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.
Face Down
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Check, check, 1 2, check
you know what he's sayin'?
Face down! [Repeat: x2]
Somebody once told him that he wouldn't take Prince through the ringer
Let him go down as a washed up singer
Thinkin' all along that he wanted to be rich
Never respected the root of all evil and he still don't to this day, huh
Bury him face down, let the motherfuckers kiss a ass, OK?
Face down! [Repeat: x2]
Told 'em he wanted to sing a song about a black child goin' buck wild
And they just laughed in his face
Talk to your lawyer but you got no case
What you need to do is keep your place
Next time you pull a card, it better be a ace motherfucker
Or you can lay face down (Face down!)
1 2
Face down! 1 2
Horn [Repeat: x2]
Bass [Repeat: x2]
Him and her meaning who I'm singin' about
And his psychoanalyst kinda saw the catalyst
As the devil with the blue jeans on, huh
Ain't it kinda funny when you see the dawn?
Sign the name they gave ya
But when them motherfuckers turn around ass up, you're what?
Face down! 1 2
Face down! New Power Generation in the house, bury 'em all
Face down! Yes, oh Lord
Face down!
Orchestra [Repeat: x3]
Face down!
Orchestra
Face down!
It's in his will, I read it
He shot to kill, he said it
for those who know the number and don't call
Hmph, fuck all y'all
Face down! [Repeat: x53
The song "Face Down" by Prince is a commentary on the music industry and the way it operates. The lyrics suggest that Prince had been told he wouldn't make it and he was determined to prove the naysayers wrong. The opening sample of "Dead like Elvis" represents the pressure to conform and fit into a certain mold in the music industry. The opening lines also suggest that Prince has faced criticism in the past and has been told he would fail, but he refuses to give up.
The second verse speaks to the challenges Prince faced in trying to make the kind of music he wanted to make. He suggests that the industry didn't take him seriously and laughed when he wanted to make a song about a black child going "buck wild". Prince refused to back down and instead stated that the industry needed to respect him or else he would make them "kiss [his] ass" and bury them "face down".
The song ends with a mention of a will and a threat of violence. This suggests that Prince is not afraid to stand up for himself or his music, and that he is willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. "Face Down" is a powerful message from Prince about the importance of staying true to oneself and standing up against the pressures of the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
(Dead like Elvis)
The sample 'Dead like Elvis' is being repeated throughout the song
Check, check, 1 2, check
Preparing for the performance
Face down! [Repeat: x2]
The chorus line of the song, asking to bury the person face down
Somebody once told him that he wouldn't take Prince through the ringer
Someone didn't believe in Prince's success
Let him go down as a washed up singer
They thought Prince's career trajectory would be failure
Ain't that a bitch?
Stating that this is disappointing
Thinkin' all along that he wanted to be rich
They thought Prince's motivations were for monetary gain
Never respected the root of all evil and he still don't to this day, huh
Prince doesn't agree that money is the root of all evil
Bury him face down, let the motherfuckers kiss a ass, OK?
Prince wants to metaphorically show his doubters to kiss his behind by burying him face down
Told 'em he wanted to sing a song about a black child goin' buck wild
Prince wanted to make a song that breaks the tradition of restricting black individuals from expressing themselves
And they just laughed in his face
Prince's idea was dismissed by others
Talk to your lawyer but you got no case
Prince is suggesting that legal action is not needed because they have no case
What you need to do is keep your place
Prince is warning them to stay in their place
Next time you pull a card, it better be a ace motherfucker
Prince challenges them to come up with something better than what they've done before
Or you can lay face down (Face down!)
Prince is warning them that they'll lose if they don't come up with something better
Horn [Repeat: x2] Bass [Repeat: x2]
Musical interlude
Him and her meaning who I'm singin' about
Prince is referring to certain individuals when singing
And his psychoanalyst kinda saw the catalyst
The person's therapist is aware of the problems they were/are facing
As the devil with the blue jeans on, huh
Using an idiom, Prince is calling this person the devil
Ain't it kinda funny when you see the dawn?
Sarcastically pointing out how ironic it is when hypocritical individuals suddenly change their ways
Sign the name they gave ya
Taking a jab at individuals who conform to societal norms
But when them motherfuckers turn around ass up, you're what?
Prince is assuring that when they're exposed, they won't have footing to stand on
Orchestra [Repeat: x3]
Musical interlude
It's in his will, I read it
Prince read someone's will
He shot to kill, he said it
Prince could be referring to a conflict with someone, and they want to harm him
For those who know the number and don't call
Prince is calling out individuals who know him, but never contact him
Hmph, fuck all y'all
An expletive directed at the individuals who don't stay in contact with him
Face down! [Repeat: x53]
Repeating the song's title and chorus line
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kayrobbie5840
What made Prince so fascinating was his sense of humor in his videos. He was such an interesting person. One thing he was never boring. Lol.
@aliciabrandt7889
Yes! He had an absolutely hilarious, goofy, child-like side to him.
@debbiedominico5656
Get. It. Prince. F as CE. Down. Love 💕. This. One. ThANk you Prince. U. Ok. Prince. For. Ever. True. Haes. The. Best. Love 💕 you Debbie
@anthonysablan8650
And the award for best delivery of the word ‘Motherfucker’ in all of music goes to...
@davidjeffers68
Agreed! LOL! XD
@missblaw1737
Amen! 😆
@regisELO
so sexy ! probably ...He must be allowed to ...
@MatrixMaster777
Anthony Sablan Gets The Award For Best Comment Ever^^
@DaRealShinjiMcCloud
FACTS
@dr.kingmessanger1196
This for True Die Hard Prince fans right here.