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.

Play in the Sunshine
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Play, play, play,
Ooo doh, awh, ooo, ooo, ooo

We want to play in the sunshine
We want to be free
Without the help of a margarita or ecstacy
We want to kick like we used to
Sign up on the dotted line

We gonna dance every dance
Like it's gonna be the last time

We got to, play in the sunshine
Turn all the lights up to ten
I want to meet you (meet you), and kiss you (kiss you)
Love you (love you), and miss you (miss you)
Do it all over again, do it all over again

We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, awh

Play in the sunshine

We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (so tall)

Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin to talk
And the color green will make your best friend leave ya
It will make 'em do the walk
But that's cool
'Cause one day, everyday will be a yellow day
And let's play,

Woo, y'all, (gonna get over), over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, ooo ooo ooo, awh, yawh

Play, play, play, play, play, play, play, play woo
We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
I'm gonna find my way and some how have fun, yawh, awh, y'all
Some way, some how, I've just got to have fun

(Play), (play)
(Play) no, (play) no, (play) no
(Come on, play) No! (Play) no! (Play play play) yea!

Drummer, do your thing
Drummer, drummer, do your thing, woo
Drummer, drummer, drummer
Can I get some of that? Wait a minute, ha ha ha

Let's get out of here (yeah)
(Play, in the sunshine)
We're not afraid to (play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
We are going to

(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Prince's "Play in the Sunshine" is all about living life to the fullest, experiencing all the joys and pleasures of living without any restrictions or substances. It begins with a simple statement: "We want to play in the sunshine, We want to be free." Prince is invoking the idea of joy and the natural pleasures of life. He is celebrating life and encouraging others to join him. He notes that he doesn't need any artificial aids to experience the joy of living, "Without the help of a margarita or ecstasy."

Prince continues his ode to living by promoting the idea of dancing as if there’s no tomorrow, "We gonna dance every dance like it's gonna be the last time." He talks about kicking it like they used to, as though attempting to resurrect the thrills of youth. The chorus is joyous and high tempo with Prince’s voice heightening the celebratory atmosphere. He insists that he needs to feel the beat of the music and captures the euphoric feeling of being alive. Prince is your personal genie here, granting you the wish of happiness and fun through the act of playing in the sunshine.

Overall, "Play in the Sunshine" can be seen as an invitation to enjoy the beautiful moments in life, encouraging camaraderie and a carefree attitude. It's a call to let loose and enjoy life on our own terms. The entire song is about the willingness to let go of all worries and seize every opportunity to celebrate life.

Line by Line Meaning

Play, play, play,
Let's have fun and enjoy life to the fullest

We want to play in the sunshine
We want to be carefree and happy, without any worries or struggles

We want to be free
We want to live a life that isn't controlled by anyone else but ourselves

Without the help of a margarita or ecstacy
We don't need any substances to enjoy our lives

We want to kick like we used to
We want to be youthful and energetic again

We gonna dance every dance, Like it's gonna be the last time
We will enjoy every moment as if it were our last, without any regrets

We got to, play in the sunshine
Playing and having fun in the sunshine is a must-do for us

Turn all the lights up to ten
Let's brighten up our lives and live vibrantly

I want to meet you (meet you), and kiss you (kiss you), Love you (love you), and miss you (miss you)
Let's form connections and cherish them for as long as possible

Do it all over again, do it all over again
Let's relive life's happy moments

We're gonna get over
We'll overcome our struggles, and enjoy life

I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
We're experiencing a happy moment and feeling grateful for it

Before my life is done
Before life passes away, we want to be happy and fulfilled

We gonna love all our enemies
We'll spread love to those who hate us

Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We'll keep loving until the end

We're gonna rock him, We're gonna roll him
We'll explore new things and enjoy the process, just like the king of the jungle

We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (so tall)
We'll teach people how to love, expand their horizons, and make them better humans

And let's play
Let's be happy and have fun

We're not afraid to (play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
We'll happily play, sing, and dance in the sunshine, without any fears

We are going to (Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
Playing in the sunshine, laughing and singing is a must-do for us

(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
We'll live joyfully while we can