All:

Circa 1983, I was in the 11th grade and had a Civics class with a fairly cool teacher. We (teacher and class) were trying to look for subliminal messages in music and advertising. Well, after finding all we could one day, someone actually had a Prince "1999" LP (Yes, LP, it was 1983 of course). The student stated that if you turned the LP upside down and faced it up to a mirror, the Prince name turned into "Devil" and the three "9's" in "1999" turned into three "6's", instead. Now I was amused by this because I was a teen (you know, teen rebellion). Well, I went home that evening and told my brother and sister (Big Mistake). They told my mom (who was a JW back then), who was already hiding my "1999" LP from me. She took it out of hiding and we saw that it was pretty much true.

Unfortunately, she didn't find it amusing, so she instructed my brother to break the LP apart with a hammer (yes, this is a true story).

Here's the clincher though. After I teared up a little (I was only 16 and a Prince fanatic), stating how unfair it was, she said, "You don't know. He might even become a witness someday, so stop crying and read your publications."

HAHAHA!

Although I hated what she said back then, I love that story now, although my mom passed that same year, I won't ever forget her basically "claiming" that Prince could one day become a JW.

I chuckled inside, when he stated at the RRHOF ceremony, "All thanks to Jehovah, the most high."

Peace.

Interesting story. . .thanks for sharing.

One thing though: Looking at 1999, of course you can see 666 when turning it upside down. . .but I have no idea how you get the word "devil" from "Prince" when turning it upside down and looking at it in a mirror. . .
[This message was edited Tue Mar 23 6:51:56 2004 by floralelephants]

my father smashed ALL of my Prince Lp's and tapes (pre-CD era) with a sledge-hammer on a kitchen chair - schit was flyin' everywhere . . . i have since rebought everything on tape then Cd - but wish i still had those vinyls . . .

my folks hated Prince music when i was younger. strangest thing happen the other day though when he was on Leno . . .i was messin' with Mom - i called her and during the conversation said "Prince is going to be on Leno tonight". she said, "yeah i saw that and i'm going to make sure to watch it". WHAT THE??!! boy how times have changed . . . maybe they're FINALLY realizing i dig him for his artistry and not just the nastiness (of the 80's) . . .

btw - i turned out a working professional/mother/wife with no thoughts of ever becoming a filthy whore . . . music/artists REALLY don't have THAT much influence on one's lifestyle choices . . . well at least not mine.

i have to remember this when my child is listening to some "crazy" stuff huh?

I used to study with Witnesses about six years ago and I also felt that Prince would one day seek that path. Although the Cons outweighed the Pros for me, I find that that faith sticks the the book the most and Prince always seemed like he was searching for something rigid to me.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

Well, I appreciate your comment, I used to actually be a JW and I don't think they stick more to it than any other religion.

GeSmi1

Lenae said:

I agree, I don't understand how music can foretell the future of any individual. I'm sure those Ozzy Osbourne songs had nothing to do with the suicide attempts of teens back in the day than there own delirium.

Anyway, thanks so much for your comment and you're right, times have changed.

GeSmi1

a sure way to make any music memorable to your children is to smash it up in front of them. it's a motivation to cherish it for all time.

we should all forbid our children to listen to prince, from now on.

floralelephants said:

Try it after you've dropped acid.

MightBQueen said:

Yes, it's amazing how those antics just lie in the anals of the mind, only waiting to resurface at any given moment.

Thanks Mom!

HAHAHAHA!!!!!

GeSmi1 said:

i think you meant the "annals," haha; the "anals" would give it quite another meaning...

I just find the idea that, if you turn the record upside down and look at it in the mirror it says "Devil 666", absolutely hilarious! The 80s, when EVERYONE was looking for subliminal shit on their records!

I heard, if you take the inside of "Parade" and hold it at a 90 degree angle in a mirror, then spin around three times, walk outside, and around the corner, Prince will turn invisible!

MightBQueen said:

Indeed! I had to hide many of my records and tapes from my folks (no easy feat in my house, since my mother went through everything of mine). My parents were/are extremely fundamentalist. Everything had the potential to be some evil, insidious tool of the Devil to corrupt my young mind

I remember, at one point, my parents became convinced that the influence of comic books must be the reason I was having trouble with math (don't ask me to explain the logic, I've spent 20 years trying to figure that one out). My Dad took a bunch of my comics and tore them up in front of me. Periodically, I like to point out to him that some of the comics he tore up are now so valuable I could have paid for all four years of college with them!



-----
[This message was edited Wed Mar 24 5:50:43 2004 by JediMaster]

My parents r JW and i quit them years ago...I remember that i had 2 hide almost every tapes i got, especially those ones of Prince....Once my mom caught and Iron Maiden cover...i dont remember her reaction but he wasnt happy. I remember that the JW were against Prince especially in the 80s...they told me that he is "the devil"....Now im laughing about it but i had 2 fight strongly 4 my ideas...
Now my parentes gave up trying 2 convert me...Being a Jw isnt my way at all...I respect their ideas and they have 2 respect me....Now my mom doesnt complain about the Marilyn Manson poster i have in my flat...lol and she asked me why i havent the Prince calendar....My sista asked me 2 put on my neck the Prince symbol....They r opening their minds...good....

Lilith said:

Haha, do any JWs really talk like this? I've never heard a JW call anyone "the devil." That seems much more fundamentalist than JW.

As far as an official stance... I think there was a mention of "Darling Nikki" in an old Awake magazine, without mentioning the actual title or who it was by... if I find it, I'll post it in a forum somewhere.

MightBQueen said:

I discovered that the Jw of my region r pretty fondamentalist...I discovered it bcuz a Jw girl is helping me 4 anorexia...She is Jw and she is more openminded...The famous song mentioned in "awake" were..."sister"....i remember it well....Life is very strange...i hated JWs 4 long time and now who is helping me without judging me? A Jw....She's very nice and im grateful 2 her....

Lilith said:

Not easy to find good friends.

My search on the CD-ROM Awake archives did not yield anything. Maybe I'm using the wrong search words? I'll keep searching...

Am sure I heard a reference to Darling Nikki, way back when, but it might have been at an assembly. Can any other JWs help me w/ this??