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.
PurpleRain
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain
Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out
For something new, that means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain
In Prince's song "Purple Rain," he begins by acknowledging that he never intended to cause any harm or sadness in someone's life. He simply wanted to see this person laugh and be happy, even if just for a moment. The theme of the color purple is weaved throughout the song, with Prince referring to the "purple rain" and wanting to see this person "bathing in the purple rain." This is a metaphor for finding peace and solace in difficult times, and the color purple is often associated with spirituality, imagination, and creativity.
Prince then shifts to discussing his relationship with this person, acknowledging that he never wanted to be a mere fling or weekend lover. He just wanted to be a friend to this person, but unfortunately, their friendship had to come to an end. In the final verse, Prince speaks directly to the listener, encouraging them to embrace change and try new things. He suggests that they follow him into the "purple rain," where they'll find a sense of security and guidance.
Overall, "Purple Rain" is an incredibly emotional and powerful song. Prince's use of color symbolism and metaphors help to convey a sense of depth and meaning that goes beyond the surface-level lyrics. It's a beautiful reminder that even in difficult times, there's always hope for something better.
Line by Line Meaning
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I didn't want to hurt you
I never meant to cause you any pain
I didn't want to cause you any harm
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I just wanted to make you happy and see you smile once
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain
I wanted to see you happy and carefree, dancing and playing in the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain which symbolizes the intertwined emotions of pain and beauty is repeated symbolizing how it is both melancholic and beautiful at the same time.
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain
I wanted to see you enjoying the sad beauty of the world in a way that also cleanses and affirms life
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I didn't want to be just a casual fling
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
I just wanted to have a meaningful relationship with you that doesn't necessarily have to include intimacy
Baby, I could never steal you from another
I couldn't make you mine and take you away from someone else
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
It's depressing to let go of a meaningful relationship
Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out
For something new, that means you too
The world is constantly changing so we should embrace the new times with an open mind and heart.
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
You're looking for guidance but you can't decide, maybe it's time for you to stop overthinking and just let yourself be guided and washed in the purple rain by someone who understands.
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand
If you can relate and understand the emotion in my music, show me by raising your hand
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain
All I want is to see you happy and free, enjoying and relishing in the bittersweet beauty of the purple rain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind