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.
I'll Do Anything
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll do double 2 have your love
I'll move mountains 2 make U happy
Mountains, oh yes, because
What good is a me if it ain't got a U?
What good is dream if it don't come true?
I'll do any, anything
Anything I'll do, ooh
I'll wrestle with a tiger and suffer every claw
I'll paint a beard on the Mona Lisa even though its my favorite jaw
I'll do anything, anything because
What good is a captain if he ain't got a crew?
What good is a room if it ain't got a view?
I'll do any, anything
Anything I'll do
Wait a minute
Wait a minute..
There's a good reason why I'd do anything, baby
And that reason is U
Check this out..
What good is a car if it ain't got no gas?
What good is a future if it ain't got no past?
What good is a one if it ain't got another one 2 make it 2?
What good is a me, baby, if it ain't got a U?
What good is a dream if it don't come true
And what if I live 4 your love?
Be justa strollin' through
I'll do any, anything
Anything 4 U, it's true
I'll do anything, baby
Anything 4 U
I'll do any, anything
Anything I'll do, ooh ooh
I'll do any, anything
Anything I'll do, ooh ooh
The lyrics to Prince's song "I'll Do Anything" speak of a desperate yearning for the love and affection of the person he desires. He is willing to go to great lengths, even to the point of risking his own life, just to win their love. He uses hyperbole to exaggerate the lengths he is willing to go, such as falling off the Eiffel Tower or wrestling with a tiger. These exaggerated statements serve to emphasize the desperation and extreme devotion he feels towards this person.
The chorus repeats the idea that he will do anything to win their love, and he questions the point of his existence without this person. He asks what good is a dream if it never comes true, and what is the point of anything if he does not have this person by his side. The final verse emphasizes that the reason he is willing to do anything is because of the person he desires. He declares that he will do anything for them, even if it means sacrificing his own life or ambitions for their love.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of extreme desperation and devotion, highlighting the idea that love can drive a person to do extraordinary things.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll do anything 2 have U like me
I am willing to do anything to make you like me.
I'll do double 2 have your love
I am willing to do twice as much to earn your love.
I'll move mountains 2 make U happy
I am capable of doing great things to ensure your happiness.
Mountains, oh yes, because
I will go to great lengths, even move mountains, to make you happy.
What good is a me if it ain't got a U?
My life is incomplete without you.
What good is dream if it don't come true?
A dream is only valuable if it becomes reality.
I'll do any, anything
I am truly committed to doing anything to win your affection.
Anything I'll do, ooh
I am eager to do anything for you.
I'll fall off the Eiffel Tower if only 4 applause
I am not afraid to take risks and make great sacrifices for your attention.
I'll wrestle with a tiger and suffer every claw
I will endure any pain or hardships for you.
I'll paint a beard on the Mona Lisa even though its my favorite jaw
I am willing to make uncomfortable sacrifices, even if it means altering something beautiful.
What good is a captain if he ain't got a crew?
A leader is nothing without the support of others.
What good is a room if it ain't got a view?
A space is only valuable if it has something worthwhile to offer.
Wait a minute
I need to pause and emphasize the true reason I am willing to do anything.
There's a good reason why I'd do anything, baby
I am willing to do anything because of how important you are to me.
And that reason is U
I am doing this because of my love for you.
What good is a car if it ain't got no gas?
A vehicle is useless without fuel.
What good is a future if it ain't got no past?
The past is necessary to shape and inform our future.
What good is a one if it ain't got another one 2 make it 2?
One cannot achieve greatness alone; we need others to support us.
What good is a me, baby, if it ain't got a U?
My life is incomplete without you.
And what if I live 4 your love?
My primary motivation in life is to earn your love.
Be justa strollin' through
I would be happy to simply walk through life with you.
Anything 4 U, it's true
I truly mean it when I say I will do anything for you.
I'll do anything, baby
I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make you happy.
Anything 4 U
I am willing to make any sacrifice to get your love and affection.
Contributed by Bentley D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
william hall
I have been listening to Prince for 40 years, every album, every unreleased song I can find, but there is always something new to me.
Thenew Kid
Hey do you know where I can find the Prince Solo house remixes it's a rare dj white label set of 3 house remixes
Antonio Means
He's the goat man
Nicholas Croft
Cool. But I'm keeping my pants on :-)
Sally Martin
The works unleashed a plethora for me!
Elena Arman-Tang
@Robert Novelli Yesss! Don't forget the bathtub 🛁
Sly Leggs
He is way bigger than the music industry alone just in his energy and creativity. Peace Mr Nelson
Phillip May
The man was simply bigger than radio.
Heturnal Kazim
Too many reasons why to me Prince is the one true unrivaled goat of the music arts....rip Prince Roger Nelson ... still making us jam long after you left x
Lisa Littlejohn
Thought it was just me. Glad to know there are many of us!