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.
Dreamin
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeeeeeeaaaaaah
Yeeeeeeaaaaaah, mmmmmh
I ain't no murderer but I know I might just kill it
When I don't make it back just know I might be killed
I kept my eye up on the prize I might just win it
But why the shit ain't getting real I might be dreamin'
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
Man in jeans
I ain't know who he is
He drove in that building
With an automobile
He needed money for the bills
But he got latta shit
Magneted the police
Put him on a wanted list
Yeah I'mma show you how to ball my lil nigga
I'mma show how to do that roar with your niggas
Better tell me why you ain't around them, whatcha did
If you did em wrong you better pay back whatcha did
Say I'm the lord of gamble 'cause I'll tossin
Gotta make some money and I'm on it
Pressure on em hommies 'cause I'm balling
Now they hatin' on me just because im bossing
Mmmmmh
I ain't no murderer but I know I might just kill it
When I don't make it back just know I might be killed
I kept my eye up on the prize I might just win it
But why the shit ain't getting real I might be dreamin'
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
What a bad dream it was
I never imagined I'd wake up alive
So what happened was, the nigga just got in and took our bus
We were sitting inside
And one of the bravest just called up the cops
With immediate effect, we heard the siren and the cops were behind us
We got your man, we got your man
There ain't no need for you to run we got your man
You shouldn't pull a stunt, you got no chance
You got your ass surrounded, get outta there
Nigga took a bottle of gas
Nigga had a one mini plan
Blowing himself into ashes
Nigga had a gun in his hand
When I wake up from the sleep
Shit looked real in the dream
Gotta make a way to the priest
Nigga had a mark of a beast
I ain't no murderer but I think I might just kill it
When I don't make it back just know I might be killed
I kept my eye up on the prize I might just win it
But why the shit ain't getting real i might be dreamin'
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
Yeah I'm dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
The lyrics of the song "Dreamin" by Prince depict the uncertainty and surreal nature of life. The first few lines of the song reveal the singer's feeling of being lost and unsure about what's real and what's not. The singer claims to not be a murderer but acknowledges that they might just "kill it," possibly suggesting that they have something to prove or are driven to succeed. The singer also mentions the possibility of being killed, which adds an ominous tone to the song.
As the song continues, the singer describes a man in jeans who drives into a building and needs money for bills. The man ends up on the police's wanted list, and the singer implies that they have knowledge of the situation. The next few lines mention teaching someone how to "roar" and asking them what they did wrong if they're not around their friends. This could suggest a theme of questionable loyalty or betrayal among friends.
The song then takes a surreal turn as the singer describes a bad dream where someone takes their bus and the police chase them. The dream ends with the person blowing themselves up with gas and having a gun in their hand. The singer wakes up and realizes that it was just a dream, but the vividness of the dream makes them question what's real.
Overall, "Dreamin" by Prince is a complex and thought-provoking song that touches on themes of uncertainty, success, loyalty, and reality.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't no murderer but I know I might just kill it
I may not be a killer, but I am confident in my abilities to succeed
When I don't make it back just know I might be killed
If I fail, my dreams and aspirations may suffer
I kept my eye up on the prize I might just win it
I am focused on achieving my goals and aspirations
But why the shit ain't getting real I might be dreamin'
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to reach my goals and wonder if it's all just a dream
Might be dreamin', ooh yes I'm dreamin'
I may be uncertain if my aspirations are achievable
Man in jeans, I ain't know who he is
Encountering a stranger with unknown intentions
Magneted the police, put him on a wanted list
The police have been alerted and are searching for him
Pressure on em hommies 'cause I'm balling, now they hatin' on me just because I'm bossing
Friends may become resentful due to my success
What a bad dream it was, I never imagined I'd wake up alive
A nightmare that left me feeling grateful for being alive
Nigga took a bottle of gas, nigga had a one mini plan
A person's desperate and dangerous actions
When I wake up from the sleep, shit looked real in the dream
The dream felt so realistic, it was difficult to distinguish from reality
Gotta make a way to the priest, nigga had a mark of a beast
Seeking guidance and protection from a higher power due to evil or immoral actions
This ain't real, ooh yeah I'm dreamin'
Expressing doubt over the reality of a situation
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Mohau Mohatlane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind