Reflection (3:03)

Disclaimer: Don’t read any further if you want to explore this new song completely on your own without any preconceptions.

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The new Prince track is smooth and creamy soul the way they used to soft serve it back in the day when Rufus and Chaka would “Remind [us] of a friend” or Joni would paint a picture of a “Chelsea Morning”.

A fairly stripped down, mostly falsetto delivered acoustic guitar ditty that’s frequently partnered with flute. Encouraged at both ends with subtle touches of 70’s wah-wah synths and devoid of a chorus, this song is closest in previous Prince flavor to a combination of "With You", “Here On Earth” and the acoustic version of “Space”, with the added bittersweet gracefulness of “Comeback”. But perhaps even more successful than any of these tracks in both composition and in airy, melt-in-your-mouth, joyful, five-year-old-finding-a-dollar-bill-outside-a-candy-store melody.

In lyrical content I’m vaguely reminded of Paul McCartney’s “Silly Love Songs”, but mostly of Prince’s own trip down memory lane in “Circle of Amour”.

It appears as though Prince has set out not to write another love song, but futilely and predictably ends up in that territory anyway. Life is funny that way, you know? Meandering through his fragmented memories he finds old loves, his now-deceased mother, his poster-covered walls as a kid, faddish hairstyles, childhood chums, and thoughts of growing old and allowing for a moment of sentimentality out on the stoop with his guitar as it all gently passes him by.

Here’s hoping that this isn’t just a one-off track; in other words, here’s hoping that there’s a lot more “reflection” to follow.

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*** The following are NOT the official lyrics. What follows is just my best attempt at deciphering the lyrics given a very low-quality source (96 Kbps). Please feel free to point out where I've screwed up, so that we can all be the beneficiaries of the combined knowledge of this discussion site. ***

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Reflection

Two servants [sevens???] together
like time, indefinite
Try to catch the glass
before it falls
Without a frown
can you turn up the stereo?

I wanna play you this old song
It’s about love (huh)
Can I do that?

Did we remember to water the plants today?
I forgot to look up at the moon because
I was too busy (said “I was too busy”)
I was too busy looking at you, babe

Still it’s nice to know (that uh)
when bodies wear out
we can get another
What does that one thing have to do
with the other one?
I don’t know
I was just thinking about, mother

You know what?
Turn the stereo back down
Ain’t nothing worse than an old worn out love song
Tell me do you like my hair this way?
Remember all the way back in the day
when we would compare whose afro was the roundest?

Mirrored tiles above the bed
Fishing nets and posters all over the wall (oh yeah)

Sometimes I just wanna go sit out on the stoop and (uh)
play my guitar
Just watch all the cars go by

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[This message was edited Tue Apr 22 20:33:00 PDT 2003 by Brendan]

The first thing that came to my mind was that the lyrics are nice. But I can't understand all of them, could anyone be so kind to maybe post them?

calldapplwondery83 said:

I've got them mostly worked out, but I'm not sure how I feel about posting them just yet. I'm sure very shortly they'll be all over the Internet, as I hear the song and videos already are, but I don't want to contribute to that until more people have had a chance to visit the site.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make this into an mp3
all I manage is to get the "liquid" screen that plays the
song but I can't save it to the harddisc.

And why does is say:

REFLECTION
reflection
Prince

Does that mean there's an album of the same name?

IstenSzek said:

Get the URL from Temp internet files and put it in address bar, then click save from the WMP. It's 96kps.

IstenSzek said:

Yeah, I too was wondering if that meant this is actually the title track to a new album.

Once you've loaded the entire song into their player just do a "Find" on your hard drive for "Reflection" and you'll see the MP3 file in your Temporary Internet Folder. Just copy it off to any permanent folder and you'll have it for good.

Just mentioned in another thread that this song has two possibly-unique qualities:

1) It doesn't have a chorus. What other Prince songs don't have a chorus?

2) It doesn't mention the title in the lyrics. What other Prince songs don't do that?

There may be other songs that do each - I'm not attached to being right. Just thought I'd ask the question...

is this song from the NPGMC 2003 membership?

Brendan said:

Yep I did that this afternoon and it worked. I'm jamming
to it now. Very nice tune.

@ 96kps, it sounds like shit.192kps or even @ 128 would be acceptable.

booyah said:

1. 'Right Back Here In My Arms' is just one example - the Emancipation CD booklet states 'No chorus intentional'

2. 'The Sacrifice of Victor'

The first song in a long time that the lyrics are so beautifull, and not simplistic.

I mean
It's a runthrough ones thinking, jumping from one topic to another,

going from deep feelings 'thinking about, mother'
to the most trivial ones ' Tell me do you like my hair this way?'

great, love this, this is how thoughts go through my head also.

Thanks for posting the lyrics ...
I like 'em

I really love "Reflection." The lyrics are simple -- but never simplistic -- and seem to have just fallen out of Prince's head fully formed. I'm hoping that the song is the title track to a new album because it feels like an assured continuation of his recent winning efforts.

If the mixed-bag recordings of the mid to late 90s demonstrate the sound of Prince's freedom from the music industry, TRC, ONA and Xpectation seem to be the sound of his freedom from his own self-imposed strictures. Thankfully, the wistful, effortless "Reflection" feels like a logical next step in Prince's liberation journey.

Peace, David

OK, I've been ghost all weekend. Where can I find this song?

I think it sounds like a song to his brothers or sisters, reminising on their childhood whilst growing up. Thanks for posting the lyrics, it would have took me ages to work them out.

OK. I know you guys came up with a 'solid' reasoning for your belief that the opening line is "2 7s together", but I just filtered the song and somewhat isolated the lead vocal and he is definitely singing "2 servants together". You can believe whatever but I get tired of people making up lyrics and misleading the rest of us.

Do you think it's taken from his next album?

Thank you for posting the lyrics.

These lyrics are really beautiful, and very touching.

This is a very, very pretty song that says a lot in a quiet way.

Jestyr said:

Okay, thanks. Your objection is duly noted above.

I can only speak for myself, but I’m not trying to mislead anyone, just giving my opinion and displaying my best attempt at deciphering these lyrics from a very low quality source.

Getting it right is what is in important, not being the one who is right.

Anyone else have an opinion as to whether it’s “2 servants”, “2 sevens”, or even “2 sermons” , or have any other corrections at all to the above lyrics? I know that can't be the only mistake I’ve potentially made. Come on and add to the collective wisdom.

I’m going to re-edit my post and make it even clearer that these lyrics are not official, although my asking for corrections and not using Prince spellings should have made that fairly clear.

Wait till you hear Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade

livewire said:

I agree completely.

I think this song is definitely good enough to be the title track to a new album. It’s very personal stuff, almost like the next step beyond “The Truth” album.

rdhull said:

Yeah? I don't know Marmalade, but I'm always on the lookout for great music.

Brendan said:

Its an oldie, some will say cheese but it reminds me of it..lyrics:

REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE
The Marmalade

The changing of sunlight to moonlight
Reflections of my life,
oh, how they fill my eyes
The greetings of people in trouble
Reflections of my life,
oh, how they fill my mind

All my sorrows, sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
All my cryings (all my cryings),
feel i'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home (oh i'm going home)

I'm changing, arranging, I'm changing
I'm changing everything,
ah, everything around me

The world is a bad place, a bad place
A terrible place to live, oh, but i don't wanna die





I love this song edit
[This message was edited Mon Apr 21 20:46:41 PDT 2003 by rdhull]

rdhull said:

Cool, thanks. I looked them up at All Music Guide and it says they sound like a cross between Small Faces and Bread. Sounds good to me. I'm sure I've heard at least one track from this group on the radio, but I don't own any of their material. They seem to really like the album from which this track is the title track.

Brendan said:

I'm sorry if I came on too strong about it, Brendan. It just happens over and over again. You're a very cool guy to not respond with a nasty retort. We can all learn from such maturity.

Jestyr said:

I’ve got nothing but respect for you and your ears, Jestyr.

Right now I’m leaning about 90 to 10 in favor of “two servants together” being the correct lyric. But ultimately it matters little, because the meaning is much the same either way.

That’s because seven is also considered a special/perfect/holy number in the bible, so both words lead you down the same path; that being, that Prince is referring to bonding with a kindred spiritual partner and a fellow servant of god.

But Prince is much more sober and uneasy in his new found luck/joy after the breakup of his marriage (“Like time, indefinite.”) and so he remains both frantic and determined to keep this fragile love from meeting with the same fate (“Try to catch the glass / before it falls.”)

Hopefully Prince never releases these lyrics officially with the new album and we can debate this for years to come like "funk" and "fuck" in "Erotic City".


[This message was edited Tue Apr 22 20:17:15 PDT 2003 by Brendan]

Brendan said:

.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 23 11:47:03 PDT 2003 by Jestyr]

but aint it just down right sad, that some of his good fans wont hear his upcoming music unless they have a credit card. not only that, they missed out on last years music because of the same reason and still have not heard the 2002 music yet.its a shame he cant focus long enough 2 elimante what appears 2 b a major problem[payment obtions].forget those who cant join ill take what i can get attitude.well prince i hope all fails until u think of everyone else and not just your credit card fans.

joelmarable said:

WTF? This is a "major problem". It's not like only people with broadband can access the site. I know some folks here still live in the dark ages and don't have a credit card, check card, or even a friend with a card of some sort, but I doubt this has risen to the level of a "major problem".

Of course if, for example, they ever do widen the access to people who only have checking accounts, I'm sure we'll here from that legion of fans who want to pay their subscription in the giant stone coins of the island of Yap.