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.
Cool
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no trouble at all (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I had trials and tribulations, heartaches and pains (well that's alright)
Survived 'em all baby (uh-huh, say it, say it!)
Hmph, I'm still Melody, and I'm still Cool
Melody Cool (yeah, yeah)
Ow!
I was here long before you (Melody, Melody)
If you're good I will love ya (Melody)
But I'm nobody's fool (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
When I was born there were tidal waves (Melody, Melody)
Whole town went under nobody saved (Melody, Melody)
At every funeral it rained every time I sang
Melody Cool
I have been here much longer (Melody)
Longer than you (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
Well now, everybody runnin' 'round talkin' 'bout savin' souls
When they know good and plenty
Well, they got enough trouble tryna save their own
(Alright, say it, say it girl)
(Melody, Melody, Melody)
Go on, go on
Every woman and every man (Melody)
One day they just got to understand (Melody)
That if we play in the same key everything will be
Melody Cool
(Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody)
What's your name? (Melody, Melody)
New power wave your hand, everybody sing out across the land
Say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
Say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
Everybody say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
They call me Melody Cool
(Melody, Melody, Melody)
Look a here youngin'
Let me give you a piece of good advice (Melody)
And I do get paid for counseling, ha
It ain't no big I's and little you's in my life
So that's why you see they call me Melody Cool (Melody, Melody Cool, Melody)
I was here long before you (Melody, long before you)
If you're good I will love you (Melody)
But I'm nobody's fool (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
(Melody, Melody Cool, Melody
Melody, oh, long before you)
The lyrics to "Cool" by Prince, featuring the vocals of Melody Cool herself, are all about Cool's life and experiences. She talks about how she has been through a lot of things, but she has come out on top. She has crossed many bridges, both literal and figurative, and has survived trials, tribulations, heartbreak, and pain. She wants people to know that she is still melodic and cool, despite everything she has been through.
Cool also talks about her unique history, with tidal waves occurring when she was born and rain pouring down at every funeral where she sang. She has been in this world for much longer than anyone else and has seen a lot of things. She advises younger generations not to buy into the idea of hierarchy, with "big I's and little you's," and to play in the same key, so everything can be Melody Cool.
Overall, the song seems to be about an unwavering sense of self despite life's challenges, a celebration of Cool's life and experiences, and a message of unity and equality.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen a many bridges in my time and crossed every one of 'em
With no trouble at all (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I've been through a lot of challenges in my life and I've overcome them all effortlessly.
I had trials and tribulations, heartaches and pains (well that's alright)
Survived 'em all baby (uh-huh, say it, say it!)
Hmph, I'm still Melody, and I'm still Cool
Melody Cool (yeah, yeah)
I've faced various troubles and distresses in my life, but I've lived through them all and emerged stronger than ever. Despite all of that, I'm still the same cool person I've always been.
They call me Melody Cool (Melody, Melody)
I was here long before you (Melody, Melody)
If you're good I will love ya (Melody)
But I'm nobody's fool (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
I've been around for a long time and I'm a famous musician, but I don't take any nonsense from anyone. If you treat me with respect, I'll show you love and kindness. I'm a strong and independent person who won't be taken for a fool.
When I was born there were tidal waves (Melody, Melody)
Whole town went under nobody saved (Melody, Melody)
At every funeral it rained every time I sang
Melody Cool
I have been here much longer (Melody)
Longer than you (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
I was born during a natural disaster that destroyed my town, and I've had to sing at many funerals since then. Despite all of this, I've been around a lot longer than most people and I'm still here, cool as ever.
Well now, everybody runnin' 'round talkin' 'bout savin' souls
When they know good and plenty
Well, they got enough trouble tryna save their own
(Alright, say it, say it girl)
(Melody, Melody, Melody)
People often act like they're better than everyone else and make a show of saving souls when in reality they have their own problems to deal with. It's important to focus on our own issues before we try to save others.
Every woman and every man (Melody)
One day they just got to understand (Melody)
That if we play in the same key everything will be
Melody Cool
(Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody)
If we can all work together and be on the same page, things will go much smoother and be more enjoyable for everyone. It's important to remember that we're all in this together and should strive for harmony.
What's your name? (Melody, Melody)
New power wave your hand, everybody sing out across the land
Say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
Say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
Everybody say hey, hey, hey (hey, hey, hey)
Let's all come together and celebrate music and life. It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, everyone can join in and have a good time.
Look a here youngin'
Let me give you a piece of good advice (Melody)
And I do get paid for counseling, ha
It ain't no big I's and little you's in my life
So that's why you see they call me Melody Cool (Melody, Melody Cool, Melody)
I was here long before you (Melody, long before you)
If you're good I will love you (Melody)
But I'm nobody's fool (Melody)
I'm Melody Cool
(Melody, Melody Cool, Melody
Melody, oh, long before you)
Let me give you some valuable advice, young person. There's no such thing as 'big I's and little you's' in life - everyone is equal and should be treated as such. That's why people call me Melody Cool - I treat everyone with respect and kindness, but won't tolerate anyone trying to take advantage of me or treat me unfairly. I've been around a long time, and if you treat me well, I'll love you for it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind