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Thread started 01/14/23 11:17am

Krid

Lady Cab Driver - blows my mind all the time

Isn‘t this just one of his greatest tunes ever? So funky, so cool, so timeless, so otherworldly.

Price of the admission alone for 1999 !!!

Who else feels this song?
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Reply #1 posted 01/14/23 11:43am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

Brilliantly outrageous song

Would inspire many think pieces if made today lol
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Reply #2 posted 01/14/23 11:57am

RJOrion

Yes...this song is sometimes overlooked and underrated, as one of P's greatest songs.
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Reply #3 posted 01/14/23 1:06pm

NoSwan

avatar

Krid said:

Isn‘t this just one of his greatest tunes ever? So funky, so cool, so timeless, so otherworldly.

Price of the admission alone for 1999 !!!

Who else feels this song?


I adore this song. The masterpiece in a masterpiece album. I could never get enought of it. And I love its "sister" Rearrange too. Absolute top tier.
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Reply #4 posted 01/14/23 2:47pm

TrivialPursuit

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It's a masterpiece.

And I'm glad the whole "is it live drums or not" thing was cleared up. (It's the Linn-1 with a live snare.)

I think this song and "Something In The Water" are the underrated diamonds on the album. Certainly songs that took me a minute to get into through those years.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #5 posted 01/14/23 2:53pm

SPYZFAN1

The quick guitar solo is killer.

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Reply #6 posted 01/14/23 3:08pm

RJOrion

TrivialPursuit said:

It's a masterpiece.

And I'm glad the whole "is it live drums or not" thing was cleared up. (It's the Linn-1 with a live snare.)

I think this song and "Something In The Water" are the underrated diamonds on the album. Certainly songs that took me a minute to get into through those years.




There are times i feel like Something In The Water is the greatest song Prince ever made...ive always said, if i couldve written/produced a Prince song before Prince did it, it wouldve been SITW...every word of that song was so relatable...especially considering my life back in 1982.
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Reply #7 posted 01/14/23 5:57pm

LoveGalore

TrivialPursuit said:

It's a masterpiece.

And I'm glad the whole "is it live drums or not" thing was cleared up. (It's the Linn-1 with a live snare.)

I think this song and "Something In The Water" are the underrated diamonds on the album. Certainly songs that took me a minute to get into through those years.



I'm surprised anyone thought it was anything but both live and electronic drums. The handclap sound is obviously a drum machine and the actual beat is kept on the live drums and these are definitely live drums he is soloing on.
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Reply #8 posted 01/14/23 11:06pm

TrivialPursuit

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RJOrion said:

There are times i feel like Something In The Water is the greatest song Prince ever made...ive always said, if i couldve written/produced a Prince song before Prince did it, it wouldve been SITW...every word of that song was so relatable...especially considering my life back in 1982.


And it's another hot debate which version is better, too. But SiTW could very well be one of the biggest masterpieces he ever produced.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #9 posted 01/15/23 11:49am

LOSTPASSWORDMA
N

Is there a real link to Spotify or Itunes or Amazon Music where I can legitimatley bootleg the paid for download of the pirated official song about the Youtube song on the bootleg?

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Reply #10 posted 01/15/23 3:00pm

LoveGalore

LOSTPASSWORDMAN said:

Is there a real link to Spotify or Itunes or Amazon Music where I can legitimatley bootleg the paid for download of the pirated official song about the Youtube song on the bootleg?



Do you need us to provide you this or can you work out how to Google it?
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Reply #11 posted 01/15/23 3:12pm

RJOrion

TrivialPursuit said:



RJOrion said:


There are times i feel like Something In The Water is the greatest song Prince ever made...ive always said, if i couldve written/produced a Prince song before Prince did it, it wouldve been SITW...every word of that song was so relatable...especially considering my life back in 1982.


And it's another hot debate which version is better, too. But SiTW could very well be one of the biggest masterpieces he ever produced.



Word
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Reply #12 posted 01/16/23 1:50am

TheSkinMechani
c

Before the 1999 Deluxe was released, I hadn't listened to the 1999 album all the way through for a very long time.

When I listened to the remaster, I was pretty shocked at how misogynistic it was in places, culminating in Lady Cab Driver. It's like the scales had fallen from my eyes, I'm annoyed at myself for not seeing it's ugliness when I was younger.

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Reply #13 posted 01/17/23 2:41pm

SoulAlive

it's definitely a classic Prince jam headbang

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Reply #14 posted 01/18/23 5:14am

SquirrelMeat76

No doubt in my Top 10, and definately my favourite pre Purple Rain. Pecuilar as it starts as upbeat funky tune, but then gets darker, and strectches out to a jam with a dirty guitar solo, and sound of water. Always loved the way it segued into All The Critics Love U In New York too, has an ominous atmosphere. Brilliant

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Reply #15 posted 01/18/23 4:08pm

lurker316

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I've raised this theory before and was shot down, but I'm gonna raise it again.

I think Prince is raping the woman. I believe it's a re-enactment of the Crucifixion. Jesus was supposedly sacrificed for Mankind's sins. Prince is clearly sacrificing this woman for what he perceives as Mankind's sins. He calls them out with each thrust. For example:

- "This is for the cab you have to drive for no money at all" [inequity due to poverty]
- "This is for why I wasn't born like my brother, handsome and tall" [inequity stemming from society's fixation with looks]
- "This is for politicians who are bored and believe in war" [self-explanatory]
And: "This is for discrimination and egotists who think supreme"
And: "This one's for the rich, not all of 'em, just the greedy, The ones that don't know how to give"

See? He clearly wants the Lady Cab Driver to pay for all of the pain in the world... Just like Jesus's sacrifice.

It was during this same era that Prince explicitly sang about raping a woman in not one but two songs: Extralovable and Lust U Always. He clearly wasn't afraid to casually use the concept of rape in his lyrics. In fact, one could argue his use of rape in those two songs is more offensive because it's offhanded, like he thinks rape is a joke or no big deal, whereas he simulate rape in this song has artistic value as commentary on the sins of the world.

Finally, if the scene is a rape to re-enact the Crucifixion, that could explain the female character screaming, "Somebody call the police! Help me! Someone please help me, somebody help me," at the end of DMSR. (Yes, DMSR comes first, but Prince might have had a different sequence in mind originally.)

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Reply #16 posted 01/20/23 3:04pm

WhisperingDand
elions

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It's the combination of electronic drums and organic drums for me.

"777-9311" did it, too, similar era. The percussion on tracks like these is just next level and timeless.

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Reply #17 posted 01/20/23 3:06pm

WhisperingDand
elions

avatar

lurker316 said:

I've raised this theory before and was shot down, but I'm gonna raise it again.

I think Prince is raping the woman. I believe it's a re-enactment of the Crucifixion. Jesus was supposedly sacrificed for Mankind's sins. Prince is clearly sacrificing this woman for what he perceives as Mankind's sins. He calls them out with each thrust. For example:

- "This is for the cab you have to drive for no money at all" [inequity due to poverty]
- "This is for why I wasn't born like my brother, handsome and tall" [inequity stemming from society's fixation with looks]
- "This is for politicians who are bored and believe in war" [self-explanatory]
And: "This is for discrimination and egotists who think supreme"
And: "This one's for the rich, not all of 'em, just the greedy, The ones that don't know how to give"

See? He clearly wants the Lady Cab Driver to pay for all of the pain in the world... Just like Jesus's sacrifice.

It was during this same era that Prince explicitly sang about raping a woman in not one but two songs: Extralovable and Lust U Always. He clearly wasn't afraid to casually use the concept of rape in his lyrics. In fact, one could argue his use of rape in those two songs is more offensive because it's offhanded, like he thinks rape is a joke or no big deal, whereas he simulate rape in this song has artistic value as commentary on the sins of the world.

Finally, if the scene is a rape to re-enact the Crucifixion, that could explain the female character screaming, "Somebody call the police! Help me! Someone please help me, somebody help me," at the end of DMSR. (Yes, DMSR comes first, but Prince might have had a different sequence in mind originally.)

I agree. I'm always shocked this one doesn't get him cancelled but Gen-Z is too busy recording reaction videos to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with their "now, I gotta admit, I never listened to Prince" preamble.


Lot of similar vibes in '82 "rape-era" Prince tbh.

[Edited 1/20/23 15:08pm]

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Reply #18 posted 01/20/23 4:01pm

LoveGalore

lurker316 said:



I've raised this theory before and was shot down, but I'm gonna raise it again.

I think Prince is raping the woman. I believe it's a re-enactment of the Crucifixion. Jesus was supposedly sacrificed for Mankind's sins. Prince is clearly sacrificing this woman for what he perceives as Mankind's sins. He calls them out with each thrust. For example:

- "This is for the cab you have to drive for no money at all" [inequity due to poverty]
- "This is for why I wasn't born like my brother, handsome and tall" [inequity stemming from society's fixation with looks]
- "This is for politicians who are bored and believe in war" [self-explanatory]


And: "This is for discrimination and egotists who think supreme"


And: "This one's for the rich, not all of 'em, just the greedy, The ones that don't know how to give"

See? He clearly wants the Lady Cab Driver to pay for all of the pain in the world... Just like Jesus's sacrifice.

It was during this same era that Prince explicitly sang about raping a woman in not one but two songs: Extralovable and Lust U Always. He clearly wasn't afraid to casually use the concept of rape in his lyrics. In fact, one could argue his use of rape in those two songs is more offensive because it's offhanded, like he thinks rape is a joke or no big deal, whereas he simulate rape in this song has artistic value as commentary on the sins of the world.

Finally, if the scene is a rape to re-enact the Crucifixion, that could explain the female character screaming, "Somebody call the police! Help me! Someone please help me, somebody help me," at the end of DMSR. (Yes, DMSR comes first, but Prince might have had a different sequence in mind originally.)








Don't forget that he also raped the woman as a sort of hazing practice to induct her into his "DMSR" Cult and you hear her blood cuddling screams at the end.
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Reply #19 posted 01/20/23 4:26pm

RJOrion

Cmon yall...P was 5'2 and about 115 pounds on a full stomach...im pretty sure a woman in danger of being "raped" by Mr. Nelson, couldve easily fought her way out of that (if they wanted to fight it)...maybe he just had some rapey fantasies (like many people do) that he acted out in his songs..
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Reply #20 posted 01/20/23 5:01pm

WhisperingDand
elions

avatar

RJOrion said:

Cmon yall...P was 5'2 and about 115 pounds on a full stomach...im pretty sure a woman in danger of being "raped" by Mr. Nelson, couldve easily fought her way out of that (if they wanted to fight it)...maybe he just had some rapey fantasies (like many people do) that he acted out in his songs..

O ya. It's just art. Albeit borderline-rapey art, at least in '82 specifically. There's enough examples.

It was the Prince on-record character though. He was like a new wrestler working out their gimmick/character in '82. I like gangsta rap and black metal. There's a lot to be said for art that's over-the-top. Nobody's saying he needed a police report filed or anything.

[Edited 1/20/23 17:02pm]

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Reply #21 posted 01/20/23 5:51pm

onlyforaminute

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Well if you wanna say it was literally a lady who drives cabs...I mean.

Oh yeah. I absolutely love this song especially when I want to get super motivated about something.
[Edited 1/20/23 17:53pm]
Time keeps on slipping into the future...


This moment is all there is...
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Reply #22 posted 01/20/23 6:03pm

thesexofit

avatar

WhisperingDandelions said:

lurker316 said:

I've raised this theory before and was shot down, but I'm gonna raise it again.

I think Prince is raping the woman. I believe it's a re-enactment of the Crucifixion. Jesus was supposedly sacrificed for Mankind's sins. Prince is clearly sacrificing this woman for what he perceives as Mankind's sins. He calls them out with each thrust. For example:

- "This is for the cab you have to drive for no money at all" [inequity due to poverty]
- "This is for why I wasn't born like my brother, handsome and tall" [inequity stemming from society's fixation with looks]
- "This is for politicians who are bored and believe in war" [self-explanatory]
And: "This is for discrimination and egotists who think supreme"
And: "This one's for the rich, not all of 'em, just the greedy, The ones that don't know how to give"

See? He clearly wants the Lady Cab Driver to pay for all of the pain in the world... Just like Jesus's sacrifice.

It was during this same era that Prince explicitly sang about raping a woman in not one but two songs: Extralovable and Lust U Always. He clearly wasn't afraid to casually use the concept of rape in his lyrics. In fact, one could argue his use of rape in those two songs is more offensive because it's offhanded, like he thinks rape is a joke or no big deal, whereas he simulate rape in this song has artistic value as commentary on the sins of the world.

Finally, if the scene is a rape to re-enact the Crucifixion, that could explain the female character screaming, "Somebody call the police! Help me! Someone please help me, somebody help me," at the end of DMSR. (Yes, DMSR comes first, but Prince might have had a different sequence in mind originally.)

I agree. I'm always shocked this one doesn't get him cancelled but Gen-Z is too busy recording reaction videos to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with their "now, I gotta admit, I never listened to Prince" preamble.


Lot of similar vibes in '82 "rape-era" Prince tbh.

[Edited 1/20/23 15:08pm]

Glad it hasn't been. Be ridiculous if the song was banned

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Reply #23 posted 01/21/23 2:23am

Blondies1973

Agree it’s a marvellous song, one of the top three on this beautiful and timeless album. Mid-tempo and still such a groove I can’t sit still.
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Reply #24 posted 01/21/23 8:39am

lurker316

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delete


[Edited 1/21/23 8:45am]

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Reply #25 posted 01/21/23 3:51pm

LILpoundCAKE

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one of his most amazing songs, indeed.

the thing that always cracks me up is the thrust dedicated to Yosemite Sam. I mean, wtf? lol

about the whole 'rape scene' being a metaphor for the crucifixion, I don't think I agree, it's a bit
more like a rebirth to me, starting out with hateful and angry thrusts dedicated to things he hates
and ending up offering each thrust to stuff like the sun, the sea, the shore, women in all their
complex beauty, the wind... it's about coming to an insight. 'now I know'.



May U Live 2 See The Release of Parade SDE
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Reply #26 posted 01/26/23 8:21pm

DotsofU

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AGREED

It's perfect Prince: funky, nasty & poetic at the same time

And that bassline - good grief!

I always sing LCD along when 'Oh Sheila' comes on...

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