Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known m… Read Full Bio ↴Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.

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.

Funky Design
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just when U thought it was safe 2 go outside
I hit your ass with another funky design
And it's real good
U thought it wasn't when U shoulda
Checked yourself before U got another foot in your ass
And now it comes 2 pass another phat shot from the higher class
That's right, U're still a rookie, see
Kickin' it with the grown folks in the wrong key

Honey please, U need 2 find
Somebody that'll hip U 2 the funky design

CHORUS:
The funky design
The funky design
The funky design

Shouts out 2 the rookies, put it in the bank
And let it gain a cent or 2 until it just stanks
And flows, your nose will know
When it's all wrinkled, then it's good 2 go
On the fire, I would be a liar
If I didn't say I wanna take U higher
And hip U 2 the one-eyed bass
Listen 2 the solo while it pleads my case

Honey please, U need 2 find
Somebody that'll hip U 2 the funky design

CHORUS

And just when U thought it was over, it started up again
Kickin' so loud that it's sure 2 frighten and win
U try 2 run 4 cover
The girl that U're with wanna be my lover
And the DJ instead of kickin' a favorite tune
Scratches on the record that reverberates the room
Like a train crash, U better save yo' ass
The funky design is back and it's bad
Housequake, oh no, I'll kill
Any rookie dumb enough 2 let that nigga spill
Out any speaker, see?
I'm the motherfucker now and if U please
U need 2 need 2 need 2 find
Somebody that'll hip U 2 the funky design

CHORUS {repeat to fade}

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Prince's song "Funky Design" are full of his signature wit and wordplay. The song seems to be aimed at "rookies" who think they have what it takes to keep up with the "higher class" of musicians who are creating the funky design. Prince is warning these newcomers that they need to be careful, as they could end up with a "foot in [their] ass" if they're not careful. He also tells them that they need to find someone to "hip them to the funky design" if they want to make it in the music world.

Throughout the song, Prince maintains a playful tone as he uses clever metaphors to describe the power of his music. He talks about the "one-eyed bass" that he wants to introduce people to and suggests that his music can "take [listeners] higher." He also references the housequake, one of his many signature dance moves, which makes an appearance in the song's final verse.

Ultimately, "Funky Design" is a celebration of Prince's unique sound and his role as a master of funk. By warning newcomers to be careful and showcasing his own talents, he highlights the importance of innovation and dedication in the music industry.

Line by Line Meaning

Just when U thought it was safe 2 go outside
Right when you thought everything was okay and you could go out, something unexpected is going to happen

I hit your ass with another funky design
I surprised you with another cool and creative idea

And it's real good
It's really excellent

U thought it wasn't when U shoulda Checked yourself before U got another foot in your ass
You didn't think it was good, but you should have been more careful before you made a mistake and got yourself in trouble

And now it comes 2 pass another phat shot from the higher class
And now I'm delivering another awesome idea that comes from a higher level of creativity

That's right, U're still a rookie, see Kickin' it with the grown folks in the wrong key
That's because you're still inexperienced and trying to do something that the professionals do, but you're not really ready for it

Honey please, U need 2 find Somebody that'll hip U 2 the funky design
You need to find somebody who can introduce you to the new and creative ideas

CHORUS: The funky design The funky design The funky design
This is the chorus that repeats the title of the song

Shouts out 2 the rookies, put it in the bank
I'm acknowledging and appreciating those who are still new and learning by encouraging them to save their new ideas and let them build up

And let it gain a cent or 2 until it just stanks And flows, your nose will know When it's all wrinkled, then it's good 2 go
Let your ideas gain value until they become so good that people can notice and appreciate them

On the fire, I would be a liar If I didn't say I wanna take U higher And hip U 2 the one-eyed bass Listen 2 the solo while it pleads my case
My ideas are so hot that I would be lying if I said I didn't want to raise them even higher and share them with you; listen to the unique and excellent bass in this song

And just when U thought it was over, it started up again Kickin' so loud that it's sure 2 frighten and win U try 2 run 4 cover
Just when you thought the songs was ending, it starts up again, and it's so loud and powerful that it's guaranteed to shock and impress you; you try to escape

The girl that U're with wanna be my lover And the DJ instead of kickin' a favorite tune Scratches on the record that reverberates the room
The girl you're with wants to be with me instead; and the DJ is scratching the record in a way that shakes the whole room

Like a train crash, U better save yo' ass The funky design is back and it's bad
It's like a train crash, so you better save yourself; because the cool and creative ideas are back and they're awesome

Housequake, oh no, I'll kill Any rookie dumb enough 2 let that nigga spill Out any speaker, see?
I'll take care of any newbies who are foolish enough to try to compete with me and come up with their own creative ideas

I'm the motherfucker now and if U please U need 2 need 2 need 2 find Somebody that'll hip U 2 the funky design
I'm the one who's the coolest and the best now, so you need to find someone who can introduce you to the new and creative ideas

CHORUS {repeat to fade}
This is the chorus that repeats the title of the song until the song fades out

Contributed by Alexandra W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS