don't worry....i won't hurt you, i only want you to have some fun

Well, here it is.
It was inevitable but I didn't think so early in my top-five-songs-by-a-particular-artist month I would have to tackle him. But the divine this-wheel's-on-fire has put in a request for my top five favourite Prince songs, and I just can't say no to her. I'm going to exclude my absolute favourite Prince song because it feels way too personal to be discussing on a public blog, but here are my favourites, as best as I can figure them out.

My Top 5 Favourite Prince Songs:
1. "If I Was Ur Girlfriend" from Sign 'O' the Times
Quite simply one of the most arresting, astonishing and gripping songs of all time.

2. "Adore" from Sign 'O' the Times
In many ways, a fairly typical, almost-cliched love song. And, yet, somehow it's so much more. Listening to "If I Was Ur Girlfriend", a highly unique love song and "Adore", a more traditional one, it's pretty clear that nobody does love songs like Prince.

3. "Shockadelica" (B-side)
The B-side to "If I Was Ur Girlfriend", it also has Camille on lead vocals (hint for those of you who don't feel like clicking the link: Prince is Camille). I've always loved songs that describe a mysteriously unique woman. "The girl must be a witch/She's got your mind, body and soul hitched/Shockadelica/You need a second opinion/But she never wears a stitch/So you can't take her home/She's got you tied with a golden rope/She won't let you play your guitar/And when you've cried enough/Maybe she'll let you up/For a nasty ride in her shockadeli-car"

4. "Anotherloverholenyohead" from Parade

Fun fact: Three of the songs on this list are about a woman named Susannah Melvoin, the twin sister of Prince's guitarist Wendy (that's Wendy faking oral sex on him onstage in the above picture). "Adore" and "If I Was Ur Girlfriend" are both believed to be about Susannah, whom some call the love of Prince's life, but she didn't just get the romantic songs. This uptempo number hypocritically chides her, "You need another lover like you need a hole in your head." Bonus insult: Susannah's one of the women singing backup.

5. "Something In the Water (Does Not Compute)" from 1999

This is the earliest Prince song on the list, with the sped-up electro feel that was common in his early-80's style. I absolutely love the lyrics, particularly "Bitch...you think you're special? Well, so do I" It also features one of Prince's phenomenal screams around the 2 minute mark.

PRINCE
(Click on the link to hear the songs in their entirety)

Any other suggestions of artists (that I'm into) to make such a list about?

getting to know you is something that i chose to do

A blogging pal of mine from way back when, Crazy Eddie, has tagged me in a fun sort of getting-to-know-you (cue tremendously cool Parliament song "Gettin' To Know You") tag that (even though I've been blogging for close to - yikes - three years and some of you probably know me better than I know myself) might offer some insight into my being.
Here are my thoughts, feelings and opinions on...

Music

As you may have noticed, I do enjoy listening to music every now and then. I'd tell you that I love music or that I live for music or that I would be a completely different person without music, but I don't think I have to. It's almost like telling you "I breathe air". Your response (to both questions) would be, "Yeah, so what, me too." In terms of what music I listen to, I think it's no secret that Parliament/Funkadelic rocks my world to no end. The other artists that I've loved most consistently over my life are Prince, Marvin Gaye, Outkast, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane.

Humour

Like Eddie, my life would be a sad tale without the inclusion of humour. What tickles my funny bone most often are Doonesbury, Will Ferrell, Seinfeld, 30 Rock (and most specifically Dr. Spaceman ["Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing where the heart is. See, every human is different."]), South Park and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Cosmopolitan, other blogs (maybe even yours!) Demetri Martin and a well-timed "That's what she said" will do it for me as well.

Video games

I don't even give a fuck, I love Sims and I don't care what you think.

Family
They're alright. My dad saw the Grateful Dead a bunch of times.

Bacon Double-Cheeseburgers
Yesss, please.

Dudes

I do enjoy the company of the odd male species, though my blog is specifically a blog that avoids talking about my personal life and most importantly that aspect of my personal life. (Nothing against blogs that are about that, cuz it is entertaining, but I'd be way too worried that someone would say what I'm saying about them!) In terms of fantasy, my ideal man would probably a combination of Andre 3000, Mick Jagger, Hyde, Alex Turner, Glenn Goins and Lester Bangs.

Lindsay Lohan

I have hated on her in the past, but the truth is that there is something about her I find charming. Not a big fan of most of her movies and definitely not a fan of her music, but I like a lot of her style and think she has a very cool speaking voice. Also, Perez Hilton kind of pisses me off, so I have taken to starting to actually like a lot of the celebrities he picks on, just because I think he's obnoxious.

Corny sunsets

Love 'em. How can you not! The colours, the atmosphere - it's just an all-around good feeling.

Dark art

Well, now that you mention it, I do have some pictures saved onto my computer that if they were people, I would consider them "not to be trifled with." If you're talking dark art as in witchcraft, well, I'm going to have to plead the Fifth on this one (even though I'm Canadian).

My heritage
I am Canadian, as I just mentioned (for those of you with ADD, or short-term memory loss, or the like), but my father is American and my maternal grandparents immigrated from Holland. So, pretty much, I would consider my heritage to be Dutch.

This was such a fun little tag and I won't get all exclusive and tag specific people. If you feel like introducing yourself to your readers a little more (especially if you're a new blogger!), I definitely suggest trying this out.

we'll tiptoe to the sun and do thangs i know you like

Everyone loves a good, classic love song, with all the "love's too weak to define just what you mean to me" and "if God one day struck me blind, your beauty I'd still see" that that entails. Those lyrics are beautiful...but let's face it, just a little bit cheesy (and besides, the best part of "Adore" is the killer vocal performance).

Personally, I find much more unconventionally romantic songs to be much more personal and engaging.

Here's some of the songs I would be honoured to have played at my wedding and, boys, how you can translate the sentiment behind them into a killer Valentine's Day card sure to woo the woman of your dreams.

Favourite Unconventionally Romantic Songs

"The Goose" by Parliament
Maybe it's not wisest to compare your special lady to a goose, a peanut machine, and eagle eyes for a mole. But then again, George Clinton was never really all about the "Oh, baby, I love you so much". Frankly, I'd be much happier if a guy said to me, "I'm as happy as a monkey with a peanut machine since I found you, but I don't need no nut machine cuz I'm nuts all over you."
"Prototype" by Outkast

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that my love for this song runs very deep. Some girls might be offended by his suggestion that she is very possibly not his soulmate, but perhaps the prototype. Also, that he feels the need to add "...again" to his "I think I'm in love"s. I find its honesty stunningly endearing.

"I Love My Chick" by Busta Rhymes
Yeah, I know the original is "I Love My Bitch", but that one has completely different vibes and so this is one of the very rare times when I prefer the edited version of a song to the original. Here Busta praises his lady for wanting to "fuck in the clubs" and being "quick to do what she can, even if she had to get up and just lie on the stand." Among the other felonies he appreciates her committing for him is her willingness to "hold a stash for a fella" when he has to skip town.
Still, if a guy told me that his favourite thing about me was that I'm "the shit" and that I'm "truly thorough about the way that I be reppin' it hard", I would probably melt a little.

"If I Was Ur Girlfriend" by Prince
Undoubtedly one of the most stirringly beautiful love songs of all time, though the....phrasing of it all is undeniably quirky. Now, for those of you who couldn't figure it out, when Prince says "girlfriend" in this case he means "female best friend" - he's jealous of the closeness between between his girlfriend and her best friend. Even when taking this creative approach, Prince still knows exactly what women want to hear: "Would you run to me, if somebody hurt you, even if that somebody was me?" "Maybe you think I'm being a little self-centered but I want to be all the things you are to me" However, what strikes me most is "Can I dress you? I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out...I ain't saying you're helpless, but sometimes, sometimes those are the things that being in love's about"
My greatest dream would be to have a boyfriend that we could play dress-up and pick out our clothes together. Ahh, Prince.

unconventionally romantic

you think you're special? well, so do i

First of all, I must say, the Superbowl was a fantastic game, and I came out of it with a huge crush on Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. I always choose my favourite player before the game starts, almost always based on their smiles and how could I possibly resist this? And then when he turned out to be a fantastic player (and a helluva runner), the deal was done.

Also, you're a Virgo, and I'm a Cancer - it just works.

Anyway, have you ever noticed that certain musical artists specialize in certain emotions? "Examples!" You demand. No need for insolence, I'm on it!

Lil Wayne
Speciality: exasperation
Maybe it's just that he's so busy being genius that he has no time for the tomfoolery of others. All I know is Lil Wayne pulls out an exasperated sigh with the ease of Paris Hilton's childhood tutor.
Best examples: 2:22-2:24 in the "Lollipop" video; 0:19 in "Mr. Carter"; 0:09-0:24 in "Dr. Carter"

Prince
Speciality: sexually frustrated, in an angry way
Well, okay, it's more of just a mix of anger and horniness mainly because Prince seems to have a perennial horniness underlying everything. But when he gets angry (without losing his horniness), the music gets excellent.
Best examples: the whole ending of "Darling Nikki"; most of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" but 2:30-2:50 in particular; 4:35-5:20 of "The Dance"; "Temptation" for more of the sexually frustration than anger

prince likes getting laid

Marvin Gaye
Speciality: Sexually frustrated, in a sad, pleading way
Best examples: I ain't getting obscure here; Marvin made his bread and butter on "please, baby" type songs - think "Sexual Healing", "Let's Get It On", "I Want You" and those are just the hits!

i don't say i'm a good man, oh, but i would be if i could

"A. Link back to the blog that tagged you.
B. Link back to the originator of this meme, which is The Dino Lounge.
C. Create your own list of 20 men that you admire and post them on your blog.
D. Tag 5 other people to particpate in this meme.
E. If you like, please let The Dino Lounge know that you've participated in this meme so he can check out your posting and comment on it. Thanks."
Hmm...20 men I admire. So I guess this is different from a sexy list, though I'm sure these men will be attractive in their own admirability. Frankly, the criteria I use to determine who I put on this list (and I wouldn't put a lot of merit in the numeric order I put them in) is basically how much they inspire me.
I tag two people who I'm excited to welcome back to blogging, two old friends of mine: Maya and Crazy Eddie, my favourite blogger Libby, and two bloggers who are not men, but I sure do admire them: PrettyInBlack and Miss Karen.

20 Men I Admire:

1. George Clinton
Pretty much the source of all good in my life. Incredibly musically talented, and also wise and free.

2. Andre 3000
Incessantly creative, original and brilliant, Andre 3000 is a true find.

3. Prince
Prince is so free-spirited and mysterious, and always true to himself.

4. Barack Obama
How could you not admire someone whose intent is so noble?

5. Peter Green
His voice and guitar has been such a comfort to me recently. He gives off such warm, kind, sensitive vibes.

6. Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson played by his own rules.

7. The Dude
He does not let circumstance get him down and wears his laziness like a badge.

8. Marvin Gaye
Anyone who can make me feel as good as Marvin Gaye does deserves a spot on this list.

9. Arthur Lee
Sadly, Arthur Lee's genius is not recognized as much as his peers (or even inferiors), but that does not diminish it in any way.

10. Glenn Goins
Glenn Goins and his divine voice mean the world to me.

11. Fat Albert
Buried underneath obscene amounts of flesh, Fat Albert has a heart of gold. He's also super chill.
Hey, hey, hey, that cat's okay

12. Sherlock Holmes
Despite being very sexist, Sherlock Holmes was a brilliant, dedicated man whose cold exterior rarely showed the deep compassion he had inside.

13. Jimi Hendrix
Sometimes I can't help but wonder whether Jimi Hendrix was fully human. There's something so extraterrestrial about him and his talents. Either way, he oozed physical and musical beauty.

14. Lester Bangs
The words, the words....I'd give anything to be able to write or speak like Lester Bangs did.

15. Ken Kesey
Some people just seem to know the secret to life. Ken Kesey is one of those people. Though he was a very talented writer (ever heard of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?) I feel his main work of art was his spectacular life.

16. Garry Trudeau
You probably wouldn't recognize the face, but he's the cartoonist behind Doonesbury, one of my favourite things ever. Witty and wise, Mr. Trudeau is a great man.

17. Frank Zappa
A non-conformist in the truest sense of the word.

18. Albert Einstein
I can't help but admire any scientist who says that imagination is more important than knowledge.

19. Fred Hampton
A member of the Black Panthers Party, he organized a free breakfast program for Chicago's poorest children. He was shot in his sleep by police.

20. Arlo Guthrie
A fantastic, laid-back man, with a phenomenal sense of humour.