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.
Silly Game
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I'd want to run to
I never thought you would be the one
That would make me care
And even tho you done me wrong
For some strange reason I can't explain
I get happy knowing you phoned
Cause your voice could kill my every pain
I never thought you would be the one
That I'd want to give to
A diamond ring, anything that you ask me to
But there you were, bragging to your friends
Making up a story that's so lame
That I was down to be your sugar daddy
One way ticket to ghetto fame
Why do we play this silly game?
Every other night you weren't at home
Out in the streets, just acting grown
Never with a bodyguard or chaperon
Then I hear a rumor that breaks my heart
Instead of taking care of yourself
You're tearing yourself apart
Now why you want to
(Why you want to, why you want to)
Now why you want to go and do that, love?
Why do we play this silly game?
I never thought you would be the one
(That I'd want to run to) that I'd want to run to
I never thought you'd be the one
That would make me care
No matter how far I run
I'll never be the same (I'll never be the same)
In the end, in the end, there's only us to blame
Why do we play this,
Why do we play this silly,
Why do we play this silly game?
Yeah
Oh-oh
Tell me why? (Tell me why?)
Oh why? (Oh why?)
Oh why, why?
Why do we play this silly game?
Game
In "Silly Game," Prince expresses his confusion and frustration regarding his complicated relationship with a woman who continues to play games with his heart. He is surprised that he even cares for her after she has wronged him, and he finds himself happy just hearing her voice. However, their relationship is rocky, and he has caught her lying to her friends about him, claiming that he's acting as her sugar daddy. As their relationship deteriorates, he hears rumors about her reckless behavior, which breaks his heart. In the end, he questions why they continue to play this silly game and cause themselves pain.
The lyrics of "Silly Game" convey themes of love, heartbreak, and deception. The repeated use of the phrase "silly game" reinforces the idea that their relationship is nothing but a game, and neither of them truly seems to know why they keep playing. The song is notable for its soulful tone, which is enhanced by Prince's emotional delivery and the powerful backing vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought you would be the one
I didn't expect you to be the person I would feel deeply for
That I'd want to run to
That I would turn to in times of trouble
That would make me care
That would cause me to have strong feelings for them
And even tho you done me wrong
Despite the fact that you have hurt me
For some strange reason I can't explain
There is an unexplainable feeling I have when you contact me
I get happy knowing you phoned
Your phone call brings me joy
Cause your voice could kill my every pain
Your voice has a comforting effect on me and I forget about my troubles for a moment
Why do we play this silly game?
Why do we continue to play these mind games with each other?
That I'd want to give to
That I would want to give gifts and material things to
A diamond ring, anything that you ask me to
I am willing to give you anything you desire
But there you were, bragging to your friends
You were telling your friends lies about our relationship
Making up a story that's so lame
Fabricating a story that is not true
That I was down to be your sugar daddy
Claiming I am only with you for financial reasons
One way ticket to ghetto fame
You see me as a way to improve your social status in the community
Every other night you weren't at home
You were frequently absent from home
Out in the streets, just acting grown
You were out in the streets, behaving like an adult
Never with a bodyguard or chaperon
You were without protection or supervision
Then I hear a rumor that breaks my heart
I heard a rumor that made me very sad
Instead of taking care of yourself
Instead of making sure you are okay
You're tearing yourself apart
You are causing yourself emotional distress
Now why you want to
Why do you want to
(Why you want to, why you want to)
(Why do you want to)
Now why you want to go and do that, love?
Why did you do that, my love?
No matter how far I run
Even if I try to run away
I'll never be the same (I'll never be the same)
I won't be able to forget what happened
In the end, in the end, there's only us to blame
Ultimately, we are the only ones responsible for the outcome of our relationship
Why do we play this,
Why do we engage in this behavior,
Why do we play this silly,
Why do we play this foolish,
Why do we play this silly game?
Why do we play these mind games with each other?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind