Around the world, the doves might be finally crying over the death of rock star, Prince. How did this event effect Ireland, if at all?
A very popular and well-known musician has passed away at an age that is surprising to many people, including the citizens of Ireland. The world seems to be in a bit of shock, stunned numbness and pensive reflection after hearing the news that 57-year-old and otherwise vibrant, Prince was found deceased earlier today.
I can remember the lyrics of Prince’s most well-known songs with about the same amount of effort that it takes me to recall my social security number when filling out paperwork. In fact, I could be standing in a line, sitting at a traffic light or walking down the street and the words would come back and emit with nearly non-existent exertion.
“How can you just leave me standing? Alone in a world that’s so cold. Maybe I’m just too demanding. Maybe I’m just like my father too bold. Maybe I’m just like my mother. She’s never satisfied. Why do we scream at each other? This is what it sounds like when doves cry.”
When Doves Cry was a terrific Prince song. It was a hauntingly beautiful track which touched on issues that maybe alot of us can relate to, on a personal level, without ever needing to write about it necessarily.
Prince did that part for us.
It’s the stuff of things that we’d rather not talk about, but most of us know too well. It’s the reason why this bad thing happened to us and what we go through when we question why. Was it because of something I’ve done? Was it because I’m like my father or my mother? I hear in those lyrics the singer question many possibilities. This is the stuff that we all do.
There are princes, but there was only one Prince.As I write this, many networks and media sites have already begun or had their tributes to Prince, the singer, who was born Prince Rogers Nelson. RTE was set to a do a two-hour special and look into his life. As this information was posted on Twitter, it didn’t take an extraordinary amount of insight to see that many Irish folks were aware and effected by his passing.
It’s hard not to be. If you were alive in the Eighties, then you were certain to have encountered Prince somewhere, whether you liked his music or not.
Genuine artists would have a hard time denying the poignancy in his songs. Legitimate musicians cannot omit the fact that he could play the guitar rather well. And then, he could sing too.
Prince brought alot of things to the table and most of us saw, at least, one of those things that we liked or admired. When he started out, he was rather cutting edge and maybe too provocative for some people. That is somewhat of a laugh to me now, when I see what we have going on these days, since Prince was mild in comparison.
There are probably those people out there who dismissed his artistry because of the packaging or because they thought he was trying to sell something else. But, they would be, at minimum, confused and definitely oblivious to his actual abilities. I suppose that as this man has departed our world that it is fair to say that there was the musician and then, there was the man.
This man may not have been easily understood, and perhaps, that is what made him so cool. But, he was consistent. And yes, he was a very private man, which unfortunately leads to assumptions rather than putting the focus on the real prize, his music.
He was great and the things that he put out there for us to see and hear publicly are the proof. He left behind some incredible music that we will forever be able to listen to and we are lucky for that. I do believe that no matter where you are on this planet, this is the element of Prince’s legacy that is impossible to dismiss.
