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.
Betcha By Golly Wow!
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Candyland appears each time you smile
Never thought that fairy tales came true
But they come true when I'm near you
You're a genie in disguise
Full of wonder and surprise and
Betcha by golly wow! (wow!)
And ever will my love for you keep growing strong
Keep growing strong
If I could, I'd catch a falling star
To shine on you so I know where you are
Color rainbows in your favorite shades
To show I love you, thinking of you
Write your name across the sky
Anything you ask, I'll try cause
Betcha by golly wow! (wow!)
You're the one that I've been waiting for forever
And ever will my love for you keep growing strong
Keep growing strong
Prince’s “Betcha by Golly Wow!” is a love song that expresses the singer's infatuation and admiration for a particular person. The lyrics describe how the sight of the person causes a “spark of magic”, as if existing in a Candyland, and that their presence alone can make fairy tales come true. The writer likens the person to a genie who is full of wonder and surprises. The chorus then emphasizes the singer’s thoughts by declaring that the person is the one he's been waiting for, and that his love for them will continually grow.
The second verse describes grand gestures that the singer would do to show their love for this person. Catching a falling star and assigning it as a guiding light for the person, providing a colorful rainbow and writing their name in the sky. The singer also declares that they would try anything the person asks them to do.
Overall, the song captures the intensity of feeling that accompanies falling in love. The words convey not only the depth of the singer's love for this person, but also the extremity of his willingness to do anything to show it. It’s an enchanting and romantic ballad that is sure to stir emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a spark of magic in your eye
Your eyes have a magical sparkle that lights up my world.
Candyland appears each time you smile
Your smile is so sweet and inviting, it's like I'm transported to a world of candy every time I see it.
Never thought that fairy tales came true
I never believed in fairy tales and happy endings, until I met you.
But they come true when I'm near you
Being with you makes me feel like all the impossible dreams and fantasies can come true.
You're a genie in disguise
You have the power to make my wishes come true, even though you may not know it.
Full of wonder and surprise and
You constantly surprise and amaze me with your incredible spirit and personality.
Betcha by golly wow! (wow!)
I can't even find words to express how amazing you are, so all I can say is 'wow!'
You're the one that I've been waiting for forever
You're the person I've been searching for my whole life, the one who completes me.
And ever will my love for you keep growing strong
My love for you will never fade or weaken - it will only keep growing stronger and stronger.
If I could, I'd catch a falling star
I would do anything to make you happy, even if it seemed impossible or unrealistic.
To shine on you so I know where you are
I want to always be able to find you easily and know where you are, to protect you and be near you.
Color rainbows in your favorite shades
I want to bring joy and beauty into your life, by making rainbows in all your favorite colors.
To show I love you, thinking of you
I want to constantly remind you that I love you with all my heart and am always thinking of you.
Write your name across the sky
I want to publicly declare my love for you and make it known to the world how amazing you are to me.
Anything you ask, I'll try cause
I will do absolutely anything you ask of me, without hesitation, because I love you so much.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Linda Creed, Thomas Bell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brandondenver4331
Prince was never one to cover other people's music, however, he made an exception this one time, singing a song he loved for his son whom he lost. R.I.P. to them both.
@mset68
He did many covers. Four on this album alone.
@eduardicaridade9806
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@alonzotanner1226
I still remember when this song came out. My grandpa was a huge fan of the Stylistics so he was really critical of this version of the song. But he always had a lot of respect for Prince so he dug this one too. When I was a little kid comin up in Harlem and this video would come up on MTV, my grandpa would say "I don't know what the fuck this guy is tryin to do with this weird ass video, but he sang his ass off in the song!" and he would still sing to it as if he were listening to the Stylistics themselves singing this song. I miss my grandpa. He passed away in 2010. at 86 years old.
@klausmitmaus4395
Thank you for sharing. Love from Germany.
@krystalgail3439
This is like the only song that he sampled that I know of
@passo-a-passo1626
Thanks for this.
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@flightforge30
i guess this was released in 1996..this was receiving a heavy rotational airplays in Channel [V] as well.
@emmanuelmckoy5899
@@krystalgail3439i can't make u love me off this same album(emancipation) is a cover
@TheRobinRedbreast
The Stylistics would be proud of this cover.