Once, when asked to explain the meaning behind the title of his 1984 mega-hit “Purple Rain,” His Royal Badness replied: “When there’s blood in the sky– red and blue = purple. Purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
Whoa.
There was always something other-worldly, something supernatural, something both prophetic and apocalyptic about Prince’s music. The man behind that music was a bona fide freak of Nature, possessing a practically unrivaled instinct for personal, sartorial, and musical creativity. It seemed as if everything in Prince’s world was subject to artistic inflection, including his own proper name, which he changed to a symbol (and the shorthand “TAFKAP“) in 1993. On his 1978 debut album, For You, he not only wrote and performed every song, but is reported to have also played every single instrument (27 in all). He permanently employed at least 10 tailors to create his wardrobe. He lived in a sprawling and secluded compound just outside of Minneapolis that he named “Paisley Park.” He was mysterious, enigmatic, unpredictable, and indecipherable.
But he never meant to cause you any sorrow.
The rise of digitized music in the late-90’s and early 2000’s, coupled with the inevitable uptick in illegal downloads, allowed MP3 players and iTunes to more or less kill the “album” (which was already a CD). TAFKAP fought tirelessly against these trends, but that was a losing battle. It wasn’t that Prince hated the internet, he just wanted artists to get paid, and he insisted on artists’ ownership and control of their creative productions. The market dominance of streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, et al in the years leading up to Prince’s untimely death in 2016 meant that he had the terrible fortune of seeing what will in short order be the end of “purchased” music.
Always the oracle and soothsayer, Prince saw this coming as early as 1992. After a number of high-profile disputes with his label (Warner Bros.), he took his battle to the court of public opinion, appearing at several events with the word “Slave” penned on his cheek. In a 1996 interview with Rolling Stone, he explained “Then people say I’m a crazy fool for writing ‘slave’ on my face, but if I can’t do what I want to do, what am I? When you stop a man from dreaming, he becomes a slave. That’s where I was. I don’t own Prince’s music. If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you.”
Honey, he knew, he knew the times were changing.
“Purple Rain” is an easy pick for today’s #30DaySongChallenge. It’s one of my absolute favorite songs to hear live on Beale Street (where I hear it often) for a several reasons. First, it has a sing-along chorus, and I am a sucker for the spontaneous communion of spirit that happens when people sing together. Second, it has that really great break-down moment– honey, I know, I know–that is ideally suited for gospel/blues singers who can sang it with the real conviction of someone who never wanted to be your weekend lover. And, finally, the extended instrumental at the end is a perfect showcase for lead guitarists who have a intimate relationship with and special affection for the wailing and whining parts at the skinny end of the neck.
Prince was one-of-a-kind and he died too soon. Full stop.
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end.
NOTE: I’ve decided that this time around, I’m going to list the “runners-up” for my selection each day during the #30DaySongChallenge.
Runners-up for #30DaySongChallenge, Day 1:
- Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”
- Tommy James & The Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover”
- Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black”
- Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar”
- REM’s “Orange Crush”