As war drums beat in Babylon
Cinnamon girl starts to pray
I’ve never heard a prayer like this one
Never before that day

Tearful words of love for people she had never met before
Asking God to grant them mercy in this face of a holy war

Cinnamon Girl

Cinnamon Girl of mixed heritage
Never knew the meaning of color lines
9-1-1 turned that all around
When she got accused of this crime

So began the mass illusion, war on terror alibi
What’s the use when the god of confusion keeps on telling the same lie?

Cinnamon Girl

Don’t cry, don’t shed no tears
One lie won’t make us fear
Cause we know how this movie’s ending

Cinnamon Girl

As war drums beat in Babylon
And scorch the blood red sky
Militants bomb the foreign gun
Both sides' children die

Cinnamon girl opens the book she knows will settle all the scores
Then she prays after the war that there will not b anymore

Cinnamon Girl
[This message was edited Tue Apr 6 16:28:04 2004 by SassyBritches]
[This message was edited Wed Apr 7 8:45:25 2004 by SassyBritches]

I really like it and I dont understand why so many people here seem to not like it much.

Just because the song is so pop/rock doesn't mean it's no good.

What the hell do I know?

bkw said:

the music and melody are catchy but the lyrics are way too deep to just toss it off as pop rock, ya know what i mean? i think his may be my favorite track on the cd*.


*this information subject to change

When he does music like this, I picture the muppets dancing. The music is just sooo darn happy sounding. This song kinda reminds me of "I like it there". I don't really like the song per se, buy hey, it's Prince, so I'll listen...





and do the muppet dance

You know what. I initially didn't like this song...

But the lyrics.....hooked me. They make this song a great song.

Now I really love it

Do you know how difficult it is to write an up tempo political song, without sounding preachy or melancholy? I mean if you didn't read the lyrics you might catch yourself seriously grooving to the mix of it all. Thanks for posting the lyrics, gives the song new meaning to me!

Bye the way he is definitely speaking of Iraq on this one, you agree.

this song is fuckin' (oops, sorry Larry) hot!!!!

Methinks this song is one of the best on the disc. Just so catchy and fun!

Ain't nothing wrong with a song being "happy," that doesn't give it less merit. Besides, you could see the Muppets dancing to Outkast's last few singles just as easily too....

popgodazipa said:

oh yeah...but more importantly, and possibly more controversial, is the suggestion that the people who were involved in 9-11 (all governments and terrorists) were fighting for the wrong god. there's a pretty deep message in there.

"Tearful words of love for people she had never met before
Asking God to grant them mercy in this face of a holy war"

"So began the mass illusion, war on terror alibi
What’s the use when the god of confusion keeps on telling the same lie?"

"Don’t cry, don’t shed no tears
One lie won’t make us fear
Cause we know how this movie’s ending"

"Both sides choose to die"

it seems to me that this is the song of a woman realizing her religion is causing people to die or murder others. she then turns to "...the book she knows will settle all the scores..."

"Then she prays after the war that there will not b anymore"

i love this song!
[This message was edited Tue Apr 6 20:08:12 2004 by SassyBritches]

>"Tearful words of love for people she had never met before
Asking God to grant them mercy in this face of a holy war"

"So began the mass illusion, war on terror alibi
What’s the use when the god of confusion keeps on telling the same lie?"

"Don’t cry, don’t shed no tears
One lie won’t make us fear
Cause we know how this movie’s ending"

"Both sides choose to die"

it seems to me that this is the song of a woman realizing her religion is causing people to die or murder others. she then turns to "...the book she knows will settle all the scores..."

"Then she prays after the war that there will not b anymore"

i love this song!<

Wow. I guess with Prince the music always sucks me in first, only for me to find much later how deep some of his lyrics are. This is some of his most interesting writing ever.

jtgillia said:

In this part of the lyrics "
As war drums beat in Babylon
And scorch the blood red sky
Militants bomb the foreign gun
Both sides choose to die "


I could swear it says "Both sides CHILDREN die"

Great thread, great song. Sure "Cinnamon Girl" sounds poppy - that's the point! As a pop song it's pure perfection. It's no accident this song is located at the CENTER of the album!

Sonically, it's ear candy with a great beat, fun "Beach Boys" major chords, poppy background vocals, and tasty rock guitar. It's the perfect summer song for cruising around with the top down. I knew Prince had this in him - he wrote other perfect pop songs like "When You Were Mine" and many others - but jeez, it's been a while. The mature, thought-provoking lyrics add a whole 'nother dimension.

If Columbia promotes this song correctly, it could burn up the AAA charts and fit seamlessly into the rotation with John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson and Carlos Santana. Columbia could work the same AAA connections they used with Bob Dylan's recent "comeback" albums. Prince could actually get on rock radio again (not classic rock, not modern rock, but AAA rock).

Case in point: Sheryl Crow put out a little ditty called "Soak Up the Sun" through AAA radio a couple years ago. It went up the AAA charts, then crossed over into multiple formats. The label funded an eye-pleasing video, which ruled VH-1 and then found success on MTV, even though the artist was older than the MTV audience. It became the biggest mainstream hit of the summer. Two years later, you still can't even walk into a ballpark without hearing it.

Every summer needs a great summer song, and "Cinnamon Girl" has the hooks, the beat and the attitude to go all the way. Not to mention it fits in with the times - yes, a SIGN of the Times - as Americans finally wake up and smell something funny in this "holy war."

The song is damn fine. Would do well (if not great) as single, vid or whatever else it's released as off the album.

lmas said:

thanks! i wasn't sure on that lyric!

i like everything about this song except the neil young bite on the title and the chorus is just so bland.. i honestly think the chorus of this song is the weakest point on the whole album... just falls a little flat... feels like a cop-out, like he could have done so much more with it... verses, choruses and music are great!

i can totally see that! But I was thinking this song is so "Bangles," what about you?

This song has beautiful lyrics.
I'm normally one of those listeners who is initially grabbed by the melody. I normally soak up the melody and worry about the lyrics later.
This is the first song in a long time that hit me with the lyrics right away.
Great stuff.

Beautiful song. Grew on me greatly after I listened closely to the lyrics. A summer hit? Yes.

Ooops! a double hit.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 7 9:51:15 2004 by morningsong]