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.
Rain
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
The opening lines of Prince's famous song Purple Rain clearly express his regret for any pain or sorrow he may have caused someone he cares about deeply. He didn't intend to hurt them and only desired to see them happy. The following lines describe the beauty of the purple rain and how he only wanted to see that person bathing or standing underneath it. This is a clear metaphor for his love and how he wants to share it with the person he's addressing in the lyrics.
The next verse reveals that Prince didn't want to be a simple weekend lover for this person, rather he wanted to be more than that, perhaps even just a friend. He apologizes as their friendship has been affected by the complexities of their relationship. The final verse of the song is more of a plea for change, for something new to happen, but the person has to want it too. They need to stop being indecisive and let him be their guide to the beauty of the purple rain. The song ends with a final flourish of the chorus, and the same passion as it began.
Line by Line Meaning
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I did not intend to bring you sadness.
I never meant to cause you any pain
I did not wish to hurt you in any way.
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I wanted to see you happy and carefree.
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain
I desired to witness you content while the purple rain poured.
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain
The purple rain is vital, and I yearn for your attire to be soaked in it.
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
All I aspired to be was a friend rather than a fleeting companion.
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
I did not desire our relationship to be anything beyond friendship.
Baby, I could never steal you from another
I could never do you or another person harm by stealing you away.
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
It's unfortunate that our friendship had to conclude.
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain
I wanted to witness you standing below 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
I understand that things are changing, and it's time for all of us to obtain something innovative, including you.
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 say you want a leader to follow, but you can't make up your mind. Therefore, I believe it would be best for you to follow me to the purple rain.
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
If you comprehend the message I am conveying, raise your hand. The message is about the significance of purple rain.
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain
It's fundamental that I only see you under the purple rain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sharna-leebent462
Who like me is listening to this in 2024? Timeless! No words can describe this masterpiece of a song...to Prince, one of the greatest artists, may God rest his soul.
@AthanasiosTsourapas
Have danced to this back in the days…
@arkoroy7469
I'm here from black-ish!
@gailrochelle788
😊😊😊Meeee for One!! I saw Prince at The Old Manchester City Ground, Maine Road, in 1991, it was Amazing!!! RiP Prince God Bless You 🙏 💜 xxx
@judithMataGarcia-be5qy
Estoy escuchando: 10 enero 2024
@jackhuggins6174
He’s in Heaven with the Lord singing with the angels
@IAlecs
Let’s be honest, this wasn’t in your recommended... you searched for it !
@egyptchambers701
Something like that
@lovelyHKdoll
Yup
@Reedyngaihte
True