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.
When Doves Cry
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?
Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (she's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
Touch if you will my stomach
Feel how it trembles inside
You've got the butterflies all tied up
Don't make me chase you
Even doves have pride
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (she's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (A world that's so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding (maybe, maybe I'm like my father)
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold (you know he's too bold)
Maybe you're just like my mother (maybe you're just like my mother)
She's never satisfied (she's never, never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other? (Why do we scream? Why?)
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
Don't cry (don't cry)
When doves cry
When doves cry
When doves cry
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry, doves cry)
Don't cry
Darling don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't, don't cry
In Prince's song "When Doves Cry," the lyrics describe multiple vivid images and emotions associated with a complicated, tumultuous relationship. The opening lines "Dig if you will the picture/ Of you and I engaged in a kiss" suggest a passionate, physical connection between the two individuals involved. However, the following lines "The sweat of your body covers me/ Can you my darling/ Can you picture this?" indicate a sense of discomfort, almost as if the connection and intimacy between them has become overwhelming.
Later in the song, Prince continues to explore the complicated nature of their relationship, asking "Why do we scream at each other?" The lyrics suggest that perhaps their personalities clash, as Prince questions if he is too demanding or too bold, mirroring his father. He also wonders if the other person is like his unsatisfied mother, causing further conflict and tension between them. The repeated phrase "This is what it sounds like/ When doves cry" signifies the sadness and pain that come with a relationship that is not working out, yet the repeated plea of "don't cry" at the end of the song reveals a desire for reconciliation or closure.
Overall, "When Doves Cry" captures the complexity and intensity of a relationship that is falling apart, with Prince's lyrics evoking a range of emotions and images.
Line by Line Meaning
Dig if you will the picture
Imagine if you can the scenario
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
Of two people, you and I, kissing passionately
The sweat of your body covers me
Your perspiration falls over me
Can you my darling
Is it possible for you, my love
Can you picture this?
To imagine this scene
Dream if you can a courtyard
If you can imagine, visualize a garden
An ocean of violets in bloom
A sea of flowers of a certain hue
Animals strike curious poses
Creatures stand in unique stances
They feel the heat
Sense the desire
The heat between me and you
The passion that burns between us
How can you just leave me standing?
How can you abandon me like this?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Completely unaccompanied in a very cold world
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Perhaps I'm overly-exacting
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Perhaps I resemble my father, and am excessively daring
Maybe you're just like my mother
Perhaps you have similarities with my mother
She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)
She's always discontent
Why do we scream at each other
What is the cause of our loud arguments?
This is what it sounds like
This is how it appears
When doves cry
The sound that is heard when doves shed tears
Touch if you will my stomach
If you desire, place your hand on my belly
Feel how it trembles inside
Notice the quivering inside
You've got the butterflies all tied up
Cause me to feel nervous excitement
Don't make me chase you
Don't make me pursue you
Even doves have pride
Even peaceful, gentle creatures have their dignity
A world that's so cold
An unfriendly, frigid environment
Maybe, maybe I'm like my father
Perhaps, I could resemble my dad in some ways
Ya know he's too bold
You know he was very fearless
Maybe you're just like my mother
Perhaps you have attributes that are similar to my mother
She's never, never satisfied
She never feels fully pleased
Why do we scream, why
What is the root of our raised voices?
When doves cry
The noise we hear when doves weep
Don't Cry
Please, do not weep
Darling don't cry
My beloved, do not let tears fall
Doves cry, doves cry, doves cry
The weeping of the doves
When doves cry
The sound that is heard when doves shed tears
Don't cry
Please, do not weep
When doves cry
The sound that is heard when doves shed tears
Doves cry, doves cry, doves cry
The weeping of the doves
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chaudcola
I know everyone is talking about purple rain but, for me, this is my favorite song from Prince
@tbinus7857
Without a doubt.
@user-sw2se7pf2s
By far
@cdoc1388
My Favorit is kiss =D
@ThogDontCare
Purple rain is one of my least favorite prince songs.
@sillyguy9828
Me too
@bassreeves2410
fun fact: prince not only played every instrument in the song,he also arranged, produced and completed it in 12 hours. Genius
@markkavanagh7377
What happened to Minneapolis since they lost their Mozart? :(
@batman1169
mark kavanagh looting and shooting!
@milkshakemainz7361
Genius, talented af