This randomly came on my playlist today... and I really liked it! Wish this had been released on CD in good quality. The vocal perfomranc eis kind of amazing, as is the touxhes of guitar in the mix.

FragileUndertow said:

The spoken word intro is skipable.

Initially folks found it laughable back then but its always been poignant as hell to me.

[Edited 9/8/18 21:18pm]

rdhull said:

FragileUndertow said:

The spoken word intro is skipable.

Initially folks found it laughable back then but its allways been poignant as hell to me.

All due respect to the former, but anyone who won't listen to that intro and hear what Prince was saying is doing themselves a great disservice. So much of what he said in that are things I've come to believe in my own life at 50 years old. My journey to this place isn't because of "One Song". In fact, it was never on my radar after its initial release. But in the past couple of years or so, I went back to read the text.

People have often talked about how Prince was ahead of his time with talking about us being in the Matrix, or whatever about the internet, or the music business, etc. But "One Song", to me, is 100% proof beyond anything else he was ahead about, that he really was ahead of folks by at least 20 years.

Prince was feeling something here, really feeling a new truth in his life. I think as Prince fans we at least owe it to the artistry to read it and understand where he was coming from on it, even if you disagree with it.

From DTT:

""One Song" was posted on www.love4oneanother.com on December 31, 1999. The video of the song was later made available in the July 2001 edition of the NPGMC. The song was preceded by almost six minutes of sermonizing from (the recording is 8:54 minutes with the speech included). His speech has as its general theme the notion that mankind is creating artificial barriers between itself and God, with much of popular culture working to fill the void left by the absence of God from our lives. "One Song" continues the theme of 's speech, dealing with man's union with God. Having become one with God, is "the universe, the sun, the moon and sea." Musically, "One Song" is a slightly run-of-the-mill soul ballad, yet 's vocal delivery is impassioned and gospel-tinged. The song has a reasonably strong chorus and an anthemic quality, but the music is rather sterile-sounding, with a slick and somewhat lifeless production."

Opening:

1999… and the illusion continues. One begs 2 ask -
“when will it end?"

Unnatural disasters happen seemingly every week. Train crashes, shootings, nuclear accidents; is there any place of refuge one can flee from this insanity? Very few of mankind’s creations r designed 2 make u feel good, unless u get pleasure from seeing the human body desecrated by guns, explosions, fights, and any other things these so-called "artists” create. In the name of freedom, many have used art as a means 2 destroy the human mind. As an excuse 2 continue we hear “Art reflects society”. How many times has this lie been repeated: “creations r not real”, they say and yet any one of these people can call 2 mind images and complete scenes of horror in graphic detail. They will carry these so-called “unreal” creations around with them 4 the rest of their lives. These images r now a part of their being. In the name of RECREATION these people in fact r re-creating themselves in their own images.

SOCIETY THEN REFLECTS ART.

In man’s decision 2 further separate from God, his re-creation of himself leaves him in a dysfunctional state of confusion. The mind becomes a burial ground 4 dead waste. Isolated from the wholeness of God, Earth and his fellow brothers and sisters, this man seeks solace in activities he thinks will stimulate his mind. He begins downloading in2 his brain a series of manmade creations designed 2 destroy it. All manmade creations originate from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. One of these trees contained deadly fruit, the other - Fruit of Everlasting Life. The one who disregards this fact recreates himself and his kind in2 extinction.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

Returning the leadership back in2 God will allow mankind 2 achieve its original collective goal which is union with God. Ideas contrary 2 this goal should not b blamed or persecuted - just simply ignored. They originated when man first chose 2 ignore God’s rule. Simply put - in the beginning, the Human was made perfect in God’s image. They had no need 4 knowledge. They were also given freedom of choice. The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life r reflections of this freedom. The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose. God being centrifugal in nature, freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT. In knowing their perfection made in God’s image, there was no need 2 choose. In fact, their were NO NEEDS. There was only love in an all-knowing state b4 the fall. The worst thing u can do is give up ur God-given right 2 choose. 4 in it - u can choose not 2 choose. Therein is the final judgement. The illusion ceases and u awaken from ur dream. Now the healing begins…


With an all-knowing mind, made in God’s image u can create as ur Creator - God intended. With love, honor and respect 4 every living thing in the universe. Separation ceases, and we all become One Being singing the One song.

TrivialPursuit said:

rdhull said:

Initially folks found it laughable back then but its allways been poignant as hell to me.

All due respect to the former, but anyone who won't listen to that intro and hear what Prince was saying is doing themselves a great disservice. So much of what he said in that are things I've come to believe in my own life at 50 years old. My journey to this place isn't because of "One Song". In fact, it was never on my radar after its initial release. But in the past couple of years or so, I went back to read the text.

People have often talked about how Prince was ahead of his time with talking about us being in the Matrix, or whatever about the internet, or the music business, etc. But "One Song", to me, is 100% proof beyond anything else he was ahead about, that he really was ahead of folks by at least 20 years.

Prince was feeling something here, really feeling a new truth in his life. I think as Prince fans we at least owe it to the artistry to read it and understand where he was coming from on it, even if you disagree with it.

From DTT:

""One Song" was posted on www.love4oneanother.com on December 31, 1999. The video of the song was later made available in the July 2001 edition of the NPGMC. The song was preceded by almost six minutes of sermonizing from (the recording is 8:54 minutes with the speech included). His speech has as its general theme the notion that mankind is creating artificial barriers between itself and God, with much of popular culture working to fill the void left by the absence of God from our lives. "One Song" continues the theme of 's speech, dealing with man's union with God. Having become one with God, is "the universe, the sun, the moon and sea." Musically, "One Song" is a slightly run-of-the-mill soul ballad, yet 's vocal delivery is impassioned and gospel-tinged. The song has a reasonably strong chorus and an anthemic quality, but the music is rather sterile-sounding, with a slick and somewhat lifeless production."

Opening:

1999… and the illusion continues. One begs 2 ask -
“when will it end?"

Unnatural disasters happen seemingly every week. Train crashes, shootings, nuclear accidents; is there any place of refuge one can flee from this insanity? Very few of mankind’s creations r designed 2 make u feel good, unless u get pleasure from seeing the human body desecrated by guns, explosions, fights, and any other things these so-called "artists” create. In the name of freedom, many have used art as a means 2 destroy the human mind. As an excuse 2 continue we hear “Art reflects society”. How many times has this lie been repeated: “creations r not real”, they say and yet any one of these people can call 2 mind images and complete scenes of horror in graphic detail. They will carry these so-called “unreal” creations around with them 4 the rest of their lives. These images r now a part of their being. In the name of RECREATION these people in fact r re-creating themselves in their own images.

SOCIETY THEN REFLECTS ART.

In man’s decision 2 further separate from God, his re-creation of himself leaves him in a dysfunctional state of confusion. The mind becomes a burial ground 4 dead waste. Isolated from the wholeness of God, Earth and his fellow brothers and sisters, this man seeks solace in activities he thinks will stimulate his mind. He begins downloading in2 his brain a series of manmade creations designed 2 destroy it. All manmade creations originate from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. One of these trees contained deadly fruit, the other - Fruit of Everlasting Life. The one who disregards this fact recreates himself and his kind in2 extinction.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

Returning the leadership back in2 God will allow mankind 2 achieve its original collective goal which is union with God. Ideas contrary 2 this goal should not b blamed or persecuted - just simply ignored. They originated when man first chose 2 ignore God’s rule. Simply put - in the beginning, the Human was made perfect in God’s image. They had no need 4 knowledge. They were also given freedom of choice. The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life r reflections of this freedom. The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose. God being centrifugal in nature, freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT. In knowing their perfection made in God’s image, there was no need 2 choose. In fact, their were NO NEEDS. There was only love in an all-knowing state b4 the fall. The worst thing u can do is give up ur God-given right 2 choose. 4 in it - u can choose not 2 choose. Therein is the final judgement. The illusion ceases and u awaken from ur dream. Now the healing begins…


With an all-knowing mind, made in God’s image u can create as ur Creator - God intended. With love, honor and respect 4 every living thing in the universe. Separation ceases, and we all become One Being singing the One song.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

I don't really like the One Song because of some of the spoken parts of that intro which - amongst a few interesting thoughts - also contain some mis-information which Prince has based his demonstration on.

The origin of the word 'Understand' actually comes from the Old English 'under' which derives from the Latin 'inter' (Greek'entera') meaning 'amongst, between'. Other languages and other Old English forms of the word have used the notion of 'put together' (as in 'comprehend', or 'take grasp of' as in the French 'comprendre').

The prefix 'CON', comes from the latin 'CUM' which means 'with' not 'against' as Prince stated above. 'Confuse' originally comes from the Latin 'confundere': to 'join with' or 'to mingle together'.

As for 'illusion' and 'ill', they come from two seperate etymological roots:
- 'Illusion' comes from the Latin 'illudere', combined from a phonetic distortion of 'in' (at, upon) + 'ludere' (to play) or 'to mock' or 'to jest' (idea of a deceptive appearance).
- Very different from the word 'ILL' which can only be traced back to the Old Norse 'ILLR' meaning 'Evil', 'mean' or 'malevolent'.

The word 'Spell' comes from various origins and uses and I don't like the way Prince only picked one of its (very varied) meanings - from which the word 'Gospel' is also derived - out of context just to add some authority to his point.

[Edited 9/9/18 4:01am]

CherryMoon57 said:

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

I don't really like the One Song because of some of the spoken parts of that intro which - amongst a few interesting thoughts - also contain some mis-information which Prince has based his demonstration on.

The origin of the word 'Understand' actually comes from the Old English 'under' which derives from the Latin 'inter' (Greek'entera') meaning 'amongst, between'. Other languages and other Old English forms of the word have used the notion of 'put together' (as in 'comprehend', or 'take grasp of' as in the French 'comprendre').

The prefix 'CON', comes from the latin 'CUM' which means 'with' not 'against' as Prince stated above. 'Confuse' originally comes from the Latin 'confundere': to 'join with' or 'to mingle together'.

As for 'illusion' and 'ill', they come from two seperate etymological roots:
- 'Illusion' comes from the Latin 'illudere', combined from a phonetic distortion of 'in' (at, upon) + 'ludere' (to play) or 'to mock' or 'to jest' (idea of a deceptive appearance).
- Very different from the word 'ILL' which can only be traced back to the Old Norse 'ILLR' meaning 'Evil', 'mean' or 'malevolent'.

The word 'Spell' comes from various origins and uses and I don't like the way Prince only picked one of its (very varied) meanings - from which the word 'Gospel' is also derived - out of context just to add some authority to his point.

[Edited 9/9/18 4:01am]

He was quite succeptible to conspiracy hype and misinformation about things outside of performance, music, and film!

But the track I heard in my playlist was just the song.

CherryMoon57 said:

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

I don't really like the One Song because of some of the spoken parts of that intro which - amongst a few interesting thoughts - also contain some mis-information which Prince has based his demonstration on.

The origin of the word 'Understand' actually comes from the Old English 'under' which derives from the Latin 'inter' (Greek'entera') meaning 'amongst, between'. Other languages and other Old English forms of the word have used the notion of 'put together' (as in 'comprehend', or 'take grasp of' as in the French 'comprendre').

The prefix 'CON', comes from the latin 'CUM' which means 'with' not 'against' as Prince stated above. 'Confuse' originally comes from the Latin 'confundere': to 'join with' or 'to mingle together'.

As for 'illusion' and 'ill', they come from two seperate etymological roots:
- 'Illusion' comes from the Latin 'illudere', combined from a phonetic distortion of 'in' (at, upon) + 'ludere' (to play) or 'to mock' or 'to jest' (idea of a deceptive appearance).
- Very different from the word 'ILL' which can only be traced back to the Old Norse 'ILLR' meaning 'Evil', 'mean' or 'malevolent'.

The word 'Spell' comes from various origins and uses and I don't like the way Prince only picked one of its (very varied) meanings - from which the word 'Gospel' is also derived - out of context just to add some authority to his point.

[Edited 9/9/18 4:01am]

Interesting, thx for that little etimology fact checking.

.

There are also certain fallacies in the "does society reflect arts or the opposite" part (if only the false dilemma, and in terms of causes and effect), though for entirely different reasons Ayn Rand would agree with Prince's denunciation of naturalistic arts. As for the part about man being perfect and having no needs, it won't work for long unless you choose to ignore a fair amount of facts of life and scientific knowledge.

.

So IDK, I usually like the poetry in Prince's rendition of his mysticism and religious beliefs, but here it's more an essay than a poem, and it lacks the ambiguities that I like a lot, for example, in TRC. Unless one is a christian with a very strict interpretation of the Bible, this text is quite unconvincing. On the other hand Prince acknowledges that this is a christian text for christian people and that not everyone will adhere to it, and calls for peaceful coexistence between believers and non believers, so we're cool.

TrivialPursuit said:

rdhull said:

Initially folks found it laughable back then but its allways been poignant as hell to me.

All due respect to the former, but anyone who won't listen to that intro and hear what Prince was saying is doing themselves a great disservice. So much of what he said in that are things I've come to believe in my own life at 50 years old. My journey to this place isn't because of "One Song". In fact, it was never on my radar after its initial release. But in the past couple of years or so, I went back to read the text.

People have often talked about how Prince was ahead of his time with talking about us being in the Matrix, or whatever about the internet, or the music business, etc. But "One Song", to me, is 100% proof beyond anything else he was ahead about, that he really was ahead of folks by at least 20 years.

Prince was feeling something here, really feeling a new truth in his life. I think as Prince fans we at least owe it to the artistry to read it and understand where he was coming from on it, even if you disagree with it.

From DTT:

""One Song" was posted on www.love4oneanother.com on December 31, 1999. The video of the song was later made available in the July 2001 edition of the NPGMC. The song was preceded by almost six minutes of sermonizing from (the recording is 8:54 minutes with the speech included). His speech has as its general theme the notion that mankind is creating artificial barriers between itself and God, with much of popular culture working to fill the void left by the absence of God from our lives. "One Song" continues the theme of 's speech, dealing with man's union with God. Having become one with God, is "the universe, the sun, the moon and sea." Musically, "One Song" is a slightly run-of-the-mill soul ballad, yet 's vocal delivery is impassioned and gospel-tinged. The song has a reasonably strong chorus and an anthemic quality, but the music is rather sterile-sounding, with a slick and somewhat lifeless production."

Opening:

1999… and the illusion continues. One begs 2 ask -
“when will it end?"

Unnatural disasters happen seemingly every week. Train crashes, shootings, nuclear accidents; is there any place of refuge one can flee from this insanity? Very few of mankind’s creations r designed 2 make u feel good, unless u get pleasure from seeing the human body desecrated by guns, explosions, fights, and any other things these so-called "artists” create. In the name of freedom, many have used art as a means 2 destroy the human mind. As an excuse 2 continue we hear “Art reflects society”. How many times has this lie been repeated: “creations r not real”, they say and yet any one of these people can call 2 mind images and complete scenes of horror in graphic detail. They will carry these so-called “unreal” creations around with them 4 the rest of their lives. These images r now a part of their being. In the name of RECREATION these people in fact r re-creating themselves in their own images.

SOCIETY THEN REFLECTS ART.

In man’s decision 2 further separate from God, his re-creation of himself leaves him in a dysfunctional state of confusion. The mind becomes a burial ground 4 dead waste. Isolated from the wholeness of God, Earth and his fellow brothers and sisters, this man seeks solace in activities he thinks will stimulate his mind. He begins downloading in2 his brain a series of manmade creations designed 2 destroy it. All manmade creations originate from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. One of these trees contained deadly fruit, the other - Fruit of Everlasting Life. The one who disregards this fact recreates himself and his kind in2 extinction.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

Returning the leadership back in2 God will allow mankind 2 achieve its original collective goal which is union with God. Ideas contrary 2 this goal should not b blamed or persecuted - just simply ignored. They originated when man first chose 2 ignore God’s rule. Simply put - in the beginning, the Human was made perfect in God’s image. They had no need 4 knowledge. They were also given freedom of choice. The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life r reflections of this freedom. The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose. God being centrifugal in nature, freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT. In knowing their perfection made in God’s image, there was no need 2 choose. In fact, their were NO NEEDS. There was only love in an all-knowing state b4 the fall. The worst thing u can do is give up ur God-given right 2 choose. 4 in it - u can choose not 2 choose. Therein is the final judgement. The illusion ceases and u awaken from ur dream. Now the healing begins…


With an all-knowing mind, made in God’s image u can create as ur Creator - God intended. With love, honor and respect 4 every living thing in the universe. Separation ceases, and we all become One Being singing the One song.

I'll be harsh and blunt. I consider it to be a pile a self-aggrandizing, pompous, probably drug-induced (or blank page depression induced) pile of paranoid crap. To me this stuff is the worst of all Prince's catalogue, making the org's poster children "Jughead" and "Wedding Feast" masterpieces in comparison.

"God being centrifugal in nature", "pre-selected role under a dictatorship", "many languages are brilliant in their attempt to confuse you", it's a smelly soup made of "Aldous Huxley for Dummies", JW self-indulgence, and a tad of spitting on the entertainment industry, of which Prince is a distinguished member.

You have to be either a hardcore zealot or leave any judgment at the door to appreciate it.
Musically, "the universe is MEEEEE", trying to be some kind of opera baryton, the synth stock sounds,
the karaoke video, completes the disaster. Don't start me on his suffixes and prefixes ("CON" and "ILL"), stuff a twelve year old kid would come with. Hey, I want to play too! "pRINSE washes the sins of this world away with just one song".

Believe me, I tried. But I won't buy an opinion (heck, a divine doomsday judgement, apparently) on society from someone who never truly lived in it, who never wore the same outfit twice, and spent most of his days in seclusion, even if a creative one.
Agree, the world is a mess, SKipper, but it's a very complex one. This black-or-white, us vs. them, simplistic and naive collection of "reflections" belongs indeed to the universe: it's void.

[Edited 9/9/18 12:22pm]

bonatoc said:

TrivialPursuit said:

All due respect to the former, but anyone who won't listen to that intro and hear what Prince was saying is doing themselves a great disservice. So much of what he said in that are things I've come to believe in my own life at 50 years old. My journey to this place isn't because of "One Song". In fact, it was never on my radar after its initial release. But in the past couple of years or so, I went back to read the text.

People have often talked about how Prince was ahead of his time with talking about us being in the Matrix, or whatever about the internet, or the music business, etc. But "One Song", to me, is 100% proof beyond anything else he was ahead about, that he really was ahead of folks by at least 20 years.

Prince was feeling something here, really feeling a new truth in his life. I think as Prince fans we at least owe it to the artistry to read it and understand where he was coming from on it, even if you disagree with it.

From DTT:

""One Song" was posted on www.love4oneanother.com on December 31, 1999. The video of the song was later made available in the July 2001 edition of the NPGMC. The song was preceded by almost six minutes of sermonizing from (the recording is 8:54 minutes with the speech included). His speech has as its general theme the notion that mankind is creating artificial barriers between itself and God, with much of popular culture working to fill the void left by the absence of God from our lives. "One Song" continues the theme of 's speech, dealing with man's union with God. Having become one with God, is "the universe, the sun, the moon and sea." Musically, "One Song" is a slightly run-of-the-mill soul ballad, yet 's vocal delivery is impassioned and gospel-tinged. The song has a reasonably strong chorus and an anthemic quality, but the music is rather sterile-sounding, with a slick and somewhat lifeless production."

Opening:

1999… and the illusion continues. One begs 2 ask -
“when will it end?"

Unnatural disasters happen seemingly every week. Train crashes, shootings, nuclear accidents; is there any place of refuge one can flee from this insanity? Very few of mankind’s creations r designed 2 make u feel good, unless u get pleasure from seeing the human body desecrated by guns, explosions, fights, and any other things these so-called "artists” create. In the name of freedom, many have used art as a means 2 destroy the human mind. As an excuse 2 continue we hear “Art reflects society”. How many times has this lie been repeated: “creations r not real”, they say and yet any one of these people can call 2 mind images and complete scenes of horror in graphic detail. They will carry these so-called “unreal” creations around with them 4 the rest of their lives. These images r now a part of their being. In the name of RECREATION these people in fact r re-creating themselves in their own images.

SOCIETY THEN REFLECTS ART.

In man’s decision 2 further separate from God, his re-creation of himself leaves him in a dysfunctional state of confusion. The mind becomes a burial ground 4 dead waste. Isolated from the wholeness of God, Earth and his fellow brothers and sisters, this man seeks solace in activities he thinks will stimulate his mind. He begins downloading in2 his brain a series of manmade creations designed 2 destroy it. All manmade creations originate from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. One of these trees contained deadly fruit, the other - Fruit of Everlasting Life. The one who disregards this fact recreates himself and his kind in2 extinction.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

Returning the leadership back in2 God will allow mankind 2 achieve its original collective goal which is union with God. Ideas contrary 2 this goal should not b blamed or persecuted - just simply ignored. They originated when man first chose 2 ignore God’s rule. Simply put - in the beginning, the Human was made perfect in God’s image. They had no need 4 knowledge. They were also given freedom of choice. The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life r reflections of this freedom. The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose. God being centrifugal in nature, freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT. In knowing their perfection made in God’s image, there was no need 2 choose. In fact, their were NO NEEDS. There was only love in an all-knowing state b4 the fall. The worst thing u can do is give up ur God-given right 2 choose. 4 in it - u can choose not 2 choose. Therein is the final judgement. The illusion ceases and u awaken from ur dream. Now the healing begins…


With an all-knowing mind, made in God’s image u can create as ur Creator - God intended. With love, honor and respect 4 every living thing in the universe. Separation ceases, and we all become One Being singing the One song.

I'll be harsh and blunt. I consider it to be a pile a self-aggrandizing, pompous, probably drug-induced (or blank page depression induced) pile of paranoid crap. To me this stuff is the worst of all Prince's catalogue, making the org's poster children "Jughead" and "Wedding Feast" masterpieces in comparison.

"God being centrifugal in nature", "pre-selected role under a dictatorship", "many languages are brilliant in their attempt to confuse you", it's a smelly soup made of "Aldous Huxley for Dummies", JW self-indulgence, and a tad of spitting on the entertainment industry, of which Prince is a distinguished member.

You have to be either a hardcore zealot or leave any judgment at the door to appreciate it.
Musically, "the universe is MEEEEE", trying to be some kind of opera baryton, the synth stock sounds,
the karaoke video, completes the disaster. Don't start me on his suffixes and prefixes ("CON" and "ILL"), stuff a twelve year old kid would come with. Hey, I want to play too! "pRINSE washes the sins of this world away with just one song".

Believe me, I tried. But I won't buy an opinion (heck, a divine doomsday judgement, apparently) on society from someone who never truly lived in it, who never wore the same outfit twice, and spent most of his days in seclusion, even if a creative one.
Agree, the world is a mess, SKipper, but it's a very complex one. This black-or-white, us vs. them, simplistic and naive collection of "reflections" belongs indeed to the universe: it's void.

[Edited 9/9/18 12:22pm]

"the world's a mess..its in my kiss"

2045RadicalMattZ said:

who's talking about the insanity and rampant reemergent racism and division going on?

