jfenster said:

violetcrush said:

Remember when everyone thought that Starfish and Coffee had some abstract meaning and/or hidden message, and then we found out it was a literal story about what an autistic girl would say at school??

*

Another one was Wasted Kisses - I remember reading an old thread about it where someone thought it was about Mayte and their Son's death Completely far-fetched interpretation of the lyrics. That song was straight-up about the finality of losing a former lover, which is why it was a hidden track. Prince would never have written such a dark song about the loss of his Son.

*

Yes Prince used creative word-play and phrasing in his lyrics, especially when disguising sexually explicit details, however, most of the messages in his songs were pretty clear. You know when he's singing about sex, love, politics, race, violence etc.

it is intentional to make it mean something different for people who see it that way

Nah, I just think Prince was very creative with using his music and lyrics to tell even the most basic story, and to make it interesting instead of mundane or boring. He essentially told many of the same stories about love, sex, and religion all throughout his career, but each new song about those topics was unique in both the music and lyrics. He was exttremely gifted that way.

violetcrush said:

Genesia said:

"All of the songs" about God are up front about it? Yeah...no, they aren't. Again, as someone else pointed out, Prince's lyrics aren't always meant to be taken literally. He was a master of metaphor and personification (I Would Die 4 U is an excellent example of the latter).

I don't know why it's so hard to accept that he wrote songs about God (and his relationship with God) that weren't "beat you over the head" obvious, but whatevs.

I Would Die 4 U was NOT a religious song. It was originally written as Prince describing himself to a/his woman - it was not a song about God. He later changed the lyric to "he's your Messiah, and you're the reason why"....however, the original lyric was "I'M your Messiah..." It was Prince having some fun with the "hey, I'm a mysterious dude and you'll never figure me out" message to his fans:

*

I'm not your lover
I'm not your friend
I am something that you'll never comprehend

No need to worry
No need to cry
I'm your messiah and you're the reason why

'Cause you, I would die for you, yeah
Darling if you want me to
You, I would die for you

*

He changed the lyric after receiving criticism for allegedly referring to himself as a "God" or higher power. Again, another example of fans going too "deep" with his song meaning, but this is what he wanted to happen. It all contributed to the mystery of his persona.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:30pm]

[Edited 7/24/19 14:31pm]

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus - who did die to take away the sins of man. "I would die for you" refers to the crucifixion. That's also why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:54pm]

Genesia said:

violetcrush said:

I Would Die 4 U was NOT a religious song. It was originally written as Prince describing himself to a/his woman - it was not a song about God. He later changed the lyric to "he's your Messiah, and you're the reason why"....however, the original lyric was "I'M your Messiah..." It was Prince having some fun with the "hey, I'm a mysterious dude and you'll never figure me out" message to his fans:

*

I'm not your lover
I'm not your friend
I am something that you'll never comprehend

No need to worry
No need to cry
I'm your messiah and you're the reason why

'Cause you, I would die for you, yeah
Darling if you want me to
You, I would die for you

*

He changed the lyric after receiving criticism for allegedly referring to himself as a "God" or higher power. Again, another example of fans going too "deep" with his song meaning, but this is what he wanted to happen. It all contributed to the mystery of his persona.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:30pm]

[Edited 7/24/19 14:31pm]

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus!!! That's why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

"I Would Die 4 U" sadly turned VERY autobiographical for Prince(r.i.p.). Since he did end up dying for his "loyal fans"..

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Genesia said:

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus!!! That's why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

"I Would Die 4 U" sadly turned VERY autobiographical for Prince(r.i.p.). Since he did end up dying for his "loyal fans"..

Bullshit. (Now go ahead and roll your eyes at me.)

Genesia said:

violetcrush said:

I Would Die 4 U was NOT a religious song. It was originally written as Prince describing himself to a/his woman - it was not a song about God. He later changed the lyric to "he's your Messiah, and you're the reason why"....however, the original lyric was "I'M your Messiah..." It was Prince having some fun with the "hey, I'm a mysterious dude and you'll never figure me out" message to his fans:

*

I'm not your lover
I'm not your friend
I am something that you'll never comprehend

No need to worry
No need to cry
I'm your messiah and you're the reason why

'Cause you, I would die for you, yeah
Darling if you want me to
You, I would die for you

*

He changed the lyric after receiving criticism for allegedly referring to himself as a "God" or higher power. Again, another example of fans going too "deep" with his song meaning, but this is what he wanted to happen. It all contributed to the mystery of his persona.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:30pm]

[Edited 7/24/19 14:31pm]

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus - who did die to take away the sins of man. "I would die for you" refers to the crucifixion. That's also why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:54pm]

WRONG. Have you actually really READ the lyrics??? If he was originally portraying Jesus in the song why would he have the "I'm not your friend" lyric? Also, Jesus would not refer to the woman as "darling". This is Prince being Prince -mixing the sexual/sensual with religious connotations to make it more interesting and mysterious. Same goes for 1999 - some think that the "I've got a lion in my pocket.." lyric was tied to a religious message when it was just Prince referring to his "tootsie roll".

He changed the lyrics, because he knew there was a backlash. Journalists were writing that he thought he was the Messiah.

[Edited 7/24/19 16:44pm]

Prince, in his May 16, 2000 NYC interview promoting the Rave album:

*

"You know, everybody has their own perception about me and my music. I think though, if you really put everything back to back in a linear fashion, you'll see "The Greatest Romance" is pretty much saying the same thing as P Control, that's saying the same thing as Sexy MF. You know, what people get out of it is what they get out of it."

I just listened completely to Prince's live performance of this song at the 2013 Montreux show.

*

He sings, "There's a door that you can walk through, darlin', where there used to be a wall. I don't care, as long as you catch me girl, catch me girl, if ever there's a fall..."

*

So, unless he is referring to God or the pain meds as "darlin" and/or "girl", it would seem this song was speaking to a specific relationship or relationships with women in general....

violetcrush said:

Genesia said:

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus - who did die to take away the sins of man. "I would die for you" refers to the crucifixion. That's also why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

[Edited 7/24/19 14:54pm]

WRONG. Have you actually really READ the lyrics??? If he was originally portraying Jesus in the song why would he have the "I'm not your friend" lyric? Also, Jesus would not refer to the woman as "darling". This is Prince being Prince -mixing the sexual/sensual with religious connotations to make it more interesting and mysterious. Same goes for 1999 - some think that the "I've got a lion in my pocket.." lyric was tied to a religious message when it was just Prince referring to his "tootsie roll".

He changed the lyrics, because he knew there was a backlash. Journalists were writing that he thought he was the Messiah.

[Edited 7/24/19 16:44pm]

Genesia was correct regarding the songs point in messianic religous overtones. I mean it's glaringly overt and not "hiding" the religious message. And nobody thought a lion in his pocket meant something religious, causing him to be worried about a backlash. Your continuous drive to be right really makes it look like youre trolling.

rdhull said:

violetcrush said:

WRONG. Have you actually really READ the lyrics??? If he was originally portraying Jesus in the song why would he have the "I'm not your friend" lyric? Also, Jesus would not refer to the woman as "darling". This is Prince being Prince -mixing the sexual/sensual with religious connotations to make it more interesting and mysterious. Same goes for 1999 - some think that the "I've got a lion in my pocket.." lyric was tied to a religious message when it was just Prince referring to his "tootsie roll".

He changed the lyrics, because he knew there was a backlash. Journalists were writing that he thought he was the Messiah.

[Edited 7/24/19 16:44pm]

Genesia was correct regarding the songs point in messianic religous overtones. I mean it's glaringly overt and not "hiding" the religious message. And nobody thought a lion in his pocket meant something religious, causing him to be worried about a backlash. Your continuous drive to be right really makes it look like youre trolling.

Actually, if you had read my post correctly, you would know that I stated he received backlash for referring to himself as the Messiah in IWD4U - NOT 1999. I remember it, because I was in high school at that time. And yes, actually I believe it was Toure who stated in his book that the "lion in my pocket" lyric may have been linked to a biblical message - as in "the Lion of Judah - aka - Jesus. Not that Toure is an expert on all things Prince, but he did know him personally, and wrote a book about him.

*

I also did not state that there was no religious tone to the song IWD4U. What I said was Prince creatively mixed the relationship with the religious in that song - likening himself to Jesus in the relationship dynamic with the woman.

*

And, how is it "trolling" to have a logical and thoughtful opinion?? Or, I guess it's considered trolling if/when one's opinion is different than a few others??

*

Pulled from songfacts.com:

*

Prince is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice on this Purple Rain track, where he declares a religious level of devotion. The enigma that was Prince is embodied in the opening lines:

I'm not a woman
I'm not a man
I am something that you'll never understand

[Edited 7/24/19 20:00pm]

[Edited 7/24/19 20:02pm]

violetcrush said:

I Would Die 4 U was NOT a religious song. It was originally written as Prince describing himself to a/his woman - it was not a song about God. He later changed the lyric to "he's your Messiah, and you're the reason why"....however, the original lyric was "I'M your Messiah..." It was Prince having some fun with the "hey, I'm a mysterious dude and you'll never figure me out" message to his fans:

He changed the lyric after receiving criticism for allegedly referring to himself as a "God" or higher power. Again, another example of fans going too "deep" with his song meaning, but this is what he wanted to happen. It all contributed to the mystery of his persona.

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

rdhull said:

violetcrush said:

WRONG. Have you actually really READ the lyrics??? If he was originally portraying Jesus in the song why would he have the "I'm not your friend" lyric? Also, Jesus would not refer to the woman as "darling". This is Prince being Prince -mixing the sexual/sensual with religious connotations to make it more interesting and mysterious. Same goes for 1999 - some think that the "I've got a lion in my pocket.." lyric was tied to a religious message when it was just Prince referring to his "tootsie roll".

He changed the lyrics, because he knew there was a backlash. Journalists were writing that he thought he was the Messiah.

[Edited 7/24/19 16:44pm]

Genesia was correct regarding the songs point in messianic religous overtones. I mean it's glaringly overt and not "hiding" the religious message. And nobody thought a lion in his pocket meant something religious, causing him to be worried about a backlash. Your continuous drive to be right really makes it look like youre trolling.

Violet-I would like to speak with you sincerely.

This is one of the most authentic Prince communities where we share our thoughts and ideas about Prince. It is a communal experience which, in my mind, means we share with each other. Sometimes that means we (our ideas) need to take a back seat in order to keep our relationship with other orgers healthy/intact.Most of us did not know Prince but were deeply impacted by him and there is a need to try to understand more by sharing. The act of sharing is fragile and needs to be protected and cultivated.

When a person needs to be right as opposed to trying to understand different perspectives, it damages that fragile network among us.

I will now be specific. I have walked away from a number of interesting and important threads; have even cancelled my 'subscription' in frustration over how you have over-saturated a number of threads with your

need to be right. What this does is silence others as they may not want to fiight with you, do not have as much time or are just shy. A lot of folks feel vulnerable when they post as they are expresssing from a deep part of themselves. When folks do not feel safe posting, there is a tendency to leave. This eventually, will erode Prince's legacy.

Perhaps it might be better to write a book or start a blog where your ideas can take a front seat.

We are in a community and that means we need to be aware of our impact on others.

[Edited 7/25/19 8:59am]

PeggyO said:

rdhull said:

Genesia was correct regarding the songs point in messianic religous overtones. I mean it's glaringly overt and not "hiding" the religious message. And nobody thought a lion in his pocket meant something religious, causing him to be worried about a backlash. Your continuous drive to be right really makes it look like youre trolling.

Violet-I would like to speak with you sincerely.

This is one of the most authentic Prince communities where we share our thoughts and ideas about Prince. It is a communal experience which, in my mind, means we share with each other. Sometimes that means we (our ideas) need to take a back seat in order to keep our relationship with other orgers healthy/intact.Most of us did not know Prince but were deeply impacted by him and there is a need to try to understand more by sharing. The act of sharing is fragile and needs to be protected and cultivated.

When a person needs to be right as opposed to trying to understand different perspectives, it damages that fragile network among us.

I will now be specific. I have walked away from a number of interesting and important threads; have even cancelled my 'subscription' in frustration over how you have over-saturated a number of threads with your

need to be right. What this does is silence others as they may not want to fiight with you, do not have as much time or are just shy. A lot of folks feel vulnerable when they post as they are expresssing from a deep part of themselves. I have often not posted as I knew what the result would be.

Over my time on this site, I have received numerous orgnotes from other orgers expressing frustration with your behavior.

Perhaps it might be better to write a book or start a blog where your ideas can take a front seat.

We are in a community and that means we need to be aware of our impact on others.

On the other hand...

Never argue with an idiot. They will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Genesia said:

PeggyO said:

Violet-I would like to speak with you sincerely.

This is one of the most authentic Prince communities where we share our thoughts and ideas about Prince. It is a communal experience which, in my mind, means we share with each other. Sometimes that means we (our ideas) need to take a back seat in order to keep our relationship with other orgers healthy/intact.Most of us did not know Prince but were deeply impacted by him and there is a need to try to understand more by sharing. The act of sharing is fragile and needs to be protected and cultivated.

When a person needs to be right as opposed to trying to understand different perspectives, it damages that fragile network among us.

I will now be specific. I have walked away from a number of interesting and important threads; have even cancelled my 'subscription' in frustration over how you have over-saturated a number of threads with your

need to be right. What this does is silence others as they may not want to fiight with you, do not have as much time or are just shy. A lot of folks feel vulnerable when they post as they are expresssing from a deep part of themselves. I have often not posted as I knew what the result would be.

Over my time on this site, I have received numerous orgnotes from other orgers expressing frustration with your behavior.

Perhaps it might be better to write a book or start a blog where your ideas can take a front seat.

We are in a community and that means we need to be aware of our impact on others.

On the other hand...

Never argue with an idiot. They will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I agree with no arguing, but many important threads have 'died' that way. It erodes his legacy (IMO)

[Edited 7/25/19 9:05am]

PeggyO said:

I agree with no arguing, but many important threads have 'died' that way. It erodes his legacy (IMO)

The life of the thread gets sucked out.

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

PeggyO said:

I agree with no arguing, but many important threads have 'died' that way. It erodes his legacy (IMO)

The life of the thread gets sucked out.

Yes.

PeggyO said:

rdhull said:

Genesia was correct regarding the songs point in messianic religous overtones. I mean it's glaringly overt and not "hiding" the religious message. And nobody thought a lion in his pocket meant something religious, causing him to be worried about a backlash. Your continuous drive to be right really makes it look like youre trolling.

Violet-I would like to speak with you sincerely.

This is one of the most authentic Prince communities where we share our thoughts and ideas about Prince. It is a communal experience which, in my mind, means we share with each other. Sometimes that means we (our ideas) need to take a back seat in order to keep our relationship with other orgers healthy/intact.Most of us did not know Prince but were deeply impacted by him and there is a need to try to understand more by sharing. The act of sharing is fragile and needs to be protected and cultivated.

When a person needs to be right as opposed to trying to understand different perspectives, it damages that fragile network among us.

I will now be specific. I have walked away from a number of interesting and important threads; have even cancelled my 'subscription' in frustration over how you have over-saturated a number of threads with your

need to be right. What this does is silence others as they may not want to fiight with you, do not have as much time or are just shy. A lot of folks feel vulnerable when they post as they are expresssing from a deep part of themselves. When folks do not feel safe posting, there is a tendency to leave. This eventually, will erode Prince's legacy.

Perhaps it might be better to write a book or start a blog where your ideas can take a front seat.

We are in a community and that means we need to be aware of our impact on others.

[Edited 7/25/19 8:59am]

Peggy - I'm sorry, but I've been here long enough to witness and/or personally experience every possible nasty, snarky, and "bullying" type of comment by various memebers of this site. I"ve been nothing but respectful, and try to rise above the nastiness - especially within threads where the "harem" tribe comes out in full force, of which you have been a part as well.

*

Just within this thread here is what I've dealt with:

*

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

And I bet you think Susannah is on the other side of that wall

(^^^Baiting, bullying...)

*

PeggyO said:

Violet-I would like to encourage you to be a little less literal and try to read between the lines. Prince was not literal; he often spoke metaphorically. He is going deeper. Using straight up logic will not work when attempting to decipher Prince's thoughts. It just won't.

Please try to practice restraint in your opinions and let in other perspectives.

