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 Ladder
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There lived a king who didn't deserve to be
He knew not where he came from
Nor where he was going
He never once said thank you, never please
Now this king he had a subject named Electra
Who loved him with a passion, uncontested
But it didn't matter
The king was looking for the ladder
Everybody's looking for the ladder
Everybody wants salvation of the soul
The steps you take are no easy road
But the reward is great
For those who want for go
A feeling of self-worth will caress you
The size of the whole wide world will decrease
The love of God's creation will undress you
And time spent alone my friend, will cease
Everybody's looking for the answers
How the story started and how it will end
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
You have to climb all of the steps in between (yeah, we ride)
Everybody's looking for the ladder
Everybody wants salvation of the soul
The steps you take are no easy road
But the reward is great
For those who want to go (I do)
Everybody, everybody's looking (Everybody's looking for the answers)
For the answers
Everybody wants to know how the story (How the story started)
Started and how it will end (started and how it will end)
What's the use in half a story, (What's the use in half a story)
Half a dream (half of a dream)
You, you gotta climb, you gotta climb (you have to climb all)
All of the steps in between (the steps in between)
Everybody
Everybody's looking for that ladder (Everybody's looking for the ladder)
Everybody wants salvation of the soul (Everybody wants salvation of the soul)
The steps you take are no easy road (the steps you take are no easy road)
But the reward is great (the reward is great)
For those who want to go, (for those who want to go)
Those who want to go
Everybody, everybody wants (Everybody's looking for the answers)
An answer
Anyone who know how the story (How the story started)
Started, how it will end (started and how it will end)
Will it be lonely in the world (What's the use in half a story)
What's the use? (half of a dream)
The Ladder by Prince and The Revolution is a song that tells the story of a king who didn't deserve his position and a subject named Electra who loved him deeply but went unnoticed. The king was constantly searching for something, and the ladder symbolizes his search for salvation of the soul. The lyrics imply that everybody is searching for the ladder or the path to transcendence. It's not an easy road, but the rewards are great, providing a feeling of self-worth, connectedness to God's creation, and an end to loneliness.
The song's message is about the human search for self-actualization and transcendence. The lyrics point out that it's a long and difficult path that requires a lot of work and sacrifice. The reward, however, is significant, providing a sense of purpose, self-worth, and a deeper connection with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time in the land of Sin-aplenty
Let me tell you a story about a certain place
There lived a king who didn't deserve to be
In that place there was a king who was unworthy
He knew not where he came from
He didn't know his origins
Nor where he was going
He had no idea about his destination
He never once said thank you, never please
He was ungrateful and impolite
Now this king he had a subject named Electra
There was a person named Electra who served as his subject
Who loved him with a passion, uncontested
She had a deep, unconditional love for him
For him each day she had a smile
She greeted him with joy every day
But it didn't matter
However, her actions had little effect
The king was looking for the ladder
The king was seeking something more
Everybody's looking for the ladder
Everyone is searching for fulfillment
Everybody wants salvation of the soul
Each person desires to find peace within themselves
The steps you take are no easy road
The journey to inner peace is a difficult one
But the reward is great
However, the outcome is worth it
For those who want to go
For people who are truly committed
A feeling of self-worth will caress you
You will experience a sense of value and worthiness
The size of the whole wide world will decrease
The world will seem smaller and more manageable
The love of God's creation will undress you
You will see and appreciate the beauty of the natural world
And time spent alone my friend, will cease
Isolation and loneliness will come to an end
Everybody's looking for the answers
People search for explanations and meaning
How the story started and how it will end
They want to understand the beginning and conclusion
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
However, incomplete knowledge is useless
You have to climb all of the steps in between
It is necessary to work hard and take all the steps
Everybody wants to know how the story started and how it will end
People crave for knowledge of the past and future
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
Incomplete information has little value
You, you gotta climb, you gotta climb
You have to work extra hard
All of the steps in between
In order to achieve inner peace
Everybody wants an answer
Everyone wants explanations
Anyone who know how the story started, how it will end
Those who know the beginning and end
Will it be lonely in the world
Will one be alone in the world
What's the use?
What is the point?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John L. Nelson, Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind