Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known m… Read Full Bio ↴Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.

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.

ManOwar
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why you screaming?
You know I'm not a man of war
Break the gold chain that I gave you
Throw it down on the floor

Instead of this 7 page letter
I wish I had piece of mind
My friends tell me, "You should go get her"

But loving you, loving you, loving you is a waste of time

Oh yes, it is, a waste of time, ooh

I need to get out of this city
I need to get you out of my head
I need to get away from the words that you said to me

Why you screaming?
(Ooh)
You know I'm not a man of war
How could you think that
I could put something inside of someone
That I put inside you, inside you?

Even if I tried to, tried to
(Tried to, tried to)
I couldn't 'cause I still smell like the last time that we
Loving you, loving you, loving you is a waste of time
(A waste of time)

Oh, yes it is
Loving you, a waste of time
(Ooh oh)

I need to feel wanted again
I need to feel love is alive, yeah
I need to hear you say
That you ain't looking for another reason to make me cry

Why you screaming?
(Ooh)
You know I'm not a man of war
I've been trying to make you happy, baby
Ever since we were sophomores

(But loving you, loving you, loving you)
Is a waste of time, oh yes, it is
Oh, is a waste of time, waste of time, waste of time

If there's no future then there is no past
And all we've got is right now
Let's make it last
Make it last, make it last
(Ooh)

Why you screaming?
You know I'm not a man of war
Break the gold chain
(Break the gold chain that I gave you)
Throw it down on the floor, oh baby

Instead of this 7 page letter
I wish I had piece of mind
(My friends tell me, "You should go get her"Â)
Tell me, "You should go get her"

(But loving you)
Loving you, loving you, loving you
Is a waste of time
(A waste of time)
Oh, a waste of time, oh yeah

I need to get out of this city
I need to get you out of my head
I need to
I need to get away from the words that you said to me
I need to

I need to feel wanted again
Oh, I need to hear no sin
Hear me
(But loving you, loving you, loving you)

Why you screaming?
You know I'm not a man of war
Break the gold chain that I gave you
Throw it down on the floor, oh baby

Instead of this 7 page letter
I wish I had piece of mind

My friends tell me, "You should go get her"
But loving you, loving you, loving you is a waste of time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Prince's song "ManOwar" depict a tumultuous and toxic relationship. The singer addresses their partner, asking why they are screaming, emphasizing that they are not a person who seeks conflict or war. The reference to breaking the gold chain symbolizes the dissolution of the emotional bond between them. The singer expresses regret for writing a long letter instead of finding peace within themselves. Despite advice from friends to move on, the singer acknowledges that loving their partner is futile and a waste of time.

The song reflects the singer's desire to escape their current situation and remove thoughts of their partner from their mind. They long to be free from the hurtful words that were said to them and yearn for a sense of being wanted and loved again. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been trying to make their partner happy since their early days together, but ultimately realizes that their love is unreciprocated and destructive.

Overall, "ManOwar" conveys the pain and frustration of being in a toxic relationship where love is one-sided and futile. It explores themes of self-realization, the need for emotional closure, and the desire to break free from harmful patterns.

Line by Line Meaning

Why you screaming?
Why are you raising your voice in anger?

You know I'm not a man of war
You are aware that I am not someone who seeks conflict or fights.

Break the gold chain that I gave you
Destroy the symbolic gift I bestowed upon you.

Throw it down on the floor
Discard it in a disrespectful manner.

Instead of this 7 page letter
Rather than expressing my thoughts in a lengthy written message,

I wish I had piece of mind
I desire a calm and clear state of mind.

My friends tell me, 'You should go get her'
My peers advise me to pursue you romantically.

But loving you, loving you, loving you is a waste of time
Engaging in a romantic relationship with you is unproductive and futile.

Oh yes, it is, a waste of time, ooh
Indeed, it truly is an unproductive use of time.

I need to get out of this city
I must escape from this urban environment.

I need to get you out of my head
I must remove you from my thoughts and emotions.

I need to get away from the words that you said to me
I must distance myself from the hurtful remarks you have directed towards me.

How could you think that
Why did you believe that it was possible

I could put something inside of someone
I could place my emotions or feelings into another person

That I put inside you, inside you?
That I previously shared or expressed with you?

Even if I tried to, tried to
Even if I made an attempt

I couldn't 'cause I still smell like the last time that we
I am unable to because I still carry the remnants of our past encounters

Loving you, loving you, loving you is a waste of time
Having affection and romantic feelings for you is an unproductive use of my time

I need to feel wanted again
I require the sensation of being desired once more

I need to feel love is alive, yeah
I long to experience the presence of love and its vitality

I need to hear you say
I need to listen to you verbally express

That you ain't looking for another reason to make me cry
That you have no intention of seeking additional causes to bring me pain

I've been trying to make you happy, baby
I have been exerting effort to bring you joy, my dear

Ever since we were sophomores
Since our time in secondary education

If there's no future then there is no past
If there is no prospect of a future together, then everything that has occurred in the past becomes irrelevant

And all we've got is right now
The only thing we truly possess is the present moment

Let's make it last
Let us ensure that this current moment endures

Make it last, make it last
Sustain and prolong the current state

You know I'm not a man of war
You understand that I am not someone inclined towards conflict or fighting

Break the gold chain
Shatter the symbolic piece of jewelry

That I gave you
That I presented to you

Throw it down on the floor, oh baby
Discard it forcefully upon the ground, my dear

I wish I had piece of mind
I desire a tranquil and composed state of mind

Tell me, 'You should go get her'
Advise me by saying, 'You should pursue her'

Is a waste of time
Is an unproductive use of time

Oh, a waste of time, oh yeah
Oh yes, truly an unproductive use of time

I need to get out of this city
I must escape from this urban environment