The Song Prince Wrote to Slight Michael Jackson
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Prince and Michael Jackson didn’t have the easiest of relationships. Many people pitted them against one another and their personal qualms didn’t help much in tempering those rumors. Prince went so far as to write a song that slighted the King of Pop. Read more about “My Name is Prince,” below.
The Song Prince Wrote to Slight Michael Jackson
My name is Prince and I am funky
My name is Prince, the one and only
I did not come to funk around
‘Til I get your daughter I won’t leave this town
Like many Prince songs, this track is full of off-kilter, yet seductive lyrics. Most of the song seems to be concerned with bolstering himself, but one line in particular sees the artist throw a punch at Jackson and his royal status in the pop community.
My name is Prince, I don’t wanna be king / ‘Cause I’ve seen the top and it’s just a dream / Big cars and women and fancy clothes / Will save your face but it won’t save your soul, he sings. Many fans have come to recognize the references about a king being about Jackson and his familiar nickname.
In the beginning God made the sea
But on the 7th day he made me
He was tryin’ to rest y’all
When He heard the sound
Sound like a guitar, cold gettin’ down
The feeling was mutual between Jackson and Prince. The King of Pop often talked about being in competition with Prince–something he very much disliked.
“I have proven myself since I was real little,” Jackson once said. “He feels like he’s my opponent. I hope he changes because, boy, he’s gonna get hurt.”
Though the combined power of these two artists would’ve been insurmountable had they chosen to be friends, it seems their preconceived notions got the better of them. In a post Prince and Jackson world, we will never know what could’ve been.
My name is Prince and I am funky
When it come to funk I am a junky
I know from righteous, I know from sin
I got two sides and they’re both friends
Don’t try to clock ’em, they’re much too fast
If you try to stop ’em they kick that ass
Without a pistol, without a gun
When you hear my music you’ll be havin’ fun
