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.
Don't Say U Love Me
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If ever there was a girl of contradiction, baby, that girl is you
One minute you are a stranger, the next U’re my guru
How I miss those moments when I’d crawl into your arms
We were perfect lovers then, what happened 2 your charm?
Don’t say that you love me, baby, cuz I don’t wanna know
Don’t say you love me, I’m sick of this push and pull
You can’t even love yourself so 2 love me, U’re incapable
Don’t say you love me, I am not a fool
Say anything, just please don’t say you love me
I’ve been so naive and blind 2 think U’d do no wrong
Yes, I’m still a dreamer, but the little boy is gone
You used 2 hug me, kiss me, touch me, lick me, fill me with your charm
Then my credit card was in your hand and you say don’t be alarmed? (Whoa!)
Don’t say that you love me, baby, cuz I don’t wanna know
Our love is like a roller coaster, up and down we go
Don’t say you love me, I’m sick of this push and pull
You can’t even love yourself so 2 love me, U’re incapable
Don’t say you love me cuz I am not a fool
Say anything, just please don’t say you love me
Locked in your prison, I forgot about me
But now, my dear, I am here 2 tell you I am free
This little story is not 4 your glory
It’s time 2 pack your bags and don’t forget 2 leave the key
Don’t say you love me
Say anything, just don’t say you love me
If ever there was a girl of contradiction, baby, that girl is you
One minute you are a stranger, the next U’re my guru
You used 2 hug me, kiss me, touch me, lick me, fill me with all your charms
That was then, this is now
Don’t say you love me cuz I don’t wanna know
Our love is like a roller coaster, up and down we go
Don’t say you love me, I’m sick of this push and pull
You can’t even love yourself, 2 love me, U’re incapable
Don’t say you love me {x3}
Say anything, just please don’t say you love me
Don’t say that you love me, baby, cuz I am not a fool
Say anything, just please don’t say you love me
No, I don’t wanna hear it, just go!
Don’t say you love me
In Prince's song Don't Say U Love Me, the lyrics describe a relationship that started off intense and perfect, but then eventually turned into a roller coaster of ups and downs. The singer, who sings the song, is tired of the constant push and pull of the relationship and is begging the other person not to say they love them. The singer is aware of the other person's inability to love themselves and therefore, is incapable of truly loving the singer. The lyrics talk about the singer's realization that they were naive and blind to think that the other person would do no wrong, but now they are free and no longer trapped in the other person's prison. The song is a powerful statement on the pain of a troubled and broken relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
If ever there was a girl of contradiction, baby, that girl is you
You have opposing qualities, making it hard to predict how you will act.
One minute you are a stranger, the next U’re my guru
You switch between being unfamiliar to me and being someone I turn to for advice.
How I miss those moments when I’d crawl into your arms
I long for the times I used to seek comfort from you.
We were perfect lovers then, what happened 2 your charm?
We had an ideal romantic relationship before, but something has changed and you don't have the same appeal anymore.
Our love is like a roller coaster, up and down we go
Our relationship is unpredictable, with constant changes in emotions and stability.
You can’t even love yourself so 2 love me, U’re incapable
You have self-acceptance issues, making it impossible for you to have a healthy romantic relationship.
I’ve been so naive and blind 2 think U’d do no wrong
I was foolish to believe that you could do no harm.
Yes, I’m still a dreamer, but the little boy is gone
I still have hope, but I'm not naive anymore and I've grown up.
Locked in your prison, I forgot about me
I lost myself while being trapped in a relationship with you.
Say anything, just please don’t say you love me
Please spare me the insincere expression of affection.
Contributed by Wyatt L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.