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.
Goldie's Parade
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goldnigga (what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
Be your own man
Endless abyss (what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
Do u love me?
Is this just a carnival ride?
We go round and round (what u hear at...)
As we go round and round
We got a caller on the line, caller, caller on the..., hello
The land of a new power generation (who said that? )
Playin' the music 4 your mind, your body and your soul
The land of a new power generation
U stick around, but remember I'm the boss
Can I get some help over here
Another 30 seconds
Have u ever heard a horn so nasty?
Goldnigga
Incubated society (clean it up, boy)
What u gonna do with your life? (this is smooth)
U stick around
(what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
And ain't shit changed in 20 years, y'all
(what... what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
2 all my fellow goldniggaz
U stick around
(what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
Instead of leading, we are being lead
But remember, I'm the boss
Caller, caller on the..., hello
Listen 2 the funky horn, y'all
Do u love me?
Goldnigga
Playin' the music 4 your mind, your body and your soul
And ain't shit changed in 20 years, y'all
The land of a new power generation
We go round and round
Do u love me?
Endless abyss
Incubated society
Is this just a carnival ride?
The land of a new power generation
Is this just a carnival ride?
Incubated society
The land of a new power generation
Is this just a carnival ride?
In..in..incubated society
Goldnigga
Be your own man
U stick around, but remember I'm the boss
And I give all the orders {laughter}
In "Goldie's Parade," Prince sings about a society that is led instead of leading, with relentless repetition of the lines "U stick around" and "Remember I'm the boss." He questions if life is just a carnival ride and asks if the listener really loves him. Throughout the song, Prince paints a picture of an endless abyss, an incubated society, and a new power generation.
One interpretation of the song is that Prince is referring to the music industry as an incubated society, where musicians are shaped and molded to fit the industry's mold. He encourages listeners to "be your own man" and not let the industry control them. The repeated line "U stick around" could represent the pressure to conform or stay within a certain mold in the industry.
Another interpretation is that the song is a commentary on power dynamics in society, where those in power often lead instead of being led. The repeated line "Remember I'm the boss" could be reinforcing the idea that those in power should not be questioned or challenged.
Line by Line Meaning
U stick around
Stay and witness the genuine music experience that we provide
Goldnigga (what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
We are authentic and deliver nothing but real music
Be your own man
Be independent and true to yourself
Endless abyss (what u hear at our concert is the real thing)
We offer a limitless and genuine music experience
Do u love me?
Do you truly enjoy and appreciate my music?
Is this just a carnival ride?
Is the music experience we are providing just temporary and meaningless?
We go round and round (what u hear at...)
The music experience repeats itself, but that is part of the true experience we offer
As we go round and round
The music experience continuously repeats itself, but that's part of the real thing we offer
We got a caller on the line, caller, caller on the..., hello
We have a caller on the phone, hello
The land of a new power generation (who said that? )
We are building a community of powerful individuals
Playin' the music 4 your mind, your body and your soul
Our music nourishes your mind, body, and soul
U stick around, but remember I'm the boss
Stay and enjoy but keep in mind that I'm the leader
Can I get some help over here
I need assistance here
Another 30 seconds
We have thirty more seconds of authentic music experience
Have u ever heard a horn so nasty?
Have you ever heard such a unique and outstanding instrument?
Goldnigga
We provide authentic and valuable music experience
Incubated society (clean it up, boy)
Our society needs cleaning and improvement
What u gonna do with your life? (this is smooth)
What is your plan and vision for your life? (this is a calm and smooth transition in the music)
And ain't shit changed in 20 years, y'all
Our music hasn't lost its authenticity and value for the past two decades
2 all my fellow goldniggaz
To all the individuals who enjoy and appreciate real music like me
Instead of leading, we are being lead
We are being influenced and led by outside forces instead of taking the lead ourselves
Caller, caller on the..., hello
We have another caller on the phone, hello
Listen 2 the funky horn, y'all
Pay attention and appreciate the unique, funky sound of the horn
Endless abyss
Our music experience is limitless and full of surprises
Is this just a carnival ride?
Is our unique musical journey worthwhile?
Incubated society
Our society needs careful improvement and growth
In..in..incubated society
Once again, our society is still in the process of development
And I give all the orders {laughter}
As the leader of the music experience, I make all the decisions.
Contributed by Jayden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thepurpleapprentice
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