Reputedly written, produced and mixed on one Sunday afternoon, 'Sign O The Times' is Prince's best offering of political commentary. While songs like 'Ronnie, Talk to Russia' and 'Free' bordered on clich, 'Sign O The Times' was more insightful than anything he did in the first ten years of his recording career. Simultaneously global and Midwestern in its scope (the Gangster Disciples are probably the street gang in Chicago and its surrounding areas), Prince managed to touch on AIDS, drug abuse, the Space Shuttle Challenger and nuclear holocaust between two verses and a bridge.

Even 17 years since the song's release, part of its appeal is that it stood as a departure from Prince's favorite subjects, most associated with lust and debauchery. The common thread between 'Sign O The Times' and, say, 'Little Red Corvette' is the ability to get to the heart of the topic within four lines. Without that skill, 'Sign O The Times' would only be half as good; without that skill, Prince could have only said half as much.

Instead, it is one of pop music's best analysis of the eighties; musically brilliant (particularly the extended version found on the album), but disturbingly timless. Though our national paranoia of a nuclear war may have abated, problems with dope, AIDS, and gang life persist. As a result, a snapshot of one day instead seems prophetic.

About the Author

Bomani Jones is a freelance writer and a BV Music blogger. Read the blog here.