1)The first being The Family that were a R&B band signed to Prince's record label Paisley Park Records. The band has recently reformed under the name "F-deluxe," and has a new download available on their new site, www.Fdeluxe.com.
The band consisted of remaining members of The Time (Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton and St. Paul Peterson), Eric Leeds (brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds) and Susannah Melvoin, the twin sister of Wendy Melvoin, who was Prince's guitarist in his band The Revolution and the other half of the duo Wendy & Lisa.
The band's material was composed entirely by Prince, with the exception of "River Run Dry", which was written by Bobby "Z" Rivkin. Prince wrote and performed all the other tracks and simply overdubbed Paul and Susannah's vocals and added saxophone by Leeds.
The project turned out to be short-lived. Peterson opted to pursue his own career and Prince absorbed most of the remaining members into The Revolution (with the exception of Johnson, who went on to join the Flyte Tyme music production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis). The band did, however perform a single concert and released a self-titled album. The album contains of eight tracks consisting of funk-jazz with two instrumentals and three ballads. A single was released for The Screams Of Passion, a modest hit which was re-released in 1996 on the Girl 6 soundtrack. The album's crowning achievement, however was Nothing Compares 2 U, an emotional ballad very successfully covered five years later by Sinéad O'Connor.
2) Secondly it refers to an energetic 5 piece band from Southampton UK with a country/folk/blues sound to them. They released their debut single 'Falling For You' last year, which was received so well it sold out!
"The Family sound unbelievably polished for an unsigned band, with deeply instrumental, layered tracks.... âBow Legged Womanâ blends the sounds of Primal Scream, Oasis and Seventies rockânâroll to perfection. To hear this live, with the husky vocals, raucous guitars, and Dylan inspired harmonica, must be brilliant.... Itâs great to see some different music coming out of Southampton, aside from the usual copycat bands that we keep seeing.", Penny Lane, NME, November 2007
http://www.myspace.com/thefamilyonline
3) The third refers to: "Four brothers fusing their Blues, Country and Tropicalia roots into a joyful pshycedelic current. Founded in 2005, the Family has undergone multiple lineup changes, but they are finally the symbiotic collective they have always wanted. In July of 2007 they recorded their first full length album, entitled From Brasil to the Back Country."
4) The fourth refers to an Australian lo-fi electronica group active in Sydney during the 1990's and associated with clan-analogue.
5) An Australian Band who was from Melbourne who played heavy punk grunge type music who formed in 1993. They released 2 full length cd albums in the 1990s entitled "Bleeding in" and "Hatemail"
6) A mid 1960's garage band/sunshine pop group who released the Scott McKenzie-esque "San Francisco Waits" as a 45 in 1967.
Nothing Compares 2 U
The Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since you took your love away
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing, I said nothing
Can take away these blues
'Cause nothing compares,
Nothing compares to you
Nothing, nothing
It's been so lonely without you here
I'm like a bird without a song
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby, where did I go wrong?
I can put my arms around every girl I see
But they'd only remind me of you
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I went to the doctor,
Guess what he told me, guess what he told me?
He said boy, you better try to have fun no matter what you do
But he's a fool
'Cause nothing compares,
No, nothing compares to you
Nothing, nothing
All the flowers that you planted mama in the backyard
All died when you went away
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I know that living with me baby was sometimes hard
But I'm willing to give it another try
'Cause nothing compares,
No, nothing compares to you
I said nothing compares, no no no
Nothing compares to you
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
(Oh you, oh you)
The Family's song "Nothing compares 2 u" is a powerful ballad about heartbreak and longing. The song starts by stating how long it has been since the person left. The singer is grieving and can't escape the pain. They point out that despite being able to do whatever they want, including eating at fancy restaurants or seeing anyone they choose, they are still consumed by the emptiness that comes with the loss of the one they love. The lyrics also mention how lonely it feels to be without the person, and how everything reminds them of this person. Even though they try to move on from the pain, the feelings remain, and nothing else can compare to this person.
The second verse mentions how the singer has tried to replace the person by holding other girls but it only reminds them of the one they lost. It is then revealed that the singer consulted a doctor who gave them some advice. The doctor recommends that the singer tries to have fun no matter what they do, but the singer knows that this advice is useless. They know that there is nothing that can compare to the person they love, and nothing can take away the heartache.
The chorus is repeated several times as if to emphasize that nothing is the same or can come close to what the person had before. The final verse is all about second chances, indicating that while the relationship was sometimes hard, the singer is willing to give it another try to stay together again.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been seven hours and thirteen days
Seven hours and thirteen days have passed since you parted ways.
Since you took your love away
Since you left, taking away your love for me with yourself.
I go out every night and sleep all day
I have been having a hard time dealing with my pain, so I try to escape it by partying all night and sleeping through the day.
Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want
I have the freedom to do whatever I want since you left me.
I can see whomever I choose
I have the liberty to go out and meet or date whoever I want.
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant, But nothing, I said nothing Can take away these blues
I can indulge in luxuries like dining in an upmarket restaurant, but it doesn't help alleviate my sorrows and depression.
'Cause nothing compares, Nothing compares to you, Nothing, nothing
Nothing can ever compare or replace you, nothing at all.
It's been so lonely without you here, I'm like a bird without a song
My life has been empty and cheerless without you as if a bird had lost its melody.
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
I cannot hold back my tears of loneliness and sadness.
Tell me baby, where did I go wrong?
Can you please tell me what I did wrong that pushed you away from me?
I can put my arms around every girl I see
I could hug any other girl I come across.
But they'd only remind me of you
But I know it would only make me long for you more.
I went to the doctor, Guess what he told me, guess what he told me?
I went to the doctor seeking help with my emotions, and he had some advice for me.
He said boy, you better try to have fun no matter what you do, But he's a fool
The doctor advised me that I should try to have fun even if I'm hurting, but I know that's not practical, and he's mistaken.
'Cause nothing compares, No, nothing compares to you, Nothing, nothing
Nothing will ever come close to replacing you, nothing at all.
All the flowers that you planted mama in the backyard, All died when you went away
All the flowers that you nurtured in the backyard have withered since you left.
I know that living with me baby was sometimes hard, But I'm willing to give it another try
I acknowledge that living with me may have been tough at times, but I'm ready and eager to make it work and try our relationship again.
'Cause nothing compares, No, nothing compares to you, I said nothing compares, no no no, Nothing compares to you
I reiterate that nothing can compare or come close to replacing you in my life, nothing at all.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, (Oh you, oh you)
A final repetition to emphasize the depth of emotion with extra emphasis towards 'you.'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josebrown5961
@@GiancarloAlvianiSineadâs version is just a COPY of this one.
1. The tempo is the same.
2. She did not change the lyrics when she should have. Iâm speaking of âall the flowers that you planted mamaâŠâ
The song was about a person who lost a lover. All of Sineadâs fans thought she was singing to her mother, which doesnât make any sense.
The word âmamaâ in black language of the time was what you could refer to a lover, or any person you were attracted to.
Prince had nothing to do with her singing this song, if he did he would have changed the lyric for her.
Yes she had a big hit with it. But the original was never released as a single. Lots of black people knew of the song because we had the album.
Sineadâs version was just a karaoke version. You can take her voice and mix it with the original arrangement. A real cover takes a song and does something with it. The example I like to use is Earth Wind and Fire âGot To Get You Into My Life.â It is totally different from the original one like a real cover should be.
Iâm sorry she is dead, she was an interesting artist and stood up for abused children so she gets my love because of that.
@Snake-qw9oh
It's been seven hours and fifteen days
Since you took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
It's been so lonely without you here
Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby where did I go wrong
I could put my arms around every boy I see
But they'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me?
Guess what he told me?
He said girl you better try to have fun
No matter what you do, but he's a fool
'Cause nothing compares
@dee1380
I heard this for the 1st time when I was around 12 or 13 in 1986, after someone from school gave me the tape with the whole album recorded on it, with a whole bunch of Prince music added as well..
Well, the homie never asked for the tape back.
I would sit in my room & play this song on my headphones over & over til I fell asleep..
I had no idea who The Family was then, & definitely had no idea Prince had anything to do with this song.
Something told me that all of the music on the tape had this familiar sound to it, it had this feelin like the whole tape was Prince, I would think to myself "I could imagine Prince makin a song like that", but back then everyone was trying to emulate Prince, so I thought that the group on the tape was just another group who sounded a lil like Prince, or was attempting to.
Should have known, cuz I couldn't stop jammin them, even tho I had no idea at the time who they were.
The tape only said somethang like jams on it, or nothing at all, but it was full of Prince music & The Family, & other artist, but mostly Prince.
It wasn't til a few later, I saw a tape or a record of "The Family" with the paisley park logo on the back or side of it, I automatically played it, knowing it was associated with Prince.
To my surprise, I had already heard it, & didn't know it, with the exception of "The Screams Of Passion" which was on the radio, & certain music video stations on TV.
I believe if this version of "Nothing Compares 2U" would have been released as a single, & got much play on the radio, & a video, it would have top the charts, & Sinead's version wouldn't have been nearly as successful as it was..
And, oh yeah, I never reminded the homie that he let me borrow his tape, I think we actually got out for summer shortly after that.....thanks bruh, wherever u are..
@mikejames884
One of the most beautifully complex pop songs ever written. The movement of the strings over the pulsating drums is pure genius. Honestly I am not mad that it is oft overlooked as we all know most great things often are. But those who know, know!
@frankiel.6942
Well said đ
@timothysullivan2952
I knew this version before Sinead OâConnor covered it. Still have this album. I remember being 17 or 18 years old when this came out. My best friend at the time turned me on to this album. At that time we were obsessed with Prince. My friend died in 1992 at the age of 25. This song and entire album reminds me of him. This is a masterpiece. A gem
@melissatalau9680
Same
@EDT3270
My dad had this album and I remember I used to play it all the time. This was my favorite song
@kjh7201
Same same -- though I have no idea where my album went. For a long time, I felt like Sinead O'Connor was a little "off key" on the "2 you" part, because this is the version I knew first. It drove me crazy. Later, I realized that's how the Irish do it -- take a tune and modify it just slightly -- it's the same tune they just make it theirs.
@GiancarloAlviani
Sinead version is miles away from this one and in fact it became a terrific hit. This version looks like a demo.
@josebrown5961
@@GiancarloAlvianiSineadâs version is just a COPY of this one.
1. The tempo is the same.
2. She did not change the lyrics when she should have. Iâm speaking of âall the flowers that you planted mamaâŠâ
The song was about a person who lost a lover. All of Sineadâs fans thought she was singing to her mother, which doesnât make any sense.
The word âmamaâ in black language of the time was what you could refer to a lover, or any person you were attracted to.
Prince had nothing to do with her singing this song, if he did he would have changed the lyric for her.
Yes she had a big hit with it. But the original was never released as a single. Lots of black people knew of the song because we had the album.
Sineadâs version was just a karaoke version. You can take her voice and mix it with the original arrangement. A real cover takes a song and does something with it. The example I like to use is Earth Wind and Fire âGot To Get You Into My Life.â It is totally different from the original one like a real cover should be.
Iâm sorry she is dead, she was an interesting artist and stood up for abused children so she gets my love because of that.
@bebgirl
This was the first version I heard, back in 1985. This album is SO good. Sinéad O'Connor's version is just as good - but a different tone. May she rest in peace.
@leejordan1062
This was the first version of this song I ever heard. And it still haunts me. I LOVE IT!!