Fresh & Noble feature this track by DJ Zebra who hybridized the melody and words of "Sign O' The Times" with the rhythm and bass line section of "Stylo" by Gorillaz.
When Prince released this song in 1987 on his opus double album of the same name, it gave fans and non-fans alike a reason to pause. It was darker, heavier, and more relevant that anything he had previously created. The sparse instrumentation of the original song signaled its seriousness, and the addition here of the fragment from "Stylo" does not betray that. The particulars may have changed but the songs lyrics (viral pandemics, gang violence, natural disasters, poverty, drug abuse, and impending war) and sentiment are as relevant now as they were nearly thirty years ago. The most heartbreaking section of the song though is the last verse. The idea of a small family against the tide of disasters and ills just recited is the point of the entire piece.
Oh yeah!
In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same
At home there are seventeen-year-old boys and their idea of fun
Is being in a gang called The Disciples
High on crack, totin' a machine gun
Time, times
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church and killed everyone inside
U turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' U somebody died
Sister killed her baby cuz she couldn't afford 2 feed it and we're sending people 2 the moon
In September my cousin tried reefer 4 the very first time
Now he's doing horse: it's June
Times, times
It's silly, no?
When a rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants 2 fly
Some say a man ain't happy unless a man truly dies
Oh why?
Time, time
Baby make a speech, Star Wars fly
Neighbors just shine it on
But if a night falls and a bomb falls
Will anybody see the dawn?
Time, times
It's silly, no?
When a rocket blows and everybody still wants 2 fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly until a man truly dies
Oh why, oh why, Sign O the Times
Time, time
Sign O' the Times mess with your mind
Hurry before it's 2 late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
We'll call him Nate... if it's a boy
Time, time
Time, time
https://soundcloud.com/fresh-8
And for reference, here is the original by The Master:
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