The Prince Who Wanted Everything
| "The Prince Who Wanted Everything" | |||||
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| Album track by Weezer | |||||
| Album | Weezer (The Black Album) | ||||
| Released | March 1, 2019 | ||||
| Recorded | 2018 | ||||
| Length | 3:23 | ||||
| Label | Crush Music/Atlantic Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo/Brian Bell/Luther Russell | ||||
| Producer(s) | Dave Sitek | ||||
| Status | officially released | ||||
| Weezer (The Black Album) track listing | |||||
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"The Prince Who Wanted Everything" is the eighth track from The Black Album.
Appearances
- Weezer (The Black Album) (2019)
Background
"The Prince Who Wanted Everything" was co-written with guitarist Brian Bell, as well as Bell's frequent collaborator, Luther Russell. The bridge for "The Prince Who Wanted Everything" originates from a 2015 song sketch by Rivers Cuomo titled "Living on the Edge of Boston."[1] Cuomo has confirmed that the eponymous "Prince" is, in fact the musician of the same name:
EW: On the track “The Prince Who Wanted Everything,” you have phrases like “funk-rock riffs” and “paisley bones.” Is that song about Prince?
Rivers: It didn’t start out to be about Prince. But as I was working on the song and listening to it every day, I just couldn’t help but be reminded of him and his story. I was such a big Prince fan from probably about age 20, even before Weezer started. I just started tweaking the lyrics to make some Prince references.
- —Interview with Entertainment Weekly[2]
In an interview with Spanish magazine Rockzone, Brian Bell described the song as originally having a more direct, lively sound. He expressed dissatisfaction with Dave Sitek's "swing" approach to the song, and wondered if he should have asked for the song to be removed from the album's track list.[3]
Audio
Lyrics
Do do do do
Once upon a time there was a prince
He tried to save the world with funk rock riffs
Look at him now, oh!
Look at him now, oh!
On cobblestones
He's the prince who wanted everything
He's the prince who wanted everything
Ooh, his hair was very Joan Baez
And his fans would auction off his autographs
Look at him now, oh!
Look at him now, oh!
His paisley bones
He's the prince who wanted everything
He's the prince who wanted everything
Because life will make a beggar of rich men
Bring the sovereign to his knees
And all the gold and all of the platinum
Melting like a drop in the seas
The only way (only way) to escape (to escape)
Is to dance, dance, dance in the flames
All the courtiers would genuflect
Kiss the ring, secure a bonus check
Where are they now? Oh!
Where are they now? Oh!
In red Corvettes
They left the prince who wanted everything
He's the prince who wanted everything
Known recordings
| Performer(s) | Title | Filename | Date of recording | Recording location | Length | Appeared on | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers Cuomo | Living on the Edge of Boston | living on the edge of boston.mp3 | 2015 | 6:17 | Alone XII: The White Year | Early version of bridge from "The Prince..." | |
| Rivers Cuomo | The Prince Who Wanted Everything | The Prince Who Wanted Everything 2 @118 +4.mp3 | ? | ||||
| Rivers Cuomo | The Prince Who Wanted Everything | The Prince Who Wanted Everything 4 bridge and piano @120 +3.mp3 | ? | ||||
| Weezer | The Prince Who Wanted Everything | 2018 | United Recording and Federal Prism Studios, Los Angeles, CA | 3:24 | Weezer (The Black Album) |
See also
References
- ↑ Alone XII: The White Year
- ↑ Franich, Darren. "Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's Black Album and struggling with the success of covering 'Africa'" Entertainment Weekly. 27 February 2019. https://ew.com/music/2019/02/27/rivers-cuomo-weezer-black-album-interview/
- ↑ Rockzone, Issue 158. 2 May 2019. https://issuu.com/rockzonemag/docs/rz_158