Inspired by Snatch's thread, I'm sure many of you remember the controversy surrounding LIL MAN with him not showing up at the all-star recording for the USA FOR AFRICA's song "WE ARE THE WORLD" back in 1985 after the American Music Awards (after he got robbed of at least 6 awards). I thought "Hello" was one of the best examples of him speaking to the media and his critics through him music. He wasn't giving interviews much in the 80's, so what did he do. Made a great song telling his side of the story. I thought these lines were genius ..."we're against hungry children...our breakfast stands tall...there's just as much hungry HERE AT HOME". I thought that was brillant. What he was basically saying was, you guys are making such a big deal about me now showing up for this recording session, but hey there are people starving here on the home front as well and hey I am concern, I am willing to give a song to your project. He didn't give an interview to state his position, he just snucked this song on the B-side of his "Pop Life" single. I remember when I bought the single back in 85' and was SURPRISED to hear this B-side single(surprise to hear him address his critics). I thought it was brillant and I think it is one of his greatest B-side songs.

Then he turned around and gave the USA FOR AFRICA album an awesome song "4 The Tears In Your Eyes". That people, is how he came to be called YOUR ROYAL BADNESS. Anybody remember this whole USA FOR AFRICA incident/controversy and want to discuss it? Do you think he was wrong for not showing up? What were your thoughts when you heard him address the media on the "Hello" B-side???

Brother915 said:

I agree it's a rare moment when Prince was genuinely angry at his image suffering and used his music to try to answer the critics. Whether it was successful or not I don't know. Us Prince fans certainly like it!

BTW I think the lyrics are "our record stands tall, there's just as much hunger here at home" sorry to be picky.

At last - a decent thread! Thanks

Everything you want to know about Prince is right there in the lyrics. All you gotta do is listen.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 17 5:09:20 PDT 2002 by Scotty2funky]

I think Prince was a jerk for blowing that off - both in 1985 & in the reunion thing 10 years later. Plenty of names bigger than him then & now took part in it, but Prince had to play like he was something better & above it all. Great show of charity. Oh, he can't sing someone else's music? Bull.

Scotty2funky said:

So I won't last long. I guess the farting thread will last longer then this one...**sigh**

Brother915 said:

Aside from the hilarious lyric transcription error, a great commentary on why Prince is Prince.

The lyrics to "Hello:"


Hello Hello Hello Hello

Hello Hello Hello Hello

I tried 2 tell them that I didn't want 2 sing
But I'd gladly write a song instead
They said okay and everything was cool
'Til a camera tried 2 get in my bed

Hello My bed Hello Hello

I was sittin' pretty with a beautiful friend ("Oh darling")
When this man tries 2 get in the car
("'Ey Prince, c'mon, give us a smile eh?")
No introduction, "How U been?"
Just "Up yours, smile, that's right, you're a star!" (Star)

U call 'em bodyguards but I call 'em my friends
I guess I'm used 2 havin' 'em around
And cameras by nature like rewards
That's the trouble I get when I'm Uptown

I'm not afraid to die (Don't be afraid)
Oh no, there's a better place ('Cuz there's a better place 2 go)
I eat what I want (U can eat what U want)
Whole wheat toast (Anything is cool in moderation)
And I'm happy, and that's for sure

We're against hungry children
Our record stands tall
There's just as much hunger here at home

We'll do what we can
If y'all try and understand
A flower that has water will grow
And the child misunderstood will go

Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello

Everybody we're against hungry children
Our record stands tall
There's just as much hunger here at home

We'll do what we can
If y'all try and understand
A flower that has water will grow
And the child misunderstood will go

Our record stands tall, u know
Give us time and love will show

Hello
Hello
Hello

I was too young to really experience 1985 USA for Africa event, besides I lived on the other side of the Berlin wall so it can be easily assumed that in my country these efforts by the Western world were not warmly discussed. But anyway, straight to the point.

I respect Prince's decision not to take a part in the recording of the song. First of all, it was a big show-up on behalf of Michael Jackson and partially Lionel Richie. The timing of it was awful (right after the AMA show) which somehow pressed any artist attending to take part in the recording. Actually I liked the huge concert organized by Bob Geldoff much better - a huge event which allowed the audience of many countries to unite for a splendid cause. Thirdly, the song "We are the World" is such a crap. Fourthly, the video for it is one of the funniest things I've seen. The faces some of the singers make (Bruce, Tina) are just too much.

To this day I believe that Prince would not fit the people there. I just can't see him there. He stepped off participating but after all he did deliver a song to the album. I see no big deal.

As for 1995 and the AMA show, I loved Prince's attitude - sucking on the lollipop and sticking it to Quincy Jones when he handed Prince a microphone. I believe his attitude was a bit like "this is embarrasing... I don't know what to do, everybody will be talking about it tomorrow, so I'd better make fun of it". And I think it worked well for him. Let's be honest, whatever he would have done, it would have been a disaster.

I think he was right to stay in his corner this time. Tons of start are singing and playing a mainstream soup: what difference would Prince presence make ? One more star ? What for ?
I consider this kind of action as bullshit: this very rich pop stars are just giving themself good conscience easily, and then they are so proud and they never make another charity move in their life.
Anyway I also like Prince arrogance. Saying "I fuck you" to the concensual mainstream like he did when he left all record companies. I can be viewed as arrogance and also as independence, and I think it s about beeing faithfull to yourself and what you believe, even if you have to pay a high price.

Hello is a great song. And no I don't think he as wrong 4 not showing up. Prince is a shy person even more so back then. Even though he performs on stage, that is his controlled environment. Doing something like USA 4 Africa most likely would have made him feel nervous and uncomfortable. He felt more comfortable singing a song in privacy and giving it 2 the project, which he did not have 2 do. I think the media got the whole thing wrong that time.

The telling line was this:

"There's just as much hunger here at home"


It seems to me that Prince would have like to help Americans... but this whole help everyone before you help yourself thing didn't look to appealing to him.

...and it was a fucking corny song... damn, Prince would have looked like a buffoon singing that tripe.

...Ironically, for all the good they meant to do, the whole USA for Africa turned out to be a sham. There were reports 2 or 3 yrs later that showed how only a small portion of the money got to where it was intended to go, most of it going in African government and city officials' pockets, even more upsetting the imbalance between the wealthy and poor in these nations.

Prince has done many benefits and given a lot of $ to numerous charities over the years without taking credit for it, which is the way it should be. Good deeds should be self rewarding, without furthering one's career with charity publicity stunts(anyone say 'MJ'?).

Nuff said.

mrchristian said:

Hello is one of his strongest songs. Simply because he SPOKE HIS MIND !!! Normeally if Prince has something to say, it is in between the lines. With Hello, It's right there for all to hear.
Remember at the time Prince was giving alot of money to MPLS homless charities.

No offence mrchristian, get your own end tag.

'nuff said.

no offenSe taken.

IceNine said:

I think the most telling line is this one:

"U call 'em bodyguards but I call 'em my friends"

Prince said himself in the 1985 MTV interview that he felt he did his part by giving a song 2 the project. He also explained that it was not out of vanity that he didn't show up, but since he's an admirer of all the people who attended, he would have just clammed up in the room with them. We know how Prince used 2 be, and he probably would have spoiled the mood by acting shy and clamming up, and I'm sure the stars would have mistaken that 4 him thinking he was better than everybody. It's possible he would have had his bodyguards there with him also, so with all that considered, I think it was best that he didn't show up.

I've always felt like Prince didn't want 2 show up because it would have been the first time he wasn't in control and would have had 2 take directions from someone else, and Prince just won't do that, sorry 2 say.

KeithyT said:

YES, you re right, it is "there's just as much HUNGER here at home". Another typo on my part. Sorry.

Brother915 said:

Right on 4 my baby! "we're the world' is the one of the corniest, most typical MJ song about a messed up world, I got much love 4 the brotha but his 'Let's make a betta place' songs are 2 over-rated. Instead, my baby gave 'em a CLASSIC WORK OF ART and its called '4 the tears n' Ur eyes', the song have a story 2 tell, as always GREAT MUSICAL ARRAGMENTS and the mood is quite alright not mention the background vox add some colors on it.

As 4 'Hello' tells 3 stories:

1-The Africa/US thang!

3-The photographer and his wrong move toward Prince.

2-Chuck's fight wit the photographer and the way ppl look at him and Prince

As u noteced, Prince is simply the BEST story teller in the world and you have plenty of examples!!!

BTW GREAT topic, keep on posting!!

IceNine said:[quote]The lyrics to "Hello:"



I'm not afraid to die (Don't be afraid)
Oh no, there's a better place ('Cuz there's a better place 2 go)
I eat what I want (U can eat what U want)
Whole wheat toast (Anything is cool in moderation)
And I'm happy, and that's for sure


I thought he said "I eat what I want, Doritos"
I just remember him eating them in Purple Rain

i can understand what he did in 1985 but the what he did by sucking a lollipop was stupid. if u weren't a prince fan with available lyricsw, his attitude was like: i don't care. i rather eat or at least suck in front.

cntrvrsy said:

Sorry to compare Prince to Mick Jagger again, but Mick and Keith blew off the Band Aid song in England and many of these Prince's Trust England Charity events. It's not their style and neither is it Prince's. Can you really see Prince taking orders from Michael Jackson and Lionel especially when Prince was the King of the World in 1985? Never happen. By the way, "4 the Tears" is the best song on that whole album and more heartfelt than Michael and Lionel's Pepsi commercial "We Are the World."

cntrvrsy said:

Nor do I.



Indeed.

I never thought Prince was wrong for not showing up to the USA for Africa Gig. He told MJ and Lionel Ritchie that he would give them a song instead. For the TEARS in Your EYES is the BEST Song on the USA For AFRICA album. Hello is a brilliant response to all of the Journalists and people who were dogging him and saying he did the wrong thing. The Journalists Cindy Adams,Liz Smith always made him look bad in the papers. He got shot down and shitted on for not following the others. It definitely hurt him in the publics eyes and it always felt to me like a smear campaign against him. I thought the media took what should have been a Wonderful night for Prince the AMA's in 1985 and made it look like he was an arrogant,Egotistical, Prima Donna. He was made to feel Guilty for enjoying himself on his night not Michael's and Lionel's at Carlos and Charlies in California . It wasn't fair and ATWIAD suffered from all the NEGATIVE PRESS! How Dare they ! How could they? I've been telling people this for years. It was very wrong to pick on him on his night. the Journalists have NEVER been Fair to Prince. Certainly not what I have seen. Always making him look like a weirdo,freak, or kook. Damn- It . He is a GENIUS! Do YOU understand GENIUS??? ThEY march to their OWN BEAT! They Have their OWN RULES! How DARE YOU CRITICIZE them when your little ASSES couldn't create SHIT! TAKE that to the Bank.

it took prince 6 long years 2 hit world-wide in the music biz...during those 6 years...prince never met or spoke 2 those big rock stars (i wonder did he speak 2 the rolling stones around the time when he supported them on their live shows?). i don't think prince himself fitted in with the glamorous side of the big rock stars image.

Didn't they say he was so mad at what happened at the Stones concert in 1981 that it took Mick Jagger calling him to return to the GiG? The audience was so HOSTILE!?

I Respect Prince's Choice at not being there,However the Music Fan I Am would have Enjoyed Hearing Prince,MJ,Lionel,stevie,Ray Charles,Quincy Jones,Smokey&the Main Folks that were there Singing."Hello" hasn't aged well for me.I think He said more in "Pop Life" than "Hello" IMHO.I Never Really cared for "4 The Tears in Your Eyes".truth of the Matter that whole Usa For Africa Album was alright for the time but I Just don't Spin it much.

What exactly happened at the 95 AMA show with Quincy Jones and the lollipop and whatever? I'm afraid I wasn't nearly as dedicated a fan then as I am now. I was probably playing nintendo instead of watching the music awards.

Can somebody please post the lyrics to the extended 12" version of Hello (a darn excellent version at that!)? They may be relevant to this discussion..

Still... it's unbelivable that Prince's part was supposed to be the verse that Bruce Springstein sang, regardless i stand by Prince's decision not to participate in the "We Are The World" song but, it woulda been interesting 2 hear Prince's 1st contribution to the song of a guitar solo as stated in the bio "DMSR".

Chacmool said:

As I remember, at the end of the show Quincy Jones stood on the stage and started talking about the 10th anniversary of the "We are the World" recording session. Then he asked all the artists to the stage to join him and sing the song together. Prince, who was sitting with Nona Gaye in the first row, got up too and went to the stage. Everybody was signing the song but Prince just stood right in the center and sucked his lollipop. He also wore shades. It was funny how he looked around at the people signing and had this expression "how funny you are...". Then Quincy Jones handed him a microphone to sing but Prince simply stuck his lollipop to Quincy. Quincy pretended like he wanted to suck on it but Prince took the lollipop back quickly. Nona laughed hard. And so did I. I must watch it on my VHS soon.