Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist.
After signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. top 10 charts. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. He also released songs under multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made popular after being covered by other musicians, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Released posthumously, his demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018) and Originals (2019) both received critical acclaim.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His awards included the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)
Studio albums
For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol (1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)
Crystal Ball (1998)
The Truth (1998)
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)
The Rainbow Children (2001)
One Nite Alone... (2002)
Xpectation (2003)
N·E·W·S (2003)
The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Musicology (2004)
3121 (2006)
Planet Earth (2007)
Lotusflow3r (2009)
MPLSound (2009)
20Ten (2010)
Plectrumelectrum (2014)
Art Official Age (2014)
HITnRUN Phase One (2015)
HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)
Posthumous releases:
Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018)
Originals (2019)
Welcome 2 America (2021)
Prince also released two albums credited to Madhouse, three albums credited to the New Power Generation, and one credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra:
Madhouse:
8 (1987)
16 (1987)
The New Power Generation:
Goldnigga (1993)
Exodus (1995)
Newpower Soul (1998)
The N.P.G. Orchestra:
Kamasutra (1997)
For Serbian singer Princ, please use Princ.
Allegiance
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If IúÈ workin? if IúÈ playin? U抮e with me all the time, love
Your languid body, how it moves me mysterious ways, yeah
If IúÈ happy or if IúÈ sad, it moves me every day, love
Baby, whatever U got, don抰 stop it
Honey, U抮e makin?me hot and I want it
IúÈ addicted 2 your junk and IúÈ dyin?
Every day, love, at 6:30 my body gets so cool
I shiver madly, girl, I抎 glady be your night time fool, love
All the honey and all the cash that this world has 2 give
Couldn抰 compare 2 one strand of your hair - girl, I wanna live (with U)
Baby, whatever U got, don抰 stop it
Honey, U抮e makin?me hot and I want it
IúÈ in a deep blue funk but I like it
IúÈ addicted 2 your junk and IúÈ dyin? dyin?
Girl, IúÈ dyin?
Smooth hands, cocoa tan
Your biggest fan I am
More than any man, I can and I will until time stops
Or whatever U got discontinues
So 4 U and all that is good and true
I hereby state my allegiance
4 U and all that is true
I hereby state my allegiance {repeat phrase in loop}
In "Allegiance," Prince expresses his deep infatuation with someone who is always on his mind, even in his dreams. He marvels at the way this person's body moves, how it affects him whether he's happy or sad, and how addictive they are. He finds himself in a "deep blue funk," which he likes because it is a result of his attraction to this person. Prince describes how his body reacts when he thinks of this person, and he is willing to devote everything to them.
Throughout the song, Prince uses references to addiction and drug use to describe his feelings for this person. He is hooked on them, unable to resist their pull. He also alludes to the idea that whatever this person possesses, it is powerful and something he wants to keep consuming. Despite this addiction, Prince declares that he is willing to pledge his allegiance to this person, for all that is good and true.
Overall, "Allegiance" is a sensual love song that relies heavily on imagery and references to addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
In my sleepin?R.E.M. state, U are on my mind, love
Even in my dreams, I can't stop thinking about you.
If IúÈ workin? if IúÈ playin? U are with me all the time, love
Whether I'm busy or free, you stay in my mind.
Your languid body, how it moves me mysterious ways, yeah
The way you move your body sends shivers down my spine and captivates me.
If IúÈ happy or if IúÈ sad, it moves me every day, love
No matter what my mood is, your presence affects me deeply.
Baby, whatever U got, don't stop it
I love everything about you and I want you to keep being yourself.
Honey, U are makin me hot and I want it
You turn me on completely and I want more of it.
IúÈ in a deep blue funk but I like it
I'm going through a tough time but I enjoy feeling the intensity of it.
IúÈ addicted 2 your junk and IúÈ dyin?
I'm hooked on everything about you and it's overwhelming me.
Every day, love, at 6:30 my body gets so cool
Every day, I feel a sense of anticipation and excitement for you at that time.
I shiver madly, girl, I'm gladly be your night time fool, love
In my excitement, I'm willing to do anything to please you.
All the honey and all the cash that this world has to give
No material possession can compare to how much I want to be with you.
Couldn't compare to one strand of your hair - girl, I wanna live (with U)
You are worth more to me than anything else in this world and I want to spend my life with you.
Smooth hands, cocoa tan
Your skin is so soft and smooth, with a beautiful cocoa complexion.
Your biggest fan I am
I am your biggest admirer and will support you no matter what.
More than any man, I can and I will until time stops
I will love and cherish you more than anyone else, until the end of time.
Or whatever U got discontinues
Our love will last forever, no matter what happens.
So 4 U and all that is good and true
In honor of you and all that is genuine and good,
I hereby state my allegiance
I pledge my loyalty and devotion to you.
4 U and all that is true
For you and all that is honest and sincere,
I hereby state my allegiance
I promise to stand by your side always.
{repeat phrase in loop}
I will be true to you forever.
Contributed by James W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@darthcaliginous2066
n my sleepin R.E.M. state, U are on my mind, love
If Im workin if I playin U with me all the time, love
Your languid body, how it moves me mysterious ways, yeah
If Im happy or if Im sad, it moves me every day, love
Baby, whatever U got, dont stop it
Honey, U makin me hot and I want it
Im in a deep blue funk but I like it
Im addicted 2 your junk and Im dyin
Every day, love, at 630 my body gets so cool
I shiver madly, girl, Id glady be your night time fool, love
All the honey and all the cash that this world has 2 give
Couldn’t compare 2 one strand of your hair - girl, I wanna live (with U)
Baby, whatever U got, dont stop it
Honey, U makin me hot and I want it
(im ina deep blue) im in a deep blue funk but I like it
(Im addicted 2 your junk) im addicted 2 your junk and Im dyin, dyin
Girl, Im dyin
Smooth hands, cocoa tan
Your biggest fan I am
More than any man, I can and I will until time stops
Or whatever U got discontinues
So 4 U and all that is good and true
I hereby state my allegiance
4 U and all that is true
I hereby state my allegiance {repeat phrase in loop}
@KimberlySmith-iy8bi
There will never be music like prince ever..again
@Donna777
Sadly, u r right!!! :((((((((
@whitenoise2027
Of course there will be... he's recorded it so we could play it again and again...
@luckymia5
i’m actually sick…they need to release this on a super deluxe asap. the way he says ‘but i like it’ i’m sliding down the walls crying ✋🏽✋🏽✋🏽😭
@Donna777
Immediately added this to my Prince Favorites playlist!!!
@sthomasdesigntalent
Same here!
@randy5880
Definitely one of the best unreleased
@waynerogers2007
Thanks for this song. I'm a new subscriber. Prince said in a past interview. He wrote a song a day. This man was a prolific writer.
@leopoldo38
That bass line wow
@marilynnmcnair3994
one of the funkiest r&b jams EVER! written in 1991 for howard hewitt. sadly, wb didn't want prince to put out music that was 'too black!' once he broke free he was the funkiest brother around. rest in peace, kind!