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 dance
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a glock in my hand huh
She say prince you can fuck I'm a Fan
She want me beat the kitty up Like a band
But I'm that nigga I don't fuck Cause I can
Free all the guys stuck in the can
She know I can't dance wit the Chop in my pants
Got a glock in my hand huh
She want me beat the kitty up Like a band
But I'm that nigga I don't fuck Cause I can
Free all the guys stuck in the can
White and black like stuck in
The 90's
Reynolds wrap like come and Find me
Foreign cars I do the dash
Step on the gas they won't even Find me
Patek Felipe she notice the time Piece
Money on go we stack it at high Speeds
I could never be a side piece now I got Them begging for a ride Please
Huh cop the glock for the oppas
Huh everywhere I go I keep a Choppa
Yeah huh huh (Huh)
They could never stop us I'm Making them nauseous
Huh
Huh cop the glock for the oppas
Huh everywhere I go I keep a Choppa
Yeah huh
She know I can't dance wit the Chop in my pants
Got a glock in my hand huh
She say prince you can fuck I'm a Fan
She want me beat the kitty up Like a band
But I'm that nigga I don't fuck Cause I can
Free all the guys stuck in the can
She know I can't dance wit the Chop in my pants
Got a glock in my hand huh
She say prince you can fuck I'm a Fan
She want me beat the kitty up Like a band
But I'm that nigga I don't fuck Cause I can
Free all the guys stuck in the can
The Dance by Prince is a socially conscious song with a strong anti-war and anti-violence message. The opening lyrics "Oh, pick it up! There's a bass guitar in this" serves as an invitation to the listener to tune into the music which is infused with a bass guitar. The song then launches into a powerful commentary on the destructive effects of war through vivid imagery. The line "Grenade launcher roars in a television sky, Tell me how many young brothers must die" serves as a critique of the physical and emotional destruction of war. The line "Nuclear Ban never stays in tune, They all know the words but the music is doomed" is metaphorical in nature, referring to how politics and corporate interests disrupt peace negotiations. The song continues with references to urban violence and vandalism, including a scene where a gang nails Little Talk Johnny's feet to the wooden floor. The song ends with a call for change and empowerment, as Prince asks for a new kind of education that promotes peace and productivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, pick it up!
Let's get started and play some music!
There's a bass guitar in this
This music has a strong and prominent bass guitar sound.
Grenade launcher roars in a television sky
There's a lot of violence on TV and in the media, and it's disturbing and destructive.
Tell me how many young brothers must die
How many young black men have to die before we realize that something needs to be done?
Dance on, dance on
Despite all the terrible things happening in the world, let's keep dancing and enjoying life!
Little Talk Johnny blew the big score
Someone named Little Talk Johnny messed up something important.
The gang nailed his feet to a wooden floor
Johnny's mistake angered some dangerous people, who took drastic measures to punish him.
Nuclear Ban never stays in tune
Even though people may protest nuclear power or weapons, they can never completely get rid of them or control them.
They all know the words but the music is doomed
Even though everyone may talk about making change, nothing ever really happens to improve the situation.
Everybody
This is a call to everyone to pay attention and get involved.
Pick it up
Let's get moving and do something about the problems we see!
A bass guitar in spider webs, longing for the funk
The bass guitar is neglected but still has a powerful sound and wants to be heard.
Uzi gun takes his place in a wagon trunk
Violent weapons are commonplace and easily accessible.
(Get off me, punk, you ain't sexy)
Someone is confronting a disrespectful and arrogant person.
Stealin' ladies purses then settin' them a'flame
People are doing terrible things like stealing from and harming innocent women.
M&M killers playin' Mickey Mouse games
Even though people are committing heinous crimes, they're still behaving childishly.
Lord have mercy
This is a plea for divine intervention or help.
It's time for new education
It's time to change the way we teach things and learn about the world.
The former rules don't apply
The old ways of doing things aren't working anymore and we need to try something new.
We need a power structure that breeds production
We need a system that encourages and rewards hard work and productivity.
Instead of jacks who vandalize
Instead of people who cause destruction and harm.
Detroit what's happenin'?
What's going on in Detroit, and how can we fix it?
What color is your money today? Get your money straight
What's your financial situation like right now? It's time to get your finances in order.
Everybody dance on
Despite the challenges we face, let's keep dancing and enjoying life!
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Leyon Overton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind