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.
Do Yourself a Favour
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't say nothin' to me
No, no, nothin'
'Cause you did me wrong when I was doing bad
So bad, I didn't even think I was gonna make it
Now I'm alone, feelin' free
Freer than the butterfly flyin' high now, yeah yeah, baby
I don't claim no riches or any miracles
So if you see me, walk on by, babe
Don't say nothin', walk on by now
Do yourself a favor, walk on by, yeah
Ooh, don't say nothin', walk on by, yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
You didn't even try to understand, just where I was comin' from
No, no, baby
Instead of understanding
You gave me your demandings and I couldn't stand it
Uh uh, baby
Now it's much to late and there's no time for me to try, not anymore
Uh uh, baby
Mm, listen
Say I don't feel no pain, it doesn't hurt inside
And I'm doin' better on my own, whoa
So if you see me, walk on by, babe
Don't say nothin', walk on by now
Do yourself a favor, mm, walk on by, babe
Don't say nothin', walk on by, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Now it's much to late and there's no time for me to try, not anymore
Uh uh, baby
I don't feel no pain, it doesn't hurt inside
And I'm doin' better on my own
So looka here, baby!
If you see me, walk on by now, mm
Don't say nothin', ooh, walk on by now
Just do yourself a favor, yeah, walk on by girl, mm
Don't say nothin', walk on by, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Looka here, don't try to talk to me now, baby
I'm doin' ok, yeah
I'm makin' it on my own, baby, looka here
(Do yourself a favor)
And you know honey, you know I ain't rich or nothin'
I ain't claimin' no miracles, but ah
(Do yourself a favor)
I'm a bachelor now, baby, you know what I'm sayin'? Whoo!
(Do yourself a favor)
Just do yourself a favor, baby, just walk on down the street, uh
(Do yourself a favor)
I ain't got a damn thing to say to you now, baby, look out! Whoo!
(Do yourself a favor)
When we was together, did you try to understand me? No! Uh
(Do yourself a favor)
So just do yourself a favor and get the hell down the road
(Do yourself a favor)
Mmmm
(Do yourself a favor)
Too sexy
Yes, mmm
Somebody call up the colonel, I hear some chicken scratchin'
Good god, yes
Too sexy
Somebody else fall in, I don't care who it is
Just come on, keep it goin', come on
Uh, yes
You like that?
Then come here, sit down
Let me talk to you
You hear that?
That's a 50 dollar bill
When's the last time you seen one of them?
That's what I thought
Let me tell you somethin'
When me and you used to be, me and you used to be together
I didn't have no money in my pocket
That's all different now, that's all different
Now you wanna play, now you wanna play crazy
You're not crazy, you're no crazier than I am
Don't play, don't act like that
You didn't try to understand where I was comin' from back then
Why you tryin' to now?
'Cause you know I got that money, that's why
Uh-huh, yeah
Sit down, don't talk, come here, sit down!
I'll kick your ass
What, you think you bad now? I'll kick your ass
Come here, good God
Mmm
Lord yes
Somebody call up the colonel, I hear some chicken scratchin'
Pow!
If you see me walkin' down the street one day, baby
Don't say nothin'
You used to do me wrong, baby
That's back when I was doin' bad
But now baby, now baby, I got more money than I ever had
Oh lord, yes yes
Do yourself a favor, baby
Take it on down the road
Let that sidewalk hit you where the dog should've bit you, yes baby
Oh lord
Oh lord
Uh
I'll kick your ass
Don't you play crazy with me, I'm, you're not crazy, I'm crazy
I'm the one that's crazy
You're not crazy
Come here
Don't you walk away from me
I don't care what I told you, come back here
You hear me talkin' to you, baby? Come here
The lyrics of "Do Yourself a Favor" by Prince are a testament to the rapper's enduring sensibility and nonchalance. He talks about how he was wronged during his bad days, and how he prevailed despite the odds. He tells his ex-girlfriend who hurt him back then that if she sees him walking down the street, she should not say anything to him. He does not want to hear from her because she never tried to understand his situation then, but instead charged him with her demands.
Prince says he is freer than the butterfly flying high in the sky. The singer is doing better on his own, even making more money than he ever had. He tells his ex-girlfriend to take herself down the road and let the sidewalk hit her where the dog should have bitten her. In summary, the rapper says he is free from hurt and pain, and he has no time to try anymore.
The lyrics of the song discuss Prince's growth and ability to move on from bad relationships. It speaks to his past as an underdog and his journey to establish his musical career. Its tone of dismissive attitude and sense of self-worth is what makes the song so captivating.
Interesting Facts About Do Yourself A Favor:
1. Do Yourself A Favor was released posthumously in 2020, by the Prince Estate.
2. The song was recorded in 2010, during the Welcome 2 America sessions.
3. Prince wrote the song from the perspectives of two characters, mainly through spoken word and some sung verses.
4. The song's release was accompanied by a corresponding music video.
5. The song features saxophone by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews.
6. Prince originally wanted to release the Welcome 2 America album in 2011 but shelved it because he was unsatisfied with the results.
7. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Shelby J. discussed coming to the sessions with no prior knowledge of the song and not expecting to participate, only to be asked by Prince to hit the "too sexy" line
8. The album 'Welcome 2 America' contains 11 unreleased tracks by Prince that he recorded in 2010.
9. Along with "Do Yourself a Favor," he recorded "Born to Die," "Stand Up and B Strong," and the title track "Welcome 2 America", while working on the album.
Line by Line Meaning
If you see me walkin' down the street one day
If you happen to come across me while walking on the street.
Don't say nothin' to me
I don't want you to speak to me at all.
No, no, nothin'
Absolutely nothing.
'Cause you did me wrong when I was doing bad
You wronged me when I was struggling.
So bad, I didn't even think I was gonna make it
It was so bad that I didn't think I could survive.
Now I'm alone, feelin' free
I'm on my own now, but I feel free.
Freer than the butterfly flyin' high now, yeah yeah, baby
I feel as free as a butterfly flying high in the sky.
I don't claim no riches or any miracles
I am not claiming to have any wealth or miraculous abilities.
But I'm doin' better on my own
However, I am doing better on my own.
So if you see me, walk on by, babe
Therefore, if you see me, just keep walking.
Don't say nothin', walk on by now
Please don't speak to me, just keep walking away.
Do yourself a favor, walk on by, yeah
It'll be better for you if you just keep walking by without acknowledging me.
Ooh, don't say nothin', walk on by, yeah
Don't say anything to me and just keep going.
Oh yeah
That's right.
You didn't even try to understand, just where I was comin' from
You didn't even attempt to understand my situation.
No, no, baby
Not at all, my dear.
Instead of understanding
Instead, you just made demands.
You gave me your demandings and I couldn't stand it
Your high demands were intolerable.
Uh uh, baby
No way, not happening anymore.
Now it's much too late and there's no time for me to try, not anymore
Now it's too late for me to try and fix things between us.
Mm, listen
Listen carefully.
Say I don't feel no pain, it doesn't hurt inside
I don't feel any pain or hurt inside.
And I'm doin' better on my own, whoa
In fact, I'm doing great on my own now.
Do yourself a favor, mm, walk on by, babe
It's in your best interest to keep walking and not say anything.
Don't say nothin', walk on by, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't speak a word and just walk on by.
I don't feel no pain, it doesn't hurt inside
I really don't feel any pain or hurt inside at all.
And I'm doin' better on my own
I'm thriving on my own nowadays.
So looka here, baby!
Listen up, honey!
If you see me, walk on by now, mm
If you happen to see me, just keep walking, OK?
Don't say nothin', ooh, walk on by now
Don't feel obligated to say anything; just walk away.
Just do yourself a favor, yeah, walk on by girl, mm
Just do yourself a favor and don't even acknowledge me.
Looka here, don't try to talk to me now, baby
Don't even attempt to talk to me now.
I'm doin' ok, yeah
I'm doing alright, thank you.
I'm makin' it on my own, baby, looka here
I'm making it on my own, and I'm proud of it.
(Do yourself a favor)
Trust me, it's in your best interest.
And you know honey, you know I ain't rich or nothin'
And you know, honey, I'm not rich by any means.
I ain't claimin' no miracles, but ah
I'm not saying that I can perform miracles, but...
I'm a bachelor now, baby, you know what I'm sayin'? Whoo!
I'm single now, girl, you know what I mean? Whoo!
Just do yourself a favor, baby, just walk on down the street, uh
Just trust me, it'll be better for you if you just keep walking.
I ain't got a damn thing to say to you now, baby, look out! Whoo!
I have nothing to say to you, girl, so watch out! Whoo!
When we was together, did you try to understand me? No! Uh
When we were together, did you ever try to understand me? No, you didn't.
So just do yourself a favor and get the hell down the road
So, in your best interest, walk away and disappear.
Mmmm
Mmm.
Too sexy
Too sexy for you.
Yes, mmm
Yes, indeed.
Somebody call up the colonel, I hear some chicken scratchin'
Someone notify the Colonel because I hear someone chicken scratching.
Good god, yes
Oh my God, yes.
Somebody else fall in, I don't care who it is
Anyone else can join in; I don't care who they are.
Just come on, keep it goin', come on
Keep it going, let's do this.
Uh, yes
Yeah, that's right.
You like that?
Do you enjoy it?
Then come here, sit down
Then come over here and sit down.
You hear that?
Do you hear that?
That's a 50 dollar bill
That sound is from a 50 dollar bill.
When's the last time you seen one of them?
When was the last time you saw one of those?
That's what I thought
I figured as much.
Let me tell you somethin'
Listen to me.
When me and you used to be, me and you used to be together
Back when we were together...
I didn't have no money in my pocket
I was broke.
That's all different now, that's all different
It's not like that anymore, things have changed.
Now you wanna play, now you wanna play crazy
Now you want to act like we're crazy.
You're not crazy, you're no crazier than I am
You're not any crazier than I am.
Don't play, don't act like that
Stop playing and acting like that.
You didn't try to understand where I was comin' from back then
You didn't even attempt to understand me in the past.
Why you tryin' to now?
Why are you trying to understand me now?
'Cause you know I got that money, that's why
Because you know I have money now.
Uh-huh, yeah
Yeah, that's right.
Sit down, don't talk, come here, sit down!
Sit down and don't say anything, come over here and sit down!
I'll kick your ass
I'll beat you up.
What, you think you bad now? I'll kick your ass
You think you're tough now? I'll still beat you up.
Come here, good God
Come here, oh my God.
Mmm
Mmm.
Lord yes
Oh yes.
Pow!
Pow!
If you see me walkin' down the street one day, baby
If you see me walking on the street...
Don't say nothin'
Just don't say anything.
You used to do me wrong, baby
You used to wrong me.
That's back when I was doin' bad
That was when I was doing poorly.
But now baby, now baby, I got more money than I ever had
But now, baby, I have more money than I ever had before.
Oh lord, yes yes
Oh my God, yes.
Do yourself a favor, baby
Trust me, it's better for you.
Take it on down the road
Just keep going down the road.
Let that sidewalk hit you where the dog should've bit you, yes baby
Let the sidewalk hit you where the dog didn't bite you.
Oh lord
Oh my God.
Don't you play crazy with me, I'm, you're not crazy, I'm crazy
Don't try to act crazy with me because I'm the crazy one.
I'm the one that's crazy
I'm the crazy one, not you.
You're not crazy
You're not crazy at all.
Come here
Come over here.
Don't you walk away from me
Don't you dare walk away from me.
I don't care what I told you, come back here
I don't care what I said to you earlier, come back here now.
You hear me talkin' to you, baby? Come here
Do you hear me talking to you, girl? Come here.
Lyrics © PEPE' MUSIC INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jesse Woods Johnson, Pepe Willie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind