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 Same December
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One side was black and the other one white
And they both understood so little
That they spent their whole lives tryin' to tell each other what time it was
And all along it did not matter what either said
Because, because
You only know what you know
You only love when your soul remembers
We all come from the same December
And in the end that's where we'll go
So let's go
There once was a golden idol that went to the winners
Needless to say, it didn't make 'em feel any less a sinner
Cause the very next mornin' the whole damn world was the same
Yes it was
The idol's still shinin' but the voice inside it said,
"There ain't no winners in this game"
You only know what you know
You only see what your heart will show
You only love when your soul remembers
We all come from the same December
And in the end that's where we'll go
So let's go
There once was an angel
Who most certainly watched over me
But if it got me through the day
Is it crazy?
Yeah, I'll be crazy
Until the demons fall as far as anyone can fall
When they reap what they done sowed, I'll be standin' tall
We spend our whole lives tryin' to dog the other man
When what we need to do is try to give him all we can
But, uh, you only know what you know
And, uh, you only see what your heart'll show
And, uh, you only love when your soul remembers
We all come from the same December
And in the end that's where we'll go
So let's go
Let's go
Let's go!
The Same December by Prince is a song about the unity of humanity despite its division into races, classes, and religions. The song starts with a metaphorical ball with a black side and a white side with a line running through the middle. The two sides spent their entire lives trying to convince each other of their truth, but eventually, both sides were wrong. The song suggests that the color of one's skin, one's background, or one's belief system is not the things that should define them. The song highlights that people should know what they know, see what their heart wants them to see, and love because their soul remembers where they all came from.
The second verse talks about a "golden idol" that goes to the "winners," and while it did not make them feel any less like sinners the day following the victory, the world was still the same. The idol's greatness fades, and it becomes clear that there is no winner in the game, only the game. The song speaks of the human tendency to try and dominate one another, and the singer suggests that humans should try to give their fellow beings all they can rather than dogging each other.
The chorus refrains, "you only know what you know, you only see what your heart will show, you only love when your soul remembers, we all come from the same December, and in the end, that's where we'll go." This repetition reminds the listener that despite their beliefs or shortcomings, they are all the same and will return to the same place in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Once was this ball with a line straight down the middle
There used to be a ball that was divided into two halves by a line.
One side was black and the other one white
One half of the ball was black and the other half was white.
And they both understood so little
Neither half of the ball had a full understanding of the other half.
That they spent their whole lives tryin' to tell each other what time it was
Both halves of the ball wasted their lives trying to convince each other of their respective views.
And all along it did not matter what either said
It was meaningless for either half of the ball to try to convince the other half of their perspective.
You only know what you know
One can only know what they have come to learn or understand.
You only see what your heart will show
One's perception is limited by their emotions and feelings.
You only love when your soul remembers
True love is only possible when one's soul recognizes and remembers the love they have experienced.
We all come from the same December
We all have a shared history and common origin.
And in the end that's where we'll go
In the end, we will return to where we came from.
So let's go
Let's not waste our time on meaningless arguments and instead move forward in unity.
There once was a golden idol that went to the winners
There was a time when those who achieved success were celebrated with a golden idol.
Needless to say, it didn't make 'em feel any less a sinner
Winning did not absolve them of their shortcomings or sins.
Cause the very next mornin' the whole damn world was the same
Despite the idol, the world continued to function as it always had.
The idol's still shinin' but the voice inside it said, 'There ain't no winners in this game'
Even though the idol still existed, it ultimately had no real significance or power.
There once was an angel
There once was a guiding force, represented by an angel.
Who most certainly watched over me
This force helped and protected the artist.
But if it got me through the day
However, if belief in this force helped the singer through their day.
Is it crazy?
The singer questions whether it is sane to believe in such a force or power.
Yeah, I'll be crazy
Despite questioning its validity, the artist still sees value in believing in the guiding force.
Until the demons fall as far as anyone can fall
The artist will continue to believe in the guiding force until their enemies or demons have been utterly defeated.
When they reap what they done sowed, I'll be standin' tall
The artist will emerge victorious and triumphant when justice has been served to their opponents.
We spend our whole lives tryin' to dog the other man
People often waste their lives trying to undermine and harm others.
When what we need to do is try to give him all we can
Instead, people should work towards generosity and compassion.
Let's go
The repetition of this phrase serves as a call to take action towards unity and compassion.
Let's go!
The singer emphasizes the importance of acting on this call to togetherness and understanding.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AlexanderNevermind888
I loved his growth as the years went by. His change of bands, the way he tried to share what he had learned and how he had changed. The depth of his creativity as he aged. The man was the greatest artist of all time. I never understood why Chaos and Disorder got so much hate from the critics. Much like The Rainbow Children, some just didn't get the messages in his songs or didn't want to hear them. I'm glad that never stopped him from putting out what he wanted to in order to express himself.
@eugenemason1808
It was part of the discredit campaign! He always told the truth and the deceives hate truth. They would've totally blackballed him but he was self contained. He spent 10millon on Paisley Park and they couldn't do shit after that. So they devised a plan to eliminate him. With the help of some people close they did just that! He told us he had one eye on them devils when he needed 2! The Greatest To Ever Do It! Rest In Power Messenger!!!
@williamotey6707
It’s my personal favorite from the 90s
@robertcommer371
Best comment I've read in a while! Your words are so true. My sister introduced me to his music back in 86. I was 11 years old and very much into hip hop and RnB. She had Prince, LoveSexy, Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, and Purple Rain...all vinyl too. She played those records non-stop. I didn't realize how much I was influenced by his music until years later when I started playing. I think I've heard just about every album, song, bootleg I could manage to get my hands on. Been to several live shows. I digress.
My theory is that the mainstream average listener will only knows Prince through his older catalog. Mainly the hits albums, and Purple Rain.
I'm glad he never stopped pursuing his creativity and pushing the boundaries. We've gotten a ton of music, videos, and movies from the guy. There's still more yet to be seen and heard too. Anywho..... your comment brought me joy today. Thanks for that!
@PurpleRain500
So much creativity! Look at that outfit! The most iconic man to ever walk this EARTH! And he knew it.
@henrinevermind1695
Yes OUTFIT! PRINCE took issues with interviewer referring to his CLOTHING being a COSTUME. I respect PRINCE for being true to his IMAGERY. Nothing/NOBODY Compare 2 HIM!
@venanciahopkins5035
Same December a blues rock jam from the very underrated Chaos and Disorder album. Chaos and Disorder is a brilliant album.
@The_Big_Dawg
Venancia Hopkins - yeah, it’s a good album.... just a little bit under-produced. The songs were virtually demo’s.
@venanciahopkins5035
I actually like demo feel to this album. I Like It There is grundgy with a garage rock feel to it! Had U is one minute of pure genius. Chaos and Disorder is one of my all time favorite Prince albums.
@venanciahopkins5035
That is your opinion but to me it is an underrated gem that I listen to all the time! None of Prince's albums are garbage!