Anji said:

U must understand that I have always been very selective in the entertainment I choose.
It does not matter if it is Prince or someone else
I do not watch X-rated movies; nor do I buy music that has the explicit lyrics warning.

I did not listen to Prince until Purple Rain and When Doves Cry...which I loved.
From then on I admired him because of his music and the way he presented it.
Yet I was still selective and have never heard many of his songs.

I was never sexually attracted to him.
He was always "cute" to me...

See I am attracted to men like my husband:
tall (6'4")...Dark (like a hershey bar)...Long eyelashes...
short-cut wavy hair (that was the style)...Deep, deep voice.

So Prince I saw as a pretty performer; a personable entertainer.
I like his energy; his dancing ability; his sense of humor.

Then when I saw him do the Christ...my admiration turned to affection.
When he began to sing about my passion and my reason for living,
I began to love him like my own brother...Understand?

theblueangel said:

No, I have never heard "Come"
Interestly, I listened to "Cream" and heard nothing sexual in it.
I heard this message: You have what it takes to make it to the top.
Like Cream, you are the best and like cream, you will rise to the top.
You are better than the rest.
You have talent (the horn...blow it)...so use it.
You will make it if you try.

I do not remember profanity being in that song...I may have missed it.

Also of interest, I do not like "Young and Beautiful" on the piano CD. It does not move me.
Just because a song is virtuous, does not make it automatically good in terms of music.

Oh yes, thanks for your kind words.

.
.
Spelling error!
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[This message was edited Sat Apr 26 20:43:40 PDT 2003 by SensualMelody]

2freaky4church1 said:

U got that all wrong.
Sooo wrong. Ha ha ha!

SensualMelody said:

Yeah, they suck in hairy old snatch...

stymie said:

Honest answer, no I did not listen to the ones that were filled with profanity and sex...
Remember Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope? I just assumed it would be allright
cause it was Janet...opened it, read the lyrics...
Trashed it.
Did not listen to it once.
Really I could have listened because when it played on someone's radio
I could not understand a word she was saying...lol.
I'm not putting anyone else down nor trying to say I'm a saint...
I am certainly not a saint!
But these standards I set for myself when I was very young.
People are different and the things that turn some people on turn others off.
Just of interest...the "F" word. I hate it! I don't even know why.
I just hate it...has nothing to do with religion, It is just a vulgar word to me.
Now neither of my parents use profanity...(baptists, both) so maybe that's why
I have an aversion for it. Who knows???

SensualMelody said:

Oh yeah.

giotto said:

This is so true.
I believe this is why spiritual support is so important to many people.
The scriptures say...
"In case my own father and my own mother did leave me, Even Jehovah himself would take me up"
...Psalms 27:10

enjoyniki said:

So maybe I should give it a listen?
Are the lyrics explicit?
Quite a few of Prince's titles are misleading...and I have
been enlightened by my friends.

SensualMelody said:

one word, melody: careful.

WatchThemFall said:

Ewww! That sounds nasty!

U must really not like us.

Anji said:

With as much RESPECT that I have for JWs, I am personally left with the stronge impression that is just going through a phase. At the moment, from what I can percieve, everything seems to point in that direction.

So, if it just so happens that Prince backslides back into his old way of life, I would'nt be surprised in the least because I sense that many of the things that Prince is doing and has done in the name of religion are not being done for the right reasons...Of course this comment won't make sense to you if you don't know what to look for, and are blinded by the man's strong PERSONA and CHARISMA.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Thanks, Friend.

SensualMelody says:

WE BELIEVE YOU SENSUALMELODY!

You're on here way too much! TO THE BRINK OF COMMITTING IDOLATRY! You're just as heavy into Prince as anyone else on this site!



[qoute]From then on I admired him because of his music and the way he presented it.

Yet I was still selective and have never heard many of his songs.[/quote]

Again, [b]WE BELIEVE YOU SENSUALMELODY!



WE BELIEVE YOU SENUALMELODY!





That sounds like love to me! if you can see all that in a man!



You just outted yourself by using the word affection! How about IDOL WORSHIP! You forgot that one, because that's what your doing by being on this site all the time!



I understand alright!

SensualMelody said:

Word: if you guys were being as careful as you should be, you'd probably not be on this site so much. Just remember! there is a thin line between ADMIRATION and IDOLATRY. Some of you guys seem to have already crossed that line.

Anji said:

EXACTLY Anji Where is he spiritually? I don't know, but wherever it is I hope he's comfortable & doing the right thing for himself. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, lol...



This question



Why the disbelief Anj?

SensualMelody said:

The only way I'd turn my back on him is if he stopped making music that moves me. He has a 25 year track record of doing just that. If he stops I'll be crushed, if he keeps it going I'll be elated. The stop & go aspect of it will be affected by his faith I'm sure but it won't dictate it. Who knows, I could be wrong but I'm willing to wait & see...

For STOP who questions my being here:

See, this is where you tell on yourself.
You hold me to a higher standard because I am JW.
You do not hold others to the same standards.
It is not I who say I that JWs are too nicey-wicey to be here.
It is you.
I am selective to which topics I open.
But I live in the same world you do.
I shop at the same grocery stores.
I work at the same kinds of jobs.
I raise children.
I laugh.
I cry.
I am human.
I just happen to be a human who is also a JW.
Because of this one fact, you revile me...
One reason I am here is to stand up for what I believe.
To give truthful answers in the face of slander.
To show what JWs like me are made of.
People have said we are brainwashed, yet here I am.
People say I have no freedom, yet here I am.
And guess what? I am one of those who spends many hours
witnessing to others each month...
at their doors and in their homes.
So unlike your vision of JWs...I am me.
I am JW.
I love it. :wOOt:

.
.
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Edited to speak more directly to STOP....
[This message was edited Sat Apr 26 19:28:38 PDT 2003 by SensualMelody]

STOP said:

u misread the warnin that i gave melody. btw, stop...


your shit ain't new.

SensualMelody said:

STOP said:

Baby...baby, there, there, What is your problem?
I am not angry.
I am amused.
You are so confused.
I am not the victim...YOU are.
Have you forgotten that Prince himself is a JW?

I think you might even be a little envious. because I know who I am.
And I like who I am.
Don't worry yourself about analyzing me.
Try to make your reply a little more coherent.
I am so where I want to be.
You really think your little ramblings could make me angry?
You really don't know me.
Who are you, anyway?
You are so right Handclaps...(meatloaf...I smell meatloaf!...ewww!)

Anji said:

Dehibilitating. . .I've had a lot of codeine and Mountain Dew, so I'm not sure, but I think that IS a word. . .I think. Dehibilitating. Yeah.

I hope he's happy. I'm not sure that he is. He seems sad to me. But I hope I'm wrong, and that he's happy.

SensualMelody said:

Sensual, you're asking whether I understand. Not yet...

You say you accept certain aspects (the non-profane music and imagery) of the 'old' Prince but not others. You then go on to say that because he has changed much of that 'old' stuff you didn't like, and adopted a new spiritual belief system (the same as yours), that you can now see Prince as a brother. Does that mean you are most willing to respect someone if they believe and follow the 'same' thought system as you do?

Also, if Prince develops to a point where his thoughts are becoming balanced between his 'old' self (the 'stuff' you didn't like) and a strain of JW's teachings (not all of them), will you still be able to find love for him like a brother?

The reason I am asking is based on my original question, as noted in my very first post on this thread. Let's say this hypothetical 'new' Prince (as explained above) did fall prey to a dehibilitating way of life. Can you describe how you would feel? Would you be able to support him through his illness? And if so, how?

By the way, this thread has got me listening to The Rainbow Children. Damn, I adore the vibe on this album. Prince's exploration sounds so dark, mysterious, joyous, self-assured yet still questioning. The interesting thing is that the musical (and thought) complexity on The Rainbow Children sounds so simple here, whereas with Lovesexy that complexity sounds like there's almost too much going on at times. Both are beautiful pieces of music, in my opinion...

Anji said:

I think that we probably have already supported Prince through a dehibilitating way of life. How many times have you seen him looking really depressed? Remember the Sacrifice Of Victor video? Prince looked emaciated. He can look thin at the best of times but he looked unhealthily thin. Symptoms of an eating disorder? Possibly. This was around the time of the name change and he might have been going through some inner anguish.

Anji said:

Also, I must say that the funk on The Rainbow Children is as straight-up as I've heard from Prince in a very long time. For example, the funk on The Work pt. 1, 1+1+1 is 3 and Everlasting Now are as straight-forward as they get. Upon first listening, I remember waiting for those killer synth hook-lines (like on Erotic City), but they never came. It's different here, the funk is straight. The twisted, sick, psychotic elements have been hijacked...

Anji said:

Anji said:

Actually, the ballads on The Rainbow Children sound really straight-up too. No angst-ridden hurt as seen on The Beautiful Ones or If I Was Your Girlfriend. No rapturous joy as heard on Crucial or Adore. Just relaxed and comfortably settled on Mellow, Mellow and She Loves Me 4 Me. Nice, very nice...

Anji said:

Answer to first question:
U would have to be a JW to fully understand the automatic sharing of experience that we have.
Yes, absolutely...I am willing to trust and instantly bond to a JW brother or sister.
Remember when Prince and Larry played guitar together the very first time?
They said it was as if they "knew" each other and bonded then and there.
It is that way with "The Truth" (as we refer to our understanding of the scriptures).
If a complete stranger comes to the KH with songbook. study article and Bible, the trust
is automatic and the love is automatic.
Although I show love to all, this is something special.

Answer to 2nd question:
I agree with the Bible which says "God is not unrighteous so as to forget
the love you have shown for his name and your good works..."
So if he goes through such a period, as most do, I would not forsake him.
But I would still be selective in my choice of music as I am with all performers.

Answer to 3rd question: I would support him through his trials as I would any other
brother or sister. I would pray for him (as I do now).
If I were in his personal circle, I could do more, but as it is...I could only pray
and speak positively for him.

dnaplaya said:

Well said

SensualMelody said:

Interesting Sensual but I have some difficulty in your response to these questions. Allow me to explain...

Anyone listening to Prince will hear the explicit, parental advisory level to his work. Yes, you can selectively censor out what you dislike hearing, and you can view the message on a higher spiritual plane, but it's clear that Prince intended to use sex and profanity (for example, Erotic City, Irresistible Bitch, Sexy M.F. etc) as a means to drive his message through the music. He wanted you to hear what he was saying and there is/was a way of drawing attention to it. Sex and profanity sells and sold Prince. That may not be the case now but they are so intertwined that in many cases it would be near impossible to fully follow Prince and not hear his evolution through the past. This relates to this notion of 'old' and 'new,' and that there is no such thing as 'new' with anything, just evolution. So where (and how) can you draw the line with Prince?

You say that it's automatic love you share with Prince now that he is a JW but won't you need to always view Prince's music through a prism? For example, by continuing to be selective with most of his body of work, there must be some level of disregard (and some would argue, disrespect) on your behalf. Afterall, his music is a representation of himself and therefore by censoring his music, you effectively are showing some level of disregard (and disrespect) to him as a person. If that line is being drawn with Prince, can that really speak to an absolute trust, an absolute love and absolute sharing of experiences?

By the way, I'm asking you these questions to try and understand how JW's doctrine may be influencing Prince's decisions regarding his own past, present and future. Of course, you can only speak for yourself but there nay be some principles that are transferable and we can all learn from. Also, I can't think of a better means to understand further but through a Prince fan who also happens to be a JW. I hope you don't mind!