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.
Spirit
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the voice of oppression screams and shouts
When all seems lost U got 2 try
2 never let your spirit die
(Spirit)
An angel came 2 greet me
It happened in a dream
Not being what it seems
Within us lives a new world
This world, he calmly said
Will only be when evil and all its sorrows are truly dead, oh
CHORUS:
When the sands of time are running out (Spirit)
When the voice of oppression screams and shouts (Spirit)
When all seems lost U got 2 try (Spirit)
2 never let your spirit die
(Never let your spirit die)
U cannot accept deception
And real love will never lie
We must try 2 be the chosen few
And keep that love alive
(Keep that love alive)
We will never be unfulfilled
Your deck will be full of aces
Whenever the spirit wills
We can go 2 higher places
CHORUS
(Yeah, yeah)
Spirit
(Yeah, yeah)
Spirit
U got 2 view this world
Through kaleidoscopic eyes
U got 2 see every color
If U want 2 see the reasons why
An angel came 2 greet me
It happened in a dream
He spoke of my reality
Not being what it seems
Within us lives a new world
This world, he calmly said
Will only be when evil and all its sorrows are truly dead
Spirit {x4}
Ohh!
When your time is running out (Spirit)
When the voice of oppression screams and shouts (Spirit)
When all seems lost U got 2 try (Spirit)
2 never let your spirit die
(Never) {x5}
CHORUS
(Spirit)
Whoa ohh ohh (Spirit) {x4}
Don't ever give up
(Spirit) {fade out}
The lyrics of Prince's song "Spirit" speak about the importance of maintaining hope in the face of oppression and injustice. The song begins by acknowledging the inevitability of the passage of time and the existence of oppression in the world. However, Prince urges listeners to never give up and to keep their spirits alive. He describes a dream-like encounter with an angel who tells him that there is a new world within us that will only emerge once evil and sorrow have been eradicated. The ultimate message is one of hope and perseverance in the face of difficult circumstances.
The imagery in the song is rich and metaphoric. For example, the idea of viewing the world through kaleidoscopic eyes suggests a need for a new perspective, a willingness to see things in a different way. The use of the phrase "deck full of aces" suggests that we all have talents and abilities to draw upon, but we have to be aware of them and use them wisely.
One interpretation of the song is that it can be seen as a reminder of the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and of being aware of the beauty and goodness in the world, even in the face of adversity. It can also be seen as a call to action to resist oppression and work towards a better world for all.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sands of time are running out
As time passes, we must remember that life is fleeting and we must make the best of what time we have left
When the voice of oppression screams and shouts
In moments of oppression, we must remain strong and true to our beliefs despite the difficulty in doing so
When all seems lost U got 2 try
Even when we feel as though there is no hope left, we must make an effort to change our circumstances and create our own future
2 never let your spirit die
Through all of life's hardships, it is important to maintain a positive, resilient spirit that is not easily broken
An angel came 2 greet me
A divine messenger delivered a message to me that changed my perspective on life
It happened in a dream
The message I received was delivered to me through a dream, which represents a form of unconscious communication
Spoke of my reality
The message I received spoke directly to my current reality and encouraged me to see it in a new light
Not being what it seems
The message encouraged me to look deeper into my reality to uncover a new, more positive truth
Within us lives a new world
The message revealed that the potential for a new and better world already exists within each of us
This world, he calmly said
The angel spoke in a peaceful and reassuring tone, indicating that the new world within each of us is accessible and attainable
Will only be when evil and all its sorrows are truly dead, oh
The new world within us can only be realized when we eradicate all that is negative, harmful and oppressive from our lives
U cannot accept deception
We must be vigilant against deceit in all its forms and remain truthful to ourselves and others
And real love will never lie
Genuine love and affection are always authentic and truthful, and therefore can be relied upon even in times of uncertainty and doubt
We must try 2 be the chosen few
To bring about real change, we must act with intention and purpose, and strive to become leaders among our peers
And keep that love alive
Love is essential in maintaining our positive outlook on life, and it is up to us to nurture and cherish it
We will never be unfulfilled
By staying true to ourselves and our values, we will never feel as though something is missing in our lives
Your deck will be full of aces
By living our lives with intention and purpose, we will be blessed with many opportunities to excel and achieve our goals
Whenever the spirit wills
In moments of clarity and inspiration, it is important to trust our intuition and follow our passions and dreams
We can go 2 higher places
By embracing our potential and striving for greatness, we are capable of achieving incredible feats and reaching new heights
U got 2 view this world
To fully understand and appreciate the world, it is important to view it from a diverse and multifaceted perspective
Through kaleidoscopic eyes
To view the world through a kaleidoscope means to see it in a constantly changing and dynamic way, with each new perspective revealing something new and beautiful
U got 2 see every color
To truly understand and appreciate the beauty of the world, it requires us to appreciate and celebrate the many diverse cultures that make it up
If U want 2 see the reasons why
To truly understand the reasons and motives behind people's actions, it is important to view them through a lens of empathy and understanding
When your time is running out (Spirit)
As we approach the end of our lives, it is important to live each day with purpose and meaning, and never give up on our dreams and desires
Never {x5}
The message is reiterated that we must never give up on ourselves and our values
Whoa ohh ohh (Spirit) {x4}
The repeated refrain of 'Spirit' provides a rhythmic and musical reminder of the importance of maintaining a positive and resilient spirit in life
Don't ever give up
The final message of the song is a direct and encouraging call to action, urging us to never give up on ourselves or our dreams
Writer(s): James Mark Hornsey, Levi Seacer Jr, Alasdair David Maclean, Jon Marsh, Prince Rogers Nelson, Mark Nicholas Keen, Helena Marsh Copyright: Redpoint Music Ltd., BMG Vm Music Ltd., Michael Anthony Music, Girlsongs
Contributed by Nathaniel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeff S
Great song. Reminds of the Graffiti Bridge era. Background vox sound like Round and Round, kinda. Which reminds me! We need a Prince vocal only version of that song and of all the Prince produced songs from Tevin's album. Paris 1798430, Uncle Sam, etc.
Matthew Martin
The whole of graffiti bridge - the title track, would have been better as a Prince album. The songs were pretty strong, but I never liked the plastic production. Recorded as a band and you're looking at a different album.
AzulBlue
PRINCE SPIRIT: U will be inside of our hearts 4ever!. Rest In Peace Beautiful Soul ~ NEVER FORGOTTEN!
Thank u 4 your music
PRINCE O(+> 4Ever! 💜🎼☔⚜️▶⚜️☔🎼💜
lill supreme2
Very nice song ,love all of PRINCE ROGER NELSONS SONGS AND ALL HIS MUSIC,HE WAS GREAT,HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
Ferdinando Mogliotti
Stupendo .......i love it....
Che Boy
💜🐾
Matthew Martin
Was on the, love they will be done, singers album, her name has gone from my head. Hum.......Ah I remember, Martika, that's the girl. Martika's kitchen. He wrote about 3 of the songs on there, 2 were singles I think.
RAY LUCA
'OUR' ✊🏿 MOZART 💥🎶‼