In Prince and the New Power Generation's song "7" (Love Symbol Album, 1992), the lyrics speak of "All seven and we'll watch them fall" and "One day all seven will die".
Who or what are "the seven"?
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7 but only 6 others curse him …. he’s the 7– Ran1017Jul 14, 2022 at 5:34
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2 Answers
The song is a religious allegory, based mostly on the apocalyptic "Book of Revelations" from the Bible --with lines such as "there will be a new city, streets paved with gold" taken directly from the source.
Along those lines, the 7 are generally understood to be the Seven Deadly Sins (Greed, Lust, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Pride) which are non-Biblical, but closely associated with Christian teachings. They are not individually addressed in the lyrics, but collectively represent the sinful, joy-killing forces of the world, as opposed to the funky righteousness of Prince and his lover.
answered Jan 19, 2022 at 14:20
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Reinforcing this interpretation, the lines "And before us, animosity will stand and decree / That we speak not of love, only blasphemy / And in the distance, six others will curse me". "Animosity" could certainly be a stand-in for "wrath".– AaronJan 20, 2022 at 20:04
Over the years that I've heard/listened to this song I was under the impression that the "Seven" refers to the Seven Angels spoken of in Revelation 8:2
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I could get behind this, but it needs some filling out. It's not clear to me why Prince would celebrate the deaths of angels.– AaronJan 20, 2022 at 20:05