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.
TICTACTOE
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
Just like sweet november here comes a pretender
Borderline half-castle tell me nothing else & please don't ask
Listen woman I swear if u put another streak in ur hair
Change it 1 more time while uncleleopusha just stares & stares
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
If u ever get the chance 2 travel back 2 ancient dance
Tell this balletina that I wish her well & happy romance
I'm doing much better than I was when she got me high
Trying 2 rely on how many layers I should strip & y
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
In simpler terms the tictac that I told u down below
Made ur womanly obligations better than u know
After which wide open eyes that previously were closed
Saw the past & other things about u better left untold
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
Off in2 the deepwater catastrophic down below
The lyrics of Prince and 3rdEyeGirl's song TICTACTOE are rich with imagery and symbolism. The song starts with a metaphor comparing people playing tic tac toe to blind people, insinuating the idea that nobody truly knows where the zeroes and the x's go. The idea of uncertainty and confusion is carried on throughout the song, as the lyrics speak of a pretender coming into the picture, a woman changing her appearance, and the singer himself struggling to strip away his own layers.
The lyrics also touch upon themes of perception and insight. The line "wide open eyes that previously were closed" suggests that the singer has gained some sort of understanding or insight about someone or something, but acknowledges that certain things are better left untold. The final line of the song "off in2 the deepwater catastrophic down below" adds a sense of foreboding and danger to the themes presented in the song.
Overall, the lyrics of TICTACTOE offer a complex and layered commentary on human relationships and the uncertainties that come with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a buncha blind people playing tic tac toe
The situation is reminiscent of a game of tic tac toe played by blind people, who have no idea where the pieces are placed
Who knows where the zeroes & the x's go?
There is no way to know where the pieces are placed, adding to the confusion
Just like sweet november here comes a pretender
The situation is similar to being misled by someone who presents themselves as genuine during a fleeting moment
Borderline half-castle tell me nothing else & please don't ask
The situation is confusing and contradictory, and the artist doesn't want to hear any further explanation or questions
Listen woman I swear if u put another streak in ur hair
The artist is frustrated with the woman's continual changes in appearance
Change it 1 more time while uncleleopusha just stares & stares
The singer is tired of the woman's need for attention and the lack of response from bystanders
If u ever get the chance 2 travel back 2 ancient dance
If given the opportunity to revisit the past, the singer would deliver a message to someone from that time
Tell this balletina that I wish her well & happy romance
The artist would give a message of goodwill and hope for a happy future to the person in the past
I'm doing much better than I was when she got me high
The artist has improved since the last time they were under the influence of something
Trying 2 rely on how many layers I should strip & y
The artist is uncertain of how to proceed, and is trying to figure out what actions to take
In simpler terms the tictac that I told u down below
To put it more simply, the singer is referring to a previous conversation or statement
Made ur womanly obligations better than u know
The previous conversation or statement brought to light the woman's responsibilities or duties that she wasn't fully aware of
After which wide open eyes that previously were closed
As a result, the woman is now fully aware and awake to her obligations
Saw the past & other things about u better left untold
As a side effect, the woman gained insight into the past and other things about the singer that should have remained private
Off in2 the deepwater catastrophic down below
The situation has taken a turn for the worse, and it feels like a disaster waiting to happen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind