Everybody keeps trying to break my heart

Everybody except for me
I just want a chance to play the part
The part of someone truly free

"Slave" (1996)

She said a friend led her to it. Remember if she had heard it, he would have sang it with the altered lyrics. He didn't perform it too often.

Anthoknee said:

purplerabbithole said:

Kim Berry just posted about that song on facebook last week. She was puddle of tears she said because she had never listened to that song before.

REALLY? It's hard to believe she hadn't! Been a personal favorite of mine for a loooong time but it's hard to listen to now...

sulls said:

People say they love U and they wanna help

but how can they when U can't help Urself?

The more they say they love U

the more U just wanna die

This is REAL depression, here. I've been there and totally relate...

namepeace said:

"Did you ever feel that life was like looking 4 a penny in a large room with no light?"

Yes. I think (my thoughts only) that the early rejection by his father and lack of warmth to him shown by his mother caused emotional hurts that were never healed. He retreated to the only space that never threw him out, never put him down, a space of safety....his music.

namepeace said:

"Did you ever feel that life was like looking 4 a penny in a large room with no light?"

Yes. I think (my thoughts only) that the early rejection by his father and lack of warmth to him shown by his mother caused emotional hurts that were never healed. He retreated to the only space that never threw him out, never put him down, a space of safety....his music.

Astasheiks said:

So low, the curb looks like a skyscraper

purplerabbithole said:

She said a friend led her to it. Remember if she had heard it, he would have sang it with the altered lyrics. He didn't perform it too often.

I forgot about the re-recording! I've heard it but for the life of me can't remember what he changed them to...however I can totally understand him not really wanting to perform it, it's him at his most dejected and utterly vulnerable. He sounds as if he'll break at any moment, yet never does...which makes it all the more frightening as a song.

there is lonely ...