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.
Into the Light
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There came a sound that enters the mind
Through a door that's deep in your soul
Through every pore of your body it goes
And in a light too bright to behold
Is a truth more shiny than gold
And as sure as this candle burns
Every soul must return
Into the light, into the light
From out of the light there comes a story
Open your mind, and feel the glory
What's the hurry to die without trying?
If you could sell your worries (sell your worries)
Would anyone buy 'em? (oh no)
And for every flower that grows, even a baby knows
That as sure as the candle burns
Every soul must return
Into the light, into the light
The lyrics to the song "Into The Light" by Prince explore the concept of enlightenment and the spiritual journey that every soul must undertake. The song begins with the idea that before time and space existed, there was a sound that entered the mind through the deep doors of the soul and every pore of the body. This sound leads to a truth that is more valuable than gold and too bright to behold. The lyric suggests that every soul must return to this truth, and the candle burning symbolizes the light that guides the way towards it.
The next verse emphasizes the importance of opening our minds to glory and not hurrying to die without trying. Prince asks if we could sell our worries, would anyone buy them, implying that worries are a useless burden that takes away from the joy of life. He then points out that even a baby knows that every flower that grows will eventually wither away, just as every soul must return to the light. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that enlightenment is a journey that every soul must undertake and that this journey leads us into the light.
Overall, the lyrics to "Into The Light" suggest that the spiritual journey towards enlightenment is a universal one that every soul must undertake. Prince emphasizes the importance of opening ourselves up to the truth and glory that surround us, not letting worries consume us, and ultimately returning to the light that guides us along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
From out of the darkness, before there was time
The sound came before time, from a darkness that existed before creation
There came a sound that enters the mind
The sound has a profound effect on the mind and soul
Through a door that's deep in your soul
The sound enters through a deep emotional and spiritual place within oneself
Through every pore of your body it goes
The sound permeates every fiber and aspect of one's being
And in a light too bright to behold
The experience is so intense that it cannot be fully understood or comprehended
Is a truth more shiny than gold
The experience leads to a profound understanding of universal truth
And as sure as this candle burns
Just as the flame of a candle burns, it is certain that...
Every soul must return
...every soul must eventually return to the divine source that created it
From out of the light there comes a story
The light also contains a story and message for those who seek it
Open your mind, and feel the glory
To experience the divine, one must be open and willing to receive it
What's the hurry to die without trying?
Why would one rush towards death without first seeking enlightenment?
If you could sell your worries (sell your worries)
If it were possible, who would be willing to buy your worries and problems?
(oh no)
Indicates that no one would want to buy someone else's worries
And for every flower that grows, even a baby knows
The truth of life and its cycles is known even to the youngest and most innocent among us
That as sure as the candle burns
Just as the flame of a candle burns, it is certain that...
Every soul must return
...every soul must eventually return to the divine source that created it
Into the light, into the light
Ultimately, all souls will return to the divine light that is the source of all creation
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THEODORE NELSON, MICHAEL PATRICK, WRITER UNKNOWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind