Thread started 02/03/24 10:09amExTAFKASoladeo 1
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“Thunder drowns what the lightning sees…” Damn Prince wrote some awesome lyrics from time to time, didn’t he??
A unheralded part of Prince’s genius. His lyrics.
“The rain sounds so cool when it hits the barn roof… And the horses wonder who you are… Thunder drowns out what the lightning sees… You feel like a movie star…”
“Thunder drowns out what the lightning sees…”!!!
Wow. |
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Reply #1 posted 02/03/24 10:59am
OnlyNDaUsa
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I took it as it was dark so when the lighting flashed it lit up the barn but the thunder (of her screams) made him forget to look!
Also: pretty well known. A case of misheard lyrics lead to a band called The Lightning Seeds.
[Edited 2/3/24 11:05am] "Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!" |
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Reply #2 posted 02/03/24 11:28am
LOSTPASSWORDMA N
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Yes such a great lyric, something he seemd to lose later on (hides under desk), or at least move away from in terms of his interest in socio-political and religious lyrics. |
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Reply #3 posted 02/03/24 12:45pm
RJOrion |
Raspberry Beret is one of the most perfect pop songs Prince ever made...lyrically and musically...and the musical composition is actually VERY complex, when you break it down and try to play it |
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Reply #4 posted 02/03/24 1:34pm
nayroo2002
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LOSTPASSWORDMAN said:
Yes such a great lyric, something he seemd to lose later on (hides under desk), or at least move away from in terms of his interest in socio-political and religious lyrics.
But, these lyrics are about boinkin'!
He wrote all about IT up till the end!
Also with clever passages:
He said “my faith keeps me from willin’ But you know that I’m able And if there’s some room I’d like to sit at your table” She said “it’s tight, but I think I can fit you in” This kind of love don’t come from a prayer Ain’t talking rebound, born of despair Yellow sun rising on their bodies in bed Two people in love, with nothing but the road ahead "Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends" |
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Reply #5 posted 02/03/24 5:45pm
TrivialPursuit
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RJOrion said:
Raspberry Beret is one of the most perfect pop songs Prince ever made...lyrically and musically...and the musical composition is actually VERY complex, when you break it down and try to play it
The chord structure is pretty simplistic. It's those strings and the hook that really has a lot of movement and energy yet, because of the mix itself, remains more subtle and doesn't overwhelm the song.
I think about the synth part in "Human Nature" which acts the same way. Lotta 8th and 16th notes but the song is mid-tempo in nature.
I believe the bridge is the most clever part, bouncing between D and A, then the D-E-A-G#-F#-E hook. It's cute and clever.
Lisa talked last year or year before about how she had been working on a chord progression that was pretty much what Prince used to "Raspberry Beret." There was a slight variation in hers of course. She played it on her Instagram I believe. I used to play the fuck out of it on the piano along with the cassette.
Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. |
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Reply #6 posted 02/03/24 7:08pm
Reply #7 posted 02/04/24 2:14am
funkbabyandthe babysitters
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W+L talked about this being one of the best lyrics he came up with in the heat rocks podcast
Def is, and one of his best story lyrics, like ICNTTPOYM or LRC
Also the rhythm guitar at the start on the longer mix is funky AF
Raspberry beret also has one of his best lines about race, before he started to beat you over the head with it in his later years, which you could miss or just interpret differently, but i think that makes it cleverer
"He told me several times that he didn't like my kind 'Cause I was a bit too leisurely" |
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Reply #8 posted 02/04/24 5:20am
lurker316
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TrivialPursuit said:
RJOrion said:
Raspberry Beret is one of the most perfect pop songs Prince ever made...lyrically and musically...and the musical composition is actually VERY complex, when you break it down and try to play it
The chord structure is pretty simplistic. It's those strings and the hook that really has a lot of movement and energy yet, because of the mix itself, remains more subtle and doesn't overwhelm the song.
I think about the synth part in "Human Nature" which acts the same way. Lotta 8th and 16th notes but the song is mid-tempo in nature.
I believe the bridge is the most clever part, bouncing between D and A, then the D-E-A-G#-F#-E hook. It's cute and clever.
Lisa talked last year or year before about how she had been working on a chord progression that was pretty much what Prince used to "Raspberry Beret." There was a slight variation in hers of course. She played it on her Instagram I believe. I used to play the fuck out of it on the piano along with the cassette.
David Z would disagree. In the Soundset Sound interview with him and and Peggy MacCreary, he says he saw Prince play the song on a piano and that made him realize how intricate the chord progression is. He says it's not easy and it's a complex set of chords.
https://youtu.be/IxoG3nqI...ajL&t=3921[Edited 2/4/24 6:34am] |
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Reply #9 posted 02/04/24 10:40am
TrivialPursuit
|
lurker316 said:
David Z would disagree. In the Soundset Sound interview with him and and Peggy MacCreary, he says he saw Prince play the song on a piano and that made him realize how intricate the chord progression is. He says it's not easy and it's a complex set of chords. https://youtu.be/IxoG3nqI...amp;t=3921 [Edited 2/4/24 6:34am]
I don't disagree there. But Lisa may have added some flavor to it or something. Because isn't that on the Piano and a Microphone thing that came out? I forget, but I know the song dates to 1982 or so. I sorta saw it like how Boys II Men had a chorus or something, and Mariah had part of a song, and it became their duet. Just a mesh of two similar ideas. But Prince probably did initially come up with a chord progression.
The chords are pretty easy. A-G-D/F#-G-D/F#-G-A. The "unusual" chord is an E on "I think I (E) looooove (A) her." Even the bridge is just D-A-D-A, then that funny little thing I described earlier.
Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. |
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Reply #10 posted 02/04/24 2:19pm
RJOrion |
Raspberry Beret sounds like it was co-produced by the great George Martin...and i may be wrong, but i dont think it gets the credit it deserves for being one of Prince's greatest masterpieces ever...especially coming after the monumental Purple Rain projects |
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Reply #11 posted 02/04/24 2:22pm
Reply #12 posted 02/04/24 2:44pm
thisisreece
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nayroo2002 said:
LOSTPASSWORDMAN said:
Yes such a great lyric, something he seemd to lose later on (hides under desk), or at least move away from in terms of his interest in socio-political and religious lyrics.
But, these lyrics are about boinkin'! He wrote all about IT up till the end! Also with clever passages: He said “my faith keeps me from willin’ But you know that I’m able And if there’s some room I’d like to sit at your table” She said “it’s tight, but I think I can fit you in” This lyric immediately came to mind at the start of this thread. One of his best. Hundalasiliah! |
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Reply #13 posted 02/04/24 3:07pm
Reply #14 posted 02/04/24 6:15pm
EnglishGent2
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OnlyNDaUsa said:
I took it as it was dark so when the lighting flashed it lit up the barn but the thunder (of her screams) made him forget to look!
The lightning allows them to be seen having sex in the dark barn. The sound of the thunder is louder than the noises they are making whilst having sex.
So the lightning flashes and they can be seen. But then the sound of the thunder follows shortly after and drowns out their sound. |
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Reply #15 posted 02/05/24 8:17am
Vannormal
|
TrivialPursuit said:
RJOrion said:
Raspberry Beret is one of the most perfect pop songs Prince ever made...lyrically and musically...and the musical composition is actually VERY complex, when you break it down and try to play it
The chord structure is pretty simplistic. It's those strings and the hook that really has a lot of movement and energy yet, because of the mix itself, remains more subtle and doesn't overwhelm the song.
I think about the synth part in "Human Nature" which acts the same way. Lotta 8th and 16th notes but the song is mid-tempo in nature.
I believe the bridge is the most clever part, bouncing between D and A, then the D-E-A-G#-F#-E hook. It's cute and clever.
Lisa talked last year or year before about how she had been working on a chord progression that was pretty much what Prince used to "Raspberry Beret." There was a slight variation in hers of course. She played it on her Instagram I believe. I used to play the fuck out of it on the piano along with the cassette.
That could be a Wendy and Lisa arrangement... It suits them... "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972) |
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Reply #16 posted 02/05/24 9:40am
TrivialPursuit
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Yeah, could be. It's probably the song that reminds people of The Beatles the most, other than the first two tracks. I don't see most of side two as a Beatles-esque influence. "Tamborine" nor "Condition of the Heart" certainly isn't. Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. |
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Reply #17 posted 02/05/24 11:07am
Reply #18 posted 02/06/24 2:15pm
Se7en
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There's an alternative band The Lightning Seeds that chose their name based on mishearing those Raspberry Beret lyrics.
One hit wonder with the song "Pure". |
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Reply #19 posted 02/06/24 10:57pm
psyche2
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TrivialPursuit said:
Yeah, could be. It's probably the song that reminds people of The Beatles the most, other than the first two tracks. I don't see most of side two as a Beatles-esque influence. "Tamborine" nor "Condition of the Heart" certainly isn't.
Tamborine certainly not, it's funky as hell. But Condition Of The Heart might have an Abbey Road-kinda pass.
But probably more than the music itself it was more about the whole imagery from the era, the artwork from the album and the singles.
As my musical taste broadened with the years, ATWIAD reminds me more of Funkadelic than the Beatles. |
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Reply #20 posted 02/07/24 5:19am
RJOrion |
funkbabyandthebabysitters said: Strangely reminds me of bungalow bill lol I can hear it too |
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Reply #21 posted 02/07/24 6:56am
Vannormal
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funkbabyandthebabysitters said:
Strangely reminds me of bungalow bill lol
Kinda true.
Rythmically... "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972) |
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Reply #22 posted 02/07/24 7:07am
RJOrion |
Vannormal said:
funkbabyandthebabysitters said:
Strangely reminds me of bungalow bill lol
Kinda true.
Rythmically...
Yep..."Heyyyyy Bungalo bill..." is sung with the same rhythmic cadence as " Raaaaas-berry Beret ..." [Edited 2/7/24 7:08am] |
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Reply #23 posted 02/09/24 3:40am
WhisperingDand elions
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They were fawning over "Raspberry Beret" lyrics over on reddit the other week too but this is medium grade Prince lyricism at best.
Now "101" or "My Tender Heart", there's some lyrics.
Great pop song, however. |
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Reply #24 posted 02/10/24 9:43am
funkbabyandthe babysitters
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WhisperingDandelions said: They were fawning over "Raspberry Beret" lyrics over on reddit the other week too but this is medium grade Prince lyricism at best.
Now "101" or "My Tender Heart", there's some lyrics.
Great pop song, however. Top grade contrarianism right there lol (and i like my tender heart v much) |
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Reply #25 posted 02/10/24 10:35am
RJOrion |
'My Tender Heart' has great lyricism too...the lyrics somehow hit harder when Rosie Gaines sings it...I prefer her version over Prince's version, by alot |
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Reply #26 posted 02/15/24 4:05pm
WhisperingDand elions
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RJOrion said:
'My Tender Heart' has great lyricism too...the lyrics somehow hit harder when Rosie Gaines sings it...I prefer her version over Prince's version, by alot
The Claire Fisher strings are like 9,000x better, more enveloping and more lush on the Rosie version.
I get so irritated Prince fans lock-step auto-swap the Prince vocals as the "definitive" versions with all these Originals. They're literally all demos with demo-arrangements.
Prince's "finished" versions were all released decades ago, on other people's albums as he intended, with finished production as he gave final approval/mixing. [Edited 2/15/24 16:05pm] |
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Reply #27 posted 02/15/24 4:07pm
WhisperingDand elions
|
funkbabyandthebabysitters said:
WhisperingDandelions said:
They were fawning over "Raspberry Beret" lyrics over on reddit the other week too but this is medium grade Prince lyricism at best.
Now "101" or "My Tender Heart", there's some lyrics.
Great pop song, however.
Top grade contrarianism right there lol (and i like my tender heart v much)
nah cmon bro, "Rapsberry Baret" is like Fisher Price My First Bob Dylan. |
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Reply #28 posted 02/15/24 5:09pm
RJOrion |
WhisperingDandelions said:
RJOrion said: 'My Tender Heart' has great lyricism too...the lyrics somehow hit harder when Rosie Gaines sings it...I prefer her version over Prince's version, by alot
The Claire Fisher strings are like 9,000x better, more enveloping and more lush on the Rosie version.
I get so irritated Prince fans lock-step auto-swap the Prince vocals as the "definitive" versions with all these Originals. They're literally all demos with demo-arrangements.
Prince's "finished" versions were all released decades ago, on other people's albums as he intended, with finished production as he gave final approval/mixing. [Edited 2/15/24 16:05pm] I agree with what youre saying, with the exception of "Screams Of Passion"...Prince's version is funkier and cleaner than The Family's version which sounds cluttered and over produced |
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