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.
Come Outside and Play
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me your name and number
Give me the keys 2 your ride
Put the top down
Let me cruise up the ocean side
Let me put my arm around U
Unsnap your self-consciousness
I wanna kiss U more or less
Can U come outside and play? {"Play" repeats is BG of song}
Tell me baby, what do U say?
I got a bet goin' with my partner
That U're the best kisser in L.A.
If I'm, uh, out of line, U can tell me
But if I'm not, we can get busy
Come on baby, tell me what do U say?
Can U come outside and play?
Play! Play!
Take off everything except your stockings
I wanna kiss U more or less {x3}
I wanna.. I wanna.. I wanna..
I wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna play!
I got a bet goin' with my partner
That U're the best kisser in L.A.
Come on baby, come on baby
Come on, come outside and play {x3}
Play
(Can U come outside and play?)
Come outside and play!
(Play) {x8}
(Can U come outside and play?)
(Play) {x15}
(Can U come..)
(Can U come..)
(Can U come outside..)
(Can U come outside and play?)
U'll be fine {segue}
We can withstand the test of time
It's all or nothing
Everything we do
Even when I can't be
Can't be with U
It doesn't mean U're any farther away
Just means we're still prisoners
Not entirely free
There's a new age dawning
Slowly opening heaven's door
Contrary 2 rumour
Heaven is keeping score
The New Power Generation has just taken control
The lyrics of Prince's song Come Outside and Play depict a playful and flirtatious exchange between two people. Prince invites the person he is addressing to come outside and play with him. He is charming and confident, telling them to give him their name and number and the keys to their ride so they can cruise up the ocean side. He even suggests that they take off everything except their stockings and that he wants to kiss them more or less. Prince seems to be smitten by the person he's addressing, and he is willing to bet that they are the best kisser in LA. He leaves it up to them to decide whether he's out of line or not, but he's eager to get busy with them.
The song has a seductive, playful vibe that is characteristic of Prince's music. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they convey Prince's interest in having a good time with someone he's attracted to. The song's repetition of "Can U come outside and play?" adds to the song's playful nature, making it feel like an invitation to a game rather than a serious proposition. Overall, the song is a fun and lighthearted expression of Prince's desire to connect with someone in a playful, romantic way.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me your name and number
Prince is asking the person he's talking to for their contact info
Give me the keys 2 your ride
Prince is asking to borrow the other person's car
Put the top down
Prince wants to drive with the convertible top down
Let me cruise up the ocean side
Prince wants to drive along the coastline
Let me put my arm around U
Prince wants to be physically close to the other person
Unsnap your self-consciousness
Prince wants the other person to let go of their insecurities and doubts
Take off everything except your stockings
Prince wants the other person to undress down to their stockings
I wanna kiss U more or less
Prince wants to kiss the other person
Can U come outside and play?
Prince is asking the other person to come out and spend time with him
Tell me baby, what do U say?
Prince is asking the other person to respond to his question
I got a bet goin' with my partner
Prince has made a wager about the other person's kissing skills
That U're the best kisser in L.A.
The bet is that the other person is the best kisser in Los Angeles
If I'm, uh, out of line, U can tell me
Prince is giving the other person the option to confront him if he's being inappropriate
But if I'm not, we can get busy
If Prince's behavior is acceptable to the other person, they can start a physical relationship
Take off everything except your stockings
Prince repeats his request for the other person to undress down to their stockings
Come on baby, tell me what do U say?
Prince is urging the other person to respond to his advances
Play!
Prince is making the repeated chorus an invitation for the other person to be intimate with him
U'll be fine {segue}
Prince is assuring the other person that things will be okay
We can withstand the test of time
Prince believes their relationship can survive over time
It's all or nothing
Prince thinks their relationship should be completely committed, with no half-measures
Everything we do
Prince believes everything they do together is important
Even when I can't be
Prince knows he won't be around all the time
Can't be with U
Prince can't always be physically present with the other person
It doesn't mean U're any farther away
Prince believes that physical distance doesn't necessarily have to affect their relationship
Just means we're still prisoners
Prince thinks they are both still bound by social constraints or obligations
Not entirely free
Prince acknowledges that they may not have total freedom to be together
There's a new age dawning
Prince believes there are new possibilities available for their relationship
Slowly opening heaven's door
Prince is hopeful about a future together with the other person
Contrary 2 rumour
Prince is contradicting what other people have said about their relationship
Heaven is keeping score
Prince believes that there will be consequences for their actions, but they are worth the risk
The New Power Generation has just taken control
Prince is saying that a new era has begun, and he is ready to seize the opportunity for change and growth
Contributed by Caleb W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yvette Sanchez
This is definitely a fun & cool song!! It's pure magic!! The music is so original & is just right for this song!! Our forever beloved, sweet Prince sang this so cool & so magnificently with his always incredible voice!! I especially love when Prince made that excited, get down sound with his mouth!! This song sounds absolutely fabulous!! I love it so much!!
Our forever beloved, sweet Prince always gave us total ultimacy in everything that he did for us!! That's one of the many reasons that Prince always has been & will always remain our one & only true Master of Music!!
We will always love & always remain devoted to our forever beloved, sweet Prince!!
ONLY PRINCE!!
PRINCE REIGNS FOREVER!!
PRINCE IS ETERNAL!! PURPLE POWER!! PEACE ALWAYS!!
Daniela G.
Oooh I like this,makes me wanna dance! 💃 💋💋💋
Astros808
Let's pLay N Da SunShine 🎵🏀💜
Lumière
✨♈ THANK YOU 🤗✨💜💜🎼🎵🎶🎸😎💜
CodePurple
Welcome :)
xx g xx
Ein absolut genialer Song 💜ich drehe durch✌🤣danke fürs reinstellen🤗
Reto Rauber
The genius at work.
Mark Sessoms
This is the king at work
Fazian_Music
🎼🎵🎶🎵🏹🌌💜💜💜👑
Dee 1
makes me think of "Batdance"