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.
Tamborine
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prettiest thing in life I've ever seen
Close my eyes what's it like
What's it like inside your tambourine?
Oh my God, there I go
Falling in love with the face in a magazine (uh oh, not again)
All alone by myself
Tambourine
Long days, lonely nights
Tambourine
Long days, lonely nights
Tambourine
I don't care for one night stands
With trolley cars
That juggle seventeen
I just want to settle down and
Play around
My baby's tambourine
Tambourine what are you
Why are you the star of
All my dreams
(Star of all my dreams, are you a good tambourine)
Are you good, are you bad
Are you just unnecessary means
Tambourine
Trolley cars
Long days, lonely nights
Too bad we're not allowed to scream (yeah, yeah, too bad)
Guess that I'll stay at home
All alone and play my tambourine
Tambourine, tambourine, tambourine, tambourine
The tambourine
The opening lines of Prince & The Revolution's song Tamborine makes a reference to the beauty of someone else, and the singer is drawn to them. The singer then wonders what it is like to be inside this person's tambourine, indicating that perhaps they feel like they are being played by someone else's tune. The tambourine in this context seems to symbolize the singer's desire to be with someone but also a sense of loneliness that they feel. Later, the singer acknowledges that they do not care for casual affairs and want to settle down and "play around" with their partner's tambourine. The lyrics here are suggestive of wanting to engage in sexual activity with their partner.
The chorus of "long days, lonely nights" suggests that the singer is longing for human connection and are questioning the worth of their instrument in the grand scheme of things. However, the song ends with them finding solace in their own company, "guess that I'll stay at home all alone and play my tambourine." This line could mean that after going through the cycle of wanting someone else's attention and then realizing the loneliness at the core of it, the singer has been able to find peace and happiness within themselves, staying true to themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my God here you are
Expressing surprise and awe at the presence of someone, perhaps a lover or an idol
Prettiest thing in life I've ever seen
This person is the epitome of beauty for the singer
Close my eyes what's it like
Wondering what it's like to be inside the person's world
What's it like inside your tambourine?
Using the metaphor of a tambourine, the artist is curious about what it's like to be in the person's inner circle
Oh my God, there I go
Continuing the expression of surprise and awe, with a hint of skepticism or self-awareness
Falling in love with the face in a magazine (uh oh, not again)
Realizing that the object of affection is merely a fantasy or an image, and being aware that this is a recurring pattern for the singer
All alone by myself
Feeling isolated or disconnected from real-life relationships
Me and I play my tambourine
Turning to music or self-expression as a means of coping with loneliness
Tambourine
Repeating the metaphor of the tambourine to symbolize the artist's inner world
Long days, lonely nights
Describing the empty or unfulfilling aspects of the artist's life
Tambourine
Repeating the symbol of the tambourine, perhaps as a mantra or coping mechanism
I don't care for one night stands
Rejecting superficial or casual relationships
With trolley cars
Perhaps referencing the noise or commotion of city life, and contrasting it with the simple pleasure of musical expression
That juggle seventeen
Suggesting chaos or confusion, and implying that the number 17 is arbitrary or meaningless
I just want to settle down and
Expressing a desire for stability or commitment
Play around
Using wordplay to suggest both musical playfulness and a lack of seriousness
My baby's tambourine
Using the metaphor of a tambourine to represent a lover or a partner
What are you
Questioning the nature or purpose of the tambourine as a symbol
Why are you the star of
Asking why the tambourine has such prominence in the singer's thoughts or feelings
All my dreams
Suggesting that the tambourine represents an ideal or a goal for the artist
(Star of all my dreams, are you a good tambourine)
Continuing the contemplation of the tambourine's symbolic meaning, and questioning whether it is a positive or negative influence
Are you good, are you bad
Asking whether the tambourine represents something desirable or undesirable
Are you just unnecessary means
Questioning whether the tambourine is a frivolous or meaningless symbol
Trolley cars
Repeating the image of trolley cars, which might indicate a harsh or distracting environment
Long days, lonely nights
Repeating the phrase from earlier in the song, suggesting a cyclical or repetitive pattern
Too bad we're not allowed to scream (yeah, yeah, too bad)
Expressing frustration or suppressed emotion, perhaps relating to the unfulfilling aspects of the singer's life
Guess that I'll stay at home
Implying a sense of resignation, and perhaps suggesting that the singer has given up on finding fulfillment elsewhere
All alone and play my tambourine
Returning to the refrain from earlier in the song, and suggesting that this is the best the artist can hope for in terms of self-expression or satisfaction
Tambourine, tambourine, tambourine, tambourine
Repeating the refrain to emphasize its importance and symbolic meaning
The tambourine
Concluding with a repetition of the phrase, and perhaps suggesting that the tambourine still holds some mystery or significance for the singer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind