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.
If I Was Your Girl Friend
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, oh
Ooh, hoo, oh yeah
Ooh, hoo
If I was your girlfriend, would you remember
To tell me all the things you forgot when I was your man?
Hey hey, when I was your man
If I was your best friend, would you let me
Take care of you and do all the things that only a best friend can?
Oh, only best friends can
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, ho ooh
If I was your girlfriend
If I was your girlfriend, would you let me dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out?
Not that you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
If I was your one and only friend
Would you run to me if somebody hurt you even if that somebody was me, yeah
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be, please
If I was your girlfriend
Ooh, hoo, hoo
If I was your girlfriend
Would you let me wash your hair?
Could I make you breakfast sometime?
Well then, could we just hang out
I mean, could we go to a movie and cry together?
'Cause to me baby, that would be so fine (that would be so fine), ooh
(If I was your girlfriend)
Baby, can I dress you
I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out? (if I was your girlfriend)
Listen girl, I ain't sayin you're helpless
But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
Sugar
Sugar, do you know what I'm saying to you this evening? (If I was your girlfriend)
Maybe you think I'm being a little self-centered
But I, I said I want to be all of the things you are to me (if I was your girlfriend)
Surely, surely you can see
Is it really necessary for me to go out of the room
Just because you want to undress?
We don't have to make children to make love
And we don't have to make love to have an orgasm
Your body's what I'm all about
Can I see it?
I'll show you
Why not?
You can do it because I'm your friend
I'd do it for you
Of course I'd undress in front of you
And when I'm naked, what shall I do?
How can I make you see that it's cool?
Can't you just trust me?
If I was your girlfriend, you could
Oh yeah, I think so
Listen, for you naked I would dance a ballet
Would that get you off?
Tell me what will
If I was your girlfriend, would you tell me?
Would you let me see you naked then?
Would you let me give you a bath?
Would you let me tickle you so hard you'd laugh and laugh
And would you, would you let me kiss you there
You know, down there where it counts
I'll do it so good, I swear I'll drink every ounce
And then I'll hold you tight and hold you long
And together we'll stare into silence
And we'll try to imagine what it looks like
Yeah, we'll try to imagine what, what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll, we'll try to imagine what silence looks like
Yeah, we'll try
Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” is a song about intimacy, both physically and emotionally. The song’s lyrics express Prince’s desire to have a deeper and more involved relationship with the woman he is singing to. He feels that if he was her girlfriend, he would be able to have a level of closeness that is not possible when he is just her man. The song explores themes of trust, vulnerability, and the desire to connect with someone on a deeply personal level.
Prince questions whether his partner would trust him enough to allow him to undress in front of her, expressing his desire for a level of intimacy that goes beyond sex. He proposes giving her a bath and tickling her until she laughs uncontrollably. The repetition of the phrase “If I was your girlfriend” emphasizes his longing for a more intimate connection.
Throughout the song, Prince also explores gender roles and expectations, suggesting that he would like to take on the traditionally female role of helping his partner pick out her clothes, washing her hair, and being her best friend. He challenges the idea that these are tasks that should only be performed by women, thereby presenting a more egalitarian view of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at the bargains over here, ladies
Prince is trying to grab the attention of ladies by announcing that he has some exciting bargains.
If I was your girlfriend, would you remember To tell me all the things you forgot when I was your man? Hey hey, when I was your man
Prince questions if his lover would confide everything in him if he was her girlfriend, things that she neglected to express when they were in a relationship before.
If I was your best friend, would you let me Take care of you and do all the things that only a best friend can? Oh, only best friends can
Asking whether his lover would allow him to take care of her as her best friend, someone who can help her in times of need and be there whenever required.
If I was your girlfriend, would you let me dress you I mean, help you pick out your clothes before we go out? Not that you're helpless But sometime, sometime those are the things that bein' in love's about
Prince wants to be involved in associating with his lover by getting her dressed and helping her pick out the best clothes before they go out together. This is about the details of being in love.
If I was your one and only friend Would you run to me if somebody hurt you even if that somebody was me, yeah Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be, please
Prince asks if his lover would come running to him if she were hurt, even if he was the one who caused the hurt. He imagines how happy they could be together.
Would you let me wash your hair? Could I make you breakfast sometime? Well then, could we just hang out I mean, could we go to a movie and cry together? 'Cause to me baby, that would be so fine (that would be so fine), ooh
Prince imagines the small things he could do for his lover like washing her hair, making her breakfast, and simply spending time together even if that means seeing a movie and crying with her.
Sugar Sugar, do you know what I'm saying to you this evening? (If I was your girlfriend) Maybe you think I'm being a little self-centered But I, I said I want to be all of the things you are to me (if I was your girlfriend) Surely, surely you can see
Prince asks if his lover understands the things he is trying to say to her. He knows he might sound egotistical but all he truly wants is to be as important to her as she is to him.
Is it really necessary for me to go out of the room Just because you want to undress? We don't have to make children to make love And we don't have to make love to have an orgasm Your body's what I'm all about Can I see it? I'll show you Why not?
Prince indicates that his lover shouldn't feel the need to be reserved when they are together. He clarifies that love-making doesn't need to produce children or even an orgasm. It's about appreciating each other's bodies.
You can do it because I'm your friend I'd do it for you Of course I'd undress in front of you And when I'm naked, what shall I do?
Prince assures his lover that she can feel comfortable to undress in front of him as he is her friend and would do the same for her. He wonders what will happen when he is naked in front of her.
How can I make you see that it's cool? Can't you just trust me? If I was your girlfriend, you could Oh yeah, I think so
Prince wants to persuade his lover that everything will be fine and that she can trust him. He believes that if he was her girlfriend, she could trust him completely.
Listen, for you naked I would dance a ballet Would that get you off? Tell me what will If I was your girlfriend, would you tell me?
Prince expresses his willingness to dance naked for his lover if that meant satisfying her. He wants to know what would be satisfying for his lover if he was her girlfriend.
Would you let me see you naked then? Would you let me give you a bath? Would you let me tickle you so hard you'd laugh and laugh And would you, would you let me kiss you there You know, down there where it counts I'll do it so good, I swear I'll drink every ounce And then I'll hold you tight and hold you long And together we'll stare into silence And we'll try to imagine what it looks like Yeah, we'll try to imagine what, what silence looks like Yeah, we'll, we'll try to imagine what silence looks like Yeah, we'll try
Prince imagines how his relationship would be different if he was his lover's girlfriend. He wants to be intimate with her, seeing her naked and giving her a bath. He wants to make her laugh and then provide pleasure to her. Afterward, they would sit in silence and imagine what that would look like.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind