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.
Dionne
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dionne
U should have held my hand
U should have let me be your man
Dionne
U should have closed your eyes
U should have held on with both hands 2 your prize
Dionne
If you had no plans 2 please me
Dionne
Dionne
I could have been the 1
I could have shown U the shelter reserved unther the sun
Dionne, Dionne
I could have whispered U'r name
I could have whispered U'r name if only 4 fun
Dionne
U should have let me down easy
If you had no plans 2 please me
Dionne, Dionne
Dionne
Dionne
Dionne, Dionne
We could have shared a martini
We could have danced 2 Mancini, till dawn
Dionne
I should have broke down and kissed U
I should have I just miss U
Dionne
The song Dionne by Prince is a tale of unrequited love. The title refers to the name of the person Prince is addressing throughout the song. He laments how she should have held his hand and let him be her man. Prince expresses how he could have been the one for her, and shown her the shelter under the sun. But it's clear that Dionne is not interested in a relationship with him, and Prince missed his chance to tell her how he felt.
There's a wistful longing to the lyrics, underscored by the somber melody. Prince's delivery, however, is understated, almost conversational. He could have broken down and kissed her, he says. He just misses her. It's a poignant moment of vulnerability that adds a layer of complexity to the song.
Overall, Dionne by Prince is a subtle yet powerful exploration of unrequited love. The lyrics and melody work together to create a mood of regret and longing, while Prince's understated delivery adds a touch of melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Well
This line serves as an introduction to the song
Dionne
The song is addressed to a person named Dionne
U should have held my hand
The singer is expressing their desire for Dionne to show them physical affection by holding their hand
U should have let me be your man
The artist wants Dionne to allow them to be the person who takes care of and protects her as a romantic partner
U should have closed your eyes
The artist wants Dionne to trust them and be vulnerable with them by closing her eyes
U should have held on with both hands 2 your prize
The singer wants Dionne to be determined and committed to their relationship and not give up on it easily
U should have let me down easy
If Dionne was not interested in pursuing a relationship with the singer, they wish she would have let them down gently
If you had no plans 2 please me
This line indicates that the artist does not want Dionne to feel obligated to be with them if she does not truly want to
I could have been the 1
The artist believes that they could have been the perfect romantic partner for Dionne
I could have shown U the shelter reserved unther the sun
The artist believes that they could have offered Dionne a place of safety, security, and happiness in life
I could have whispered U'r name
The singer would have liked to be able to say Dionne's name in an affectionate and loving way
I could have whispered U'r name if only 4 fun
This line suggests that the artist could have done romantic gestures for Dionne just for the fun of it, without any ulterior motives
We could have shared a martini
The singer expresses the desire for them and Dionne to share a drink together
We could have danced 2 Mancini, till dawn
The singer wants to dance with Dionne to the music of Mancini until sunrise, enjoying each others’ company thoroughly
I should have broke down and kissed U
The singer regrets not kissing Dionne when they had the opportunity
I should have I just miss U
The artist misses Dionne and feels regret for not trying harder to be with her
Dionne
The artist ends the song by repeating Dionne's name, possibly as a way of asking for another chance to be with her
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind