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.
Eye Love U but Eye Don
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could tell from the moment you walked in the room
That it wasn't your dress you had on
That wasn't your perfume
And what happened to the ring that I gave you?
What am I to assume?
I love you, but I don't trust you anymore
That I could see right through you
You must apologize
I've always given you the best in life
Even in the wrong, it was right
I know you trust me, but you don't love me anymore, no no
I remember meeting you here in the good ol' days
I would never pick the flower of my favorite protege
Maybe if I would have
Then you would not treat me this way
You tricked me, but you will not anymore, no no
I love you, but I don't trust you anymore
In Prince's song Eye Love U but Eye Don't Trust U Anymore, he discusses the betrayal he feels from his lover. From the very beginning of the song, Prince was suspicious of his lover; he could tell by the way she looked and smelled that something was off. There's also the matter of the ring Prince gave to her - she's not wearing it anymore, which leads him to wonder what's going on. He loves her, but he can no longer trust her.
In the second verse, Prince turns the tables and calls his lover out on her actions. "You could tell from the moment you looked in my eyes that I could see right through you," he sings. He demands an apology for her actions, reminding her of all the good things he's given her in life. He knows she still trusts him, but the love has faded away.
Prince reminisces about the past, when they first met in "the good ol' days." He mentions how he never would have done anything to hurt her, such as "pick the flower of my favorite protege" (perhaps referencing the story of the gardener and his rose in Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose). But now she's tricked him, and he won't let it continue any longer. He loves her, but the trust has been broken, and their relationship is no longer the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Rolling,
Starting to speak
I could tell from the moment you walked in the room
I knew something was off as soon as you arrived
That it wasn't your dress you had on
Your appearance has changed, and it's not just the dress
That wasn't your perfume
The scent you're wearing isn't one I recognize
And what happened to the ring that I gave you?
Why aren't you wearing the symbol of our relationship?
What am I to assume?
I don't know what to think
I love you, but I don't trust you anymore
Despite my love for you, I can't rely on you anymore
You could tell from the moment you looked in my eyes
You knew I saw through your deceit
That I could see right through you
I knew what you were up to
You must apologize
You need to make things right
I've always given you the best in life
I've always provided for you
Even in the wrong, it was right
Even when you did something wrong, I tried to make it okay
I know you trust me, but you don't love me anymore, no no
You may have faith in me, but you don't have the same feelings as before
I remember meeting you here in the good ol' days
I recall when we first met, and things were better
I would never pick the flower of my favorite protege
I would never harm someone I care about deeply
Maybe if I would have
Perhaps if I had done something differently
Then you would not treat me this way
You wouldn't behave like this if I had acted differently
You tricked me, but you will not anymore, no no
You fooled me once, but you won't be able to again
I love you, but I don't trust you anymore
I still have love for you, but I can't trust you anymore
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Solitary Adventurer
Gotta say, when I saw the title pop up... I was a little aghast. Not a guitar song. It's totally a jazz vocal.
But whoever recommended this, kudos. It's the right time in the journey to unveil another area on the jigsaw puzzle. :D And this is definitely an aspect of his abilities that hadn't had a light shone on it via the other performances so far.
I have to say, you're taking a journey that I wish everyone else who loves music could take. Open-mindedly, respectful to the sacrifices a musician makes, and grateful at the result... Prince was an incredibly special artist.
Take any area of the jigsaw so far and just give that aspect to any other artist and they'll be talked of in high regard - at the very least! Put it all in one person and you realise he was an alien talent.
And there are other parts of the jigsaw you have yet to see!
Late-80s Prince dancing around to the extent it makes James Brown look nailed to the floor (Hot Thing from the Sign O The Times concert video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPR6lxx8nE), 2013s Prince when he is consecutively Count Basie/Duke Ellington/Jimi Hendrix over 3 nights at Montreux (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smNh2s52Dgw), the 15-minute Purple Rain renditions of 1985 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm03wqLY3Nc).
Keep on trucking, this is a great journey we're all on with you!
Zuzu's Petals
It's never too late to discover Prince. He left us soooo much. Enjoy the ride, my friend....it's extraordinary!
Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!
Thank you so much my good friend the ride has been awesome, getting to meet all of you on here has made it extra special! :)
Julian Sandoval
Yes, he was a genius I appreciate you reaction to his slow jams. Keep in mind not only was he a great performer he wrote composed produced and arranged all of his music. He was involved in every aspect of his shows from the lightning to the mix of the instruments everything. That’s Renato Neto on the keys.
Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!
I'm hoping to do some more reaction videos to his soundchecks in the near future. He had his visions and liked to see them through for sure! :)
The Solitary Adventurer
Gotta say, when I saw the title pop up... I was a little aghast. Not a guitar song. It's totally a jazz vocal.
But whoever recommended this, kudos. It's the right time in the journey to unveil another area on the jigsaw puzzle. :D And this is definitely an aspect of his abilities that hadn't had a light shone on it via the other performances so far.
I have to say, you're taking a journey that I wish everyone else who loves music could take. Open-mindedly, respectful to the sacrifices a musician makes, and grateful at the result... Prince was an incredibly special artist.
Take any area of the jigsaw so far and just give that aspect to any other artist and they'll be talked of in high regard - at the very least! Put it all in one person and you realise he was an alien talent.
And there are other parts of the jigsaw you have yet to see!
Late-80s Prince dancing around to the extent it makes James Brown look nailed to the floor (Hot Thing from the Sign O The Times concert video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPR6lxx8nE), 2013s Prince when he is consecutively Count Basie/Duke Ellington/Jimi Hendrix over 3 nights at Montreux (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smNh2s52Dgw), the 15-minute Purple Rain renditions of 1985 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm03wqLY3Nc).
Keep on trucking, this is a great journey we're all on with you!
Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!
Wanda Manning requested it, she makes great posts and suggestions here. :) So much more to discuss my friend :)
Magical Mikael
It really means a lot that a musician can come to discover Prince’s music. I am in my mid 50’s and Prince has been a part of my life since my mid teens. I saw him in concert across seven different tours and was blessed enough to attend one of his infamous after show parties were he brought out both Chaka Khan and George Benson! When he passed away it hit me really hard. To me he was like an elder brother. A modern day Mozart gone too soon. Keep going deeper into the rabbit hole. You haven’t even scratched the surface! Thank you for sharing your time and bringing your experience to your informative reactions. Keep up the good work.
Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!
Mike, thank you for the great post and kind words. I appreciate you checking out the channel and videos and even more, that you take the time to comment. BTW, I have George Benson's Breezin' album on CD. Apparently there was some controversy there as his fans deemed it "too commercial."
Cinnamon Rolls Every Day 🤔💭
Prince’s rendition of “Red House” which he called “Purple House” was there at Paisley Park on the eve of 2000 was fantastic!!! That guitar solo was top 3!!! I appreciate you reacting to Prince (live performances) and yes most of the YouTube vloggers focus on the music videos which doesn’t separate him from the rest. But live, he is in his own class 😃💜
Yes! You CAN Play Guitar!
Thank you my brother!