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 Sinรฉad 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)
NยทEยทWยทS (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 Hate U
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all the things that we've been through
You gave your body to another in the name of fun
I hope you had some, baby, if not - boo hoo
1-It's so sad but I hate you
Like a day without sunshine
It's so bad but I hate you
Honey I hate you
Now every day will be a waste of time
Cause I hate you
I never thought that I could feel this way
To fall in love was a table reserved for fools
Say you're sorry if you want to but it's all in vain
I'm out the door, sweet baby, that's right
We're through
(rpt 1)
(This court is now in session
Will the defendant please rise?
State your name for the court...never mind
You're being charged with one too many counts
Of heartbreaking in the first degree
I don't give a damn about the others
My main concern is you and me)
Your honor, may I call to the stand
My one and only witness?
A girl that knows damn well
She didn't have no damn business
I know what you did, how you did it and who you did it with
So you might as well plead guilty
Cause you sure can't plead the fifth
Now raise your right hand
Do you swear to tell the whole truth
Not the half truth like you used to, so help you God?
Nod your head one time if you hear me
If you don't, I'll have to use the rod
Anything to make you see, that uh, you're gonna miss me
Yeah, you're gonna miss me
(If it pleases the court
I'd like to have the defendant
Place her hands behind her back
So I can tie her up tight and get into the act
The act of showing her how good it used to be
I want it to be so good she falls back into love with me
Close your eyes
I'm gonna cover your ass with this sheet
And I want you to pump your hips like you used to
And baby, you better stay on the beat)
Did you do to your other men
The same things that you did to me?
Right now I hate you so much I want to make love until you see
That it's killin' me baby to be without you
Cause all I ever wanted to do was to be with you
I hate you because I love you
But I can't love you because I hate you...
(ad lib to fade)
The lyrics of "I Hate U" by Prince depict a situation of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer speaks directly to their former lover, lamenting about the fact that they never expected them to be unfaithful after all they have been through together. The singer accuses their former lover of giving their body to another person in the name of fun. It is revealed that the singer is deeply hurt by these actions and feels betrayed. However, they also admit that they are still unable to move on from their former lover and that they hate themselves for it. The chorus of the song describes the inability to let go and the constant presence of the former lover in the singer's mind.
The lyrics also include a spoken word section in the middle of the song, where the singer addresses their former lover in a courtroom setting, accusing them of being guilty of breaking their heart. However, in a twist, the singer also reveals that they still desire their former lover and that they want to make love to them despite the pain they have caused.
Overall, "I Hate U" explores the conflicting emotions of love and hate that often arise after a relationship ends, particularly when one partner has been unfaithful.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought that you would be the one
I didn't expect you to betray me.
After all the things that we've been through
Even after all those memories we shared, you did this.
You gave your body to another in the name of fun
You cheated on me just because it was pleasurable for you.
I hope you had some, baby, if not - boo hoo
I hope it was worth it, but if not, I don't care.
It's so sad but I hate you
Even though it's heart-wrenching, I still hate you.
Like a day without sunshine
You make my life dull and unhappy.
Cause you're all that's ever on my mind
I can't stop thinking about you, and it's torturous.
Honey I hate you
I hate what you did, and it's ruined everything.
Now every day will be a waste of time
Life without you is pointless.
I never thought that I could feel this way
I never imagined that I could hate someone as I hate you now.
To fall in love was a table reserved for fools
Being in love is a foolish game.
Say you're sorry if you want to but it's all in vain
Apologies won't make what you did right.
I'm out the door, sweet baby, that's right
I'm leaving this toxic relationship.
We're through
The relationship has ended.
You're being charged with one too many counts
You're responsible for the hurt and pain you've caused me.
Cause you sure can't plead the fifth
You can't stay silent and deny what you've done.
Anything to make you see, that uh, you're gonna miss me
I'm hoping that you regret what you did and miss me.
I want it to be so good she falls back into love with me
I want to have sex so satisfying that you'll fall back in love with me.
Did you do to your other men the same things that you did to me?
Did you cheat on your other partners as well?
Right now I hate you so much I want to make love until you see
I hate you so much that I want to have sex with you to prove a point.
I hate you because I love you
I hate you for what you did, but I still love you.
But I can't love you because I hate you...
My love for you is being overridden by the hate I feel.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
Lyrics:
I never thought that you would be the one
After all the things that we've been through
You gave your body to another in the name of fun
I hope you had some, baby, if not - boo hoo
1-It's so sad but I hate you
Like a day without sunshine
It's so bad but I hate you
Cause you're all that's ever on my mind
Honey I hate you
Now every day will be a waste of time
Cause I hate you
I never thought that I could feel this way
To fall in love was a table reserved for fools
Say you're sorry if you want to but it's all in vain
I'm out the door, sweet baby, that's right
We're through
(rpt 1)
(This court is now in session
Will the defendant please rise?
State your name for the court...never mind
You're being charged with one too many counts
Of heartbreaking in the first degree
I don't give a damn about the others
My main concern is you and me)
Your honor, may I call to the stand
My one and only witness?
A girl that knows damn well
She didn't have no damn business
I know what you did, how you did it and who you did it with
So you might as well plead guilty
Cause you sure can't plead the fifth
Now raise your right hand
Do you swear to tell the whole truth
Not the half truth like you used to, so help you God?
Nod your head one time if you hear me
If you don't, I'll have to use the rod
Anything to make you see, that uh, you're gonna miss me
Yeah, you're gonna miss me
(If it pleases the court
I'd like to have the defendant
Place her hands behind her back
So I can tie her up tight and get into the act
The act of showing her how good it used to be
I want it to be so good she falls back into love with me
Close your eyes
I'm gonna cover your ass with this sheet
And I want you to pump your hips like you used to
And baby, you better stay on the beat)
Did you do to your other men
The same things that you did to me?
Right now I hate you so much I want to make love until you see
That it's killin' me baby to be without you
Cause all I ever wanted to do was to be with you
I hate you because I love you
But I can't love you because I hate you...
(ad lib to fade)
Dahlia Bradshaw
Prince's range from falsetto to soprano to tenor was everything ๐ The man was a genius!
There will never, ever be another
Violeta Vika Jeremic
Dahlia Bradshaw : Never, I agree !!!
50ways2leave
Dahlia Bradshaw Yessss! I caught that I was like he is so amazing, not many can do that
Oscar Pacheco
Totally agree with you!
inquizative44
Then he picks up the guitar!!
A D
That's why soft and wet is one of my favorite songs his range is crazy
Ana Santos
People think this song is about hate. It's actually a love song. It's about loving someone so much that it's impossible to hate them despite their transgressions. Only Prince can write a beautiful love song about his spiritual equal and people will get confused about what he's actually saying. Love is forever. Hate what is evil. LOVE GOD.
Redd Ruby
I guess you haven't heard the long version. There's nothing loving about saying you'd put a woman on the corner so she can pay you back the money she owes you.
Art Full
Jade Ruby mmmmm interesting, there was anger in Prince at the time maybe
Dylan Casper
He wrote this song after finding out Carmen Electra cheated on him when she went back to L.A. for a visit. When she returned to P.P., he called her into the studio, played this song for her, gave her a one way ticket back to LA and then walked out of the recording studio.
(Mic Drop)