Who's Spooky Electric?

       I recently heard of the death of a famous singer whom I was a huge fan of during my younger days. Prince's death was shocking and very sad to me. I felt  like crying because I remembered a time during my pre and early teens when I used to stare wonderingly at the fascinating music videos, admiring all those pretty women wearing their sexy costumes. I listened intently to the videos telling their fascinating stories, watching the singer gyrate and dance with his female companions. The dances and acts on stage mesmerized me. Then I would buy the tapes and listen intently to the songs, trying to understand what the dude was saying. Weird words would come out of his mouth, like 'Spooky Electric', 'lovesexy', "Anna Stesia" and I would be wondering to myself, "what in the world is this crazy man talking about". I believed that he must have been high on drugs while writing the lyrics for these songs. I mean much of what he was saying, especially in the Batman album, made no sense. But I loved the music. I loved the beats and the instrumental playing behind the lyrics. And the lyrics that I did understand, even though some of it was strange, they still appealed to me. I often imagined that Spooky Electric was some kind of spirit conjured by Prince, possibly even an evil spirit. I was a Christian then, a young one. I should have known better. I should have known to shut that music off and throw the cassette tapes away. I should have known to ignore the music videos on MTV. But the songs, the beautiful female musicians, and the brassy instrument playing appealed to me. It was breathtaking. I remember watching music videos like "Raspberry Beret" and "U Got The Look" and not being able to take my eyes of the characters. The videos were captivating. I would not tell my friends or siblings but I often wanted to be inside the television with those characters, dancing with the singers and dancers. The cartoon female in the Raspberry Beret video, felt emotionally appealing. Sometimes I would imagine having a girlfriend just like her.

       Looking back at myself at that time, now as an adult, I would think, "man I must have been very weird". But while reading commentaries from other fans, after his recent death, I learned that it was not just me. There were other people who were captivated by this singer. I saw many scenes of grown men and women actually crying over him. And now I am beginning to understand what this dude named Prince actually meant to me. And I am beginning to understand who is Spooky Electric. Prince was a shy, awkward, strange man in person, during interviews but on stage and in the interviews he was very flashy, wild, and charming with the ladies. He in a way spoke to people who felt lonely or in their own way awkward. He made them feel like they can be cool. His strange videos and lyrics acted as steps and ladders for the imaginative, those who often day dreamed and fantasized. His cool drawings and perplexing signs drew people who were very curious and sent them along on a lengthy journey to find and discover the truths and meanings behind his imaginative stories he was telling. Yes he was mesmerizing, but yes I am glad that I long ago hopped of that journey.

       I used to be hooked into MTV Rock and later Hip Hop and Rap music. I watched every Hip Hop video again and again and again. And when I became an adult and made more money, I bought continuous arm loads of tapes. I remember buying ten to fifteen tapes on line around two to three times in a couple months span. Every week I would buy the Sunday paper and purchase the new hit records on sale that week, purchasing two to five a week. I accumulated over a hundred CDs and tapes. Some of them were personal tapes created and copied from past friends of mine who knew I loved music and made those tapes especially for me. I listened to songs that reminded me of friends whom I most likely will never see again, just to remember them. I listened to songs that I depended on to help me fall asleep at night. I had songs to listen to in order to cheer me up whenever I felt depressed. But deep inside I knew that I am a Christian and I should not be listening to those kind of music, but I could not stop. Then one day after having deep talks with other Christians and my wife during Bible Meetings I got convicted. The music was not good for me nor did it elevate Jesus Christ for the True Lord and Savior that He is. For several years I stopped listening to the music but I still kept them stored in their boxes and containers. Some of those tapes gave me good memories of people and fun during my childhood. Just looking at the artistry and writings by people whom meant a lot to me made me turn my eyes away at the thought of departing from them. Then one day something happened to me. I walked over to the boxes and containers of tapes and simply picked them up and placed them outside in front of my porch for the garbage collectors to come by and pick up the next morning. The next day they were gone. I long ago began listening to christian music and christian radio and discovered that Christian Music sounded just as good, in fact even better. While listening to Christian songs I felt no guilt in what I was listening to, neither did I have to feel any concern about someone cussing on the tape, or making some suggestive comments about sex, or inviting some strange demonic spirit into my life. Nor did I have to worry about having to explain to my children why these tapes were in the house after they became old enough to look and wonder.

       Now back to Spooky Electric. While researching the name I discovered that Spooky Electric is some kind of neon devil (Anders, 2012). He cuts like a knife and tries to get in you and gives you a .57 magnum - and then you have to call People Magazine and Rolling Stone" (Anders, 2012). So, I guess I was right. I knew that it must be some kind of spirit and I knew that it was likely a demonic spirit I was just too in love with the music to admit it to myself and just find another companion to soothe my spirit, like Jesus. I still like Prince and I am very sad to see him die so young at the age of 57, but I have known of the early, tragic deaths of so many other great artists, like Aaliyah, Notorious BIG, Eazy E, Elvis, John Lennon, the H-Town lead singer, the lead singer from the group Blaque who died after getting hit by a car, and even one of the dancers for rapper Heavy D. So many of them have died it is real sad. It is just obvious something is wrong with this music, rock, hip hop, rap, it does not matter. Something is wrong with Spooky Electric. Again I still like Prince and I wish that he would have become a Christian. I know that he dabbled into being a Jehovah Witness but unless Prince Rogers Nelson accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and asked Him for the forgiveness for his sins Prince was not a Christian, meaning he was not saved, and that is sad.

Reference

Anders, C. J. (2012). Prince, the Great Unsung Fantasy Storyteller. IO9. Retrieved                                              from http://io9.gizmodo.com/5928845/is-prince-the-jrr-tolkien-of-funky-music