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.
High Fashion
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's never in the low class world
This woman is all the way vogue
High Fashion is where her money goes
She dines at Le Dome up on the strip
Cheap liquor never touches her lips
Her brandy's imported every week
No problem, 7,000 easy
High Fashion is where her money goes
High Fashion - This girl is all the way vogue
She's never in the low class world
High Fashion - Stuck up little rich girl
High Fashion
High Fashion, yeah
I met her dancin' at Le Dome
I offered dinner at my home
She said no, all of her friends laughed
Funny how the laughin' stopped when I flashed all the cash I had
(I'm talkin') $1900 is 2 much cash 2 hold
One of my boys had 2 carry half, now honey U know that's bold
Wait a minute
She had the nerve 2 ask what kinda car I had
"Honey, I'm ridin' in back of a Rolls Royce limo custom-painted plaid!"
High Fashion is where my money goes
High Fashion - Honey, I'm all the way vogue
I'm never in the low class world
High Fashion - And I just love little rich girls
(High Fashion) High Fashion (High Fashion)
Hot Station - I took the child 2 my crib
Donation - Do U take or do U give?
She took one look at the swimmin' pool
I said "I'll donate" - We were 2 swimmin' fools
High Fashion is where our money goes
High Fashion - All the way vogue
We're never in the low class world
High Fashion - Don't be a little stuck up rich girl
All the way vogue {x2}
I'm all the way vogue
Yeah, yeah
(High Fashion) {repeats in BG}
Dinner at Le Dome
Little girl
Money man
I'm the money man
Money man {x2}
High Fashion {x4}
Ohhhhh
(High Fashion) {x2}
The lyrics of Prince's High Fashion start off talking about a sexy little girl that the singer knows who never indulges in the low class world. She spends all her money on high fashion, and she dines at the upscale restaurant Le Dome. Her brandy is imported every week, reflecting the luxurious and expensive lifestyle that Prince is describing. The lyrics explore the theme of wealth and status, showing how those that have excessive wealth enjoy life in luxurious ways, such as having fine liquor and dining on high-end restaurants.
Prince describes his encounter with the "little rich girl," how he met her at Le Dome and offered to take her to his house for dinner but she declined, however, all of her friends' laughter stopped when Prince flaunted his cash. He talks about riding in the back of a Rolls Royce limo custom-painted plaid, showing off his wealth and status. Later, the lyrics introduce a new place, Hot Station, where Prince took the girl to his home and they went swimming in the pool. The song concludes with Prince and the girl indulging in the high fashion lifestyle together.
As for the meaning behind Prince's High Fashion song, it's hard to differentiate whether it's a satire on America’s obsession with luxury, materialism, and class, or it is just Prince documenting his own high roller lifestyle. It is possible that Prince is using his celebrity status to poke fun at the hyper-consumerist culture of the 1980s. The song questions whether people value material success over genuine human connections, which is an issue that still resonates in a world that continues to be dominated by consumption-oriented luxury culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a sexy little girl
The singer knows a woman who they find attractive
She's never in the low class world
The woman is wealthy and does not associate with those who are not in the same social class
This woman is all the way vogue
The woman is very fashionable
High Fashion is where her money goes
The woman spends her money on expensive, fashionable things
She dines at Le Dome up on the strip
The woman eats at an expensive restaurant called Le Dome
Cheap liquor never touches her lips
The woman only drinks expensive liquor
Her brandy's imported every week
The woman drinks imported brandy on a weekly basis
No problem, 7,000 easy
The woman is willing to spend $7,000 without any issue
I met her dancin' at Le Dome
The artist met the woman while dancing at a club called Le Dome
I offered dinner at my home
The artist invited the woman over for dinner
She said no, all of her friends laughed
The woman declined the invitation and her friends mocked the singer
Funny how the laughin' stopped when I flashed all the cash I had
The woman's friends stopped laughing when the artist revealed how much money they had
(I'm talkin') $1900 is 2 much cash 2 hold
The singer had $1,900 in cash, which is too much to carry
One of my boys had 2 carry half, now honey U know that's bold
The singer's friend had to carry some of the cash, which impressed the woman
She had the nerve 2 ask what kinda car I had
The woman asked what kind of car the singer drove
"Honey, I'm ridin' in back of a Rolls Royce limo custom-painted plaid!"
The artist is riding in a custom-painted plaid Rolls Royce limo and is bragging about it
Hot Station - I took the child 2 my crib
The artist and the woman went to the artist's home
Donation - Do U take or do U give?
The singer asked the woman if they like to give or receive money
She took one look at the swimmin' pool
The woman saw the singer's swimming pool
I said "I'll donate" - We were 2 swimmin' fools
The artist offered to donate money and they both went swimming in the pool
All the way vogue {x2}
The woman is extremely fashionable
I'm all the way vogue
The artist is also fashionable
Yeah, yeah
An exclamation of excitement or enthusiasm
(High Fashion) {repeats in BG}
The chorus of the song repeats in the background
Contributed by Audrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gianni Pascia'
Can we say GENIUS.🎸? ABSOLUTELY YESSSSS!!!IN PRINCE WE TRUST,ALWAYS.💜 🎸
joskemom
I love vintage Prince songs. This is the first I have heard this song.
iayyam
This was in steady rotation on the radio in Baltimore back in the day.
Annalisha Goring
Me too and there's so much more comin.
LaChele
Yeah, it's just always better when Prince does it. I'm ready for them to start releasing some Parade rarities, mixes, originals, etcetera. I'm also thinking b-sides and demos. Hell, just any and everything.
Starr Company
@Mic Time why on what?
Mic Time
Y on this
Starr Company
I'm ready for it too sweety! U picked the best era♥️ (get your house in order)
Wolfe's Music
I have The Family album, and you can hear Prince on their recording of this track; so it's interesting to hear Prince's version. Just like hearing his version of "Manic Monday" or "Nothing Compares 2 U" (which The Family also first did).
Matthew Martin
Parade was the album that hooked me in, imagine parade and his version of the family album as a double. I've not listened to the family album for ages.