It sounds like Prince Johnny is a pretentious, superfluous man preoccupied with his and everyone else's descendents. My guess is he's a wealthy and notable socialite given his life style.
There are many illusions to him perceiving himself to be royalty. For example, he "holds court in bathroom stalls" and brags about all of the women or men that he conquered, who are always "sons of someone's". He extorted and then snorted a piece of the Berlin wall, which is ripe with historical significance. The Berlin wall was an important factor of the Cold War, but it didn't mean much to Prince Johnny, who put it up his nose along with the narrator (who has her doubts about him).
The fact that Prince Johnny was capable of squandering a piece of the wall shows that he must be in a position of power. However, it seems like the narrator can see right through him. She knows that she has more meaning than what he sees in her. She even has more meaning that what her ex saw in her. This song ends on the note that the narrator is in a position of power over a man who is obsessed with it.
However, both parties are desperately praying to be made into real people again, so perhaps wealth and power has gone to the narrators head as well after being with Prince Johnny.
It sounds like Prince Johnny is a pretentious, superfluous man preoccupied with his and everyone else's descendents. My guess is he's a wealthy and notable socialite given his life style.
There are many illusions to him perceiving himself to be royalty. For example, he "holds court in bathroom stalls" and brags about all of the women or men that he conquered, who are always "sons of someone's". He extorted and then snorted a piece of the Berlin wall, which is ripe with historical significance. The Berlin wall was an important factor of the Cold War, but it didn't mean much to Prince Johnny, who put it up his nose along with the narrator (who has her doubts about him).
The fact that Prince Johnny was capable of squandering a piece of the wall shows that he must be in a position of power. However, it seems like the narrator can see right through him. She knows that she has more meaning than what he sees in her. She even has more meaning that what her ex saw in her. This song ends on the note that the narrator is in a position of power over a man who is obsessed with it.
However, both parties are desperately praying to be made into real people again, so perhaps wealth and power has gone to the narrators head as well after being with Prince Johnny.