Nothing but damce tracks and warbling love songs. Kids are abusing drugs all over at younger ages and it's pretty much being celebrated

I think it's naive on Bono-levels to think it's the role of entertainment to solve racism (or hunger, or poverty, etc.).
Art, and its bastard retarted child, entertainment, can express an opinion on it, but it won't magically solve it.
If it was so, we'd be living in paradise since Lennon's "Imagine".

Hedonism is primarily the stuff of teenagers, excess is for the young at heart, and always has been.
Remember, LSD was "celebrated" fifty years ago, everyone had to get stoned (Frisco's Summer of Love, Woodstock, Hair, Macca and Lennon praising their experiences, the Stones getting stoned, Huxley with "Doors of Perception" and many more drug gurus).
In comparison, this is a rather squeaky clean society we live in.
Abuse is somewhat a normal process, it's about testing your limits, and every sane kid, no matter how much warnings you throw, will most likely go through it. You can't suppress the desire for new experiences in human beings.

Serious numbers and sources tell another story:
there are much more drug related deaths after the age of 25. So much for kids abusing.
Drug consumption first hits the poor, not necessarily the young.

There is no steep curve in drug consumption in recent years, it basically follows earth population growth:
https://www.statista.com/...e-by-drug/

https://ourworldindata.or...stance-use

https://www.unodc.org/wdr...ersion.pdf

https://www.statista.com/...in-the-us/

https://www.statista.com/...in-europe/

But I digress...

ufoclub said:

CherryMoon57 said:

I don't really like the One Song because of some of the spoken parts of that intro which - amongst a few interesting thoughts - also contain some mis-information which Prince has based his demonstration on.

The origin of the word 'Understand' actually comes from the Old English 'under' which derives from the Latin 'inter' (Greek'entera') meaning 'amongst, between'. Other languages and other Old English forms of the word have used the notion of 'put together' (as in 'comprehend', or 'take grasp of' as in the French 'comprendre').

The prefix 'CON', comes from the latin 'CUM' which means 'with' not 'against' as Prince stated above. 'Confuse' originally comes from the Latin 'confundere': to 'join with' or 'to mingle together'.

As for 'illusion' and 'ill', they come from two seperate etymological roots:
- 'Illusion' comes from the Latin 'illudere', combined from a phonetic distortion of 'in' (at, upon) + 'ludere' (to play) or 'to mock' or 'to jest' (idea of a deceptive appearance).
- Very different from the word 'ILL' which can only be traced back to the Old Norse 'ILLR' meaning 'Evil', 'mean' or 'malevolent'.

The word 'Spell' comes from various origins and uses and I don't like the way Prince only picked one of its (very varied) meanings - from which the word 'Gospel' is also derived - out of context just to add some authority to his point.

[Edited 9/9/18 4:01am]

He was quite succeptible to conspiracy hype and misinformation about things outside of performance, music, and film!

But the track I heard in my playlist was just the song.

I don't like the song either. The tune is ok-ish but the lyrics just make me wonder if Prince was actually part of some sort of 'I AM' movement:

'The group teaches that the "Mighty I AM Presence" is God existing in and as each person's Higher Self, and that a light known as the "Violet Flame" is generated by the "I AM Presence" and may surround each person who calls forth the action of the Holy Spirit for expression of mercy or forgiveness. The group believes that by tapping into these internalized powers in accordance with the teachings of the Ascended Masters, one can use one's relationship to the "Presence" to amplify the expressions of virtue such as justice, peace, harmony, and love; to displace or abate the expression of evil (relative absence of good) in the world; and to minimize personal difficulties in one's life.

'I am' is also how God is sometimes referred to in the Bible (by God himself), and there are a lot of prominent people in the show business who have used the term 'I AM' for whatever reason or purpose (will.i.am even incorporated in his name).

I certainly agree with his belief that a lot of man-made structures, actions and creations have directly or undirectly contributed to seperating people from their true self, their freedom and God.

CherryMoon57 said:

I certainly agree with his belief that a lot of man-made structures, actions and creations have directly or undirectly contributed to seperating people from their true self, their freedom and God.

I think that is the Essence of what he is saying..albeit in a very Verbose somewhat truncated way..

CherryMoon57 said:

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

I don't really like the One Song because of some of the spoken parts of that intro which - amongst a few interesting thoughts - also contain some mis-information which Prince has based his demonstration on.

The origin of the word 'Understand' actually comes from the Old English 'under' which derives from the Latin 'inter' (Greek'entera') meaning 'amongst, between'. Other languages and other Old English forms of the word have used the notion of 'put together' (as in 'comprehend', or 'take grasp of' as in the French 'comprendre').

