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.
The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She worked the night shift
Dishwater blonde, tall and fine
She got a lot of tips
Well, earlier I'd been talkin' stuff
In a violent room
Fighting with lovers past
Dorothy was fast
Well, I ordered, "Yeah, let me get a fruit cocktail, I ain't too hungry"
Dorothy laughed
She said "Sounds like a real man to me"
"You're kinda cute, you want to take a bath?
(Do you want to, do you want to, bath)
Awh I said "Cool, but I'm leaving my pants on" (she say)
"'Cause I'm kind of going with someone"
She said "Sounds like a real man to me"
"Mind if I turn on the radio?"
"Oh, my favorite song" she said
And it was Joni singing "Help me I think I'm falling"
Brrring the phone rang and she said
"Whoever's calling can't be as cute as you"
Right then I knew I was through
(Dorothy Parker was cool)
My pants where wet, they came off
But she didn't see the movie
'Cause she hadn't read the book first
Instead she pretended she was blind
An affliction brought on by a witch's curse
Dorothy made me laugh (ha ha)
I felt much better so I went back
To the violent room (tell us what you did)
Let me tell you what I did
I took another bubble bath with my pants on
All the fighting stopped
Next time I'll do it sooner
This is the ballad of Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker
Sweet hoo hoo ooo
Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker
Well
Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker
Well, ohh, well, aohh
The lyrics of Prince's song "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" describe a chance encounter between the singer and a waitress named Dorothy Parker. The singer, who had just been in a heated argument in a nearby room, finds a kindred spirit in Dorothy, who impresses him with her wit and humor. They banter back and forth before he asks her if she wants to take a bath with him, but she declines because he is already seeing someone. Nevertheless, she turns on the radio and they listen to a Joni Mitchell song together. When the phone rings, Dorothy jokes that the caller can't be as cute as the singer. The song ends with the singer taking another bath with his pants on, indicating that the brief encounter with Dorothy has helped to soothe his frazzled nerves.
The lyrics are notable for their playful tone and vivid descriptions of the characters and setting. Prince was known for his ability to convey a sense of sensuality and mischief in his music, and "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" is a quintessential example of this style. The use of humor and lightheartedness to alleviate tension is also a central theme of the song, as the singer finds solace in his interactions with Dorothy despite the turmoil in his personal life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dorothy was a waitress on the promenade
Dorothy worked as a waitress on the promenade
She worked the night shift
She worked the night shift at the restaurant
Dishwater blonde, tall and fine
She had blonde hair color, tall height, and was considered attractive
She got a lot of tips
She received a lot of money as tips
Well, earlier I'd been talkin' stuff
The artist was talking something earlier
In a violent room
The conversation was happening in a violent or intense atmosphere
Fighting with lovers past
The singers were discussing their past romantic relationships and fighting over them
I needed someone with a quicker wit than mine
The artist needed someone smarter and funny to keep up with the conversation
Dorothy was fast
Dorothy was quick-witted
Well, I ordered, 'Yeah, let me get a fruit cocktail, I ain't too hungry'
The artist ordered a fruit cocktail because he wasn't very hungry
Dorothy laughed
Dorothy found the singer's order amusing
She said 'Sounds like a real man to me'
Dorothy was teasing the artist playfully
'You're kinda cute, you want to take a bath?
Dorothy offered the singer to take a bath
(Do you want to, do you want to, bath)
She repeated the question playfully
Awh I said 'Cool, but I'm leaving my pants on'
The singer agreed to take a bath, but with his pants on
'Cause I'm kind of going with someone'
The artist explained that he is seeing someone else
Mind if I turn on the radio?'
Dorothy asked if she can turn on the radio
'Oh, my favorite song' she said
Dorothy expressed her love for the song that was playing
And it was Joni singing 'Help me I think I'm falling'
The song that was playing was Joni Mitchell's 'Help me I think I'm falling'
Brrring the phone rang and she said
The phone rang suddenly and Dorothy answered it
'Whoever's calling can't be as cute as you'
Dorothy complimented the artist and rejected the call
Right then I knew I was through
The artist realized that he had fallen for her
(Dorothy Parker was cool)
Dorothy was a cool person
My pants were wet, they came off
The artist's pants got wet and he took them off
But she didn't see the movie
The singer and Dorothy did not end up watching the movie they intended to watch
'Cause she hadn't read the book first
Dorothy could not understand the movie as she had not read the book the movie was based on
Instead she pretended she was blind
Dorothy was pretending to be blind, maybe to enjoy the movie better
An affliction brought on by a witch's curse
The artist believes Dorothy's behavior is due to a witch's curse
Dorothy made me laugh (ha ha)
Dorothy made the artist laugh
I felt much better so I went back
The singer felt better after being with Dorothy and decided to come back to the 'violent room'
To the violent room (tell us what you did)
The singer went back to the intense conversation
Let me tell you what I did
The artist is about to describe his next action
I took another bubble bath with my pants on
The artist took another bubble bath with his pants on to ease his stress from the conversation
All the fighting stopped
The conversation in the 'violent room' was finally calmed down
Next time I'll do it sooner
The singer learned to take a break sooner when stressed
This is the ballad of Dorothy Parker
The song is a tribute to Dorothy Parker and the events that happened to the artist
Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Parker
The repetition of Dorothy Parker's name emphasizes the importance of her character
Sweet hoo hoo ooo
The repeated phrase after Dorothy's name might be sung in admiration of her
Well, ohh, well, aohh
The song ends with a repetitive, humming outro
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind