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.
In a Large Room With No Light
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One that made her mother cry
A picture of a woman with a drink in her hand
Standing by a child with no eyes
Washington reaction based upon revenge
Babies blown 2 kingdom come
Cartoon characters look better when they're on the run
Danny dropped the dime on his girlfriend
He said he didn't wanna go 2 jail alone
The seed lives in the same mind
With the thought that says we all should be stoned
And people lookin' 4 angels in the sky
Whenever they're broken-hearted
Love is grown, seeds are sown
A fire don't burn unless it's started
Did U ever feel that life was like lookin' 4 a penny
In a large room with no light?
A sophisticated man reduced 2 company in no-win situations
That aren't right
Everytime U wake up there's a little motherfucker
Talkin' big stuff in your face (Are U happy?)
U only get the kind of people that open their mouth
just 2 swap feet
Welcome 2 the rat race
Did U ever feel that life was like lookin' 4 a penny
In a large room with no light?
A sophisticated man reduced 2 company in no-win situations
That aren't right
Oh, if U could just pass your history class
Maybe life would be alright
Until then U'll be lookin' 4 a penny
In a large room with no light
Yeah!
Life [repeat 2 fade]
The song "In A Large Room With No Light" by Prince & The Revolution touches on a range of societal and existential themes. In the first verse, Lana's drawing depicts a woman with a drink in her hand standing by a child with no eyes, evoking a somber picture of maternal neglect and socio-economic disparity. The lines "Washington reaction based upon revenge" and "Babies blown 2 kingdom come" further hint at the political and military upheavals that lead to such unfortunate circumstances. The chorus then brings in a more philosophical bent, depicting life as a search for purpose or meaning like looking for a penny in a large room with no light. The singer, a sophisticated man, is shown caught in no-win situations that aren't right, with people around him making things worse.
In the second verse, the song takes a more personal turn, with Danny ratting out his girlfriend to avoid going to jail alone. The lines "With the thought that says we all should be stoned / And people lookin' 4 angels in the sky / Whenever they're broken-hearted / Love is grown, seeds are sown" suggest that amidst all the chaos, people seek refuge in intoxication or transcendence. The final lines "Everytime U wake up there's a little motherfucker / Talkin' big stuff in your face (Are U happy?) / U only get the kind of people that open their mouth / just 2 swap feet / Welcome 2 the rat race" are a commentary on the pervasive societal pressure to conform to norms and compete with each other. Overall, "In A Large Room With No Light" is a poignant reflection on the human condition and the search for truth and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Lana drew a picture in school 2day
A child named Lana drew a picture in school today.
One that made her mother cry
The picture Lana drew made her mother cry.
A picture of a woman with a drink in her hand
Lana's picture depicted a woman holding a drink.
Standing by a child with no eyes
The woman in the picture was next to a child who had no eyes.
Washington reaction based upon revenge
The site of the tragedy in Washington DC was a result of revenge.
Babies blown 2 kingdom come
Many babies were killed in the explosion.
Damn the logic
Logic can be ignored in this situation.
Cartoon characters look better when they're on the run
Characters in cartoons are more appealing when they are moving quickly.
Danny dropped the dime on his girlfriend
Danny told on his girlfriend to avoid getting into trouble on his own.
He said he didn't wanna go 2 jail alone
Danny betrayed his girlfriend because he did not want to go to jail alone.
The seed lives in the same mind
The idea that everyone should be stoned exists in many people's minds.
With the thought that says we all should be stoned
Many people believe that everyone should be stoned.
And people lookin' 4 angels in the sky
People search for divine intervention when they are heartbroken.
Whenever they're broken-hearted
People search for divine intervention when they are heartbroken.
Love is grown, seeds are sown
Love requires care and effort to grow and flourish.
A fire don't burn unless it's started
A situation will not escalate unless something starts it.
Did U ever feel that life was like lookin' 4 a penny
Have you ever felt that life requires searching for something valuable in a difficult situation?
In a large room with no light?
This search takes place in a dark, seemingly endless space.
A sophisticated man reduced 2 company in no-win situations
An intelligent person is forced into difficult situations with no way out.
That aren't right
These situations are unfair.
Everytime U wake up there's a little motherfucker
Every day you wake up, there is something or someone causing stress in your life.
Talkin' big stuff in your face (Are U happy?)
This source of stress is confrontational and may question your happiness.
U only get the kind of people that open their mouth
The people in your life are a result of who is willing to speak up and interact with you.
just 2 swap feet
These people are often making mistakes or saying something foolish.
Welcome 2 the rat race
This is a metaphor for a competitive and stressful way of life.
Oh, if U could just pass your history class
Life would be easier if you could just successfully pass your history class.
Maybe life would be alright
Passing the class would improve your life situation.
Until then U'll be lookin' 4 a penny
Until you pass the class, life will continue to be a difficult search for something valuable.
Yeah!
An expression of excitement or agreement.
Life [repeat 2 fade]
This is a repetition of the song's title and theme; life is a difficult search in the dark.
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.