A Song Called Wally: the epitaph of Prince's breakup with Susannah Melvoin







Chapter 9 Alone:Wally

The Rise & Fall of Prince



(Just a bit of Prince history)

The dispute over Crystal Ball left Prince frustrated & depressed.

And to make matters worse, his relationship with Susannah Melvoin was spinning out of control for the last time.

In the months since the couple had concluded their brief attempt at cohabitation in Prince's Chanhassan home, their fighting had continued taking an emotional toll on the both of them. In December 1986, Susannah finally decided she had had enough; she packed her things and returned to Los Angeles San Fernando Valley, joining Lisa & Wendy

"You can only subject yourself to so much, unless your self abusive, and she had a lot of respect for herself," observered Karen Krattinger. "He probably would have kept her on a yo yo forever."



One evening shortly after Sussanah's departure, Susan Rogers could tell something was very wrong when Prince came down to the basement studio. Looking disconsolate and barely speaking, he began constructing a song around a meloncholy piano pattern. His spoken lyrics portrayed a fictional dialogue between himself and Wally Safford, a dancer in the band. Sounding sad and lost, Prince asks Wally to borrow $50 and some sunglasses so he can impress his lover, but then changes his mind and returns the items telling Wally that since he is alone now, he has no one to spend the money on. Prince was accompanied only by piano throught the verse, but guitar bass and drums enter as the song built to a chorus on which he sings the phrase "o-ma-la-di-da"





Watching Prince construct the song which he called "Wally", Rogers was stunned by the honest emotion and wistfull resignation it conveyed. She saw the song both as a farewell to Susannah and a means of expelling the poison of failed relationship.



"Do you know that malady means sickness, illness in French?" Prince asked Rogers. Refering to the phrase he sings in the chorus. "It's almost like the word melody, isn't it?" Prince who rarely exposed his inner feelings, even in his music, was groping for a metaphor that would convey his feeling of loss. Rogers felt it was a turning point in his songwriting.



But as the session continued, Prince started to distance himself from the creation. He added extraneous instruments to diminished the songs clarity. A percussion part that cluttered the verse, detracting from the lyrics.



Don't you think it was better before, Prince?" Rogers said. "Maybe we should stop"

He ignored her, adding the synthizer riff. Soon it became clear to her: He was intentionally destroying the song. After larding the piece with additional instruments, he finally spoke. "Now put all 24 Channels on record and erase it." he told Rogers



No, you can't do this!" Rogers said dismayed by the prospect of losing the statement at the core of the song.



If you don't I will," Prince responded

Rogers stood her ground, and Prince was forced to operate the soundboard himself, as he destroyed his own music.



"Wally" like his relationship with Susannah, Wendy & Lisa involved more emotional intensity than Prince was willing to accept. "I thought it was the greatest thing he had ever done" says Rogers. I had waited years to hear a Prince song like this. I ached for him to be this honest.



Yet Princes refusal to explore his feelings was not altogether surprising. Rogers had discussed the topic of depression with him and found Prince contemptuous of the notion.

"He thought it was practically a sin to be depressed" she remembered. Many other associates have observed that Prince -not only in his relationships, but even in his music -is cryptic and unrevealing of his deepest feelings. "His music is very passionate, but he doesn't let himself open up emotionally" observed Marylou Badeaux. "And look at the way he's dealt with women in his life- he's not able to get emotional. He just keeps it on the level of sex play."



Though Susannah has never formally been a part of the Revolution, her personal and creative influence on Prince from 1983 to 1986 rivaled that of Wendy & Lisa. With her exit from the scene, the Revolution period ended irrevocably. The epitaph of this time would be "Wally", a song no one would hear.









[Edited 2/20/09 18:20pm]

Chapter 9 Alone:WallyThe Rise & Fall of Prince(Just a bit of Prince history)The dispute over Crystal Ball left Prince frustrated & depressed.And to make matters worse, his relationship with Susannah Melvoin was spinning out of control for the last time.In the months since the couple had concluded their brief attempt at cohabitation in Prince's Chanhassan home, their fighting had continued taking an emotional toll on the both of them. In December 1986, Susannah finally decided she had had enough; she packed her things and returned to Los Angeles San Fernando Valley, joining Lisa & Wendy"You can only subject yourself to so much, unless your self abusive, and she had a lot of respect for herself," observered Karen Krattinger. "He probably would have kept her on a yo yo forever."One evening shortly after Sussanah's departure, Susan Rogers could tell something was very wrong when Prince came down to the basement studio. Looking disconsolate and barely speaking, he began constructing a song around a meloncholy piano pattern. His spoken lyrics portrayed a fictional dialogue between himself and Wally Safford, a dancer in the band. Sounding sad and lost, Prince asks Wally to borrow $50 and some sunglasses so he can impress his lover, but then changes his mind and returns the items telling Wally that since he is alone now, he has no one to spend the money on. Prince was accompanied only by piano throught the verse, but guitar bass and drums enter as the song built to a chorus on which he sings the phrase "o-ma-la-di-da"Watching Prince construct the song which he called "Wally", Rogers was stunned by the honest emotion and wistfull resignation it conveyed. She saw the song both as a farewell to Susannah and a means of expelling the poison of failed relationship."Do you know that malady means sickness, illness in French?" Prince asked Rogers. Refering to the phrase he sings in the chorus. "It's almost like the word melody, isn't it?" Prince who rarely exposed his inner feelings, even in his music, was groping for a metaphor that would convey his feeling of loss. Rogers felt it was a turning point in his songwriting.But as the session continued, Prince started to distance himself from the creation. He added extraneous instruments to diminished the songs clarity. A percussion part that cluttered the verse, detracting from the lyrics.Don't you think it was better before, Prince?" Rogers said. "Maybe we should stop"He ignored her, adding the synthizer riff. Soon it became clear to her: He was intentionally destroying the song. After larding the piece with additional instruments, he finally spoke. "Now put all 24 Channels on record and erase it." he told RogersNo, you can't do this!" Rogers said dismayed by the prospect of losing the statement at the core of the song.If you don't I will," Prince respondedRogers stood her ground, and Prince was forced to operate the soundboard himself, as he destroyed his own music."Wally" like his relationship with Susannah, Wendy & Lisa involved more emotional intensity than Prince was willing to accept. "I thought it was the greatest thing he had ever done" says Rogers. I had waited years to hear a Prince song like this. I ached for him to be this honest.Yet Princes refusal to explore his feelings was not altogether surprising. Rogers had discussed the topic of depression with him and found Prince contemptuous of the notion."He thought it was practically a sin to be depressed" she remembered. Many other associates have observed that Prince -not only in his relationships, but even in his music -is cryptic and unrevealing of his deepest feelings. "His music is very passionate, but he doesn't let himself open up emotionally" observed Marylou Badeaux. "And look at the way he's dealt with women in his life- he's not able to get emotional. He just keeps it on the level of sex play."Though Susannah has never formally been a part of the Revolution, her personal and creative influence on Prince from 1983 to 1986 rivaled that of Wendy & Lisa. With her exit from the scene, the Revolution period ended irrevocably. The epitaph of this time would be "Wally", a song no one would hear. #ALBUMSSTILLMATTER

if you ever try the lotus position

Try it while you're being strangled

Do U understand what I'm saying?



#IDEFINEME