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.
Strange but True
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the only one that I gave it to, the one I fantasized for
And time away from you has taught me
What I should have known
That this hole I'm trying to fill with another, yeah, it's grown
And I got your package
But when I tried to write back I bailed
See, trying to express the future, sometimes language fails
My life force is increased by knowing you
Every door that closes, another one opens
Strange but true
Strange but true
No regrets because I forget the unfamiliar faces
Those petty lies and alibis, just gold diggers chasing
Dreams of sovereignty, they tried to come between you and me
A curse therein set forces a chain of events
That only freed me when I remembered
Where I was and who I am
The only Prince that will ever rule this holy land
All understand and all stand under this affirmation now
By the power invested in me by God
All negativity bows
Strange but true, let's see what you can do
You may have lost me, but I found myself
The ones who love me without condition, this is my wealth
And with these words I will win
Repeat them over and over again
All understand and all stand under this affirmation now
By the power invested in me by God
All negativity bows
All negativity bows
All negativity bows
Strange but true, let's see what you can do
Strange but true, let's see what you can do
All negativity bows
(Strange but true)
(Strange but true)
Strange but true (true, true)
All negativity bows
(Strange but true, let's see what you can do)
All negativity bows
(All negativity bows)
Strange but true
Strange but true
(Strange but true)
(Strange but true)
Strange but true
In "Strange but True," Prince reflects on his past mistakes and realizes that he should have appreciated the person that he was with before losing them. He recognizes that no one else can fill the void that only his former lover can fill. He admits to receiving a package from them, but not being able to express his feelings properly in return due to the limitations of language. He talks about his growth during the time they were apart and the fact that he has become a stronger and better person because of knowing them. He remembers the attempts of others to come between them and the negative impact that their interference had on his relationship. He affirms that he is the only prince that can rule his own life and that his true wealth lies in the love of those who accept him for who he is.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay, let me say this quick, before I start to cry
I want to tell you something important before I get too emotional.
You're the only one that I gave it to, the one I fantasized for
You are the only one I have given my love to, the one I always dreamed of being with.
And time away from you has taught me
Being separated from you has been a valuable lesson.
What I should have known
I realize now what I should have understood before.
That this hole I'm trying to fill with another, yeah, it's grown
Trying to replace you has only made the emptiness I feel even bigger.
And I got your package
I received something from you.
But when I tried to write back I bailed
I didn't respond to your message even though I intended to.
See, trying to express the future, sometimes language fails
It's difficult to articulate my thoughts and feelings about what will happen later on.
And over this time I've learned
During these days apart, I have gained knowledge.
My life force is increased by knowing you
Being in a relationship with you gives me more energy and vitality.
Every door that closes, another one opens
When one opportunity disappears, another one appears.
Strange but true
It's a strange but accurate statement.
No regrets because I forget the unfamiliar faces
I do not feel bad about letting go of people I don't know well.
Those petty lies and alibis, just gold diggers chasing
The people who are dishonest and making excuses are only interested in money.
Dreams of sovereignty, they tried to come between you and me
Their desire to be in control of their own lives came in the way of our relationship.
A curse therein set forces a chain of events
A curse caused a series of events to occur.
That only freed me when I remembered
I was liberated when I recollected what had happened.
Where I was and who I am
I remembered where I was and who I was.
The only Prince that will ever rule this holy land
I am the one and only Prince who will rule this sacred place.
All understand and all stand under this affirmation now
Everyone knows and supports this statement now.
By the power invested in me by God
With God's authority bestowed upon me,
All negativity bows
All negative things submit to me.
Strange but true, let's see what you can do
Even though it's an unusual idea, let's see what happens.
You may have lost me, but I found myself
Although you lost me, I discovered who I am.
The ones who love me without condition, this is my wealth
People who love me no matter what I do are my greatest treasures.
And with these words I will win
Using these words, I will be victorious.
Repeat them over and over again
Say them repeatedly.
(All negativity bows)
All negative things submit to me
(Strange but true)
Even though it's an unusual idea, it's true.
All negativity bows
All negative things submit to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind