What I love about this song:
It's funky. Great melody, very catchy, great vocals, great guitar playing. No preaching.

What I don't like so much (and yes, by the way, I am nitpicking):
If Doris and her gigolo are both selfish people just getting what they need from each other, why is all the criticism aimed at Doris? We hear about how ugly she is, her big nose, how recklessly she throws her money around, and how she doesn't even care that her kept boy is hooking up with his old flame as long as her money is not in danger. This man is clearly an amoral, materialistic user living off an older woman he finds unattractive, but he is not criticized. He is basically lauded for being clever enough to work it for whatever he can get because he is "too fine" for her. There's no avoiding the race issue- she's white and it's implied he's black.

Does Doris get all the disrespect because she's older? Female? White? Ugly? What makes the gigolo any better than his sugar mama? I'd love to hear what women think about this song.

I think it was inspired the Christopher Tracy/Mrs. Wellington subplot of UTCM.

I think the charm in its story is that it's told through an intentionally chauvinistic voice.

It's just a mostly fun song afterall.

And a fucking great one at that too, if I may say so.
[This message was edited Fri Apr 9 16:13:22 2004 by PurpleKnight]

somethings shouldnt just be analyzed

a few things...

He was a gentlemen who complimented...

"He never spoke about her nose so prominent it was" (even tho he called her "Flo" )

Finally, it's meant 2 be chauvenistic and it's also implying that nobody's really winning (Who's pimpin' who?).

He's just makin' fun of the woman, SHIT!

Also, I don't see that it's implied that the man is Black anywhere...just because he exchanged the FUNK, is that it?? Well, that's almost racist/stereotypical of u 2 say...

Got-damn, this is a GREAT song!!!!!

However, "On the Couch" is my New song!! (classic)

freakebear said:

That's all it's about. It's supposed to be a fun song with a fun story. That's it.

freakebear said:

Ugh! what's your deal?

freakebear said:

You're an idiot....

freakebear said:

It's people like you who make this world shitty. You take the smallest shit and blow it out of proportion. You could probably find something wrong with a stuffed animal. Saying something like, how we all subconcoiusly want all animals dead and stuffed.

Next time do us all a favor and just stop using your computer...

please

chookalana said:

...Amen

i don't think race is an issue at all here, though i understand the misconception becaue he does specifically point out that doris is white. i don't think that was meant in any derogatory manner. i also think that the story is about both losing. she's losing out on a real relationship and he's losing out on having success of his own. here he is screwing around with this older woman in hopes to get her money and there she is making him sign a pre-nup. what wil e do when he's older and less attractive? 'nobody gets a second chance" seems to resonate that. he's making his bed now and later he'll have to lie in it.

Who's pimpin' who? Nobody gets a second chance.

Lines like that tell all.

It really is a lighthearted, fun look at a user who's taking the easy road and screwing himself long term in the process by lazily going for such a short term solution to life, and an unattractive woman who's careless with her money and getting used as a result at the expense of not having someone who actually cares about her for her.

It's just a fun song ppl, not mean spirited at all. Great, enjoyable stuff.

In the end, it's really just a funky, fun way of saying no one wins when you get caught up in a story of illusion, coma, pimp, & circumstance.
[This message was edited Fri Apr 9 20:03:52 2004 by PurpleKnight]
[This message was edited Fri Apr 9 20:10:47 2004 by PurpleKnight]

PurpleKnight said:


Now DANCE!!!

I thought the way he talked about the Whip he was talking bout Donatella VERSACE.... Think about That? Or well whatever happened to his Friend Gloria? But I won't tell ya more ...

theblueangel said:

don't u just love it when P commands you to do somethin? you're all right -- P storytelling at his best, the music is straight fonky...sometimes I just listen to the instrumental at the end to get funked up.

but i'm not sure i'd say that doris is careless with her $ -- seems to me she knows 'xactly what she wants, when she wants it, how she wants it, and how much she wants to pay for it....i want to be just like her...i ain't hatin'...

I hate how this Uncle Tom, self hating, hair staightening asshole Prince want's to be Black all of a sudden now that his career is in the dumps.

chookalana said:

hmmm maybe im totally off the wall but to me it sounds like its prince's relationship with warner bros. I think that if you look at it in this way it makes more scense specially the "man i was fine back in the day."
just my thoughts
lzycrcktt

theblueangel said:

It's a great funky song.

freakebear said:

damn, i wish i had a troll picture to throw into this thread....lmfao '"it's implied he's black"....that's just too stupid to be real.

She knew which fork 2 use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk in xchange 4 the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance

She was older but rich beyond compare
She'd drop a thousand dollars at the salon just 2 get her hair done
He was good at compliments, better in the bunk
She laced him with a crib in Paris, he hipped her 2 the funk

Way 2 fine he was 4 her
A dirty dog in expensive fur
As long as she's providing chips and whips
We can do this funky thang
As long as she was playing the host
He figured he would make the most of them hips and lips
He hooked her up, rocked her coast 2 coast

Ugly...
So ugly, rich beyond compare
She's dropped a couple hundred thousand dollars on a silver whip
Just 2 match the color of her hair
She said "Eye got plenty of what U need.
Put the spoon down honey, c'mon, let mama feed U"

She knew which fork 2 use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk in xchange 4 the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance

Where was Eye? Oh yeah...
A gentleman he was
He never spoke about her nose
So prominent because in the dark it'd glow
If she was only tan instead of so lily white
Her name was Doris but he called her "Fluo"
As in "-Rescent" - That ain't right
Fluorescent every night
A situation bound 2 fail
As sure a Doris' skin was pale

Money might talk, but what does it say?
U better get busy if U wanna get paid
"Boy, Eye was fine back in the day"

She knew which fork 2 use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk in xchange 4 the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?
That's the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
Now, dance

Dance

He spent her money oh so well
Take a bath in cold Kristal
He took a trip 2 burn an old flame in 'Frisco, like wow
But Doris caught him in her arms
She shrugged her shoulders and said "No harm"
Just put Ur name on this pre-nup and we can all hit the disco

She knew which fork 2 use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk in xchange 4 the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance

She knew which fork 2 use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her 2 the funk in xchange 4 the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
Now, dance

Dance

How much better are these lyrics than something like:

Cream, get on top,
Cream, you will cop,
Cream, don't you stop,
Cream, sh-boogie bop.

Anybody can say what they want, but I believe the Musicology album is one of his best.

I can NOT get enough of this song...could qualify as a Prince classic (maybe). His sick/off-key delivery of the chorus is catchy as hell...and that guitar at the end...damn.

Love the shit outta the hook the rest of it kinda loses me though Not the best flow I've ever heard

thedog said:

Piss off you wanker! You're an idiot.

I find it strange this song immediately follows Musicology. You go from a happy song about bringing back the funk, and then this made-up story about a gigalo and a rich woman - it just seems a bit of a wrench, isn't very important in the scheme of things when you consider he's talking about war in some of the other tracks, and doesn't really fit with the rest of the album.

I can only think that it is an allusion to Prince and his battle with Warners/the music biz. That would make it more interesting lyrically, though it would seem a rather bitter throwback to his Emancipation days.

I prefer the idea that Illusion refers to Prince when he was at his height and he thought the record biz loved him, but it wasn't true. Then came Coma when Prince fell into the dolldrums artistically during the early '90s, then he went through that Pimp image in the mid-90s, trying to present the image he was in charge on the record company, then Circumstance could refer to his having to use the record biz right now to promote this new album. 'Who's pimping who?'

But perhaps I'm reaching.

thedog said:

You're insane. So you're saying that Prince didn't "want to be black" 2 years ago when he was singing "Avalanche"? Or how about in 1996 when he used Martin Luther King's speech in concert and sang "Style is when all black men are free"?

You're the fucking Uncle Tom, self-hating racist here, not Prince.

I am loving this song more and more each time, it´s great

same as "call my name" which I though was just the typical prince ballad but now I find
it really inspired

Know what? I can happily say I agree

Love this blurb from ThisIsTheShit.com:


Funk (All Along The Watchtower)

I was prepared to write Prince off. As a die-hard fan during the years that really mattered, that was something I thought myself incapable of doing. But I thought that when he traded his corporate chains for a window in the ivory Watchtower, everything was over. There was no way that funk would fly in the Halls of the Kingdom. What would Judge Rutherford say? Charles Russell would certainly spin in his grave.

Start spinning, homes. I just heard "Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" from the new Musicology album. Sweet baby Jesus, this track is the jam. Forgive me, Prince, for every bad thing I've said about you recently. I had to drop the needle on this track first, for the name alone. I'm going to save the rest for later. This track must remain in my head for the rest of the day, thank you.

I still love you, Prince. Really I do.

Byron said:

Sweet quote!

thedog said:

What the hell are talking about!

Man, leave that shit alone!

Blue

BinaryJustin said:

"Anybody can say what they want, but I believe the Musicology album is one of his best"

Blue