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.
S.S.T
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Certainly not the ones who don't wanna repent
And keep giving guns 2 the poorest of our nation's sons
Who is gonna call you by name?
With no confusion, trinity or preacher's vain?
Who says that everytime
And opens up the eyes of the blind?
Who will be the 1 in his bed?
And wished him dead while they took his daily bread.
Which 1 is of value to you?
The 1 depleting the oil supply
Or the One that renews it
And keeps the peace...
Like the groove in Sade's sweetest taboo.
Who will be a guest in you're tent?
Are you gonna be happy with how you're life has been spent?
Did you have open arms 4 each and everybody you met
Or did you let them die in the rain? Endless war, Poverty or hurricane...
It's time 4 another groove...
Like Sade's Sweetest Taboo.
The lyrics in Prince's S.S.T. (which stands for Super Soulful Technique) reflect on the nature of humanity and the divinity that exists within it. The first few lines address the idea that the "guests in our tent" should not be those who refuse to repent, or those who promote violence and destruction. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which seeks to highlight the importance of compassion, forgiveness, and love.
The lyrics then proceed to ask who will "call us by name" with clarity and openness, and who will "open up the eyes of the blind." These lines seem to refer to a spiritual figure who can offer guidance and wisdom to those who seek it. Prince also contrasts those who put "thorns on his head" and wished death upon him with those who promote peace and positive change in the world. The song seems to be asking the listener to consider which type of person they want to be, and what kind of legacy they want to leave behind.
Overall, S.S.T. is a deeply reflective and contemplative song that encourages listeners to think about their own role in the world and what kind of impact they want to have on others. It's a reminder that every choice we make has consequences, and that we can choose to be agents of positive change in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Who will be a guest in you're tent?
Who will you welcome in your life and inner circle?
Certainly not the ones who don't wanna repent
You won't welcome those who refuse to change their ways.
And keep giving guns 2 the poorest of our nation's sons
Especially those who keep arming and exploiting the most vulnerable of our society.
Who is gonna call you by name?
Who really knows and understands you?
With no confusion, trinity or preacher's vain?
Without any religious or societal preconceptions/expectations.
Who says that everytime
Who consistently speaks truth and provides clarity?
And opens up the eyes of the blind?
And helps people to see things from a new perspective?
Who will be the 1 in his bed?
Who will be the one you are intimate with?
Certainly not the 1's who put thorns on his head
Definitely not those who have hurt or betrayed you.
And wished him dead while they took his daily bread.
And profited at the expense of his suffering.
Which 1 is of value to you?
What do you prioritize and give importance to?
The 1 depleting the oil supply
Those who are exploiting and destroying our resources for profit?
Or the One that renews it
Or those who work to replenish and sustain our resources?
And keeps the peace...
And promotes harmony and balance in the world.
Like the groove in Sade's sweetest taboo.
Like the addictive and mesmerizing beat of Sade's music.
Who will be a guest in your tent?
Who you let into your life and heart determines your experiences and growth.
Are you gonna be happy with how you're life has been spent?
Reflection on whether one has lived their life according to their values and desires.
Did you have open arms 4 each and everybody you met
Did you embrace and treat everyone with kindness and compassion?
Or did you let them die in the rain? Endless war, Poverty or hurricane...
Or did you turn a blind eye to their struggles and hardships?
It's time 4 another groove...
It's time for a new beat and rhythm in life.
Like Sade's Sweetest Taboo.
Like the euphoric rush experienced while listening to Sade's music.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gestureye7x urisopc
what a jam this is! the loop of the drums and bass is insane! one man BAND - come through!!!
Larry Branch II
The ending to this was absolutely JAM PACKED! Wow. #Prince #4Ever
Che Boy
Greatest Artist of All !
(populair music)
marilynn mcnair
this is such a funky jam. prince played all the instruments. he was a big hearted philanthropist and a funky man!
purple rain
Ohmy goodness!!! 💜🎧💜
THE LIKWIDLIGHT EXP
What a poet
April Reign
Long live PRN #legacy!💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
fiors73
waoh ? what a surprise 😍💜
carl l price
Funkiest jazz on the planet 💜💜💜🎸✝️✝️✝️🎤🎺🌈🌈🌈🌈🎶
Sunia Chouiqa
Good hearted man