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.
Sing a Simple Song
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What kind of song babe?
The one when you hear when you look into my soul
Sing me a song babe
What kind of song babe?
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
Play me a song babe
What kind of song babe?
The one that feels the closest to my touch
Play me a song babe
What if I get it wrong babe?
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
And I could play this guitar without any strings
I could sing for hours about everything
And that be alright by me
I could play this guitar without any strings
And I could sing for hours about everything
And that be alright by me
So sing me a song babe
What kind of song babe
The one you hear when you look into my soul
Sing me a song babe
What kind of song babe
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
In "Sing a Simple Song," Prince is asking his lover to sing and play a song for him. He doesn't care if it's good or not, as long as it comes from the heart and soul. He wants to feel the connection between them through music. Prince values the emotional connection that music carries and wants his lover to express their love for him through it.
Prince emphasizes the importance of the soul and touch to connect with one's partner, as he wants his lover to play a song that feels the closest to his touch. He also mentions that he could play guitar without strings and sing for hours about everything. This implies that love and connection cannot be limited by an instrument or words, it is deeper and more profound than that. Prince shows that music is not just a medium of entertainment but also a medium our emotions can be expressed through.
In summary, "Sing a Simple Song" is about using music to connect and express emotions with one's loved one. Prince believes in the power of music to convey a deeper sense of intimacy that transcends words and physical touch.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me a song babe
Prince is asking his lover to sing him a song
What kind of song babe?
Prince wants to know what type of song his lover will sing
The one when you hear when you look into my soul
Prince wants his lover to sing a song that resonates with the deepest parts of his being
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
Prince is telling his lover that he doesn't care about the quality or length of the song, he just wants them to sing to him.
Play me a song babe
Prince is now asking his lover to play a song for him
What kind of song babe?
Prince wants to know what type of song his lover will play
The one that feels the closest to my touch
Prince wants his lover to play a song that connects with him on a physical level
What if I get it wrong babe?
Prince's lover is unsure of their ability to play the right song
And I could play this guitar without any strings
Prince doesn't need any traditional means to make music, he can create it with his own voice
I could sing for hours about everything
Prince could keep singing and expressing his love and emotions endlessly
And that be alright by me
Prince is content with letting his heart continue to sing
So sing me a song babe
Prince repeats his request for his lover to sing him a song
It ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song
Prince reiterates that he doesn't care about quality or length, just the act of them singing to him
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: William Prince
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind