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.
Partyup
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We just want to jam, party up
(Party up, got to party up)
That army bag, such a double drag, party up
(Party up, got to, got to, got to party up)
Party, got to party down, baby
Revolutionary rock and roll
Goin' uptown, baby, ooh
They got the draft, uh, uh I just laugh, party
(Party up, got to party up)
Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore, party up
(Party up, got to, got to, got to party up)
Party, uh, uh, got to party down, babe
Oh, it's all about what's in your mind
Goin' uptown, baby, ooh
I don't want to die I just want to have a bloody good time
Party up, got to party up
Party up, got to party up
Because of their half-baked mistakes
We get ice cream, no cake, all lies, no truth
Is it fair to kill the youth?
Party up
Got to party up, yeah
Got to party up, babe, ooh
Got to party up yeah
Got to party up babe, ooh
Got to party up yeah, oh oh
Got to party up babe, ooh
Got to party up, yeah
Got to party up, babe, yeah, yeah-yeah
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Revolutionary rock'n'roll)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up, baby)
(Party up, got to party up, yeah)
You gonna have to fight your own damn war (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
You gonna have to fight your own damn war (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
You gonna have to fight your own damn war (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
I said we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
Prince's song "Partyup" is a protest anthem against the Vietnam War and the forced conscription of young men who had no desire to fight in a foreign war. Prince expresses his frustration and anger at the government's decision to force young men to fight in a war that they had no say in. The lyrics "How you gonna make me kill somebody I don't even know?" and "I don't want to die I just want to have a bloody good time" highlight the absurdity of the war and the hypocrisy of those who support it.
Prince also criticizes the government's policies towards the working class, with the lyrics "Because of their half-baked mistakes, We get ice cream, no cake, all lies, no truth. Is it fair to kill the youth?" The song urges people to come together and rebel against the system that is oppressing them. The chorus, "We don't give a damn, We just want to jam, party up" is a call to action for people to come together, put aside their differences and party up in the face of adversity.
Overall, "Partyup" is a powerful protest song that stands the test of time. Its message is still relevant today, as young people all over the world are being forced to fight in wars they don't believe in and governments continue to ignore the needs of the people.
Line by Line Meaning
We don't give a damn
We just want to jam, party up
(Party up, got to party up)
We don't care about anything else but having a good time.
That army bag, such a double drag, party up
(Party up, got to, got to, got to party up)
Military service is unpleasant and boring, so let's party instead.
Party, got to party down, baby
Revolutionary rock and roll
Goin' uptown, baby, ooh
We need to party like revolutionaries, with anti-establishment rock and roll music, and go out on the town.
How you gonna make me kill somebody I don't even know?
They got the draft, uh, uh I just laugh, party
(Party up, got to party up)
I don't want to fight in a war where I'm forced to kill strangers, but I'm not going to let it get me down. Let's party instead.
Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore, party up
(Party up, got to, got to, got to party up)
Fighting a war is dull and unpleasant, so let's party instead.
Oh, it's all about what's in your mind
Goin' uptown, baby, ooh
I don't want to die I just want to have a bloody good time
What matters is our state of mind, so let's have a great time and enjoy life, rather than worry about death and destruction.
Because of their half-baked mistakes
We get ice cream, no cake, all lies, no truth
Is it fair to kill the youth?
Party up
The government's mistakes are harming us (the youth), so is it fair to ask us to fight and possibly die in war? Let's party instead.
Got to party up, yeah
Got to party up, babe, ooh
(Party up, got to party up)
(Party up, got to party up)
We must party, and we all know it. It's the only way to have fun and forget our troubles.
You gonna have to fight your own damn war (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
We don't want to fight in someone else's war, so they'll have to fight it themselves. We just want to party and have a good time.
I said we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
'Cause we don't wanna fight no more (party up, got to party up)
Once again, we don't want to fight anymore - we just want to party.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind