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I'm happy to be a part of the #PrinceTwitterThread to discuss "Dark" — the 7th track from @prince's 1994 "Come" album. Many thanks to @DeejayUMB & @EdgarKruize for having me back. And for readers who aren't aware: I'm one of those who is hard on P's 90's output.
Further, I've gone so far as to say – on camera – that I can't have a Prince conversation w/ someone who's never heard the "Dirty Mind" album. Admittedly, this is an extreme position, but as we go, you'll see why I need that prerequisite. (clip: @dseals of @Digife)
But to be clear: whether I loved it or not, I have supported Prince since 1981 and have purchased damn near everything — you name it, I bought it. I know him as a complete artist; the whole tree — from roots to leaves. So let's get to it.
By 1994 I was in a tough spot. I'd been slowly losing my place in both Prince's music and the world he created. I was hanging on by my fingertips in the midst of more urgent options like Digable Planets' "Blowout Comb" and Dionne Farris' "Wild Seed-Wild Flower."
As a result, there are periods that are completely lost on me. That good info connecting "Come" to Glam Slam Ulysses that @EdgarKruize & @CaseyRain got into last week? Yeah, P missed me w/ *all* of that.
Still, "Dark" was used for the Penelope dance in GSU; which is ironic in that she kept her fidelity to her husband, Ulysses, in his absence. Whereas, "Dark" deals with abandonment and betrayal. I'll get to this in a few tweets.
Back to me stressing the 90's: In June 1994, our interests suddenly aligned when Prince released the "Interactive" CD-ROM just as I'd gotten heavy into Mac computers. @anildash gives a comprehensive demo of the game that's worth checking out.
Weeks later, "Come" is released and two things about its cover grab me instantly. First, it's just "Prince" – no "and the [band name]." Second, the "1958 – 1993" which I knew to mean his intention to move forward with O(+> and declare Prince as dead.
So, I approached this album as I would a requiem that addressed aspects of Prince's life. And "Come" has it all: the sex, the party, the religion, the reflection, the struggle, the love & the pain. I found a way back in & was able to connect with the concept. Okay, "Dark" time.
If pressed, I'd say "Dark" is my favorite on "Come." It's an isolated song on an already isolated album. A man who has suddenly been left by his woman, he feels used and betrayed. He's seemingly singing to his spiteful departed, but it's really for himself as he works this out.
He doesn't understand why she left, and resolves that it was an intentional move to strike pain: "You absolutely drove a man to tears/All I really know is that you sincerely wanna hurt me." Later he strikes back: "I want to curse you, baby/For leaving me alone."
Heartbreak and retribution are recurring themes in Prince's lyrics (see "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad," "Something in the Water," "If You Break My Heart One More Time," and about 20 others) that he advances further in 1995's "Eye Hate U."
Prince uses falsetto here – his power vocal – that matches a steady groove that extends throughout, but there's also a beautiful pre-bridge that leads into "Just as sure as Noah built the Ark/That's how sure I am you broke my heart." The eye of a storm filled with raging pain.
Recall when I began, I referenced the need for Dirty Mind familiarity. It's fine if you don't have it. Just know that DM is the foundation that upholds the rest of what makes Prince, PRINCE. Now, listen to this song, "Gotta Broken Heart Again."
Do you hear the similar themes of betrayal heartbreak? Apart from the suicide, "Dark" and "Gotta Broken Heart Again" could've been sung by the same person in two different stages of his life. It's those types of cues that helped me navigate where Prince was at during this period.
Prince revisited "Dark" live on occasion later in his career. He even included it in his final performance in Atlanta (around the 25:00 mark).
I'll wrap it there. A round of applause for my predecessors who've dissected this far:
@Miss_EThompson
@deejayumb
@CaseyRain
@EdgarKruize
@PrincesFriendYT
& @ehphd
@Miss_EThompson
@deejayumb
@CaseyRain
@EdgarKruize
@PrincesFriendYT
& @ehphd
And stay with the #PrinceTwitterThread as
@scottwoodsays
@NightEthereal
& @polishedsolid
close out our examination of Prince's "Come" album.
New episode of @TotalMusicSnobs drops soon! Thx for reading.
@scottwoodsays
@NightEthereal
& @polishedsolid
close out our examination of Prince's "Come" album.
New episode of @TotalMusicSnobs drops soon! Thx for reading.
