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.
Gotta Stop
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About to break down
Fourth time this week
Somebody's come around
Who's it gonna be tonight
Who's the lucky man?
Where you get the attitude
I'll never understand
So happy that he came
Hey, was it good, boy?
Thoughts on, of her aim
What goes on inside your head
That makes you want to take them all to bed?
Gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
You know you gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
Ow!
Uh-oh, yeah
When I call you on the phone
You act so unconcerned
(I wanna) I want to get you all alone (ooh, baby)
To show you what I've learned
You won't give me the time of day
You won't give me some time
You won't give me anything
God, you think you're too fine
Can't you see?
All I want is a little time
Been playing with my toy so much I'm gonna go blind
Gotta stop, gotta gotta stop messin' about
You gotta stop, gotta gotta stop messin' about
Ooh, ow!
Uh-oh, yeah
You, oh, gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
You gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
You gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
You do it too much
You gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
Ooh, stop!
In Prince's song "Gotta Stop," the artist reflects on a situation where he is waiting outside someone's door, feeling emotionally exhausted from the constant anxiety of waiting for someone else to come out. This has happened multiple times in the week, and he is aware that there may be someone else inside with his love interest. As the other man emerges, the artist is forced to confront the fact that this person has been with his love interest, yet he still craves her attention. He questions why he continues to want her despite her choices and seductive behavior, and calls for himself and her to stop playing games.
Prince's lyrics highlight a common theme in his music - the struggles of love and desire. He sings about the vulnerability that comes with falling for someone, the ups and downs of relationships, and how difficult it can be to navigate these emotions. In this song, Prince expresses his frustration with constantly feeling like he is competing for his love interest's attention. He sees that she is playing with his emotions, and he acknowledges that he needs to stop playing her game.
The lyrics are sung over a funk-infused melody, with a heavy focus on electric guitar and bass. The beat is upbeat and dance-inspiring, which contrasts with the intense emotions being sung about. Overall, "Gotta Stop" is a relatable song about the complexities of love and desire, and the challenges that come with trying to navigate those emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' outside your door
Prince is most likely outside a lover's door, waiting impatiently for her to show up
About to break down
Prince is feeling overwhelmed and close to an emotional breakdown due to his lover's actions
Fourth time this week
Prince has had multiple visits from other men in the same week, indicating his lover's unfaithfulness
Somebody's come around
Prince has encountered yet another one of his lover's lovers
Who's it gonna be tonight
Prince is curious to know which man will be his lover's companion for the night
Who's the lucky man?
Prince is being sarcastic and implies that there's nothing lucky about any man who is involved with his unfaithful lover
Where you get the attitude
Prince is questioning his lover's behavior and trying to understand why she acts the way she does
I'll never understand
Prince feels like he may never be able to comprehend his lover's behavior
Uh-oh, here he comes now
Prince sees another one of his lover's lovers and is expressing annoyance or frustration
So happy that he came
Prince is making fun of his lover's attitude towards her promiscuity
Hey, was it good, boy?
Prince is taunting the man who was with his lover, asking him about his sexual experience
Thoughts on, of her aim
Prince is making a crude joke about his lover's sexual behavior and insinuating that she is not selective with her partners
What goes on inside your head
Prince is questioning his lover's thought process and motives behind her actions
That makes you want to take them all to bed?
Prince is questioning why his lover feels the need to sleep with every man she encounters
Gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
Prince is telling his lover that she needs to stop being unfaithful and promiscuous
You know you gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
Prince is emphasizing the importance of his message and expressing frustration that his lover won't listen
Uh-oh, yeah
This line doesn't convey a specific meaning, but rather serves as a musical interlude
When I call you on the phone
Prince is expressing frustration that his lover does not give him enough attention
You act so unconcerned
Prince feels like his lover doesn't care enough about their relationship
(I wanna) I want to get you all alone (ooh, baby)
Prince is expressing his desire to be alone with his lover, but is being met with resistance
To show you what I've learned
Prince wants to use this alone time to show his lover how much he cares for her
You won't give me the time of day
Prince feels like his lover doesn't prioritize their relationship
You won't give me some time
Prince is expressing frustration that his lover won't make time for their relationship
You won't give me anything
Prince feels like his lover isn't invested in their relationship
God, you think you're too fine
Prince feels like his lover is arrogant and thinks she is better than him
Can't you see?
Prince is trying to appeal to his lover's sense of reason and make her understand how he feels
All I want is a little time
Prince just wants his lover to make time for him and their relationship
Been playing with my toy so much I'm gonna go blind
Prince is using a crude metaphor to express that he feels neglected and ignored
You do it too much
Prince is telling his lover that she is being too promiscuous and is hurting their relationship
Ooh, stop!
Prince is making a final appeal to his lover to stop being unfaithful and promiscuous
You, oh, gotta stop, gotta-gotta stop messin' about
Prince is once again telling his lover that she needs to stop being promiscuous
Ooh, ow!
This line doesn't convey a specific meaning, but rather serves as a musical interlude
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind