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.
Medley
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y'all feel good?
Alright now
Girl, I know this might seem strange
But let me know if I'm out of order
For stepping to you this way
See, I've been watching you for awhile, now
That I'm really feeling your style
Cuz I had to know your name, babe
And leave you with my number
And I hope that you would call me someday
Now if you want now you can give me yours to, yeah
If you don't, well I ain't mad at you, nah
We can still be cool cuz...
(I'm not trying to pressure you) Sing it, what?
(Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you) Can't hear you
(You ain't even really) ...gotta be my (girlfriend) Oh no
(I just wanna know your name) Know it
(And maybe)...sometime
(We can hook up...) And what? (hang out...) When what? (just chill)
Aw baby
She called
Damn, I'm surprised that you called
Cuz the way you walked away
I thought that you won't see me no more
Since you didn't wanna give me your name
Thought that you were...
What?
Alright
But anyway, what you doing tonight
I'll probably be with my peoples
If it's cool with you, maybe we'll swing by
You can just chill with us
Or you can just chill with me
Long as you're comfortable
And you feel secure when you're with me, see
I'm not trying to...(pressure you)
What? (Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you)
Sing it (you ain't even really...) even (...gotta be my girlfriend)
You ain't even gotta be my girlfriend, oh no
Oh yeah yeah
Everybody in the house tonight, yo, make some noise
Yeah yeah
{scatting}
Lord
Oh babe
Yeah, thank you very much
I appreciate it
Preach your love, y'all
The lyrics to Prince's song "Medley" tell the story of a man who is infatuated with a woman and makes a bold move to approach her. He acknowledges that his approach might seem strange, but he expresses his admiration for her and how he has been observing her for a while. He asks for her name and leaves his number, hoping that she will call him someday. He also makes it clear that if she doesn't want to give him her number, he won't be mad and they can still be cool.
In the second verse, the woman surprises him by actually calling him. He reflects on how he thought he wouldn't see her again after she walked away without giving him her name. He then asks what she's doing tonight and suggests hanging out with her and his friends. He assures her that she can feel comfortable and secure when she's with him, emphasizing that he's not pressuring her to be his girlfriend.
The song overall portrays the excitement and uncertainty of new connections and the willingness to take risks in pursuing someone you're attracted to. It highlights the importance of communication, respect, and allowing the relationship to progress naturally without any pressure.
Line by Line Meaning
How y'all feel?
How is everyone feeling?
Y'all feel good?
Are you all feeling good?
Alright now
Okay, let's continue
Girl, I know this might seem strange
I understand that what I'm about to say may be unusual
But let me know if I'm out of order
Please tell me if I'm being disrespectful
For stepping to you this way
Approaching you in this manner
See, I've been watching you for awhile, now
I've been observing you for some time
And I just gotta let'cha know
I simply have to let you know
That I'm really feeling your style
I genuinely like your personality
Cuz I had to know your name, babe
Because I wanted to know your name
And leave you with my number
And give you my phone number
And I hope that you would call me someday
And I hope that one day you will contact me
Now if you want now you can give me yours to, yeah
If you're interested, you can give me your number too
If you don't, well I ain't mad at you, nah
If you don't want to, that's fine, I won't be upset
We can still be cool cuz...
We can still be on good terms because...
(I'm not trying to pressure you) Sing it, what?
(I'm not trying to force you) Can you sing it, what do you say?
(Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you) Can't hear you
(I can't stop thinking about you) I can't hear your response
(You ain't even really) ...gotta be my (girlfriend) Oh no
(You don't even have to be my girlfriend) Oh no
(I just wanna know your name) Know it
(I just want to know your name) I already know it
(And maybe)...sometime
(And maybe)...at some point
(We can hook up...) And what? (hang out...) When what? (just chill)
(We can meet up...) And what? (spend time together...) When? (just relax)
Aw baby
Oh baby
She called
She made the phone call
Damn, I'm surprised that you called
Wow, I'm shocked that you actually called me
Cuz the way you walked away
Because the way you left
I thought that you won't see me no more
I thought I wouldn't see you again
Since you didn't wanna give me your name
Because you didn't want to tell me your name
Thought that you were...
I assumed that you were...
What?
What did I misunderstand?
Alright
Okay
But anyway, what you doing tonight
Anyway, what are you doing tonight?
I'll probably be with my peoples
I will likely be with my friends
If it's cool with you, maybe we'll swing by
If you're okay with it, maybe we can come over
You can just chill with us
You can simply relax with us
Or you can just chill with me
Or you can simply relax with me
Long as you're comfortable
As long as you feel at ease
And you feel secure when you're with me, see
And you feel safe when you're with me, understand?
I'm not trying to...(pressure you)
I'm not attempting to...(pressure you)
What? (Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you)
What? (I can't stop thinking about you)
Sing it (you ain't even really...) even (...gotta be my girlfriend)
Sing it (you don't even have to actually...) even (...be my girlfriend)
You ain't even gotta be my girlfriend, oh no
You don't even have to be my girlfriend, oh no
Oh yeah yeah
Oh yes, yes
Everybody in the house tonight, yo, make some noise
Everyone in the venue tonight, make some noise
Yeah yeah
Yes, yes
{scatting}
{improvisational vocalizing}
Lord
Oh my
Oh babe
Oh darling
Yeah, thank you very much
Yes, thank you so much
I appreciate it
I am grateful for it
Preach your love, y'all
Spread your love, everyone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bobby Hebb, Carvin Haggins, Taalid Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind