Life & Death in a song that I listened to incorrectly for 32 years

When I bought Prince’s album ‘Purple Rain’ in 1984 with my grade school babysitting money, the title track wasn’t the song that I listened to every night before I slept. It was ‘Let’s Go Crazy’. To this day, Prince is the only artist whose music I can fall asleep to. No lie (this is a huge compliment to the legend). My parents didn’t screen lyrics back then, but this particular song to which I fell in love was pure.
I am so grateful now for the live Prince shows I was able to see; he mesmerized both stadiums and small venues. My memories of that are priceless.
YOU HAVE TO READ LYRICS TOO but listen to live version- it will blow your mind!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLUY2TVyhV8

It’s not lost on me that Prince died in his elevator at his own home- Paisley Park. Immediately the song lyrics I listened to every night came flooding back into my head. But it wasn’t comforting. In, fact, initially, it seemed to make his untimely death all the more tragic.
 
That is…
Until I listened to the song.
As some of you know  I’ve been writing about tragic deaths (of the holistic doctors) almost full time in the last year. So I figured, look, I wanted to find something good out of this, if at all possible.
I wanted to find the light.
 
So I got out my old collection and immediately listened and listened hard.
 
Long story short, I misinterpreted this song for way too many years. No really. I literally wasn’t hearing the lyrics correctly until I looked them up tonight… and they are profound…
 
You see, Prince didn’t let the elevator bring him down. He punched a higher floor…  
You know what his message was right? What lyrics were pounded in our head since we were kids?
 
In a 1997 interview for VH1, Prince explained to Chris Rock that the line (de elevator) is a metaphor about the devil (elevator going down) and God (the higher floor).
I’ve seen it written as “Are we gonna let de-elevator bring us down
Oh, no let’s go!
Go crazy”
Let’s go crazy
Let’s get nuts
Let’s look for the purple banana
‘Til they put us in the truck
let’s go!!!
 
We’re all excited
But we don’t know why
Maybe it’s ’cause
We’re ALL gonna die
 
And when we do (When we do)
What’s it all for (What’s it all for)
You better live NOW
Before the grim reaper come knocking on your door”
 
He told you right there ^^^
 
And there’s more.
 
Prince sings about the After World:
A world of never ending happiness where you can always see the sun, day or night…
The very ending of the song was most shocking for me that I’d heard incorrectly all these years. Now I know what it means. I think it’s pretty obvious if you read them below.
 
Check out the lyrics. I wrote them out since headlines today are screaming how hard it is to listen to his music online.
 
But I’ve found solace in his live performances and especially this song.
 
As he sings:
If you don’t like the world you’re living in
Take a look around you
At least you got friends…
He also sings about pills and thrills and how they kill: “Dr Everything’ll be alright will make everything go wrong”... I’ll let you interpret that as you like.
 
Always remember those friends. Live for today because life is short! 
 
Some of us are living on borrowed time. Make the most of it.
The ending is my favorite. The song truly did encompass his life right up to the end. Maybe in some ways he knew it…
LETS GO CRAZY- PRINCE 
Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
 
Electric word life
It means forever and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here to tell you
There’s something else
The after world
 
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun
Day or night
 
So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills
You know the one, Dr. Everything’ll Be Alright
Instead of asking him how much of your time is left
Ask him how much of your mind, baby
 
‘Cause in this life
Things are much harder than in the after world
In this life
You’re on your own
 
And if the elevator tries to break you down
Go crazy
Punch a higher floor
 
If you don’t like the world you’re living in
Take a look around you
At least you got friends
 
You see I called my old lady
For a friendly word
She picked up the phone
Dropped it on the floor
(Ah, ah) is all I heard
 
Are we gonna let the elevator
Bring us down
Oh, no let’s go!
 
Let’s go crazy
Let’s get nuts
Let’s look for the purple banana
‘Til they put us in the truck, let’s go!
 
We’re all excited
But we don’t know why
Maybe it’s ’cause
We’re all gonna die
 
And when we do (When we do)
What’s it all for (What’s it all for)
You better live now
Before the grim reaper come knocking on your door
 
Tell me, are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let’s go!
 
Let’s go crazy
Let’s get nuts
Look for the purple banana
‘Til they put us in the truck, let’s go!
 
C’mon baby
Let’s get nuts
Yeah
Crazy
Guitar solo (first one 🙂
 
Let’s go crazy
 
Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let’s go!
Go crazy
 
I said let’s go crazy (Go crazy)
Let’s go, let’s go
Go
Let’s go
 
Dr. Everything’ll be alright
Will make everything go wrong
Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill
Hang tough children
 
He’s coming
He’s coming
Coming
 
Guitar finale
Take me away!