Prince Johnny by St. Vincent Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Complexity of Modern Identity
Lyrics
By now I think I know the difference
You wanna be a son of someone
Remember the time we went and snorted
That piece of that berlin wall that you extorted
And we had such a laugh of it
Prostrate on my carpet
You traced that andes with your index
And brag of when and where and who you’re going to bed next
Oh we’re sons of someone’s
Oh we’re sons of someone’s
I saw you pray to, oh oh oh oh oh, to make you a real boy
Saw you pray to oh oh oh oh oh, to make you a real boy
Prince Johnny you’re kind but do be careful
By now I know just when to stand clear
When all your friends and acolytes
Holding court in bathroom stalls
Where you pray to, oh oh oh oh oh, to make you a real boy
Saw you pray to oh oh oh oh oh, to make you a real boy
But honey, don’t mistake my affection
For another spit in penny style redemption.
Cause we’re all sons of someone’s
We’re all sons of someone’s
I’ll mean more than I mean to you
I’ll mean more than I meant to him
So I pray to, oh oh oh oh oh, to make me a real girl
So I pray to, oh oh oh oh oh, to make me a real girl
So I pray to, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh
In the labyrinth of contemporary music, St. Vincent’s ‘Prince Johnny’ emerges as a layered anthem of identity, longing, and the human desire for transformation. With its hauntingly poetic lyrics, the track delves into the depths of self-exploration and the existential quest for authenticity amid a world that often feels disingenuous.
The song resonates with those struggling to find a place in a society rife with performative personas and the pressure to conform. But there’s more to ‘Prince Johnny’ than meets the ear; it’s enigmatic, riddled with lyrical intricacies that beckon us to look closer, prompting listeners to peel back its velvet curtains to reveal a stark illumination of our shared human experience.
The Enigmatic Prince Johnny – Who is the Man Behind the Crown?
At first glance, ‘Prince Johnny’ may appear to be a character study, focusing on an individual struggling with identity and desire. The song’s subject is painted as a kind soul caught in the headlights of reality, discerning where to place his loyalty and how to ground his existence.
Through the lens of St. Vincent, we see Johnny’s trials in carving out a sense of self, grappling with the longing to be a ‘real boy’ – an allusion to the Pinocchio fable where an inanimate puppet aspires to be flesh and blood. But unlike the wooden marionette’s fairy tale, there are no magical resolutions, only the harsh truths found within the human condition.
Breaking Down the Berlin Wall – Symbolism in Substance
In a stroke of lyrical ingenuity, St. Vincent transports the listener to a point in time where laughter and drugs blurred the lines of history and reality. The ‘Berlin Wall’ becomes a symbol of division and the lengths one goes to feel a stitch of connection in a partitioned world.
As they snort the fragmented pieces of a fallen barrier, it’s as if the characters are attempting to ingest the complex art of liberation, to understand it, to become part of something larger than life—like a prince seeking his kingdom in the dredges of a narcotics-induced euphoria.
The Layers of ‘Real’ – Beneath the Surface of Desire
St. Vincent’s ingenious repetition, ‘to make you a real boy,’ echoes throughout the song, transforming a mere refrain into a meditation on authenticity. The longing to become ‘real’ speaks to universal themes of validation and the pursuit of an immutable essence that lies just beyond our reach.
This plea is a raw acknowledgment of the internal void felt when one’s sense of identity is dictated by external forces, be it societal expectations or the heavy court of public opinion that sits in judgment within the bathroom stalls of our lives.
Redemption’s Price – The Currency of Affection
A poignant moment surfaces as St. Vincent delineates the bounds of her affection. There’s a clarity in understanding that love or care should not be misconstrued as a means to an end—a redemption or a fix.
It’s an entreaty to see affection for what it is: a genuine offering that cannot be traded for salvation. An understanding that the value of human connection cannot be boiled down to a ‘spit in penny style redemption,’ but rather should be acknowledged for its intrinsic worth.
Quoth the Poet, The Real Boy and Girl – The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Upon a deeper auditory excavation, one could argue that ‘Prince Johnny’ whispers of gender fluidity and the societal constructs that constrain our true natures. It’s not just a call to be recognized as ‘real’ within one’s gender, but rather to be seen and accepted as a ‘real’ person, free of the prescribed identities thrust upon us.
The dualistic prayer to be made a ‘real boy’ and a ‘real girl’ signifies a bid for the transcendence of gender binaries, and a plea to embrace the multitudes we all contain, regardless of the skins we don.
