~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NINE YEARS AGO PRINCE DIED FROM AN OVERDOSE OF FENTANYL

 Nothing Compares 2 U

It's been seven hours and fifteen days

Since u took your love away

I go out every night and sleep all day

Since you took your love away

Since you been gone I can do whatever I want

I can see whomever I choose

I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant

But nothing

I said nothing can take away these blues

'Cause nothing compares

Nothing compares to you

It's been so lonely without you here

Like a bird without a song

Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling

Tell me baby where did I go wrong

I could put my arms around every boy I see

But they'd only remind me of you

I went to the doctor and guess what he told me

Guess what he told me

He said girl you better have fun

No matter what you do

But he's a fool

'Cause nothing compares

Nothing compares to you

All the flowers that you planted, mama

In the back yard

All died when you went away

I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard

But I'm willing to give it another try

Nothing compares

Nothing compares to you

Nothing compares

Nothing compares to you

Nothing compares

Nothing compares to you

(Sinéad O'Connor version)

Just over nine years ago Prince Rogers Nelson died from a self-induced overdose of fentanyl.  You may not think an old white man would be moved, distraught and overwhelmed by the death of a Black artist, but you'd be wrong.

As for self-medication, we all do that to some extent, swallowing aspirin, drinking Pepto Bismol and pouring isopropyl alcohol on our wounds.

But wealth is a curse when you have access to anything you think you want and Prince's chronic hip pain called out for N-(1-Phenethyl-4-piperidyl)propionalide dihydrogen citrate or fentanyl.

Family members told us at the time that Prince had a legal prescription for fentanyl.