Thread by @antski74

Name your favourite prince track ?
what's your top 5 tracks on such & such album ?
what's your favourite love, rock, or funk track ?
20 years ago or so I could answer all those questions in a heartbeat.

However, with age and experience and more exposure 2 more of prince's work. I find these tasks irrelevant and futile, and even a little boring 2 B honest.
It's not that I don't have favourites far from it.

It's just with age, and experiencing most of what life can throw at me. I now find lists pointless.
There is so much work and choice and creativity in the prince cannon 2 behold, that it can't B bound by top 10's or top 5's or whatever your compiling.

However, that being said if push comes 2 shove....
there is still one track that would hold no.1 for me.
The beautiful ones u always seem 2 loose.

Baby, baby, baby
what's it gonna be ?
Baby, baby, baby
is it him or is it me?
As soon as I heard those opening lines of this song for the first time, Things changed for me forever and on so many levels.

Prince, was about 2 to take me on a journey, a journey of self discovery and one of the first of many life changing moments that continue 2 this day.

This track is so important 2 me, as I discovered it at 16 years of age. 16 and deeply in love with my first serious girlfriend. who in a prince quirk of fate happened 2 B called Wendy! This girl gave me the run-around and ultimately broke my heart.

So when I heard this track for the first time, and when I saw prince's performance of it in the purple rain movie.
It was a yes moment for me! yes! I'm not a fool, yes! I'm not the only one who has been through this.
And YES!! for the way prince delivers his performance.

The lyrics are just so perfect for anyone who has been heartbroken. But also for those who are lonely, and in their loneliness and yearning for a lover create a fantasy, a vision of their perfect partner.
Only 2 have the illusion shattered by reality.

That line of the song is incredible and truly displays the genius in prince's song writing.
The pain, passion and desperation that prince puts into this song is truly remarkable.
it's all there in those incredible screams at the end of the track.

The confusion u feel when you've given your all 2 someone, only for it 2 never seem 2 B enough. for that person 2 only ever seem 2 want someone else no matter what in your mind is all there in those screams.

What's it gonna be babe, do u want him! or do u want me!
Cuz I want u!! As a naïve 16 year old, watching prince put this all out there on stage during purple rain, not only blew my mind but gave me confidence 2 confront my own jealousy and insecurities.

I wanted 2 be up there on that stage, screaming and pleading at my girlfriend. Baby, baby, listen 2 me!
I may not know where I'm going babe, I said I may not know what I need.
Again just perfect lyrics for a young person 2 identify with.

What teenager does know where they are going?
or what they need? indeed, many people live their whole lives without knowing the answers 2 those questions.
I love the way prince was always aware, and always honest in his song writing about such issues.

2 B able 2 question yourself on life, the things that happen 2 u, the things that are going on around u.
2 truly know yourself is one of the greatest lessons u can learn from prince's music.
And the beautiful ones started it all for me.

16 years old, confused heartbroken and tearful. The beautiful ones was like a close companion, a confidant that I would turn 2 on so many a night.
it helped 2 shape the way I dealt with my future relationships. And became my all time favourite prince track in the process.

I guess maybe I do still have a soft spot for top track lists after all ?
Thank u for reading
Mr Ants.