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.
Laydown
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You need to, you need to
You need to laydown
You need to, you need to
You need to laydown
You need to laydown
We do this thing
Up in funky town
From the heart of Minnesota
Here come the purple Yoda
Guaranteed to bring the dirty new sound
Come on, now
You need to
You need to laydown
Come on
You need to
You need to laydown
I see ya
You need to shut it up
Your cup ain't full enough
Let me show you what I learned
From laying in the cut
You need a six string
And let that sucker ring
The holy funking roll
Let it get the people up
You need to laydown
You need to
You need to laydown
To say this name borders on blasphemy
Everybody wanna be me
If your girlfriend didn't have the surgery
Maybe she could see what I see
You need to, you need to
You need to laydown
You need to laydown
And let me show you how
We do this thing
Up in funky town
From the heart of Minnesota
Here come the purple Yoda
Guaranteed to bring the dirty new sound
Come on, now
Yours ain't really the grove we dance to
We need something more funky to move to
Y'all know what I'm talkin' 'bout
That purple bounce, bounce
Rio de Janeiro
Euro and [Incomprehensible]
This dirty little groove for you
Let's do it now, come on, boo
Bounce, bounce
Come on, now, come on, now
Bounce, bounce
Come on, now, come on, now
Bounce, bounce
Come on, now, come on, now
Bounce, bounce
Come on, now, come on, now
You need to laydown
And let me show you how
We do this thing
Up in funky town
From the heart of Minnesota
Here come the purple Yoda
Guaranteed to bring the dirty new sound
Let's go
The lyrics to Prince's song Laydown are a call to let go, relax and enjoy the moment. The repeated refrain "You need to laydown" is a message to the listener to give in to the beat and allow themselves to be transported to "funky town". The verses describe the kind of music Prince wants the listener to embrace: a dirty, funky, new sound that he guarantees will get people up and dancing. Prince cleverly references himself as the "purple Yoda" - the allusion to the wise and powerful Jedi master implies that he is a master of music, particularly his own unique funk style. He also takes a jab at those who try to imitate him, referencing the "grove we dance to" as something more complex than what others may try to replicate.
Prince's command to "shut it up" and let him show you what he's learned "from laying in the cut" is a reminder that he is a musical force to be reckoned with. The line "If your girlfriend didn't have the surgery/Maybe she could see what I see" is a bit of a mystery - it could be a reference to cosmetic surgery or gender reassignment surgery, and suggests that Prince perceives something that others cannot, perhaps hinting at his own unconventional experiences with gender and sexuality.
Overall, the lyrics of Laydown convey Prince's mastery of funk music, and his desire to share that with others. The song is a call to let go, give in to the beat, and move your body. It's an invitation to the listener to join Prince in his musical world, and to let their guard down and enjoy the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn it up
Increase the volume of the music
You need to, you need to
I advise you to
You need to laydown
Relax and listen to the music
And let me show you how
Allow me to demonstrate
We do this thing
We create this unique music
Up in funky town
In a place with a funky vibe
From the heart of Minnesota
This music comes from Prince's home state
Here come the purple Yoda
Prince, the purple master, is here
Guaranteed to bring the dirty new sound
My music is guaranteed to be unique and fresh
Come on, now
Let's start the music
You need to shut it up
Please stop talking
Your cup ain't full enough
You don't have enough experience
Let me show you what I learned
I will teach you what I learned from my own experience
From laying in the cut
By being discreet and observing
You need a six string
You need a guitar
And let that sucker ring
Play that guitar passionately
The holy funking roll
The music that will uplift everyone's mood
Let it get the people up
Let the music energize everyone
To say this name borders on blasphemy
Referring to myself as a god-like figure is almost blasphemy
Everybody wanna be me
Everyone wants to have the same level of skill and recognition as me
If your girlfriend didn't have the surgery
If your girlfriend didn't have plastic surgery
Maybe she could see what I see
Your girlfriend would have the same appreciation for my music as I do
Yours ain't really the grove we dance to
Your music doesn't have the same rhythm and vibe that we dance to
We need something more funky to move to
We need music with a funky beat to dance to
That purple bounce, bounce
The specific style of funk attributed to Prince's music
Rio de Janeiro
A city in Brazil
Euro and [Incomprehensible]
A reference to Europe and other international locations
This dirty little groove for you
I created a unique and appealing sound for you to enjoy
Let's do it now, come on, boo
Let's start dancing to the music, my friend
Bounce, bounce
Move to the rhythm of the music
Come on, now, come on, now
Don't be shy, let loose and dance
You need to laydown
Relax and enjoy the music
Let's go
Let's start the party!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind