Purple Rain
Prince; The Revolution Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain

I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend (hey)
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain

Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out
For something new, that means you too

You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand

Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you




Only want to see you
In the purple rain

Overall Meaning

In "Purple Rain," Prince sings about a failed romantic relationship that resulted in the end of a friendship. He expresses his regrets over any pain or sorrow he caused and admits that he only wanted to make his partner laugh and be happy. Prince uses the metaphor of purple rain throughout the song, which represents a transformative experience. He wants to see his former lover "bathing" in the purple rain to find healing and release from past hurts. Additionally, he acknowledges that times are changing, and people need to be open to new experiences, including himself.


Line by Line Meaning

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I didn't intend to make you feel any sadness.


I never meant to cause you any pain
My actions were never meant to hurt you.


I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
All I ever wanted was to see you happy.


I only wanted to see you Laughing in the purple rain
I pictured you laughing with joy, surrounded by the beauty and serenity of the purple rain.


Purple rain, purple rain
The song introduces the concept of Purple Rain, an ethereal, beautiful phenomenon.


I only wanted to see you Bathing in the purple rain
I wished you could experience the beauty and peacefulness of being immersed in the Purple Rain.


I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I didn't want a shallow relationship that's limited to just a weekend.


I only wanted to be some kind of friend (hey)
I wanted to have a genuine friendship with you that goes beyond any romantic involvement.


Baby, I could never steal you from another
I would never want to disrupt someone else's relationship or cause any drama between us.


It's such a shame our friendship had to end
It's unfortunate that our relationship had to dissolve and we couldn't maintain our friendship.


Honey, I know, I know
I understand the struggles you're facing.


I know times are changing
I acknowledge that everything is evolving and moving forward.


It's time we all reach out For something new, that means you too
We should all be open to trying new things, even if it means taking a chance and stepping out of our comfort zones.


You say you want a leader
I know you're looking for direction and guidance.


But you can't seem to make up your mind
You're struggling with making a decision.


I think you better close it And let me guide you to the purple rain
Trust me, you should let me be your guide and show you the beauty and peace that the Purple Rain has to offer.


If you know what I'm singing about up here C'mon, raise your hand
If you understand and appreciate what I'm saying, show your support and enthusiasm.


I only want to see you Only want to see you In the purple rain
Ultimately, all I want is to see you happy and at peace, enjoying the wonders of the Purple Rain.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@ApolloTchize

Just sitting here with mouth open. Didn't move for the last minutes, just got goosebumps all around and tears start to roll. Nearly forgot to swallow and to breathe and was about to drool on the desk. How would you describe something like this to others without sound and video?

This is so raw, so passionate, so, well, intimidating because of sheer talent and genius and somehow down to what anything in universe is all about.

It's hard to find words for this. So raw, so passionate, so incredible skillful, that it marks and expands somehow the borders of human beings, as no human being could transport that in a ridiculous suit with a ridiculous guitar, but when you are Prince everything falls in place and it feels as natural as it can be. This is way beyond, what any other person I've ever heard of on earth could do.

Never seen anything like this and most probably never will.

Whoever this strange, little man was: He was much more than a man,., He was Prince. And whatever that is, is more, than we deserved. I feel like every cell of my useless existence is loaded now with his energy. Still. Sometimes he made me think, he is an evolutionary proof of concept of Human 2.0.

And although I wrote all this crazy stuff, I still feel speechless.

And when I look at this next time, it'll be the same. And again. And again. This will last for ages.



All comments from YouTube:

@warp1geon

Just an incredibly special era. Great music, no cellphones, no internet - just living in the moment.

@reginakellum270

Full resonance ❤

@cruisinguy6024

I feel so bad for the people that never got to actually experience a concert. I cannot imagine just standing there with thousands of others just holding a phone out / facetiming someone instead of getting lost in the moment.

My best concert memories were all before smart phones came out. Side note, I also worked as a medic at a major live concert venue so I've been at a TON of concerts / music festivals.

@patriciajordanwoods2003

I hear you! His converts were the best ever!

@shethingsd

No cell phone is quite right. Experience.

@h4x0rrrr

the internet existed in 1985

@johnteresi

You Think your a Tough Guy until This tune brings you to Tears. Most soulful performance ever. Prince played for the audience and leaves it all out there.

@uwesvneider4540

I LOVE THIS SONG !GREAT SOLO GOD BLESS HIM

@JosephDiamond-jx8sm

That's himself!!

@briangall8442

Take our hearts through the stone! English Cash COOL! With a touch of Algonquin Blue truth!

More Comments

More Versions