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.
Hypnoparadise
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I touch your face
U gonna fall into a deep sleep
A deep sleep
A deep sleep
U are the reason I believe that I was born
U're always there 2 hold me whenever I am scorned
Shall I call U "Savior" just the same?
Hypno paradise, oh-oh-oh
Hypno paradise, oh-oh-oh
Am I in heaven or hypno paradise?
This must be heaven cuz hell was never nice
I don't need permission 2 be happy every day
As long as I got a freak like U, I'm straight
Oh paradise
Touch me I'll go under any spell U choose
I don't mind the loss my dear, when it comes 2 U, I'll lose
I can dig them all 2 be wrong as long as U're all right
This is my destiny — hypno paradise
Paradise (So nice)
(Oh yes)
(Say U wanna get it on)
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, yeah yeah yeah)
(Oh yes)
(Say U wanna get it on)
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, yeah yeah yeah)
U are the reason that I was born
U're always there baby when I am scorned
I'd give my left hand, just 2 know your name
My Savior, every day, yeah ooh
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes)
(Come on, come on)
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes)
Hyp-no paradise
Hyp-no paradise
Hyp-no paradise
Hyp-no paradise
(Oh yes)
(Say U wanna get it on)
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, yeah yeah yeah)
(Hyp-no paradise)
(Hyp-no paradise)
Hyp-hyp-hyp-hyp-hyp
Hypno paradise
Hyp-no paradise
Hypno paradise oh
Hyp-no paradise
(Oh yes)
(Say U wanna get it on)
(Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, yeah yeah yeah
In Prince's Hypnoparadise, the singer captures the hypnotic and entrancing qualities of a romantic relationship that takes us into a paradise-like trance. The opening lines of the song set the tone by commanding complete attention; the singer implies that his voice is the only sound that matters. Every time he touches the other person's face, they fall deeply into a sleep, ultimately reaching hypno paradise. The singer is willing to lose himself in this trance-like state when he is with his partner. He believes that his partner is the reason for his existence and is always there to hold him and make him feel better. To demonstrate his admiration and gratitude, he would give up anything, including his left hand, to know his partner's name.
The song expresses Prince's romantic and spiritual idealism. The lyrics suggest that the singer has reached the hypno paradise; the beat and rhythm make it very believable. The chorus reinforces the idea of bliss, a place so exquisite that it appears like heaven. The singer does not need anyone's permission to be happy as his partner is there to make it possible. Throughout the song, this state of hypno paradise is maintained by the constant repetition of the phrase, as if he is taking us into his ideal paradise everytime he utters it.
Line by Line Meaning
All U can hear is the sound of my voice
The singer's voice has complete control over the listener's attention.
Every time I touch your face
The singer has a physical connection to the listener.
U gonna fall into a deep sleep
The singer can hypnotize the listener into a deep sleep.
A deep sleep
The listener will be completely under the artist's control.
U are the reason I believe that I was born
The listener is the artist's reason for existence and purpose in life.
U're always there 2 hold me whenever I am scorned
The listener is a constant source of emotional support for the singer.
I'd give my left hand just 2 know your name
The singer is willing to give up a lot to know the listener's name.
Shall I call U "Savior" just the same?
The artist has a deep reverence for the listener.
Hypno paradise, oh-oh-oh
The artist has complete control over the listener's mind.
Am I in heaven or hypno paradise?
The artist is having trouble distinguishing reality from their hypnotic trance.
This must be heaven cuz hell was never nice
The singer sees their current state as heavenly compared to their previous life.
I don't need permission 2 be happy every day
The artist is happy as long as they have the listener.
As long as I got a freak like U, I'm straight
The listener's unusual behavior doesn't bother the singer as long as they have them.
Touch me I'll go under any spell U choose
The singer is completely under the listener's control.
I don't mind the loss my dear, when it comes 2 U, I'll lose
The singer is willing to sacrifice anything for the listener.
I can dig them all 2 be wrong as long as U're all right
The artist is willing to go against societal norms as long as the listener is happy.
This is my destiny — hypno paradise
The artist believes it's their destiny to be hypnotized by the listener.
Paradise (So nice)
The singer is enjoying their hypnotic trance.
U are the reason that I was born
Reiterated belief in line 5.
My Savior, every day, yeah ooh
Reiterated question in line 8 with an affirmative answer.
Hyp-no paradise
Reiterated point made in previous choruses.
(Oh yes)
Reiterated enthusiasm for the listener.
(Say U wanna get it on)
The singer is ready to take action with the listener.
Contributed by Juliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.