O(+> (1993)
Despite having the climactic anthems of 7 and 3 Chains o’ Gold at his disposal, the mid-tempo Sacrifice of Victor was always Prince’s pick for album closer. It’s a puzzling sequencing choice, possibly influenced by the storyline that used to course through the album before key segues were removed. Or what’s more likely is the song was always destined to bookend My Name is Prince, a track referenced in the final segue by Vanessa Bartholomew before she says “tell me your real name”. Prince answers “My Name is Victor”. This was his last album before the name-change and a bewildered media started reporting that this is how you pronounce the unpronounceable symbol, causing him to respond in live shows that “my name ain’t Prince and it damn well ain’t Victor”. Indeed. So who is Victor? “What iiiiiiiiis Sacrifice?” There are whole books you could write about the lyrics in what is probably the most candid song in his repertoire. After a decade and a half of myth-building was this finally a glimpse of autobiographical truth? Did his dad beat him? Did the assassination of Martin Luther King and the ensuing riots help sober his clique up? Was he really epileptic ’til the age of seven? Prince did admit in a 2009 interview that he was born with epilepsy (a disorder that has also afflicted fellow songwriters Neil Young, Ian Curtis and Lil Wayne) and says his “flashy and noisy” persona was crafted to compensate for this struggle. It was a sacrifice he had to endure to make him the man he is today. He’s had trials and tribulations, heartaches and pain. Survived them all baby. And now to the victor belong the spoils.
Top 20 song for me (and in some years – top 10). Wow.
And there was I thinking I’d rated it higher than most people would.
Earlier this year I saw a poll on Facebook which listed fans’ top 365 Prince songs. Sacrifice of Victor didn’t even get on there. Nor did the Black Album song I’m posting later today. Yet Manic Monday was in the top 60. Lists are weird.
And this Black Album song is one of my top 30 as well! My favorite song on my 3rd favorite Prince album. How funny. I CANNOT wait for your top 20 list!
There’s definitely one wild card in there. Maybe two.
Have you ever tried writing down your top 20 / 30 / whatever? You forget how many favourites you have and songs you could have guaranteed would have been in there, can’t get close. There’s tracks that I would have sworn were top 20 material that are barely even getting into the double digits.
The last time i collated a list was 2011 and this was the top 20 – She’s Always in My Hair, Joy in Repetition, Dirty Mind, Take Me With U, 2 Nigs for West Compton, The Sacrifice of Victor, Sign of the Times, Kiss, The Question of U, Computer Blue, The Beautiful Ones, We Can Funk, I Can Never Take the Place of Your Man, Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Reflection, When Doves Cry, Adore, Pink Cashmere, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Forever in My Life
It may change but currently half of your list is in my top 30. Six more are top 100. And one doesn’t chart.
This is like playing Battleships 🙂
Reflection I suspect does not chart. It’s the curveball in the mix. I find it to be wonderfully understated and just really beautiful
This is my favorite song by our Purple One. I can’t get enough of it: so funky yet the lyrics are so honest and jolting.