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.
Letitgo
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Come on)
(Come on)
All my life I've kept my feelings deep inside
Never was a reason to let somebody know
Lover here, lover there, who cried? Who cares? Foolish pride
Never was a good seat at any of this man's shows
Until now all I wanted to do is
Do do do what I do, and
Bang bang bang on the drummer
And love so-and-so
But now I've got to let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let the vibe just flow
I want to just let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let my feelings show
(Let it go)
I'm ready for the real
Give me something I can feel
All my life this heart's been under lock and key
My curtains were drawn there wasn't nobody home
Trigger here, trigger there, everybody's high except for me
Better off dead if I couldn't be alone
Until now all I wanted to do is
Do do do what I do, and
Bang bang bang on the drummer
And love so-and-so
But now I've got to let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let the vibe just flow
I want to just let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let my feelings show
I, I'm ready for the real
Give me something I can feel
Fourteen years and tears I've longed to sing my song
But a horse couldn't drag your ass to put me on
But now I've got an army and we're three million strong
This song will ring in your ears when we are gone
Until now all I wanted to do is
Do do do what I do, and
Bang bang bang on the drummer
And love so-and-so
But now I want to let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let the vibe just flow
Said I want to let it go (let it go)
Lay back and let the feelings show
I am ready for the real
(Come a little closer)
Let it go
Lay back an' let the vibe just flow
In the song Letitgo, Prince talks about how he has kept his feelings buried for most of his life. He is owning up to the fact that he has spent so much of his life chasing after fame and success, that he neglected his own emotions. He is someone who has been so focused on being successful, that he's never really allowed himself to enjoy life. He has always been on the go, constantly striving for something, but he realizes that what he really needs is to just let go and let things happen naturally.
The lyrics express Prince's readiness to let go of his previous way of life and surrender to his true self. He’s ready for the real thing and he’s done with living a life that is not true to himself. He also talks about how he's always felt alone even in the midst of crowded places, but now he's ready to let people in to his life. He's got an army, referring to his growing legion of fans, who will support him and his music. He realizes that he doesn't have to pretend to be someone he's not to gain their love and admiration.
Overall, the lyrics to Letitgo are a statement of Prince's maturity concerning his artistic and emotional direction. He was ready to let go of the superficial, the meaningless, and the empty satisfaction of chasing success, and ready to embrace what is real, honest, and fulfilling - the ability to express himself through his art.
Line by Line Meaning
(Ready or not, here I come)
I'm coming out of my shell, and it's time for me to be heard.
All my life I've kept my feelings deep inside
I've always hidden my emotions from others, never wanting to be vulnerable.
Never was a reason to let somebody know
I never saw a reason to let anyone see how I really felt.
Lover here, lover there, who cried? Who cares? Foolish pride
I've had countless fleeting relationships and never allowed myself to really care for anyone. My pride kept me from showing true emotion.
Never was a good seat at any of this man's shows
I haven't been successful in love or relationships in the past.
Until now all I wanted to do is
In the past, all I cared about was
Do do do what I do, and
I was content with doing what I always did, and
Bang bang bang on the drummer
I was content with playing my music loud and fast.
And love so-and-so
While never forming any real connections with anyone.
But now I've got to let it go (let it go)
It's time for me to move on from my old habits and ways of thinking.
Lay back and let the vibe just flow
I need to relax and open myself up to new experiences and emotions.
I want to just let it go (let it go)
I'm ready to release my past and embrace the future.
Lay back and let my feelings show
I need to stop hiding my emotions and be true to myself.
I'm ready for the real
I'm ready for genuine and authentic experiences.
Give me something I can feel
I want something that will touch me deeply and truly resonate.
All my life this heart's been under lock and key
I've always kept my heart and emotions tightly guarded and closed off from others.
My curtains were drawn there wasn't nobody home
I've isolated myself from my feelings and from those around me.
Trigger here, trigger there, everybody's high except for me
Everyone seems to be having a good time except for me, who is still stuck in my old ways of thinking.
Better off dead if I couldn't be alone
I've become so accustomed to being alone that if I couldn't have my solitude, I'd rather not be alive.
Fourteen years and tears I've longed to sing my song
I've been holding onto my voice and my true self for a long time, even enduring hardship and sorrow.
But a horse couldn't drag your ass to put me on
It seems others haven't given me a chance to truly be myself or showcase my talents.
But now I've got an army and we're three million strong
I've built a community of supporters and like-minded people that are ready to hear what I have to say.
This song will ring in your ears when we are gone
My message and music will have a lasting impact, even beyond my time.
Said I want to let it go (let it go)
I need to make it clear that I'm truly ready to let go of my past.
I am ready for the real
I'm ready for authenticity and genuineness in all aspects of life.
(Come a little closer)
I want to connect with others on a deeper level.
Let it go
I need to release my old ways of thinking and embrace the new.
Lay back an' let the vibe just flow
I need to relax and let new experiences come to me naturally.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind