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.
Friend lover sister mother wife
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was only because I'd never held your hand
That was part of the plan
I had to get it right if I was to be your man
And if I ever kissed your lips
I needed time to cross the others off my list (off my list)
A higher high to the trip (trip)
I wanted you to go, that was my wish, yes it was
(Ooh my) Friend, lover, sister, mother/wife
Air, food, water, love of my life
If I ever shared a bed
It was only 'cause I wanted to live up to what the people said, oh yes
(What they say?) [Repeat: x5]
Now I'm livin' instead
Everyday just to say you're the only one who's in my head
(The only one) [Repeat: x2]
Oh yes you are
And if I ever made you cry
All I have to do is think about it and I just want to die (I just want to die)
(I just want to break down and die, die, die, die)
How I'd ever make it by (I don't know) without you, baby (without you, baby)
I don't know (No!), I hope I never have to try, yeah
(Please don't ever leave me)
Oh, listen to me
(Ooh my) Friend, lover, sister, mother/wife
(My sweet, sweet friend, lover, sister, mother/wife)
Air, food, water, love of my life
The eyes of my child I see every time you look at me
(I see a sweet baby smile)
A sweet baby smile like a light that shines for all to see
(And if I ever held a hand) If I ever held a hand
Oh, 'twas only 'cause I'd never held yours
That was part of, part of the plan
I had to get it right (right) if I was to be your man because
(Ooh my) Friend, lover, sister, mother/wife
(Friend, lover, sister, mother/wife)
My, my, my, my air, my food, my water, love of my life (I love you)
(Everlasting life)
Teacher (teacher), healer (healer), feeler (feeler), sight for sore eyes
(Let me look at your eyes, you're so pretty)
Oh, yes you are, baby
(Oh my) Don't you know you're my friend, my lover, my sister, love of my life (mother/wife)
Yeah, baby, yes you are
{"Te amo" is "I love you"}
(Ooh my) Friend (te amo), lover (te amo), sister (te amo), mother/wife
(Hug me, hug me, hug me baby, you are my life)
(I'll stay with you 4ever) [Repeat: x2]
Till death do us part, baby (Yes sir!)
Air (te amo), food (te amo), water (te amo), love (love of my life)
You are the only, only love of my life
My friend, lover, sister, mother/wife
In "Friend lover sister mother wife," Prince expresses his deep love and admiration for the woman in his life. The opening lines suggest that he has been with other women but never felt the same way he does with her. The song's title summarizes her many roles in his life, from friend to lover to family. He says that she is like air, food, water, and the love of his life, suggesting that he cannot live without her.
The lyrics reveal that Prince wants to prove himself worthy of her love by getting everything right, including holding her hand, kissing her lips, and sharing a bed. He acknowledges that he previously did these things with others, but now that he is with her, he wants to do things differently. The line "I had to get it right if I was to be your man" shows that he wants to be the man she deserves and make her happy.
Prince also mentions that if he ever made her cry, he would feel so guilty that he would want to die. He says that thinking about her brings tears to his eyes and that he could never make it without her. The song ends on a passionate note, with Prince declaring that she is his friend, lover, sister, mother, and wife - the only, only love of his life.
Overall, "Friend lover sister mother wife" is a beautiful, honest, and romantic tribute from Prince to the woman he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ever held a hand
I only held someone else's hand because I was waiting to hold yours as part of my plan to win your heart
That was part of the plan
Holding someone else's hand was part of my plan to make sure I got it right with you
I had to get it right if I was to be your man
I knew I had to make sure everything was perfect to win you over and be the man in your life
And if I ever kissed your lips
I only did it after crossing off other names on my list to make sure I could offer you the highest level of love and attention
A higher high to the trip
Kissing your lips was the highest level of ecstasy for me, fulfilling my ultimate wish
I wanted you to go, that was my wish
I wanted you to be the one for me, that was always my deepest wish
If I ever shared a bed
If I ever did share a bed with another person, it was only because I was trying to live up to what others were saying
Now I'm livin' instead
Now I live every day to tell you that you are the only one I need in my life
Everyday just to say you're the only one who's in my head
Every day I am grateful to know I have someone as special and important as you in my life
And if I ever made you cry
If I ever hurt you and made you cry, the thought of it hurts me so bad that it makes me want to die
How I'd ever make it by without you, baby
Without you, my life would be incomplete and unbearable
(Please don't ever leave me)
Please promise to always be with me and never leave me alone
The eyes of my child I see every time you look at me
Every time you look at me with love, I see the precious eyes of our future child and the happiness that awaits us
A sweet baby smile like a light that shines for all to see
The smile of our future child is like a bright light that will bring joy to everyone
You're my friend, my lover, my sister, love of my life
To me, you are everything - my best friend, my love, my sister, and the one I want to spend the rest of my life with
(te amo)
I love you with all my heart
Till death do us part, baby
I will love you until the end of time, my love
You are the only, only love of my life
There is only one love in my life, and that is you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind