I had this discussion with some friend(another fan) and she told me that I don't make much sense(and maybe I do).

But something about that song makes it look like an ode 2 good ol' brotha Sly. The lyrics sounds like he's paying a tribute to Sly(or maybe even James Brown or Little Richard I don't know).

Anybody feel this too?

Holla

He is MOST DEFINITELY talking about himself. Don't believe me? Check out the "Live in Vegas" DVD.

You know, the very FIRST time I heard that song, I thought he might have been talking about Sly. But after seeing the Vegas DVD, I see now that Prince is just talking about his favorite topic once again.

I thought he was in some way talking about his dad.

I think he is talking about Sly,George, & himself.

One of the greatest fuk u songs ever !

I always thought(besides talkin' about himself) he was trying to convert memebers
"come join the party ...share the truth preach, the good news..."

The first verse about himself and the second verse is about Sly Stone.

hes talking about himself, after seeing the vegas dvd that was clear! hes apologising for himself.

bkw said:

Anxiety said:

---
Put your crack pipe away. He is talking about Sly and himself.

Everyday People and Everybody is a Star are both Sly songs and the reference to changing the colours of the flag is cause Sly changed the American flag on an album cover.

Obviously that verse is about Sly, without question.

bkw said:

WHY is this so hard for people to understand???

EverlastingNow said:

I dont know, it seems obvious to me.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

That's exactly what he's doing, unfortunately. While still being a cold unapproachable, holier-than-thou asshole in the present.

No, he is talking about himself.

theblueangel said:

Right, and I bet you're just a bed of roses. A true joy!

Early on, whenever he would perform this song, he would always point at Larry Graham.

I think the parts that seem to refer to Sly are actually about Larry and his time with the Family Stone (particularly the line about changing the colors of the flag. On the outset, that seems to be referring to Sly, but it could just as easily be about any member of the band from that time period). The subsequent verses seem to refer to Larry's conversion to the Jehovah's Witnesses (those are the verses where I think it loses any possible reference to Sly, since he didn't have a great spiritual transformation, like the song suggest the protagonist did. Instead, Sly sunk into a morass of drugs that led to him becoming a recluse).

Of course, many of the verses about a spiritual conversion pertain to Prince as well, so I think as time went on in live performances he shifted the focus to himself. Its always been my theory that he initially wrote the song about Larry, but came to relate it to himself as well.

Marrk said:

I think he is SURELY talking about Sly...Because Sly changed the American Flag for the album cover of his 1971 masterpiece There's A Riot Going On{there's some stars missing on it}. It caused somewhat of a controversy during the time it was released..You won't see this version of the album cover on the current CD version.

Brother 9/15