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.
It Takes 3
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It takes 3, U and me
And her 2 - tell me pretty baby what U wanna do
I've seen the future, baby, and it looks like U and I
All wrapped up in love that'll never die
Maybe I just want another 2 keep U happy while I'm away
A friend as special as U should never be lonely, a single day
It takes 3
If U ain't got a friend U can't be with me (Hey)
It takes 3
Nothin' I want 2 do will make U uncomfortable, I swear
Wherever my hands go, baby, it'll be cuz U put 'em there
I could be satisfied with talking about all we could do
But I'm wise enough 2 know that's the only way 2 get wit' U
And her 2
[Chorus]
It takes 3
If U ain't got a friend U can't be with me
It takes 3
Check this out
U know my every thought if U think about it long enough
Don't ask me why, nothing's lost if U try
But 2 not, is 2 never know if U and me and her could flow
Let's go, let's go 2 the land of "Yes I will"
G'on put your foot up on that window sill
It takes 3
If U ain't got a friend U can't be with me (Hey)
[Chorus]
Hell yeah, baby
Shake all that
[Chorus]
Girl, U got something the whole world should see
I'm so proud of U
If I can't get a witness who'll believe it's true (It takes 3)
Nobody, that's why it takes 3
If U ain't got a friend U can't see me (It takes 3)
U can't see me
(It takes 3)
Fellows g'on and sing that I'm jettin'
(If U ain't got a friend U can't be with me)
Don't forget your rain coat
The chorus line of Prince's song "It Takes 3" emphasizes the importance of having a friend in a relationship. Prince argues that for their relationship to work, they need a third person, "her 2", to help facilitate their love for each other. He reassures his partner that he only wants to keep her happy while he's away, and will not make her uncomfortable. Prince adds that he believes they could talk about what they could do together, but it is much more fulfilling to actually experience the love together. The song ends with Prince encouraging his partner to shake it before insinuating that, without a friend as part of their relationship, communication will suffer and they will not be able to "see each other."
The song highlights Prince's trademark ability to blur the lines and push boundaries. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be analyzed from various perspectives. The song could be seen as Prince venturing into the world of polyamorous relationships, where people have romantic relationships with multiple partners.
The title of the song, “It takes 3,” comes from the idea that a relationship requires three people to work: the two people in love and the friend who understands their love for each other. This message of the importance of friendship in a relationship is an important theme in Prince's music, as it shines a light on the multifaceted nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
It takes 3, U and me
It takes three people to have a special relationship with me and you.
And her 2 - tell me pretty baby what U wanna do
With a third person added to our relationship, I want to know what you want to do.
I've seen the future, baby, and it looks like U and I
I see a future where we are together in love forever.
All wrapped up in love that'll never die
Our love will be strong and unbreakable.
Maybe I just want another 2 keep U happy while I'm away
I want another person to be with you while I am away so you are not lonely.
A friend as special as U should never be lonely, a single day
You are too special to be alone, and I don't want that for you.
If U ain't got a friend U can't be with me (Hey)
You need a friend, or we can't have a relationship.
Nothin' I want 2 do will make U uncomfortable, I swear
I won't do anything to make you feel uncomfortable.
Wherever my hands go, baby, it'll be cuz U put 'em there
I won't touch you without your consent.
I could be satisfied with talking about all we could do
I could talk about our potential without acting on it.
But I'm wise enough 2 know that's the only way 2 get wit' U
I know that I have to take action to be with you.
Check this out
Listen to what I have to say.
U know my every thought if U think about it long enough
You can understand my thoughts if you try to.
Don't ask me why, nothing's lost if U try
You won't lose anything by trying to understand me.
But 2 not, is 2 never know if U and me and her could flow
If you don't try adding another person to our relationship, you'll never know if it could work.
Let's go, let's go 2 the land of "Yes I will"
Let's try adding another person, and see if it works out.
G'on put your foot up on that window sill
Relax and put your foot up.
Girl, U got something the whole world should see
You are special and deserve to be seen by the world.
I'm so proud of U
I am proud of who you are.
If I can't get a witness who'll believe it's true (It takes 3)
If no one else understands our relationship, it's because they don't understand that it takes three people.
Nobody, that's why it takes 3
There are people who don't understand, but that's why it takes three people to have this kind of relationship.
U can't see me
If you don't have a friend, you won't be able to see me.
Fellows g'on and sing that I'm jettin'
Men, go ahead and talk about me leaving.
Don't forget your rain coat
Remember to prepare for the unexpected.
Contributed by Liliana N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Farhan917
Director: Two face or the Joker?
Prince: Both
@JacekPaszkoAMV
Doesn't it make it three?
@jaykilkenny5727
Fun fact two face was not a part of Dc until the 90's so prince predicted it.
@jamesmartinson4308
Two Face been around long before the 90s. Tommy Lee Jones was the first to play him on the big screen in 95 if that's what you meant.
@jaykilkenny5727
@@jamesmartinson4308 thank you, that's what I meant to say.
@carriehallahan5568
I think "yes" would've been a better punchline than "both".
@davidedwards2607
Only man who could wear heels and makeup and still take your woman.😎
Rest easy Prince.
@mwiggins0014
With just his stare.
@axlestarr4393
And at only 5'2, despite the whole guys gotta be 6'+ thing...welp...not ALL of them...
@annamarieeaton832
Facts