We are only a couple decades into the new millennium and we’ve already gone through so much as individuals, families and sovereign territories. One of the most frequently discussed issues regard the attack on the Trade Center in New York back in 2001 and the War on Terror that preceded it. It became a divisive issue within the US as there was a dichotomy of Americans who either supported the war and all its efforts or were completely against it. While there were certainly some Americans in the middle of the spectrum, their voices were seldom heard.
For the entirety of the 2000s and for a part of the 2010s, the War on Terror was a national and international point of discussion. Now that the wars have been completed, some people-particularly those from Generation Z-may not remember what it was like to live in a country at war.
Thankfully, music has a way of documenting how people feel in the world and the kinds of things they experience. Prince’s “Cinnamon Girl” is one of many songs that examine the magnitude of such a crucial event in American and World history.
The central character in the music video is a young girl living a typical life. Notice at the beginning of the video she is riding her bicycle to school and chatting with her friends as she makes her way into the school. Before they enter, they notice something peculiar in the sky, and when they go to homeroom the teacher shows the news on the television and every student has a different response.
It is poignant when some of her fellow students notice that some of the people who were alleged to commit this act of terror looks like her. From that point forward, she is treated like an outcast by the same people who were her friends moments ago. She wants her normal life to continue, but the insensitivity of others makes it difficult to do so.
When she makes it home there is so much pressure from her parents to wear her traditional hijab and execute her prayer rituals. The pressure causes her life to be challenging not only at school but when she is traveling through neighborhood streets and in her home. This dramatic conflict plays out visually in the music video, but it also reflects the experiences of real people. Imagine the uneasiness that many Arab-Americans felt as a result of experiencing discrimination within the US even though they had nothing to do with the attack or the war. The character in the video finds herself in the same situation.
After she conducts her prayers, she removes her hijab and goes to a mirror to put on lipstick. This moment is very striking, it is almost like the ultimate act of liberation. She proceeds to sneak out of the house to get a passport and carry out one of two procedures: to ignite a bomb in the airport, or observe the people there with all of their emotions and know they are seeking happiness and security in much the same ways as she is right now.
There are two different versions of the ending. The first one depicts the character noticing people and families in the airport and she reluctantly presses the button to cause an explosion. In the second ending she sees others and understands they have common experiences and she uses this to carry on in life.
“Cinnamon Girl” captures the emotional reactions to living a life that everyone expects you to live, rather than being true to yourself at all times. One of the many messages of the song is that it’s okay to be you-even during difficult times-because you are a unique gift to the world and that light should not be dimmed for anyone or anything.
“Cinnamon Girl” is on Prince’s 2004 album entitled Musicology. The song was released in the US and Europe. The song reached the Top 40 chart in the UK. While the single did not chart in the US, many music critics have written positive remarks about it.
Lyrics
As war drums beat in Babylon
Cinnamon Girl starts to pray
I never heard a prayer like this one
Never before that day
Tearful words of love for people she had never met before
Asking God to grant them mercy in this face of a holy war
The character is a prayerful person who uses her heart and mind to think about others whom she never met. At this point, she is not sure of the exact magnitude of the situation, but she knows that her prayers may make a difference and that a potential “holy war” may be occurring.
Cinnamon Girl of mixed heritage
Never knew the meaning of color lines
911 turned that all around
When she got accused of this crime
The character grew up in a multi-cultural world free of hatred and discrimination. She has many friends of different backgrounds and she appreciates diversity in her life. However, the war challenged these perceptions. It is difficult for her to be herself when a lot of people from her community considered her as being an accomplice to the terrorist attack.
So began the mass illusion, war on terror alibi
What’s the use when the god of confusion
Keeps on telling the same lie?
The war is depicted as something that causes an illusion that prevents the character from expressing the positive emotions, she has for herself, family and friends. These lyrics also challenge the extremist view that religion should push you to do something dangerous in the name of God even if you do not agree with it.
Vocals
Prince sings “Cinnamon Girl” is his softer upper register. His vocals have a way of painting the picture of what is taking place in the lyrics and gives audiences a comfortable method of hearing it.
Instrumentation
Prince performs “Cinnamon Girl” will a full band including himself on lead guitar, a piano player, bass player, live drums and tambourine.
Performance
Prince has an extensive catalog of music and some of his greatest songs are seldomly performed on stage. It has been written that he has performed “Cinnamon Girl” on sets at Paisley Park and a few other venues, but typically he performs some of the other tracks on Musicology more frequently.
The Making of “Cinnamon Girl”
