Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known m… Read Full Bio ↴Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.

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.

We Gets Up
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh yeah, what'd you think was gonna happen?
Come on!

[Chorus]
We gets up, everybody get down
Make a sound, make a sound
We gets up when we come to your town
I said the lost is found

We gets up, ain't no need to trip
We're the one deserving of the championship
We gets up, so you feel the gift
All the competition, they got to quit

Yeah! How you think we coming?
Smash em' like you want to sting

We just bad, we so bad, we good
Coming to wreck shop in your neighborhood
NPG, and we're makin' it understood
Ain't no one can stop us, how you think you could?

[Chorus]

Yeah, NPG, New Power Soul, K-k-k-kick it!

Oh yeah!
Gimme the break, gimme the break, huh

If y'all take a left, we gonna go right
But we'll keep this mutha rockin' till the broad daylight

People, wave your hands
Ain't nobody better in all of the land
See them go (boom)! Yeah, we crushin' the man
That don't believe we get up, yes we can!
We gets up, up, up, up!

Oh yeah! [Repeat: x2]

[Chorus]

We gets up [Repeat: x5]
(Oh yeah)
Alright

We gets up!

Overall Meaning

The song "We Gets Up" by Prince is an uptempo funk and hip-hop hybrid that opens with a confident and boastful introduction, setting the tone for the rest of the song. The song's main theme is about the New Power Generation's superiority and willingness to perform at a high level regardless of the location, audience or competition. The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, is a call to arms that encourages everyone to get up, get down, and make some noise. Prince leads the charge with an infectious and bouncy flow throughout the verses that encourages people to feel the gift and celebrate life by dancing.

Prince's style of writing was fluid; however, he often used coded messages in his songs. The song "We Gets Up" is no different, with the lyrics being as catchy and interesting as possible, there are several reasons this song was created. Some of the possible interpretations could be that the song is a reference to the New Power Generation's freedom from record labels or that it's an ode to the band's audience. Still, some have suggested that the song is a call to arms for the Black community to rise up and fight against oppression.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh yeah, what'd you think was gonna happen?
Are you surprised by our talent and success?

Come on!
Let's keep going!

We gets up, everybody get down Make a sound, make a sound We gets up when we come to your town I said the lost is found
We bring energy and excitement wherever we go, and we have the power to bring people together.

We gets up, ain't no need to trip We're the one deserving of the championship We gets up, so you feel the gift All the competition, they got to quit
We are confident and capable, and we know we are the best. Our strength and skill make it impossible for anyone to compete with us.

Yeah! How you think we coming? Smash em' like you want to sting
We come at our rivals hard, and we're not afraid to take them down. We're like a bee sting - small, but powerful!

We just bad, we so bad, we good Coming to wreck shop in your neighborhood NPG, and we're makin' it understood Ain't no one can stop us, how you think you could?
We are a force to be reckoned with! We're going to take over your town and everyone will know our name. We are unstoppable and nothing can get in our way.

Yeah, NPG, New Power Soul, K-k-k-kick it!
We're representing NPG (New Power Generation) and our style is all about power and energy. Let's get it started!

Gimme the break, gimme the break, huh
We need a moment to catch our breath and get ready for the next round. We're not taking a break, we're taking the lead!

If y'all take a left, we gonna go right But we'll keep this mutha rockin' till the broad daylight
We zig when everyone else zags. But we keep the energy high and the music playing all night long.

People, wave your hands Ain't nobody better in all of the land See them go (boom)! Yeah, we crushin' the man That don't believe we get up, yes we can! We gets up, up, up, up! Oh yeah! [Repeat: x2] [Chorus] We gets up [Repeat: x5] (Oh yeah) Alright We gets up!
Our fans know that we're the best, and we're proving it every time we perform. We're crushing our rivals and showing the world that we can get up and succeed no matter what. Let's keep it going and never stop!

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS