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.
Segue
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Vanessa?)
I'm not recording this time
So how are you?
(How are you?)
Fine
(Fine)
Excuse me, but ah, what's up with your voice?
(It's a special phone, a tone box)
A tongue box
Oh, l-like in the movie Barbarella?
(Yeah, gives me courage, you know)
(Like a veil I can hide behind)
(It talks at, around, through her)
Okay, so why are you giving me an interview?
(Because I want you)
Pardon me?
(To tell the truth)
Oh, well, I will if you will
For example, the first song of your opera
(Ah, the opera)
Why don't you tell me your real name
(My name is Victor)
That is not the truth and you know it
How old are you?
(I'm into my fifth soul now so that makes me three hundred)
Why do you pretend to be amazed?
(And twenty, I'm amazed at your beauty)
(I saw you on television)
Three hundred and twenty hmm, don't sweat it honey, I'm too young for you
Although rumor has it that the crown princess of Cairo
Is now a member of the NPG
Are you there?
Do you know that the princess is sixteen years old?
How 'bout this for a story
"Three-hundred and twenty year old robs the cradle"
What a scandal
(Scandal)
You know, if you don't give me the real story
I'll have to make one up of my own
So why don't you tell me the truth, the truth, the truth
Why don't you tell me the truth?
The lyrics of Segue by Prince are a conversation between the artist and a woman named Vanessa, who is interviewing him. In the beginning, Vanessa asks Prince about his voice, which he explains is due to a special phone tone box that gives him courage and a veil to hide behind. Vanessa then proceeds to ask Prince about his opera, and Prince reveals that his real name is Victor, but Vanessa does not believe him. Prince goes on to say that he is 320 years old, which Vanessa humorously responds to by saying she’s too young for him. Vanessa then asks Prince about the crown princess of Cairo, who is now a member of the NPG, and Prince responds by revealing that the princess is only sixteen years old.
The conversation between Prince and Vanessa is intriguing as it includes absurd and humorous elements that form the basis of the song's theme. The tone box that Prince uses for courage is an example of the unique and creative ways in which Prince wrote his lyrics. Similarly, Prince's claim to being 320 years old adds to his persona as an eccentric artist. Furthermore, the conversation between the two is playful and gives the impression that Prince is not afraid to laugh at himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello
Prince initiates a conversation with an unidentified person
(Vanessa?)
Prince addresses the person on the other end of the line, wondering if they are Vanessa
I'm not recording this time
So how are you?
Prince reassures the person that their conversation is not being recorded and asks how they are doing
(How are you?)
Fine
(Fine)
The person responds that they are fine
Excuse me, but ah, what's up with your voice?
(It's a special phone, a tone box)
Prince asks about the person's voice, to which they explain that they are using a special device called a tone box
A tongue box
Oh, l-like in the movie Barbarella?
(Yeah, gives me courage, you know)
(Like a veil I can hide behind)
(It talks at, around, through her)
The person elaborates on their tone box, comparing it to the one in the movie Barbarella and explaining its effects on them
Okay, so why are you giving me an interview?
(Because I want you)
Pardon me?
(To tell the truth)
Oh, well, I will if you will
Prince inquires about why the person is giving him an interview, and they respond that it's because they want to tell the truth. Prince agrees to do so as well
For example, the first song of your opera
(Ah, the opera)
Why don't you tell me your real name
(My name is Victor)
That is not the truth and you know it
Prince asks the person about the first song in their opera and their real name, to which they respond with a false name. Prince calls them out on the lie
How old are you?
(I'm into my fifth soul now so that makes me three hundred)
Why do you pretend to be amazed?
(And twenty, I'm amazed at your beauty)
(I saw you on television)
Prince asks the person about their age and they respond with a fantastical answer, leading Prince to question their feigned amazement at his beauty and wonder if they had seen him on television
Three hundred and twenty hmm, don't sweat it honey, I'm too young for you
Although rumor has it that the crown princess of Cairo
Is now a member of the NPG
Are you there?
Prince comments on the person's purported age, indicating that they are too young for him. He then brings up a rumor about a young princess and asks if they are still there
Do you know that the princess is sixteen years old?
How 'bout this for a story
"Three-hundred and twenty year old robs the cradle"
What a scandal
(Scandal)
The person reveals that the princess is only sixteen, causing Prince to suggest a scandalous story about someone so old robbing the cradle, which they agree would be scandalous
You know, if you don't give me the real story
I'll have to make one up of my own
So why don't you tell me the truth, the truth, the truth
Why don't you tell me the truth?
Prince warns the person that if they don't give him the real story, he'll have to make one up. He repeats his request for the truth
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind