Krid 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.

The quick guitar solo is killer.

TrivialPursuit said:

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.

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?

LOSTPASSWORDMAN said:

TrivialPursuit said:

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.

it's definitely a classic Prince jam

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

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.

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]

lurker316 said:

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]

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

delete

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

one of his most amazing songs, indeed.

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

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'.

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...