The prefix 'CON', comes from the latin 'CUM' which means 'with' not 'against' as Prince stated above. 'Confuse' originally comes from the Latin 'confundere': to 'join with' or 'to mingle together'.

As for 'illusion' and 'ill', they come from two seperate etymological roots:
- 'Illusion' comes from the Latin 'illudere', combined from a phonetic distortion of 'in' (at, upon) + 'ludere' (to play) or 'to mock' or 'to jest' (idea of a deceptive appearance).
- Very different from the word 'ILL' which can only be traced back to the Old Norse 'ILLR' meaning 'Evil', 'mean' or 'malevolent'.

The word 'Spell' comes from various origins and uses and I don't like the way Prince only picked one of its (very varied) meanings - from which the word 'Gospel' is also derived - out of context just to add some authority to his point.

[Edited 9/9/18 4:01am]

Well said. I was always uncomfortable with the way Prince would try to deconstruct language for his own means in this period. He could sometimes make a point, but that would be undercut by its historical inaccuracy.

CherryMoon57 said:

Over the years alot of Prince's music has been rehashed in one way or another

i'm surprised he never released this song in good quality.This is one of my favorite Prince songs.

I hope the estate releases it even if it's only the song by itself.

he kinda had to cater to an audience not really looking for or expecting this kind of message...so it may seem simplistic

This is pre-JW correct?

onlyforaminute said:

This is pre-JW correct?

It was 1999, and Graham was certainly around during that time. Remember, they were talking about stauros on Vibe which was 1998.

bonatoc said:

2045RadicalMattZ said:

who's talking about the insanity and rampant reemergent racism and division going on?

Nothing but damce tracks and warbling love songs. Kids are abusing drugs all over at younger ages and it's pretty much being celebrated

I think it's naive on Bono-levels to think it's the role of entertainment to solve racism (or hunger, or poverty, etc.).
Art, and its bastard retarted child, entertainment, can express an opinion on it, but it won't magically solve it.
If it was so, we'd be living in paradise since Lennon's "Imagine".

Hedonism is primarily the stuff of teenagers, excess is for the young at heart, and always has been.
Remember, LSD was "celebrated" fifty years ago, everyone had to get stoned (Frisco's Summer of Love, Woodstock, Hair, Macca and Lennon praising their experiences, the Stones getting stoned, Huxley with "Doors of Perception" and many more drug gurus).
In comparison, this is a rather squeaky clean society we live in.
Abuse is somewhat a normal process, it's about testing your limits, and every sane kid, no matter how much warnings you throw, will most likely go through it. You can't suppress the desire for new experiences in human beings.

Serious numbers and sources tell another story:
there are much more drug related deaths after the age of 25. So much for kids abusing.
Drug consumption first hits the poor, not necessarily the young.

There is no steep curve in drug consumption in recent years, it basically follows earth population growth:
https://www.statista.com/...e-by-drug/

https://ourworldindata.or...stance-use

https://www.unodc.org/wdr...ersion.pdf

https://www.statista.com/...in-the-us/

https://www.statista.com/...in-europe/

But I digress...

Yeah I agree with your points, but kids are creatures of habit, and acquiesence when it comes to conformity. It's always good to have something positive out there reflecting a varying point of view that isn't hammering an ideology into one's head. Prince in his own way was trying to explain that the seed your plant yield fruit.

Most here aren't complete assholes, and it's probably a reflection of the audience and his fans. Jump the rails over to "Tyler the creator" and you'd have something else likely going on.

Anyways, statistical stuff... those are always select and participating results. I just happen to know that drugs are more and more available and prominent in youth lives now. In my era and location, it used to only be the rich kids...and sometimes the super poor kids from shitty places with no familial regard to their lives.

yeah, deaths after 25 sound about right for people wanting a quick fix and deteriorating... just wait another 10 years, hopefully it won't turn out as its looking to...

Songs don't change the world, but they can change ideas and give people hope. When a song can give someone hope to carry on, or to release whatever pain they may have bottlenecking in their self, it's therapeutic and a helpful resource. Changing someones mind, may change their character, and in turn change their actions, which may in turn change the local world around them.

I'd rather believe in that than to say that all sentiment is fruitless.

TrivialPursuit said:

onlyforaminute said:

This is pre-JW correct?

It was 1999, and Graham was certainly around during that time. Remember, they were talking about stauros on Vibe which was 1998.

Aw okay, explains a few things I couldn't grasp.

TrivialPursuit said:

rdhull said:

Initially folks found it laughable back then but its allways been poignant as hell to me.

All due respect to the former, but anyone who won't listen to that intro and hear what Prince was saying is doing themselves a great disservice. So much of what he said in that are things I've come to believe in my own life at 50 years old. My journey to this place isn't because of "One Song". In fact, it was never on my radar after its initial release. But in the past couple of years or so, I went back to read the text.

People have often talked about how Prince was ahead of his time with talking about us being in the Matrix, or whatever about the internet, or the music business, etc. But "One Song", to me, is 100% proof beyond anything else he was ahead about, that he really was ahead of folks by at least 20 years.

Prince was feeling something here, really feeling a new truth in his life. I think as Prince fans we at least owe it to the artistry to read it and understand where he was coming from on it, even if you disagree with it.

From DTT:

""One Song" was posted on www.love4oneanother.com on December 31, 1999. The video of the song was later made available in the July 2001 edition of the NPGMC. The song was preceded by almost six minutes of sermonizing from (the recording is 8:54 minutes with the speech included). His speech has as its general theme the notion that mankind is creating artificial barriers between itself and God, with much of popular culture working to fill the void left by the absence of God from our lives. "One Song" continues the theme of 's speech, dealing with man's union with God. Having become one with God, is "the universe, the sun, the moon and sea." Musically, "One Song" is a slightly run-of-the-mill soul ballad, yet 's vocal delivery is impassioned and gospel-tinged. The song has a reasonably strong chorus and an anthemic quality, but the music is rather sterile-sounding, with a slick and somewhat lifeless production."

Opening:

1999… and the illusion continues. One begs 2 ask -
“when will it end?"

Unnatural disasters happen seemingly every week. Train crashes, shootings, nuclear accidents; is there any place of refuge one can flee from this insanity? Very few of mankind’s creations r designed 2 make u feel good, unless u get pleasure from seeing the human body desecrated by guns, explosions, fights, and any other things these so-called "artists” create. In the name of freedom, many have used art as a means 2 destroy the human mind. As an excuse 2 continue we hear “Art reflects society”. How many times has this lie been repeated: “creations r not real”, they say and yet any one of these people can call 2 mind images and complete scenes of horror in graphic detail. They will carry these so-called “unreal” creations around with them 4 the rest of their lives. These images r now a part of their being. In the name of RECREATION these people in fact r re-creating themselves in their own images.

SOCIETY THEN REFLECTS ART.

In man’s decision 2 further separate from God, his re-creation of himself leaves him in a dysfunctional state of confusion. The mind becomes a burial ground 4 dead waste. Isolated from the wholeness of God, Earth and his fellow brothers and sisters, this man seeks solace in activities he thinks will stimulate his mind. He begins downloading in2 his brain a series of manmade creations designed 2 destroy it. All manmade creations originate from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. One of these trees contained deadly fruit, the other - Fruit of Everlasting Life. The one who disregards this fact recreates himself and his kind in2 extinction.

U r reading these words on a machine created by man. As u read, u hear a voice speaking 2 u the words that u perceive. They make sense 2 u because u understand (stand under) the SPELLing. The words r what binds this SPELL 2 ur illusion. When u hear the truth, like a memory - u recognize it and this recognition releases u from ALL illusion. Many languages r brilliant in their attempt 2 CONfuse u. CON meaning: against, fuse meaning: 2gether. Words and their SPELLbinding illusions have the power 2 keep man separate from God. U were born in an all-knowing state of mind. The first words spoken 2 u begin the SPELL.

The words come from one of 2 sources: the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life. In ignorance or simply lack of respect 4 God, many use words that CONfuse the minds of humans and turn them in2 projections of their own illusions. Because of this fact, many people grow up and blindly assume their pre-selected role under a dictatorship without even being aware of it. When asked what they r doing here on earth, most will answer with statements that do not reflect their natural God-given desires. This creates a pyramid-like structure with the dictator on top, and each level under it knowing less and less. Upon reaching the bottom level - which is where the majority is, u will find chaos, disorder, and illusion. With ILL as its prefix, ILLusion is a state of insanity. In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair.

Returning the leadership back in2 God will allow mankind 2 achieve its original collective goal which is union with God. Ideas contrary 2 this goal should not b blamed or persecuted - just simply ignored. They originated when man first chose 2 ignore God’s rule. Simply put - in the beginning, the Human was made perfect in God’s image. They had no need 4 knowledge. They were also given freedom of choice. The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life r reflections of this freedom. The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose. God being centrifugal in nature, freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT. In knowing their perfection made in God’s image, there was no need 2 choose. In fact, their were NO NEEDS. There was only love in an all-knowing state b4 the fall. The worst thing u can do is give up ur God-given right 2 choose. 4 in it - u can choose not 2 choose. Therein is the final judgement. The illusion ceases and u awaken from ur dream. Now the healing begins…


With an all-knowing mind, made in God’s image u can create as ur Creator - God intended. With love, honor and respect 4 every living thing in the universe. Separation ceases, and we all become One Being singing the One song.

To me, this song has always been very profound.