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.
Baby
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now don't you cry
Everybody gets their heart broke
Sweet baby, sometime
So he left you for another fool
Yes, a fool
For lovin' him from the start
Ask yourself what's more important
Sweet baby
Stand tall (tall)
Sweet baby (baby)
Don't you fall
You ain't the only one gettin' beat down
It happens to us all
The road you chose to walk in this life (the road you choose to walk in this life)
Is one that leads into the next
So sweet baby, stand tall (sweet baby, stand tall)
Stand tall (sweet, sweet baby)
Sweet baby
Sweet baby
Hold your tears back now
Better days gonna come your way soon, oh yeah sweet baby
Some way, somehow
Oh-oh (ohh-oh)
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet baby
Sweet baby
Walk faster, sweet baby
Don't let those bad boys catch you now
Those things that they will have you do
You been done known better, oh, and how
How can you sleep knowing that you and a fool?
Sing in the same key
Walk faster sweet baby (walk faster)
Strive to be the very best that you can be (sweet baby)
Sweet baby
Oh, sweet baby
Sweet baby
Hold your tears back now
Better days gonna come your way soon
Oh yeah, sweet baby, someway, somehow
Whoa (ohh-oh)
(Sweet baby)
Sweet baby
Better days gonna come your way, yeah
Sweet baby
The song "Baby" by Prince is a slow ballad that encourages a woman who has been hurt by a lover to stay strong and not let the situation get the best of her. The song opens with words of comfort, advising the woman to close her eyes and not cry. It acknowledges the universal pain of heartbreak and reassures her that she is not alone. It then shifts to a warning about her ex-lover being a "fool" for leaving her and that she should reflect on what is more important, him or her healing heart.
The chorus is a repeated encouragement to stand tall and not fall, with the lyrics emphasizing that everyone gets beaten down at some point in their lives. The song advises the woman that the way she chooses to walk in life leads her to her next destination, which she can control. He urges her not to let bad influences catch her and to strive to be her best self. The song ends with a promise that better days are coming.
Line by Line Meaning
Close your eyes, sweet baby
Shut your eyes and calm down, child
Now don't you cry
Stop crying now
Everybody gets their heart broke
Everyone experiences heartbreak in life
Sweet baby, sometime
It's inevitable at times, kid
So he left you for another fool
He left you for someone foolish
Yes, a fool
That person was indeed foolish
For lovin' him from the start
You loved him from the beginning
Ask yourself what's more important
Question what is more significant
Him or the broken pieces of your heart
Decide if he means more than your shattered heart
Stand tall (tall)
Be strong and resolute
Sweet baby (baby)
Child, it's your turn
Don't you fall
Don't falter or give up
You ain't the only one gettin' beat down
You're not the only one facing adversity
It happens to us all
It's a ubiquitous phenomenon
The road you chose to walk in this life (the road you choose to walk in this life)
The life path you choose
Is one that leads into the next
It will lead you to the next phase
So sweet baby, stand tall (sweet baby, stand tall)
So be strong, child
Walk faster, sweet baby
Move swiftly, kid
Don't let those bad boys catch you now
Avoid being caught by the miscreants
Those things that they will have you do
The unpleasant tasks that they ask of you
You been done known better, oh, and how
You already knew better, but still ended up here
How can you sleep knowing that you and a fool?
How can you rest knowing you're in love with a foolish person?
Sing in the same key
Sing in unison with them
Strive to be the very best that you can be (sweet baby)
Endeavour to attain the highest level you can reach, child
Sweet baby
Child
Hold your tears back now
Refrain from shedding tears
Better days gonna come your way soon, oh yeah sweet baby
Happier days are approaching, child
Some way, somehow
In some way, things will work out
Better days gonna come your way, yeah
Days of relief will soon come your way
Whoa (ohh-oh)
An exclamation of surprise or awe
(Sweet baby)
Addressing the child
Sweet baby
Child
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind