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.
Illusion
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk
In exchange for the finance
Who's pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
But rich beyond compare
She'd drop a thousand dollars
At the salon
Just to get her hair did
He was good at compliments
Better in the bunk
She laced him with a crib in Paris
He hipped her to the funk
Way to fine he was for her
A dirty dog in expensive fur
As long as she's providing chips and whips
We can do this funky thing
As long as she was playing the host
He figured he would make the most of them hips and lips
He hooked her up, rocked her coast to coast
She was so ugly
But rich beyond compare
Dropped a couple hundred thousand
Dollars on a silver whip
Just to match the color of her hair
She said "Eye got plenty of what you need
Put the spoon down honey
Come on let mama feed you"
She knew which fork to use
But she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk
In exchange for the finance
Who's pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
Where was eye' Oh yeah
A gentleman he was
He never spoke about her nose
So prominent because
In the dark it glowed
If she was only tan
Instead of so lily white
Her name was Doris
But he called her "Flo"
As in 'rescent
That ain't right
Fluorescent
Every night
A situation bound to fail
As sure as Doris?
Skin was pale
Money might talk
But what does it say?
"you better get busy if you want to get paid
Boy, eye was fine back in the day"
She knew which fork to use
But she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk
In exchange for the finance
Who's pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
That's the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
Now dance
Dance
He spent her money oh so well
Takin' baths in cold Cristal
He took a trip to burn an old flame in 'Frisco
Like wow!
When Doris caught him in her arms
She shrugged her shoulders and said "No harm"
"Just put you're name on this pre-nup
And we can all hit the disco!"
She knew which fork to use
But she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk
In exchange for the finance
Who's pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
She knew which fork to use
But she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk
In exchange for the finance
Who's pimping who when
Nobody gets a second chance?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
Now, dance
The lyrics to Prince's song "Illusion Coma Pimp & Circumstance" tell the story of a relationship based purely on financial gain and manipulation. The singer of the song is a man who takes advantage of a wealthy woman's lack of dancing ability and gifts her with the knowledge of the funk in exchange for access to her money. As the song progresses, it's revealed that the woman is not physically attractive, but her wealth is enough to keep the man interested. Despite the superficial nature of their relationship, they continue to indulge in the excesses that come with wealth, such as expensive cars, travel, and luxury items.
The theme of the song is centered around the idea of illusion and circumstance, and how these things can trap people in relationships built on false pretenses. The ending of the song suggests that the couple may end up getting married, but only after a prenuptial agreement is signed to ensure that the man has access to her money if they ever separate. Throughout the lyrics, Prince uses clever wordplay and metaphorical language to convey the story of two people whose relationship is based purely on material gain and manipulation.
Line by Line Meaning
She knew which fork to use
She was aware of proper etiquette
But she couldn't dance
She lacked rhythm and dance skills
So he hipped her to the funk
He taught her how to move to funky music
In exchange for the finance
In return for her money
Who's pimping who when
Who is using whom in this situation?
Nobody gets a second chance?
Is there no way out of this situation?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
This is a tale of deceit, disorientation, control, and the circumstances that surround it.
She was older
She was more senior in age
But rich beyond compare
But had enormous wealth, that set her apart from many others.
She'd drop a thousand dollars
She had the financial ability to spend a lot of money
At the salon
At the hair and beauty salon
Just to get her hair did
Just to have her hair styled
He was good at compliments
He had a talent for flattery
Better in the bunk
He was more skilled in sexual activities
She laced him with a crib in Paris
She rewarded him with a home in Paris
Way too fine he was for her
He was too attractive for her to resist.
A dirty dog in expensive fur
A deceptive person hiding under an expensive facade
As long as she's providing chips and whips
As long as she's giving him money and expensive cars.
We can do this funky thing
We can continue this dynamic relationship.
As long as she was playing the host
As long as she played the role of the generous host/hostess.
He figured he would make the most of them hips and lips
He decided to take full advantage and exploit her beauty and sensuality.
He hooked her up, rocked her coast to coast
He took care of her needs and made her feel special as they traveled together.
She was so ugly
She was unattractive
But rich beyond compare
But had vast financial resources
Dropped a couple hundred thousand
Spent hundreds of thousands of dollars
Dollars on a silver whip
Purchased a silver car
Just to match the color of her hair
So that the car would match her hair color.
She said 'Eye got plenty of what you need
She bragged about her ability to provide for his needs
Put the spoon down honey
Stop using drugs, my dear
Come on let mama feed you
Let me take care of you
Where was eye' Oh yeah
Where was I again?, Oh right,
A gentleman he was
He was a polite and respectful man.
He never spoke about her nose
He avoided mentioning her prominent nose.
So prominent because
It was noticeable and stood out.
In the dark it glowed
It was obvious even in the dar.
If she was only tan
If only she had more color in her skin
Instead of so lily white
Instead of being so pale
Her name was Doris
Her name was Doris
But he called her 'Flo'
But he referred to her as 'Flo'
As in 'rescent
As in 'Fluorescent'
That ain't right
That's not ethical or honest.
Fluorescent
It glowed in the dark.
Every night
Regularly and constantly
A situation bound to fail
A situation that was likely to collapse
As sure as Doris' Skin was pale
As certain as the pale color of Doris' skin
Money might talk
Wealth can wield power and influence
But what does it say?
But what are its values and meanings?
'You better get busy if you want to get paid'
'You need to work hard if you want to earn money.'
Boy, eye was fine back in the day
I was attractive in the past.
Now dance
Let's dance!
He spent her money oh so well
He used her money to indulge in extravagances.
Takin' baths in cold Cristal
He took luxurious baths in expensive champagne.
He took a trip to burn an old flame in 'Frisco
He went to San Francisco to reunite with an old love interest.
Like wow!
This was an exciting and unexpected revelation.
When Doris caught him in her arms
When Doris found out about his infidelity
She shrugged her shoulders and said 'No harm'
She reacted with equanimity and downplayed the issue.
'Just put your name on this pre-nup
'Just sign this prenuptial agreement before we move on.'
And we can all hit the disco!'
And party together!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind