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 Sinรฉad 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)
NยทEยทWยทS (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.
Purple Rain Instr.
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you in the purple rain
Purple rain
Purple rain
The lyrics of Prince's song "Purple Rain" seem to describe regret and sadness over causing pain to someone the singer cares about deeply. The opening lines "Never meant to cause you any sorrow / Never meant to cause you any pain" emphasize the singer's intentions to do good and his sadness over not succeeding in doing so. He then expresses a desire to see this person happy, saying "I only wanted to one time to see you laughing." This line suggests that the singer may have caused this person pain in the past, which makes him eager to see her happy.
The song's chorus, "I only wanted to see you in the purple rain / Purple rain," is a metaphor for the wish to see the person he cares about in a beautiful and peaceful moment, despite the chaos that may have occurred in their past. The purple rain could symbolize a moment of harmony or reconciliation between the two. The song's powerful instrumental section emphasizes the emotional intensity of Prince's vocals and conveys the feeling of the singer's longing for this person.
Overall, "Purple Rain" is a poignant example of Prince's ability to convey complex emotions through his music. The lyrics express feelings of remorse, pain, and longing, while the instrumental section serves as a cathartic release for the emotions bubbling beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
Never meant to cause you any sorrow
I did not intend to bring sadness to your life
Never meant to cause you any pain
I did not intend to hurt you
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I just wanted to witness you happy and carefree at least once
I only wanted to see you in the purple rain
I desired for us to share a special moment together in the midst of a mesmerizing natural phenomenon
Purple rain
A phrase used to describe the captivating purple hue of the rain during a storm
Purple rain
Repeated phrase used to emphasize the significance and beauty of the experience being described
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
C.G. Martins
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
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
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
C.G. Martins
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
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
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
Faith
i've always loved the instrumental of the song. its very clear and also enjoyable to listen to.
IcemanJuice
REST IN PEACE PRINCE
julie turner SUPERJULZIE
I love it..crisp clear sounding with clean bump
MaskMan191
@Bottles Beats Okay? I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but I made that comment because this instrumental is clearly low bitrate and I hear a few crackles and pops. It also sounds like it's missing a lot from the actual song.
Bottles Beats
@MaskMan191 good lord you must be the most flawless specimen of human being I have ever witnessed
MaskMan191
Crisp and clear my ass, this is the most muddy and drudged-up version of this song I have ever heard.
Gooey Gaster
now i just need this for 10 hours
spoiled milk
4.20.2020 โข Almost 4 years without Your Purple Majesty
moesha Campbell
Rock on prince rock on prince in heaven you will never be forgotten my favorite guitarist in the world you no you could make that guitar scream and squeal o man way you had too go so soon I miss you so much you will always be in my heart prince your music is forever playing in my heart and all over the entire world and am playing it now on my tablet remembering you๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