(^^^Here is your opinion, which it appears is okay for you to have, but somehow not okay for me to have my own??? Very confusing, as you can imagine)

*

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

You need to quit.

The first time I heard this song, I knew it had nothing to do with a woman.

P's messages were NEVER pretty clear.

(^^^More bullying here, which seems to be this poster's m/o)

*

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus - who did die to take away the sins of man. "I would die for you" refers to the crucifixion. That's also why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

(^^^Again, more snarky "bullying" along with an opinion. This one's okay, but of course, when I post an opinion of my own - often with outside support to confirm it (see post #68) - it is considered "argumentative"?? Okay, sure. Hypocrisy at its best here.)

*

PeggyO - I find it ridiculous and hard to believe that your reason for cancelling your subscription would have anything to do with me. Just absurd, but if that is really the case, you are placing way too much importance on me and also this site. I have been "ganged up on" multiple times by you and some of your "crew" (yes, I'm talking about you "ISaidLifeIsJustAGame"), and it's not going to deter me from expressing my thoughts and/or opinions. Sorry, but you don't get to tell me what I can or cannot express here. This is nothing but hypocrisy at its best, as well as, Junior High School level behavior, and it is just ridiculous - unless you or some of you really are 13 - then it would be understandable...annoying, but understandable.

*

Of course, I've had no "backlash" or argument toward my post #66 confirming how he sang the song lyrics at the 2013 Montreux show, which seem to align with the thought/opnion that I had originally posted. Hmmm.....

There is no crew Violet. There are concerns about your need to be right coming from many sectors of the Org., most of whom I do not know personally.

ISLIJAG is not one of my crew either. I just respect her comments and also am thankful she takes the time to translate the Estate matters for us.

violetcrush said:

PeggyO said:

(^^^More bullying here, which seems to be this poster's m/o)

*

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

OMG - how is it not a religious song? He's singing from the point of view of Jesus - who did die to take away the sins of man. "I would die for you" refers to the crucifixion. That's also why later, when he performed the song live, he changed the line to "He's your Messiah and you're the reason why." He didn't want there to be any doubt as to what the song was about and did not want to be accused of blaspheming or comparing himself to/thinking he was God. He also changed it to "I'm not your lover, but I'll be your friend" - for the same reason.

I'm not a human
I'm a dove (<-- religious imagery for the Holy Spirit)
I'm your conscience

I am love

All of this is God imagery.

You really are hopeless.

(^^^Again, more snarky "bullying" along with an opinion. This one's okay, but of course, when I post an opinion of my own - often with outside support to confirm it (see post #68) - it is considered "argumentative"?? Okay, sure. Hypocrisy at its best here.)

*

PeggyO - I find it ridiculous and hard to believe that your reason for cancelling your subscription would have anything to do with me. Just absurd, but if that is really the case, you are placing way too much importance on me and also this site. I have been "ganged up on" multiple times by you and some of your "crew" (yes, I'm talking about you "ISaidLifeIsJustAGame"), and it's not going to deter me from expressing my thoughts and/or opinions. Sorry, but you don't get to tell me what I can or cannot express here. This is nothing but hypocrisy at its best, as well as, Junior High School level behavior, and it is just ridiculous - unless you or some of you really are 13 - then it would be understandable...annoying, but understandable.

*

Of course, I've had no "backlash" or argument toward my post #66 confirming how he sang the song lyrics at the 2013 Montreux show, which seem to align with the thought/opnion that I had originally posted. Hmmm.....

PeggyO said:

There is no crew Violet. There are concerns about your need to be right coming from many sectors of the Org., most of whom I do not know personally.

ISLIJAG is not one of my crew either. I just respect her comments and also am thankful she takes the time to translate the Estate matters for us.

violetcrush said:

You, donnyenglish, and ISaidLifeIsJustAGame expressed your opinion that this song is Prince singing about his Opioid addiction. My opinion is that the song is more literal in meaning and is focused on how he has changed as a person and in relationships. There was only respectful discussion/debate happening (look back at page 1 of this thread) until you and ISLIJAG began the snarky and/or lectured responses, which began on page 2.

*

I have had many and mostly positive back and forth with others on this site. You, along with a few others, seem to be the exception. So, let's just agree to disagree and leave each other alone. I think that is the best resolution.

violetcrush said:

PeggyO said:

There is no crew Violet. There are concerns about your need to be right coming from many sectors of the Org., most of whom I do not know personally.

ISLIJAG is not one of my crew either. I just respect her comments and also am thankful she takes the time to translate the Estate matters for us.

You, donnyenglish, and ISaidLifeIsJustAGame expressed your opinion that this song is Prince singing about his Opioid addiction. My opinion is that the song is more literal in meaning and is focused on how he has changed as a person and in relationships. There was only respectful discussion/debate happening (look back at page 1 of this thread) until you and ISLIJAG began the snarky and/or lectured responses, which began on page 2.

*

I have had many and mostly positive back and forth with others on this site. You, along with a few others, seem to be the exception. So, let's just agree to disagree and leave each other alone. I think that is the best resolution.

While you're at it, please do not ever quote or reply to my posts again. (It was you who initiated our back and forth in this thread.) I have no interest in interacting with you in any way. I am well acquainted with your MO - and I'm done.

In return, I will completely ignore you. Deal?

violetcrush said:

PeggyO said:

There is no crew Violet. There are concerns about your need to be right coming from many sectors of the Org., most of whom I do not know personally.

ISLIJAG is not one of my crew either. I just respect her comments and also am thankful she takes the time to translate the Estate matters for us.

You, donnyenglish, and ISaidLifeIsJustAGame expressed your opinion that this song is Prince singing about his Opioid addiction. My opinion is that the song is more literal in meaning and is focused on how he has changed as a person and in relationships. There was only respectful discussion/debate happening (look back at page 1 of this thread) until you and ISLIJAG began the snarky and/or lectured responses, which began on page 2.

*

I have had many and mostly positive back and forth with others on this site. You, along with a few others, seem to be the exception. So, let's just agree to disagree and leave each other alone. I think that is the best resolution.

I am requesting that you refrain from commenting on my posts moving forward and I will do the same.

Genesia said:

violetcrush said:

You, donnyenglish, and ISaidLifeIsJustAGame expressed your opinion that this song is Prince singing about his Opioid addiction. My opinion is that the song is more literal in meaning and is focused on how he has changed as a person and in relationships. There was only respectful discussion/debate happening (look back at page 1 of this thread) until you and ISLIJAG began the snarky and/or lectured responses, which began on page 2.

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I have had many and mostly positive back and forth with others on this site. You, along with a few others, seem to be the exception. So, let's just agree to disagree and leave each other alone. I think that is the best resolution.

While you're at it, please do not ever quote or reply to my posts again. (It was you who initiated our back and forth in this thread.) I have no interest in interacting with you in any way. I am well acquainted with your MO - and I'm done.

In return, I will completely ignore you. Deal?

violetcrush said:

I don't think the "listen very closely" was implying some hidden message. I think it was his way of saying, "listen closely to my cautionary tale so you don't make the same mistakes."

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"this could be the saddest story ever been told. I used to want the house with the biggest pool. Reminiscing now I just feel like a fool..." and "give me back the time, you can keep the memories.". *

I think he's expressing how, if he could, he would turn back time and change how he behaved - both generally and in relationships - because he does not like thinking about how he behaved.

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The last verse - "baby baby, see there's a door that you can walk through where there used to be a wall. I don't care, it's cool, as long as you catch me baby (catch me when I fall) if ever there's a fall.."

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I think he's expressing that he is now able to be vulnerable and open with a woman, as long as she is there to help him through any "breakdown" or "fall" he may have.

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ISaidLifeIsJustAGame replied:

And I bet you think Susannah is on the other side of that wall

^^^ Seeing as the "back and forth" with you continues to be like the posts above I will gladly stay away from any discussion with you.

I never said what this VC person quoted me as saying in that last box. WTF?


I also never said I thought the song was about his opiate issues.

I merely said I didnt believe it was about a woman.

Please get your facts straight and stop accusing me of saying things I did not.

PeggyO said:

violetcrush said:

You, donnyenglish, and ISaidLifeIsJustAGame expressed your opinion that this song is Prince singing about his Opioid addiction. My opinion is that the song is more literal in meaning and is focused on how he has changed as a person and in relationships. There was only respectful discussion/debate happening (look back at page 1 of this thread) until you and ISLIJAG began the snarky and/or lectured responses, which began on page 2.

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I have had many and mostly positive back and forth with others on this site. You, along with a few others, seem to be the exception. So, let's just agree to disagree and leave each other alone. I think that is the best resolution.

I am requesting that you refrain from commenting on my posts moving forward and I will do the same.

Just to be clear - my "back and forth" with you on this thread began like this:

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PeggyO said:

Violet-I feel other respected orgers have asked you to "quit" as well in other threads. Please learn to post a little less often and allow the thread to breathe.

violetcrush replied:

PeggyO - no orger, other than those who are known for their snarky/catty remarks on certain threads, has asked or suggested anything of the kind of me. No Mod has either. Sorry if my opnion(s) do not always mesh with yours, but I reserve the right to express them just the same as every other member of this site.

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I will kindly ask you to refrain from the "lecturing" responses, and to leave the post monitoring to the Mods - that is their job, not yours.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a discussion/debate on this topic. Some believe this song is an abstract message about his addiction and/or relationship with God. I happen to think it is a message about how he's changed with regard to relationships and his behavior. This is not the first or the last time there will be varying opinions about Prince's songs, life, relationships, etc. A big part of this site is based on those discussions.

So, it was you who initiated any debate/conversation with me here. However, I am more than happy to refrain from replying to any of your posts going forward.

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

I never said what this VC person quoted me as saying in that last box. WTF?


I also never said I thought the song was about his opiate issues.

I merely said I didnt believe it was about a woman.

Please get your facts straight and stop accusing me of saying things I did not.

Your back and forth with donnyenglish #35:

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donnyenglish replied:

The song is about his struggle with opioids. It is his version of Mary Jane, but much much darker. People will criticize this interpretation, but I feel strongly about it.

i read the tune as his struggle with something other than a woman but since it was a good metaphor for a song, he hinted it was a woman. Someone on here said he wrote the breakdown after the 2010-2011 OD, if that's true, he didn't get around to working it out with the band until the time of the Arsenio performance when he was asked the stupid question of what was his favorite song, he gave the breakdown and being a fan as long as I've been, I knew he often self-promoted stuff that didn't pan out as well as he'd hoped, this is one case where the song was everything and more of what he stated. In my opinion, the "you" was either a health struggle or his feeling of helplessness with the drugs and how humbling that had to be for a man of such immense pride and dignity.

PeteSilas said:

i read the tune as his struggle with something other than a woman but since it was a good metaphor for a song, he hinted it was a woman. Someone on here said he wrote the breakdown after the 2010-2011 OD, if that's true, he didn't get around to working it out with the band until the time of the Arsenio performance when he was asked the stupid question of what was his favorite song, he gave the breakdown and being a fan as long as I've been, I knew he often self-promoted stuff that didn't pan out as well as he'd hoped, this is one case where the song was everything and more of what he stated. In my opinion, the "you" was either a health struggle or his feeling of helplessness with the drugs and how humbling that had to be for a man of such immense pride and dignity.

Princevault has basic tracking taking place in late 2012, although he certainly could have written the lyrics at an earlier time.

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I get the idea of the lyrics as a metaphor for his struggle with the drugs, and I definitely think the "keep breaking me down, down, down" and "if ever there's a fall" lyrics are tied to his struggle. I just think, and this was my point on earlier posts, that many of the lyrics seem to relate to/connect with a relationship - either specific or general - with someone.

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This especially rang true when I recently listened to his 2013 live performance at Montreux. The way he sang the song did not leave much guessing - it was more than a hint with the lyrics. I'm going to listen to his performance of the song at the Auckland P&M show to see if he sang it in a similar way. He included it in a string of other love songs - Condition Of The Heart, Noon Rendezvous, TMBGITW, Forever In My Life, Rock-n-roll Love Affair, and The Question of U.

It'll take more than a bit of distortion to ruin a song if it's any good.

Poetry sparks each individual's interpretation. I thought he may have been talking about his detractors in The Breakdown. Even the ones that loved him. All that social pressure was surely exhausting. It's a great song.

[Edited 7/26/19 18:23pm]