Prince writes fight song with epic evocations

Prince symbol in ice cavern
By: jamesNpatti

God (if he's listening at all) knows I love Prince. And Prince, in all his serial-privacy and symbol-hood, yields as great a question mark as any of the venerable riddles I try and fail to solve on this blog. Perhaps I don't set out to solve, only to articulate the cause for dissolution.

One thing I've always admired about Prince is his broad-minded way of framing things. Sure he's written songs about small red Corvettes and raspberry colored headgear—both vivid images that the mind readily latches onto—but often these frivolties betray a greater depth of insight.

I don't want to qualify that, it's just a feeling I get.

On the other hand, Prince is at times less narrative and more explicit. Take one of my all-time favorite songs Controversy for example. In this 3mins and 30secs of ecstasy, a brief but impactful intro gives way to a light and bouncy verse, which then transitions miraculously into one of the most slyly-epic and dark choruses of all time. It's in these sweeping passages that Prince opens the veins of all humanity, crying "Do I believe in God? Do I believe in Peace? Some people wanna die so they can be free. Life is just a game, we're all just the same."

Dark as these lyrics might seem, the song maintains an amazingly light feel throughout, satisfying all criteria for danceability, and making Controversy a resounding testament to Prince's genius.

Still—though I am a fan and incline toward exaltation—I am not the sort of fan who wishes to support the objects of my interest in their every effort, indiscriminately. That is not to undercut Prince's most recent submission—which hilariously is a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings. I mean only to say—and I think it will be clear upon hearing it—that "Purple and Gold" (as it's called) is not representative of the entities best work. It's kind of meandering actually. And not that catchy. It is, however, wholly endearing and makes me want to cheer for the Vikings and ever-harder for Prince, whose many talents include not giving a shit.

Listen to Purple and Gold:



Purple and Gold Lyrics:

the veil of the sky draws open
the roar of the chariots touch down
we r the ones who have now come again
and walk upon water like solid ground
as we approach the throne we won't bow down
this time we won't b denied

raise every voice and let it b known
in the name of the purple and gold

we come in the name of the purple and gold
all of the odds r in r favor
no prediction 2 bold
we r the truth if the truth can b told
long reign the purple and gold

the eyes say ready 4 battle
no need 4 sword in hand
we r all amped up like a rock n roll band
ready 2 celebrate every score
ready 2 fight the elegant war
ready 2 hear the crowd roar

that's what we came 4
and so much more
in the name of the purple and gold

r spirits may b tired
r bodies may b worn
but since this day is r destiny
r history – that's y we must b
4ever strong as the wind that blows the Vikings' horn
in the name of the purple and gold

CHORUS

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Read more from the source that broke the news:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/sports/prince-reveals-song-for-vikings-saints-game