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.
My Medallion
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say fellas
U ever have one them girls that just... bad?
Know what I mean?
Nah, I ain't talkin' about fine, I'm talkin' about bad
Cuss all the time, steal... man she rob her own moms
Down at the post office got 2 pictures
I'm talkin' about one of Bebe's kids, y'all - bad!
Oh, she fine 2...fine
Don't know why, I want that girl {x2}
'Twas the middle of the summer
Rather late in the day
This pretty thang, she walked up 2 me
She said she was good 2 play
She told me 2 close my eyes
So she could get a kiss
I said, "Sure, honey" and obliged (Sure, honey)
Girl snatched my medallion and called me a bitch, running!
Don't know why, I want that girl {x4}
I found out her place of employment
Dry cleaning - "We do fine" (Ha ha ha ha ha...)
2 manifest a little unenjoyment in her life
Was all that was running through the middle of my mind
There are many elements: wind, fire, water
But none quite like the element of surprise
See my baby, she gave me that medallion
And it, uh, U know, it mean a lot 2 me
So, so I walked up in that piece with a disguise on
And I said, "Hey!
I don't know what your name or your game is
But U better get your G-hind down on the floor
Cuz U see, I'm in a mood 2 do something koo-koo 2 U"
So she gave me that kiss and ran out the back door, ow!
Don't know why, I want that girl
Don't know why, but I want that girl
Don't know why, I want that girl
Don't know why, but I want that girl
Oh, turning around the corner
Thought that she would get by, huh - much 2 her surprise
Michael Yardbird dropped both his crutches downstairs
Tripped baby on her backside
Holdin' on the banister, sliding down slow
U know he about 2 fall down all them stairs, yo
My medallion's on the center line
She dropped my piece in the middle of the street
The taxi cab about 2 run it down (Beep beep, oh yeah)
But when the bling-bling caught the driver's eyes
He slammed on his brakes and jumped out his ride
And as he was just about 2 put his fat neck up in my jewels
(Uhn uhn uhn, nigga!)
Yardbird bounced down the stairs of that house
Crushing the bad girl like the Union Army crushed the Deep South
And when the driver turned his head 2 get his peek on
I entered at my medallion and broke the other way
Sister was limpin' but she was kinda good 2 play
Don't know why I want that girl {x4}
(Don't, man)
(Why)
In Prince's song My Medallion, the singer explores his infatuation with a bad girl who steals from her own mother and cusses all the time. Despite her negative qualities, Prince finds himself drawn to her, even though he cannot explain why. The story unfolds in a dramatic fashion as the bad girl steals Prince's medallion while they share a kiss, seemingly tricking him. Determined to get it back, Prince disguises himself and confronts her at her workplace, a dry cleaner. The confrontation escalates, and the bad girl runs out the back door, dropping Prince's medallion on the center line of the street. As she attempts to flee, she is tripped by a man named Michael Yardbird, who drops his crutches, causing the bad girl to stumble and fall. In the chaos, the medallion falls into the middle of the street, and a taxi nearly runs it over. The driver stops in time, but as he looks up, Prince grabs the medallion and runs the other way, leaving the bad girl limping and injured.
The song's lyrics express an intriguing dynamic between Prince and the bad girl, one that is simultaneously sensual and confrontational. Prince is drawn to the girl, despite her negative qualities, and is willing to confront her aggressively to retrieve his cherished medallion. The story unfolds in a comedic and chaotic manner, adding to the song's energy and appeal. Overall, the lyrics capture the thrill and danger of being attracted to someone who is bad for you, as well as the lengths we might go to retrieve something we have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh uh, mm mm
Expression of hesitation, unsure of how to introduce the topic
Say fellas
Addressing men specifically, seeking their input or attention
U ever have one them girls that just... bad?
Asking if they have come across a girl who is not just beautiful but also trouble.
Know what I mean?
Asking if they are on the same page or have shared similar experiences
Nah, I ain't talkin' about fine, I'm talkin' about bad
Clarifying that he is not talking about a girl who is just beautiful but also troublesome.
Cuss all the time, steal... man she rob her own moms
Giving examples of how troublesome the girl can be
Down at the post office got 2 pictures
Referencing a notorious criminal, Bebe's kids, and comparing the girl to them.
I'm talkin' about one of Bebe's kids, y'all - bad!
Reiterating how troublesome this girl is, comparing her to notorious criminals.
Hear me?
Asking if his listeners are still listening and paying attention
Oh, she fine 2...fine
Acknowledging that despite all the troublesome behavior, she is also beautiful
Don't know why, I want that girl {x2}
Admitting that there is something intriguing about this girl despite all her negative traits
'Twas the middle of the summer
Setting the scene of when the encounter took place
Rather late in the day
Giving more details about the time of the encounter
This pretty thang, she walked up 2 me
Describing how the girl approached him
She said she was good 2 play
Suggesting she was interested in having fun with him
She told me 2 close my eyes
Asking for a kiss but giving a strange instruction
So she could get a kiss
Clarifying why she wanted him to close his eyes
I said, "Sure, honey" and obliged (Sure, honey)
Agreeing to the strange request, possibly not seeing any harm
Girl snatched my medallion and called me a bitch, running!
Unexpectedly steals his medallion and name-calls him, then runs away
Don't know why, I want that girl {x4}
Reiterating his fascination and attraction to the girl despite her stealing from him and name-calling him
I found out her place of employment
Continuing to pursue her to seek revenge and get back his medallion
Dry cleaning - "We do fine" (Ha ha ha ha ha...)
Poking fun at the dry cleaning industry's slogan
2 manifest a little unenjoyment in her life
Revealing his plan to create discomfort for her
Was all that was running through the middle of my mind
Explaining his thought process and motivation
There are many elements: wind, fire, water
Musing on elements of the natural world
But none quite like the element of surprise
Exclaiming the power of surprise over the other elements
See my baby, she gave me that medallion
Recalling the sentimental value of the medallion, possibly given to him by a past lover
And it, uh, U know, it mean a lot 2 me
Affirming the sentimental value of the medallion
So, so I walked up in that piece with a disguise on
Revealing his strategy to sneak into the dry cleaning place
And I said, "Hey!
Announcing his arrival
I don't know what your name or your game is
Acknowledging his lack of knowledge about this girl
But U better get your G-hind down on the floor
Threatening her, telling her to get down to the floor
Cuz U see, I'm in a mood 2 do something koo-koo 2 U"
Making a vague threat about doing something crazy to her
So she gave me that kiss and ran out the back door, ow!
Getting a kiss from her, then allowing her to escape
Oh, turning around the corner
Continuing the chase
Thought that she would get by, huh - much 2 her surprise
Believing that she could escape but then running into another obstacle
Michael Yardbird dropped both his crutches downstairs
Introducing another character, Michael Yardbird, and adding humor with his clumsiness
Tripped baby on her backside
Describing how Michael Yardbird accidentally caused the girl to fall
Holdin' on the banister, sliding down slow
Adding more detail to the girl's fall
U know he about 2 fall down all them stairs, yo
Predicting Michael Yardbird's fall
My medallion's on the center line
Revealing that the medallion fell off the girl and onto the ground
She dropped my piece in the middle of the street
Clarifying that the girl dropped the medallion
The taxi cab about 2 run it down (Beep beep, oh yeah)
Adding more tension to the situation as a taxi almost runs over the medallion
But when the bling-bling caught the driver's eyes
Explaining the sudden appearance of the driver who stops his taxi
He slammed on his brakes and jumped out his ride
Showing the driver's enthusiasm to retrieve the medallion
And as he was just about 2 put his fat neck up in my jewels
Fearing that the driver would steal or damage the medallion
(Uhn uhn uhn, nigga!)
Exclaiming and threatening the driver to back off
Yardbird bounced down the stairs of that house
Bringing back the clumsy Michael Yardbird who stumbles down the stairs
Crushing the bad girl like the Union Army crushed the Deep South
Making a graphic comparison of how Michael Yardbird lands on the girl
And when the driver turned his head 2 get his peek on
Describing what the driver does while Prince makes his escape
I entered at my medallion and broke the other way
Successfully retrieves the medallion and flees the scene
Sister was limpin' but she was kinda good 2 play
Noting that the girl was still interested in playing despite being injured
Don't know why I want that girl {x4}
Ending the song with another repetition of his attraction and fascination with the girl despite everything
(Don't, man)
Possible expression of doubt or regret
(Why)
Possible question to himself, considering why he is so drawn to a troublesome girl
Contributed by Leah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.