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.
Wall of Berlin
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Universe of paradoxical design
Reality merely in the mind
In my head or in some German town
She said â??you want a four leafed clover in the groundâ??
Ain't superstitious and eye don't believe in luck
Eye heard the thunder before the lightning struck
But according to the document she got on the wall
She is down, like the Wall of Berlin
Eye come round about a quarter to ten
We just met, oh at least we pretend
It's so fresh knocking down the Wall of Berlin
Where am eye?
Galaxy of monumental delight
Or parallel hologram copyright
The car comes unexpected like a mother in the park
The sound of a train, it erupts the question mark
I Like it
Who are you gonna be tonight baby?
Is that the queen of Sheba or an alien dream
The marks on the table say somewhere in between
Not one for rituals but one thing I've found
Everything's better when your come around
We get down, like the wall of Berlin
Eye come round about a quarter to ten
We just met, oh at least we pretend
It's so fresh knocking down the Wall of Berlin
The lyrics of Prince's "Wall of Berlin" are perplexing yet intriguing. It seems as though Prince is questioning his own existence and reality, wondering whether he is in his head or in some German town. His belief in superstition and luck is also brought up, with the mention of a four-leafed clover in the ground. But he quickly dismisses it, saying that he doesn't believe in luck, and he's heard the thunder before the lightning struck.
The mention of a document on the wall creates a sense of mystery, as if there is something significant or important hidden there, but it's too small to read. Prince then shifts focus to his current situation, where he meets someone who knocks down his walls or barriers. They get down like the Wall of Berlin, which was a physical and symbolic separation between East and West Germany, and its fall marked the end of the Cold War.
In the second verse, Prince continues to question his reality, wondering if he is in a galaxy of monumental delight or a parallel hologram. He then describes an unexpected car and the sound of a train that erupt the question mark. The song ends with Prince asking who his partner will be that night, whether it's the queen of Sheba or an alien dream, but ultimately concluding that everything is better with this person around.
Line by Line Meaning
Where am eye?
Questioning one's physical and mental location
Universe of paradoxical design
The world is filled with contradictions
Reality merely in the mind
What is real is subjective to one's perspective
In my head or in some German town
Uncertainty of one's surroundings
She said 'you want a four leafed clover in the ground'
Someone is offering a superstitious solution to uncertainly
Ain't superstitious and eye don't believe in luck
Rejecting superstitious beliefs
Eye heard the thunder before the lightning struck
Being aware of things before they happen
Couldn't read the writing cause it was so small
Difficulty interpreting something due to its size
But according to the document she got on the wall
Referring to a written source of information
She is down, like the Wall of Berlin
Someone is feeling low or defeated
Eye come round about a quarter to ten
Arriving at a location at a specific time
We just met, oh at least we pretend
Meeting someone new and pretending to know them better
It's so fresh knocking down the Wall of Berlin
The excitement of breaking down barriers and starting anew
Galaxy of monumental delight
Feeling immense happiness and wonder
Or parallel hologram copyright
The world seems surreal and abstract
The car comes unexpected like a mother in the park
Surprise entrance of a vehicle
The sound of a train, it erupts the question mark
Being puzzled by a sudden loud noise
Who are you gonna be tonight baby?
Asking about someone's personality or behavior
Is that the queen of Sheba or an alien dream
Humorous comparison of someone to fictional characters
The marks on the table say somewhere in between
Uncertainty of someone's true identity
Not one for rituals but one thing I've found
Preferring to avoid traditional practices
Everything's better when your come around
Feeling happier and more fulfilled when someone is nearby
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind