Live 4 Love

Album: Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Live 4 Love" is told from the perspective of a young man who gets kicked out of his home and joins the Air Force, becoming a pilot. He's sent to fight in a war, where he's sent on a bombing run. During the mission, doubts creep in: If he drops his bombs, people will die, and the angel on his shoulder tells him to "live for love." He ends up getting hit but completing the mission - he really had no choice.

    Prince wrote the first version of the song in 1990 as American forces were preparing for war in Iraq. At this point the song was critical of the impending war, but after the US started air strikes in January 1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm, he changed the lyrics to be more sympathetic towards the soldiers who were doing their duty. The song explores the moral quandary inherent in war: You can't live for love and also kill.
  • The song is part of the Diamonds And Pearls album, where Prince introduced his New Power Generation band. The band included a rapper, Tony M., who is featured on the track and is credited as a co-writer. Prince resisted rap music as long as he could - adding a rapper to his band was a big step for him.
  • Prince borrowed the robotic countdown intro from one of his earlier unreleased songs, "We Got the Power" (1988).
  • The full title of the song, as listed in the album liner notes, is "Live 4 Love (Last Words from the Cockpit)." It's the last track on the album.
  • Prince released a music video for this song in 1992 made up of footage compiled from the Diamonds And Pearls tour and scenes of war footage.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

La La Brooks of The Crystals

La La Brooks of The CrystalsSong Writing

The lead singer on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," La La explains how and why Phil Spector replaced The Crystals with Darlene Love on "He's A Rebel."

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.