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.
WHITECAPS
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
15 Minutes after you went away
Couldn't find a reason to make you stay
It's windy now, but it's gonna be okay
I saw a black butterfly lose it's wings today
Cinched by the candle underneath the archway
Wherever they land they'll have to stay
Whitecaps on the water
But that's okay
Ain't never been a storm I'm running from
Come my way
Weather man said it would be easy
Over in a day
It's windy now
But it's gonna be okay
For the life of me I just can't recall
It's still a mystery, that's all
'Cause dark gallows lead to brighter holes
And masquerade (Masquerade, masquerade)
Masquerade us all
Whitecaps on the water
But that's okay
Ain't never been a storm I'm running from
Come my way
Weather man said it would be easy
Over in a day
It's windy now
But it's gonna be okay
I saw whitecaps on the water today
15 Minutes after you went away
"Whitecaps" by Prince & 3rdEyeGirl is a song about acceptance and the idea that even though there may be stormy seas ahead, everything will eventually be okay. The lyrics say "I saw whitecaps on the water today, 15 minutes after you went away, couldn't find a reason to make you stay, it's windy now but it's gonna be okay." This shows that even though the singer is alone and feeling lost after someone has left them, they have come to accept the situation and trust that things will work out in the end.
The song also talks about a black butterfly losing its wings because it was caught in a candle's flame. This imagery brings to mind a creature of beauty being destroyed by something as simple as a flame. This could represent how even the most beautiful things in life can be taken away in an instant, but there is always hope for something better. The lyrics ask "who can say, but what a price to pay" suggesting that there is a cost to beauty or to love, but in the end, it may be worth it.
The chorus repeats the phrase "whitecaps on the water, but that's okay," emphasizing the theme of acceptance, and that even when things may seem rough, it's important to keep moving forward, and eventually, things will settle down. The song ends with the lyrics "I saw whitecaps on the water today, 15 minutes after you went away," bringing the song full circle.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw whitecaps on the water today
I saw waves with white foam on the ocean today.
15 Minutes after you went away
It happened 15 minutes after the person he was with left.
Couldn't find a reason to make you stay
I couldn't find a compelling reason to make you remain with me.
It's windy now, but it's gonna be okay
There's a strong wind currently, but everything will be alright in the end.
I saw a black butterfly lose its wings today
I witnessed a black butterfly losing its wings.
Cinched by the candle underneath the archway
It was clasped by the candle beneath the archway.
Wherever they land they'll have to stay
The location where they descend is where they'll have to remain.
Who can say, but what a price to pay
No one can predict what will happen, but it's sad that it occurred.
Whitecaps on the water
Waves with white foam on the ocean.
But that's okay
Despite the waves, everything will be alright.
Ain't never been a storm I'm running from
I've never run away from a storm.
Come my way
I welcome it if it approaches me.
Weather man said it would be easy
The weatherman predicted that it would be simple.
Over in a day
It will end in just one day.
For the life of me I just can't recall
I genuinely can't remember for my entire life.
It's still a mystery, that's all
The situation is still unknown, and that's it.
'Cause dark gallows lead to brighter holes
This statement is tricky and could convey many ideas, but it could indicate that bad situations result in better outcomes in the end.
And masquerade (Masquerade, masquerade)
The situation could be concealed or it's all just a facade.
Masquerade us all
In the end, we're all pretending to be something we're not.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind