Di canzoni Prince ne ha scritte ed incise tante. Non so dirvi quale sia quella più corta, la più breve, ma possiamo parlare di quella che é sicuramente la più lunga. Si tratta di “The War”, un brano in versione live, registrato durante un aftershow ai Paisley Park Studios il 20 giugno 1998 e successivamente pubblicato a nome dei New Power Generation. Quella notte in compagnia di Kirk Johnson (drums), Rhonda Smith (bass), Morris Hayes (keyboards), Mike Scott (guitar), Marva King (backing vox), Prince concluse la sua performance suonando proprio “The War” che durò la bellezza di 45 minuti.  Poche settimane dopo, sempre nei Paisley Park Studios, la traccia fu editata e ridotta alla durata attuale di 26 minuti. Il testo della canzone, se così possiamo chiamarlo, sembra più una serie di frasi e dichiarazioni improvvisate, buttate li come se Prince stesse interpretando un sarmone,  mettendo in allerta l’ascoltatore da quello che sta succedendo sulla terra, dalle continue guerre, dall’autodistruzione, dalle menzogne raccontate da chi ci governa che può arrivare addirittura a controllarci utilizzando la tecnologia con minuscoli microchip impiantanti nel corpo. Un visionario.

“The War” é stata in assoluto la prima canzone di Prince disponibile in download su quello che era il suo sito web di quel periodo e cioè Love4OneAnother.com. Era il 21 luglio 1998. Nel successivo mese di agosto, la canzone fu incisa su audiocassetta e regalata a quelli che ordinarono online il famoso album “Crystal Ball”. La cosa strana e che anche chi non ordinò l’album ricevette ugualmente il regalo, a discapito di altri acquirenti. Probabilmente ci fu confusione tra i nominativi di chi si registrò al sito e chi acquistò il disco. La stessa traccia fu poi disponibile come CD Single promozionale (US: L8017824 WAR) distribuito per reclamizzare l’uscita dell’album “1-800 New Funk” (1998).  Nel 2005 fu nuovamente disponibile online, questa volta però dal sito web del NPG Music Club.
“The War” non entrò mai in nessuna classifica ufficiale.  C’è chi dice che ad un certo punto della canzone é possibile riconoscere alcuni campionamenti, suonati con il sintetizzatore, di un brano dal titolo “Utopia” scritto da Larry Graham e Prince. La frase iniziale che si sente cantare da Prince e dal pubblico “Evolution will be colorized” dovrebbe essere una citazione a “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” una  poesia recitata e cantata da Gil Scott-Heron’s.

 

Link:
http://princevault.com/index.php/The_War
http://www.sagarana.net/anteprima.php?quale=360
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=124732
http://www.ioffer.com/i/prince-1-cassette-npg-the-war-limited-edition-20-00-205858382 

 

       

New Power Generation – The War  (1998) – 56k

 

 

The War
Prince and the New Power Generation, 1998

 
Chanting, repeated throughout the song:
One, two. Evolution will be colorized.

I can’t hear U, say it!
Y’all ain’t ready, I can’t hear U, say it

Do like this…

One, two. Evolution will be colorized.

This is the War
Right on. [sarcastically]

The war will go on and on and on…
If U don’t wanna miss your Saturday morning cartoons…

One, two. Evolution will be colorized.
One, two. Evolution will be colorized.
Yeah… right on. [sarcastically]

The war will go on and on…
Revolution will be…
Revolution will be…
Revolution will be on and on and…

(One, two) {repeated}

The war will go on and on and on
If U do not wish 2 be in the war U should leave now

We are about 2 challenge what U believe
If U do not wish 2 be challenged U should leave now
Saturday morning awaits

Do U love your country?
Do U love God?
Do U love your country as much as U love God?

If the government…
If the government…
If the government wants 2 put a microchip in your neck, heh heh
(Right on)

Do U still love your country?

The war will go on and on
If U do not wish 2 be challenged, leave now
The evolution will be colorized
One, two, the evolution will be colorized

We are running out of the essentials of life:
Oxygen, water, food, fertile earth

Underground right now as we speak, there is a metropolis
Awaiting, waiting… 4 U, me
Clean air, food 2 eat

Will U go, will U go?
Will U go underground 2 this metropolis, this metropolis paradise?

We are running out of the essentials of life here on earth!
Will U go, will U go, will U go?

Don’t U love your country?
If your country no longer exists on this earth
But exists under this earth, will U go?

Underneath in this metropolis, there’s food 2 eat, clean air
It’s a paradise!

One condition: microchip in your neck

One, two, the evolution will be colorized
(Right on)

Would U stay above the metropolis, the microchip city?
Would U stay above and await your fate?

Do U trust your God?

Would U stay on top of the chip and await your fate?

2night U will be challenged, U best leave now
This war will go on and on.

One, two, the evolution will be colorized
One, two, the evolution will be colorized

Without God there is no country
Without God there is no metropolis
Without God there is no oxygen, there is no food to eat
Without God there is no chocolate microchip 4 your neck

Somebody say it!

One, two, the evolution will be colorized
In other words, there’ll be a little bit of U and a little bit of me

One, two, the evolution will be colorized
The evolution will be colorized {x2}

1 4 me, 2 4 U
Preach a lie, not the truth
U give me candy and keep the stone
Gonna’ need it in the war

I said, 1 4 me, 2 4 U
U preach a lie, not the truth
U give me candy and keep the stone
Gonna’ eat it in the war

Batter up, pitcher down
What your teachers say, it ain’t sound
Pledge allegiance 2 your flag
U tie me 2 a truck, ‘n’ then U drag

1 4 me, 2 4 U
U preach a lie, not a truth
U give me candy and keep the stone
U gonna eat it in the war

U give me AIDS, your history
When it comes 2 mine, another name
Many die and this is true
Red, black, yellow, even Jew
Claimin’ God was backin’ U
All across, what a fool.

1 4 me, 2 4 U
U preach a lie, not the truth
U give me candy, U keep the stone
Gonna eat it in the war

Shall I go on?

So U say
U got a cure?
HIV
I’m not sure

Every seed, fruit 2 bear
The great Babylon, I don’t care

We know your name, it’s the beast
All of God’s child is your feast

When the righteous one plant the seed
No more kids with mama please

Only way 2 get there is the truth, y’all
In the war baby, come on me and U!

Come on! One, two. Evolution will be colorized
One, two. Evolution will be colorized
One, two. Evolution will be colorized
Play your organ, son

One Two.
1 4 me, 2 4 U
Preach a lie, not the truth
Give me candy, U keep the stone
What the hell is goin’ on y’all?

There’s a mountain that’s mighty high
Can’t reach the top unless U fly
Ain’t about the money, it’s about the gold
21st century, money just got sold, y’all

You hear me?

Money just got sold, y’all
Check the date.
It’s has-been
It’s all gone
Your pocketbook is next
It’s about the gold y’all

One, two, the evolution will be colorized
One, two, the evolution will be
One, two, the evolution will be
The evolution will be
The… evolution… will… be… colorized

(One, two, the evolution will be colorized)
{repeated till end}

 
Copyright © 1998 Prince & the NPG